Healer

Other Peoples' Business

Jimin lay on a cold cement floor, ice seeping through his skin and dulling the pain that radiated from his chest. A torn, ratty blanket was draped over his lower half, but his shivers threatened to dislodge it. Tears blurred the darkness around him, smearing it against the back of his mind.

What happened?

He remembered the shouts and screams, the calls for help. The rough hands of the guards, dragging him out of Taehyung's limp arms.

He coughed, the air rasping against the inside of his throat. The pain was like nothing he'd felt before. It leapt from one part of his body to another, throbbing and stinging and burning from everywhere at once. As soon as he adjusted to the pain in his back, a new pain erupted in his legs, then raced down to his feet. He curled inward and gasped as more pain awoke.

No, he thought. No. I can't do this anymore.

I can't live anymore.

"I told you I'm fine!"

Jimin looked up, swallowing, as Taehyung stormed down the stairs, whirling around at the foot to glare up at Jungkook.

"You checked it last night, nothing's changed, get off my case!"

"Hyung, it's not--"

Jimin scooted further into the corner of the couch, trying to focus on the book in his hands, but his eyes were drawn back to the two young men as Taehyung backed up, gripping his wrist.

"I told you I'm fine," he said. "I don't need your help!"

"Hyung!" Jungkook's voice was soft, strained. Taehyung glanced over at the front room, and his eyes connected with Jimin's. His face twisted.

"It doesn't matter anyways," he muttered.

Then he stalked to the door and wrenched it open, slamming it shut behind him. Jungkook came down the stairs, pausing with one hand still on the railing, and took a long, shuddering breath.

Jimin stood, walking to the edge of the front room. Jungkook's head tipped down, a tear slipping past his eyelashes, and Jimin reacted without thinking, taking one of his hands and attempting to rub his palm gently with one thumb. The hand immediately seized up, still wrapped loosely around Jungkook's, and Jungkook looked up, a film of tears covering his eyes.

"Hi hyung," he said softly, making a brave attempt at a smile, "How're you?"

Jimin sighed, matching his expression as he leaned in to press his forehead against Jungkook's shoulder. "Sorry," he said, "I saw you and I thought..."

"I'm fine," Jungkook said bitterly, brushing at his eyes with the back of his free hand. "It's ironic, right? I don't know why I'm the one crying..."

Jimin hummed, closing his eyes.

"I just want everyone to feel better," Jungkook mumbled. "but I keep making it worse."

"That's not true," Jimin said quietly.

"Isn't it?" Jungkook asked.

Jimin opened his eyes, looking up, and saw that Jungkook was looking straight at him, tears already falling down his cheeks.

"None of you tell me when you're in pain," he said, his voice throbbing with the same emotion Jimin had heard from Yoongi. "You hide it, the same way you hide it from Yoongi and Jin and Namjoon. No one talks to anyone in this house."

"Jungkook..." Jimin said, eyes wide.

"Like I said, I'm fine," Jungkook pulled his hand out of Jimin's, grimacing. "I just need a minute to calm down."

Without another word, he turned and walked back up the stairs, leaving Jimin alone on the landing. 

Living with someone who has depression for years has taught me that you always need to watch your mental health when you spend time around people who struggle with theirs. It's not necessarily contagious, but you can give yourself your own problems if you start taking their actions the wrong way. 

Let's start a collection of hugs for these characters. Eesh.