Guilty Parties [ NoRenMin ] | ✓

- Forty Six -

After Taeyong and Jaehyun had gotten over the little dent situation, they eventually made it back into the building, and Taeyong directly got Hendery's attention, having him attend to Jaehyun.

Hendery's eyes widen when he saw the damage that Jaehyun had, while he had taken Jaehyun to the empty room next to the kitchen.

The room was only used for a medical room when absolutely needed, which was saying something since the damage on Jaehyun did need attention.

Jaehyun smiled at Hendery softly at his reaction.

"Jeno did this?" he asked, voice low and soft.

Jaehyun nodded, smiling even brighter.

"He's incredible."

Hendery nodded, before continuing to treat Jaehyun's wounds.

But as he was finishing, not having to do too much since it was his power and the Defects didn't have the normal human speed of healing, he realized something.

"Does," he paused, catching Jaehyun's attention as he was wrapping a bandage tightly over his hand, "does Jeno need help?"

Jaehyun sighed, looking down at the hand he was binding, and he let it go loosely, before looking back up at Hendery, eyes sad.

"Even though I'd want him to go to you, he probably wouldn't want it," he answered cryptically.

Hendery furrowed his brow, before speaking again.

"Why wouldn't he?"

"I've seen what he can do, and I know how he feels, at least, today I knew how he felt. Emulating has an impact on the mind, where it's almost impossible to deny the urge to essentially take someone's power and make it your own," he looked at Hendery, pausing, "He hasn't been using his powers for years, and now he's trying to accept that part of himself again, after denying it all this time. Today when he was fighting, Taeyong had put something in the water he drank that gave his power a burst of energy, and that boy fought that," he said.

Hendery looked astonished.

"So why wouldn't he want to get treated?"

"He's still a kid, but he's very mature. Let's just say it's his own punishment he feels he deserved. He made me limp back here. He isn't happy."

. . .

Jeno had taken Jaehyun's advice and went to his room.

He looked at the conjoined beds in slight guilt.

He doesn't deserve their comradery. Their friendship. Their love.

He doesn't deserve any of that.

He's a monster.

He went into the bathroom, ready to take a shower.

He didn't know where the others were, and at this point, he didn't worry himself to care.

They'd be better off without him.

He swiftly turns the hot water on, not hesitating to step into the shower as soon as it heated up.

The steam helped him wounds get clean, although he wasn't left without the sting and ache of them.

He washed his body, trying to scrub away the guilt of hurting once again another comrade that had accepted him from the beginning.

The ache stretched when he pressed on the wounds that he needed to clean, watching the swirl of red blend into the clear water.

It was an almost intricate beauty in Jeno's eyes.