HER BELOVED

11

"Mr. Kim?" Jin lifted his head from Nao's shoulder and when he saw the doctor he jumped to his feet and continued to squeeze her hand. "Can we talk in private?" he asked, looking around the room full of people staring at him. "We have no secrets from them, doctor, speak calmly" insisted Jin tensely, sensing the bad news in the medic's eyes. "If you insist" the doctor handed him some sheets and Jin gently placed Nao's hand on the bed to take and examine them.

"Nothing in your wife's body is normal" began the doctor, putting his hands in his pockets and looking at his patient. "Hemoglobin, leukocytes, erythrocytes, proteins, everything is several times below or above the norm" Jin looked at him with narrowed eyes. "What does that mean, what's wrong with her?" he asked sharply and the doctor sighed. "Mrs. Kim has taken various substances systemically, some of them are not dangerous by themselves and are ingredients of many drugs, but mixed with others, they can cause a strong reaction and turn out to be even deadly." Jim gaped at him in shock.

"And if what you said is true, I suggest you call the police because someone has obviously tried to kill your wife by poisoning her" all eyes locked on the doctor. "Poisoned?" Jin gritted his teeth and looked at Nao's pale face. "Mrs. Kim is strong and physically healthy, her body is fighting, but we need more tests and time before I can say if there is irreparable damage to her internal organs. Some of the substances she is taking can cause heart damage ,liver and lung or kidney. I ordered her an MRI to make sure there is no damage" Jin nodded without looking at him, his mind working hard and his blood raging angrily.

"Besides" Jin looked at him. "You said you were trying for a baby, but there is residual birth control ingredients in her blood" Jin cocked his head slightly to the side. "My wife doesn't take birth control, doctor, she never did, she was a virgin when we got married" he growled and the doctor narrowed his eyebrows thoughtfully. "Then whoever gave her the rest of the meds probably gave her the birth control as well, if you're sure of what you're saying" the doctor replied, pulling Nao's test sheets from Jin's hands and leaving her room.

"What the hell does that mean, I understand she's poisoned, but why birth control?" Jin sat back in the chair next to Nao's bed with a grunt. "Who but us knows you want a child?" Jimin asked and Jin shrugged, this wasn't something that was just blown up like a newspaper story. "I didn't know" Jungkook muttered and Taehyung and Yoongi joined in his reply. "Nao blamed herself for not being able to get pregnant, she even considered convincing you to see a specialist" Jin looked at Tia in surprise.

"What? What are you talking about?" Tia burst into tears again. "She told me about your conversation, from the night she confessed her crush on you to yesterday when we last spoke. Nao has never even considered taking birth control Jin, her biggest dream is to has a big family, and that includes several kids" Jimin held her close as Tia sobbed loudly. "Damn baby" Jin didn't know what else to say, she had never told him exactly how many kids she wanted, just that she wanted to, she had never shared with him her dreams of a big family, something that she clearly had easier in front of another woman.

"Tia, has Nao told you anything else that she wouldn't share with Jin or any of us?" Namjoon asked pointedly and Tia thought about it, sniffling. "Nothing important, women's work, cooking, children, gossip that I told her or she saw on the Internet" she suddenly took a deep breath, let it out noisily and stretched like a string. "What? What did you think of?" Jimin looked at her quizzically. "Tina, Nao suspected that Tina had a crush on Jin because she was horrible to Nao, but when Jin was around she was always quiet and submissive and kept her eyes on him" Tia looked at Jin whose jaw hit his lap in shock.

Suddenly, all eyes turned questioningly and accusingly to Jin, who felt like he was on the guillotine. "Don't you dare, I love my wife more than anything in the world and I have never given Tina a reason to think that I have any feelings for her! I would never even think of cheating on Nao!" he roared, leaping to his feet. The monitors began beeping rapidly and Jin looked at Nao. "She hears you!" Tia whispered in amazement and Jin sat down again, squeezing and kissing Nao's hand.

