The Missing Piece

Chapter 36

After they'd each set themselves and the room to rights after their early morning adventures, they were quickly invaded by the usual crew of nurses and porters and HYBE staff who wanted their attention. But it wasn't so bad. The sunrise had brought a new energy to the four mates who were doing better this day than they had in a very long time.

Narae decided for the first time to get up and make use of the en suite shower room. She didn't ask for help and ignored the squeaks of alarm from her mates when she pulled herself up and out of bed, finding it easier and easier to move about. Seokjin leapt for her to keep her upright, but she shooed him away. The shower she took while all three stared nervously at her from the edges of the tiny bathroom was one of the best of her life.

When they were brought breakfast, all four ate hungrily, with more appetite than they could remember. Narae asked to get dressed and was swiftly supplied with some of her own clothes rather than those belonging to her mates or the hospital. She facetimed her Mum to make sure they'd made it back okay and then cuddled into Seokjin's side for a shared nap they all needed. She got all the way to eleven and realised that she hadn't had a troubling or intrusive thoughts about her mates all morning. She was like a new woman.

"Yoongi must be magic!" Seokjin joked once the doctor had come to see her and remarked on her improvement.

"You're all magic." Narae responded fairly, but squeezed Yoongi's hand to thank him again for the night they'd passed.

When, a little before midday, the door burst open to reveal the other four mates, Narae, better and better now, sprung down off of the bed to greet them. Despite protests from either end of the room, she bounded forward and into Hoseok's waiting arms, giggling at his shocked face. The other three rushed forward and grasped at her, so surprised to see her up and dressed and so smiley.

"You look so much better!" Taehyung decided, crowding at her over Hoseok's shoulder to brush his hands through her hair.

"I feel so much better." She told them all happily. Now she looked around, everyone looked like they'd had the same injection of life that she had. Settling bonds will do that for a person.

She vowed to herself that she would get through the rest of the day without having anything close to a panic attack which might give the doctors cause to keep her in for much longer. Despite her optimism, she came close a couple of times. She looked longingly after Jimin, leaving the room without acknowledging that he'd be back. Later, Jungkook answered the phone and hurriedly took the call elsewhere, sparking her paranoia and anxiety. And she coughed and cried a little when Hoseok asked Yoongi about the night he'd had without realising he was asking for a public review of Narae.

Each time, she found the courage to acknowledge her feelings to the room, hoping she was right to do so, trying to be brave, and each time her mates jumped to be the first to give her comfort and acknowledge her feelings of sadness.

"Please don't rush yourself." They insisted, taking turns to kiss her and hold her and rub comforting circles into her back. "Just the fact that you're telling us is a huge move forward."

They recounted their day to the doctor late in the afternoon and she agreed that Narae could be discharged in the morning as long as nothing very interesting happened over night. The group were disappointed not to be liberating her that evening, but they all agreed it was for the best.

"Why aren't we as crazed as we were the first times around?" Yoongi had asked the doctor team, and the professor who they were seeing for the last time before he departed back to Japan.

"Well, you're all reaching your natural capacities anyway, except Narae, and Seokjin, who still have a number of mates to settle and bond with. And you're all unwell."