Shattered Souls (BTS)

Chapter 23 - Madeline

The light in his eyes dimmed slightly, "And what if I don't want to?"

She was flabbergasted by his obvious flirting. What felt worse was that she was turned on by it.

No, don't succumb to him. Stay strong.

Madeline stepped away from him, unlatching herself from him. His burning gaze was unrelenting as he watched her hobble towards the door. The three other soul mates that were in the room with her subtly watched her, prepared to catch her if she fell.

"Are you alright, Madeline?" Jin asked from his seat next to Jungkook.

Begrudgingly, she glanced over her shoulder, "I'm fine. I just need some...space."

They all knew what she meant by that—she needed to get away from them. Madeline turned away when she caught a glimpse of their hurt expressions. Guilt gnawed inside of her belly.

You're hurting these men who have been nothing but kind to you. Where is the malice you were expecting? A quiet voice asked in the back of her head.

She grimaced at the thought.

Madeline pushed the door open and walked towards the nurse's desk. She hoped to find Aggie—the kind nurse who had helped her in her moment of need. An unfamiliar woman was stationed behind the brown desk, typing on the computer. At her arrival, she flickered her electric blue eyes up.

"May I help you, Miss Smith?" Madeline thought it was a bit creepy that she knew her name. She must have helped her whilst she was asleep.

"I—I was wondering if you have a cafe or garden. I want to go somewhere quiet." Madeline requested, desperate to not be around her soul mates.

The woman sighed, "Your records state you shouldn't go anywhere alone, Miss Smith."

Madeline's hope deflated at that. Did she have to have one of her soul mates follow her around?

"I promise I don't feel unwell. I will seek help if I feel bad." She begged, her eyes pleading with the middle-aged woman. She just wanted to gather her thoughts and have alone time. Everybody had been hovering around her.

The nurse stared at her desperate expression and relented. "Fine, but you have thirty minutes."

Plastering a grateful smile on her face, she hobbled away from the desk and wandered through the halls. The further she got from the room where her soul mates were, the emptier she felt.

She pushed down the horrible feeling. It was pathetic to feel pity for yourself. That was one of the few things her mother had drilled into her.

Madeline found herself at a small cafeteria, where patients and their visitors were sat, talking. She noticed one person in particular who was hunched over a table, typing furiously on their phone.

Her feet began moving on their own, heading in that direction. She stopped just in front of the man and cleared her throat.

His warm brown eyes drifted up to her face and stilled. A sheepish expression formed on his face.

"I—uh, hi," He mumbled so unlike his usual, confident, and charming self.

She cocked her head to the side, "What are you doing here, Jensen?"

Madeline pulled the chair opposite him out and fell into the seat. She didn't want to admit to him that her legs were already getting tired. Her body was a lot weaker than she anticipated.

"Well," He scratched the back of his neck, avoiding eye contact. "I'm here for you."

Madeline already knew this—she doubted he casually hung around the hospital. "Yeah, I already assumed that. But why?"