"Baby I'm sorry, do you hear me, I love you and I'm going to find out who did this to you, do you hear me my love, I swear I'm going to beat everyone to death just wake up please" his voice was shaking with pain and love as his breath stung Nao's fingers. "Please,baby,try for me,open your eyes,please" his voice dropped to a low sob when he didn't get the answer he so desperately needed. His eyes searched her face hard for any other sign that she heard him, but found nothing, not even the faintest twitch.

"Keep talking to her" Jin looked at Yoongi who was now standing next to him staring at the monitors. "Remember, baby, I promised you that we would go to the shelter near the apartment and get any and all animals you want?" Jin stared at the monitor as well, her heart rate racing every time he said something and dropping when he fell silent. "I promise,we'll do it as soon as you're out of here,my love,you hear,anything you want,I'll buy you the whole shelter if you want,a vet clinic for your peace of mind,I'll build a thousand more,but you gotta open your eyes baby " he whispered imploringly, looking intently at her face and the monitors.

"We will also buy a new house, I will build a big and beautiful playground where our children will play with all the puppies and kittens we have" he looked at the monitor again and then kissed her fingers. "That's what you want, isn't it baby, lots of kids and a huge family? I swear on my life, you'll have it all, but I want you to wake up first, I can't do it without you,my love" he felt someone's hand on his shoulder and looked up, meeting Namjoon's teary eyes.

Tia pulled away from Jimin and moved closer to him, Namjoon made room for her and she gently pulled Jin into a hug. He blinked in confusion, but buried his face in her shoulder and cried, letting go of all the feelings that were raging inside him. Anger that someone had even dared to touch a sweet creature like Nao, fear that he might lose her, hope that she was strong enough to fight back, regret that he had never been able to keep her safe and mess up her dreams. His need to hear her voice, to tell her he loved her, to show it to her, to lay the world at her feet in appreciation of her trusting him and loving him, and he had failed to live up to her expectations.

"She'll be fine Jin, she would never let something like this tear you apart" Tia's sobs mixed with Jin's and he shook his head. "I failed Tia,in my quest to keep her, now I'm about to lose her, and all I want is to tell her I love her, I love her so much" a slight movement made him jerk his head up from Tia's shoulder and gape at his hand. The monitors started chirping like a hysterical flock of birds again, Nao's fingers pressed against his so lightly that he wasn't sure if he actually felt the movement or if he was just imagining it.

But the movement repeated and he was filled with hope. "Do that again baby!" he gripped her hand tightly, falling to his knees and staring through their entwined fingers. Nao seemed to be unconsciously reacting to everything Jin was saying and her fingers trembled slightly again. "That's right, my love, one more time!" his face lit up with hope and despair, his tear-swollen eyes closed and he rested his forehead on their hands, as if praying, when the next movement of her fingers lightly tangled his hair falling on his forehead and he smiled.

Jin stood like that for a few minutes, listening to the rhythmic rise of the ventilator that was helping his wife breathe, as well as the calm, distinct beeping of the heart monitor. "She's fighting and she's going to fight, so now it's our turn." he looked up at Namjoon. "Take care of Tina but leave her alive, I want to ask her something personal" Namjoon nodded and left. "Jinim, take care of your wife, if Nao finds out what we put her friend through, I will be hanged" Jin and Tia smiled, giving Nao one last look and left as well.

"Hoseok, Jungkook, trace Tina's contacts, phone, emails, meetings in the last six months, anything you can find that would connect her to Kuga or Woobin" the two nodded and walked towards the door. "Taehyung, Yoongi, follow Woobin, it's time to finish this bastard" were his last words before he turned back to Nao and stared into her face without a word. "Everything is going to be okay baby, I promise" he gently and lovingly caressed her cheek and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "You just make sure you come back to me" he smiled sadly and rested his forehead on their intertwined fingers again, closing his eyes wearily.