Stung by the Wasp

Breathe

Jennie went back to the hospital the following evening, not wanting to risk being seen in the daylight. A gurney whizzed past her as she entered the busy establishment, and she jumped to the side, not wanting to get in the way. The A&E ward was crammed, and it took her a while to locate Taehyung's room. Asking a nurse who lingered outside one of the busiest rooms, she found Taehyung behind a curtain, lying propped up in a bed with a large bandage wrapped around his torso. A monitor bleeped next to him, and Jennie could make out the wires snaking from his wrist and elbow to the equipment set up next to the bed. She pulled over a large armchair and sat down in it. Taehyung blinked his eyes open, and he grinned when she caught sight of her. Jennie took his hand, feeling overwhelmed yet relieved that he was somewhat okay.
"What happened?" Jennie asked.
"I got jumped leaving the shop yesterday"
Jennie swallowed the guilt that had risen in her throat. "I think I know who did it"
Taehyung exhaled a ragged breath.
"I think I can guess also" he said.
"What did they look like?" Jennie asked.
"Pink hair"
Jennie balked. Baekhyun.
"I know him" she said.
"This wouldn't have happened if ..." Taehyung trailed off.
"If what?"
He sighed. His hand flew to his injury as he shifted against the pillows.
"If you hadn't come to me" he finished.
"How can you say that? I thought I could trust you? That you would be there for me?"
"I know. I had a feeling it would get dangerous, but when your life is at risk, you start to realise that self preservation is everything"
"I can't believe you're saying this" Jennie said.
"I just... I almost died, Jen"
"Yeah" she said, pulling her hand free from his.
"Hey" he said, reaching out to her.
"Hey, what?" she said, whirling on him. The smell of disinfectant caused a headache to settle behind her eyes.
Taehyung stared at her. "I'm sorry"
"No, you're right" Jennie said, voice small.
"Look, I'm just scared alright? These guys.. they don't mess around" he said.
"I told you that" Jennie snapped.
"I know. I just didn't think it would be this serious"
Jennie tucked her knees up to her chest, sitting all the way back into the armchair. Night fell outside the window.
"I don't know what to say" she said.
"Neither do I. I don't blame you Jen, please believe me"
Jennie turned away from him.
"I vowed not to leave your side" she choked. "I told myself that I would stay by your side through all this, like you have done for me, but now, it sounds like you want nothing to do with me".
Taehyung took an agonising breath.
"I didn't mean for it to come across that way"
"How did you mean it then?" she snapped, looking at him through a blur of tears.
"I said what I said out of fear. I'm sure you know what that's like" he said.
Jennie swiped at her eyes. "I'm not perfect. I'm sorry that I fucked up your life" she muttered. A lump formed in her throat.
"You didn't .." Taehyung began.
"But I'm going to keep my vow" she said, cutting him off. "I don't ditch people in their time of need".
Before Taehyung could retaliate, a nurse pulled back the curtain with medical paraphernalia in hand. She assessed Taehyung's vitals.
"We're going to change your dressing, and then give you your last dose of morphine, okay?" the nurse said, helping Taehyung sit up. Jennie stepped out of the room as the nurse got to work, choosing to head down to the kiosk and purchase a tea. Her mouth was dry, and her tears created streaks on her flushed cheeks. Taehyung's words hurt. Taking the tea she returned to his room to find that he was already drifting in and out of sleep as the morphine and antibiotics took hold. Folding her own self back into the armchair Jennie sipped at her tea in silence, eyes glued to what was going on outside the window. The carpark appeared to be permanently packed, and in her peripheral she could see two ambulances pull out of the loading bay. A light rain dashed the window pane. Throwing her empty cup into the bin next to Taehyung's bed, she dozed off, a night of no sleep suddenly catching up on her.

*

She jolted awake to the sound of voices and metal scraping against tile. She blinked away the harsh light that spilled into the room through the blinds. Her muscles ached from hours spent sitting in the armchair. She stretched out, and winced as her body cracked and popped in places. Taehyung was talking to a nurse in hushed tones. She was dabbing at his fresh wound with a cotton bud, cleaning the bruised skin around the injury carefully. Jennie turned away, feeling nauseous. A second nurse appeared with a tray of food, setting it down on the bed in front of him. Taehyung didn't acknowledge Jennie once. She got up and went down to the first floor, ducking outside for a cigarette. The morning air was icy. Purchasing a second tea and a soggy sandwich from the kiosk, she returned to Taehyung's room. The smell of urine and damp assaulted her nostrils upon arrival, and the sandwich in her hand suddenly became extremely unappetising. Doctors drifted past her, clipboards in hand. A patient to her right broke out into a coughing fit, and doctors rushed to his side just as he puked up onto the floor. Ducking behind Taehyung's curtain, Jennie hid, picking uselessly at her own meal as she tried to satisfy her raging hunger. Taehyung glanced at her from his perch in the hospital bed. A nurse was adjusting his new dressing. Jennie tossed her meal into the bin, choosing to eat at the apartment later on.
"Sleep well?" Taehyung asked.
"Kind of" she replied.
"Good news, I'm going to be discharged later on today" Taehyung said. Jennie couldn't help the smile that danced across her lips at his words.
Taehyung lay back against the pillow once his dressing was in place.
"Can't wait to get out of this place"