Before The Shadow: White Chrysanthemum Flowers

Chapter 16: The Truth

No Hailey you can do this. Just shut off your fear, shut everything off. Only think of fighting, focus only on that. Yes. I can do this. I won't be scared. I won't allow myself to be.

He falls to the ground and it's then that I notice all the blood around him. He's been shot!

If I can just make it to the door then I'm safe!

The door! Just a little more, please!

My mind is racing with images of gunfire and running blindly through the woods with no way out. Can I get out? I need to get out! My eyes bolt open and my desire to escape overwhelms my entire body. I scramble off the bed and crash into something next to me but I don't have time to focus on what it is I just need to get to the door. I push myself up from the ground and run to the door and reach for the door handle but before I can grab it someone spins me around and pins me to the door.

"Hailey! It's me! Calm down, okay?" Yoongi says desperately.

Wait, Yoongi?

My breathing slows down and I slide down to the floor holding Yoongi's arms tightly as he follows me down. My eyes focus on everything around me. It's the day, not night, the sun is creeping through the thin curtains that are hanging along two small windows. I'm not in the woods anymore, I'm in a bedroom of sorts. I look at the bed and see a bedside table on its side with a broken lamp next to it. I guess that's what I bumped into. My eyes trail back to Yoongi and his dark warm brown eyes, "Yoongi."

Yoongi cups my cheek with his hand, "That's right, you're okay. You're safe." He says reassuringly and tears roll down my cheeks. Yoongi starts to pull me into his embrace but I grab his face and crash my lips against his. I want to feel his touch and smell his scent again. I need to know that is real and that I'm not just dreaming. We've been apart for so long.

I break away from his mouth and bury my head into his neck and he wraps his arms tightly around me, rubbing circles into my back. After a while, he pulls me to my feet and leads me back to the bed. I lie between his legs and rest my head on his chest, he moves the covers around us and creates a protective cocoon of sorts for me. "What...happened?"

Yoongi opens his mouth to speak but before he can there's a small knock at the door, "Can I come in?"

"Enter," Yoongi says sternly and tightens his hold around me.

The door opens and Jin appears behind it with his same gentle smile caressing his face. It's been so long since I've seen any of the boys that I almost feel like crying. "Hailey, you're awake! How are you feeling?" Jin asks as he pulls up a seat next to the bed.

"Okay...how long was I out?"

"About twelve hours," Yoongi responds.

"T-twelve hours!?"

"You had a rough night," Yoongi reminds me and a shiver travels up my spine. I shrink further into Yoongi's embrace.

"Do you mind if I check you over?" Jin asks and opens up a small briefcase on the bed, inside is a stethoscope and other various medical instruments.

"Since when do you play doctor?" I ask jokingly but neither Yoongi nor Jin laugh instead they both look at me with serious expressions. "Wait, you're an actual doctor!?" Just how many secrets do these guys have?

"Yes, hold still please," Jin says and clicks on a small pen-like torch and holds my head in place. "Good, the cut on your head is healing nicely. Luckily you only needed some glue for that."

Jin continues to asses me and I realise there are bandages on my wrists where the rope holding them together had been. Jin must've checked me over while I was unconscious I guess. "Any dizziness? Nausea?" Jin asks in a professional tone.