The Star's Wish

Chapter Three : Social Time

Social time. It was supposed to be a way for patients at the SoulMate Hospital to interact with each other and outsiders. It was supposed to help them get used to society again after their trauma. In reality, it was five traumatized people stuck in a room together until their nurses let them out.

Jungkook knew it was over the second he heard BamBam sobbing.

Jimin left after shepherding him into the room-- he wasn't assigned to be in there, and no one hung around when they didn't have to. BamBam sat on the floor in the center of the room, curled into a ball. His hands were pressed over his ears.

BamBam wasn't his real name, of course. Just the one he gave over and over. He and Jungkook had arrived about the same time, but the ways they expressed their trauma couldn't be more different. Jungkook assumed BamBam had started crying after the nurse left, since BamBam was the only one there. He stood in front of the other patient for a moment, hoping he would be noticed, then wandered to a corner of the room and tucked himself behind an easy chair, hoping to avoid social interaction for the rest of social time.

The door slammed open, and someone stomped in. Jungkook peeked out from behind the chair, then shot back, clapping his hands over his ears as BamBam let out a wail. Something crashed to the ground and Jungkook flinched, curling further into a ball. Someone else started to cry, this time in soft, gasping sobs. Jungkook fidgeted, glancing out again. He didn't know the young man standing by BamBam, but it was clear neither of them were about to calm down. He took a deep breath and started to scoot toward the stranger.

The small table between them crashed down abruptly, upended by the other patient. Jungkook flinched, leaping backward, and slammed his head into the very chair he'd been using as shelter beforehand.

"What are you, babies?!" the patient demanded. Jinyoung. Was everyone in a terrible mood this morning? Jinyoung's star bobbed by his shoulder, shining like a miniature spotlight. "Just shut up!" Jinyoung hollered, wheeling on the new kid. "Crying isn't going to do anything! We're stuck in here until they're satisfied, so if you'd just be quiet and sit down it would go faster!"

This only made the terrified patient cry louder, and BamBam let out a whine not unlike that of a kicked puppy, scrambling back. Jungkook gasped, hands flying to cover his head as Jinyoung advanced on the newbie, fists clenched. He'd seen that posture before. His breathing quickened, and he closed his eyes, looking away.

Whap.

Jungkook swallowed hard. His breathing slowed and his hands fell limp into his lap. He blinked, opening his eyes, but everything around him faded to background noise. His heartbeat slammed in his ears, but he felt too weak to move. Why did everything have to go wrong? The world was sick, and sad, and he wanted to escape. He didn't want to be locked in a room with these insane idiots. He wanted everyone to let him go.

His arm burned, but the rest of his body was numb. He stared dumbly at the chaos in front of him. The overturned chair, BamBam's huddled form, the newbie crying on the floor. Shards of glass glittered against the wood paneling. Everything was fuzzy at the edges. He licked his lips and took a shallow breath, and his hands began to shake.

It wasn't usually this bad. If BamBam cried, Jinyoung comforted him. Jinyoung was supposed to be the nice one. Jinyoung was supposed to be helping. Why did no one at the SoulMate Hospital help anymore?

His head tipped back, and he fell, but he didn't feel the impact, not really. Jinyoung loomed over him, holding him by the front of his jacket, screaming unintelligibly. Jungkook couldn't understand a thing. He whimpered as Jinyoung lifted him, then let him drop. The chain of his star caught on Jinyoung's sleeve, and a terrible, burning flash of pain seared up his arm and settled in his chest. Jinyoung continued to yell. Jungkook stared at the chain as it ripped free of the other patient's sleeve, then fell, star bobbing.

This was what he had dreaded for two years. No one was coming. He was alone with someone dangerous. Jungkook let out a soft breath, staring wide-eyed at Jinyoung's fury, and made the worst choice of his life.

He tried to yank the hated chain out of his arm.