Stung by the Wasp

Ultranumb

The sun spilled into the room the following afternoon, casting a warm glow over the rumpled duvet. Taehyung woke to find Jennie rocking back and forth in the corner of the bedroom, hands tangled in her hair. He scrambled out of the bed and ran to her side. She stared past him, not acknowledging his presence.
Taehyung grabbed her hands and yanked them out of her hair, clasping them in his own palms as he attempted to make eye contact with her. Sweat beaded along her hairline, and her hands were clammy.
"Jennie" he called. "Hey"
Jennie looked at him, and a flash of anger crossed her blank expression.
"What are you doing?" she snapped, pulling her hands free and clambering to her feet, moving out into the kitchen without sparing him a glance. Taehyung followed, concerned.
"What's going on, Jen?"
"I'm..." she stopped, her voice trembling. She slid the frying pan onto the ceramic hob and drizzled some oil into the centre of it, rushing to the fridge to grab food items out of it. A sense of anxiety gripped her heart at that moment, and she leaned against the countertop, muttering to herself, her sentences blending into one as the invisible fear took hold. Due to this delay the oil in the pan began to sizzle resulting in a cloud of smoke to billow out from the hob. Jennie didn't move from her position, unaware of the potential danger that lay in wait. Taehyung jumped into action and yanked the utensil off the hot plate just in time. He glared at Jennie, irritation flashing in his eyes.
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Nothing" Jennie snapped.
"You want to burn the place down, is that it?"
Jennie frowned. "It was an accident" she countered.
Taehyung shook his head at her callous behaviour. Taking the food items from her hands, he took charge of the cooking, letting the oil spit and pop as gristle met heat. Taehyung threw Jennie a sidelong glance. She was standing in the same place, biting her nails and fidgeting with her clothing at the same time.
"You want to eat?" he asked.
Jennie didn't answer. She left the room.
Taehyung dished up two eggs and some bacon onto a plate, putting the pan into the sink for washing up later on. As he tucked into his meal, his phone rang. It was Jungkook. They spoke for a couple of minutes.
"Yeah, I'll be there" Taehyung said, hanging up.
A loud crash from the bathroom made him go running, swallowing his food whole as he went towards the source of the noise. Jennie was standing at the sink with a razor blade in hand. The cabinet was open and one of the shelves had come loose, resulting in bottles of moisturiser, facial cream and deodorant to litter the vanity below. A corner of the sink had chipped upon impact. Jennie cut into her arms with the blade, and Taehyung swooped in to snatch the utensil out of her grasp before she did any more damage. Jennie stared at him, eyes wide riddled in panic.
"I'm sorry" she said.
Taehyung took a hold of her wrists and hauled her out of the bathroom in frustration.
"Explain to me what just happened?"
Jennie wiped at her cuts feverishly, smearing the thin lines of blood all over her pallid skin. Taehyung balked.
"Stop that" he said.
"I'm crashing" Jennie said.
"Crashing? What does that mean?"
"Withdrawals, Taehyung ! I'm going through withdrawals" she snapped, lying down on the bed as a sudden desire to rest took hold. She draped her wounded arm over her eyes, blocking out the light. Taehyung approached the foot of the bed, hands in pockets. He watched her toss and turn, mumbling as she did so.
"What can I do to help?" he asked.
Jennie groaned. "Nothing".
"There's food waiting for you in the kitchen if you want it" he offered.
Jennie shot up. "I don't want to eat Taehyung. How many times do I have to say it".
Taehyung scowled. "How am I supposed to know if you don't tell me?"
"Surely me not giving you an answer said it all"
"I'm assuming this attitude of yours is a symptom of withdrawal too?"
Jennie rolled her eyes. "Fuck off"
She pulled the duvet up around her shivering frame, willing sleep to take advantage of her exhaustion. It didn't come, and she became restless. Sweat poured off her, making it impossible to settle.
Taehyung stepped closer. "I'm worried about you, Jennie, despite your shitty attitude"
Jennie wailed into the pillow in lieu of a response. Taehyung placed a hand on her cheek. Her temperature had spiked. Soaking a towel with cold water he dabbed at her forehead and neck, desperate to cool her down at all costs. Jennie batted his hand away, delving further beneath the covers.
"I said fuck off" she shouted, the blankets muffling her words. Taehyung threw the damp towel down onto the bed beside her out of annoyance.
"You're so ungrateful" he countered. Jennie let out another howl, and Taehyung departed the room, shutting the door behind him. Taking his plate he proceeded with the washing up, leaving Jennie's portion on the side of the oven for later, despite his better judgment to toss it out with the remains of his own meal. Picking up his phone he googled her symptoms, curiosity getting the better of him. Satisfied with his new knowledge he returned to the bedroom and assessed the situation. Jennie lay lifeless under the covers and he pulled them back to ensure that she was in fact still alive. Her skin was clammy to the touch, and her shirt was damp with sweat. Her breath hitched in her chest. Taehyung looked around the room, and his eyes fell on the rucksack she had brought with her when she escaped Kai's den. He picked it up to move it out of the way when the weight of it caught his attention. Opening it he reached inside and pulled out a black handgun. He stared at the offending item disapprovingly, a mixture of shock and discontent coursing through him. At that moment Jennie stirred. Holding the gun aloft, Taehyung waited for her to wake. When she did, she fixed two narrowed eyes on him.
"You went through my stuff?" she exclaimed, rushing to his side.
"Why the fuck did you bring this here?" Taehyung demanded, holding the gun high so that she wouldn't be able to snatch it back. Jennie shoved him in the chest.
"Give it back" she cried. "Why'd you snoop through my things?"
"I didn't go through your things. I found it by accident. Now tell me why you have a fucking handgun" Taehyung replied. "What? Did you have plans to rob me or something?"
"Obviously not" Jennie yelled. "It's for self defense"
"Against who? Me?"
"Don't be dumb" Jennie said. She made a grab for the weapon but fell short. Taehyung danced away from her, hiding the weapon behind his back. "I just escaped a fucking drug house, so obviously I'm going to need to protect myself" she explained.
Taehyung wasn't convinced. Jennie crossed her arms to hide her nerves.
"Do you know how to use it?" he asked,
Jennie raised an eyebrow. "What do you think?"
Taehyung brandished the glock once again, turning it over in his hands a few times.
"Show me then"