BETTERSWEET

Ch.13

Try as hard as you might, your flat is still not as sterilized as a hospital's ward would be, and it is quite inevitable that she would contract a fever. You tend to her quietly, and gently, wiping the sweat caked to her skin, changing the wet towel placed on her forehead, and redressing the wound with new bandages as required. Your worries of an infection are still at large, and you cannot afford to make even one tiny mistake. Thankfully, her wound is not festered and the only sign of infection she has is her running fever.

The worst has come to pass, and her temperature is declining, but you can't let your guard down.

Not now, not ever.

You are busy wiping down her sweat again when she finally comes to, a small moan passing through her lips and her eyes flipping open, bleary. You quickly move to her face so she could see you better, a small smile gracing your lips as you do so. "Juyeon-ah."

"...Jiyeon?" she murmurs, still sluggish.

She is then pushing herself up with a heave, and you don't stop her, merely providing support with your hand behind her back. It is even more sweaty on her back, as the last time you turn her to change the wound dressing had been almost two hours ago. She is looking around, frantic, and you rest a hand on her thigh in an effort to calm her.

You caress her thigh gently. She is shivering against your touch. "Hey, hey, it's okay."

"Wh-where am I...? How long have I..." she pants, not quite finishing her sentence, and turns her head back to focus on you.

"Dayoung and I moved you here from the safehouse. That's two days ago. I was hoping you'd sleep longer..."

"Two days?" she repeats, clearly disgruntled.

"Yes."

"We... we're at your flat?" she asks again, eyebrows scrunched together and lips tight. She looks scared, and you're unsure why.

"Yes. It's okay, you're safe here."

She makes an effort to get up to her feet, and this time, you do stop her, almost yelling too, "You're not going anywhere!" you don't think you've ever used this loud of a tone with her, and it does catch her off guard. She stops immediately, looking at you with wide eyes, and your gaze softens just as quick. "I'm sorry for yelling at you. You have a fever, Juyeon-ah. You need to rest more."

"I-I can't..." she says, her hand holding on to her wound. You don't think she is in much pain, she is still doped with painkillers, so you think she is trying to access the damage to see if she could actually make her way out on her own. You feel a small tug in your heart at this thought. "It's not safe. They'll find me. I- I'll put you in danger."

"I think you've been doing that from the very start." you say, and you quickly realize that's the wrong thing to say because she tenses up immediately and becomes smaller, hunched in her form.

"That's not what I meant," you try again, more careful with your words this time. It is at this moment that you realize just how tired you are. You haven't slept well last night and the night before that because you were waking up periodically to check up on Juyeon. And when the fever first plagued her, you could feel your heart drop to your stomach. You were so worried. "It's just... with you being involved in an organized crime syndicate... I would think I have been placed in harm's way from all the way back then. Nothing is all that different now, is it?"

"I'm sorry," she says, genuine in her words, you can tell that easily. "I... I've tried not to get close to you. Gods, I tried so hard. I am more than aware that you would be in danger should I continue to approach you."

She seems to be shaking more, and that is when you sit closer to her, pulling her in for an embrace. You rest your jaw on her uninjured shoulder, and your hand is drawing calming circles on her back.