134340 |JJK FF|

Chapter 47

"Okay, never mind that." Yumi said, glancing at Jeongguk, "Do you recognise us? Any of us?"

Taehyung only stared blankly.

"... what's the last thing you remember?" Jeongguk's ever-lasting smile faded slightly as he asked.

He continued staring before slowly turning his eyes away, focusing on the ceiling. He lay still for so long, unblinking, that Yumi was afraid he'd go unconscious again.

"Okay." Jeongguk let out, looking like he was suppressing himself, "Let's... let's not delve into that. Does it hurt anywhe--"

"Ship," Taehyung muttered, closing his eyes.

There was a series of breaths as the humans exchanged eyes. Jeongguk edged closer eagerly, eyes glinting.

"Ship." He agreed.

"... Important." Taehyung murmured, "Messed... messed up."

His eyelids fluttered as he struggled to remember another important piece of information.

"Mon... monsters... there... there were--"

"No more monsters." Jeongguk said in an obvious attempt to sound reassuring, "We beat them,"

Taehyung opened his eyes again, looking almost surprised at the intervention. He narrowed his eyes as if his sight was blurry. Jeongguk stood stiffly, nervously playing with the fabric escaping the hem of his shirt like he was being assessed.

There was a long, painful silence where Jeongguk looked increasingly hopeless before he voiced out in disbelief, "Jeongguk?"

Jeongguk blanched, then let out a laugh, relief dancing across his face, "Me." He said lamely, "You remember me. That's... that's great. It--it really is--"

"... I... fell sick," It came out as a question.

"That's right."

"Dying."

"No." Namjoon said reassuringly, "You're not dying."

"I... you..."

They tried to get more out of Taehyung's mind, which proved more and more difficult with each passing second. The exhaustion he felt was imminent, as sweat slightly collected on his face and his eyelids dropped lower and lower. In the end, he fell asleep right as he tried to answer another question.

Yumi hadn't realised she was clasping her hands and holding her breath, and quickly released it. 

Jeongguk tensed slightly like he did not like the sight of unconscious Taehyung, no matter what form. But the breathing was stable, the monitor indicated a healthy 95 bpm, and most of the grey pallor had fallen off.

It hadn't hit her, until then. The antidote worked. Taehyung was recovering. Their mission was successful.

Yumi felt herself grin stupidly. Their mission was successful. Humans had proved themselves. There was a change for an actual home here. After the months... years they spent--finally--

Yumi wanted to walk up to the deck and scream out with all she had, letting the sky know they had done it. They had done it, they had done it, they had done it, they had--

"I guess that marks the end of today's discussion." Namjoon rubbed his eyes tiredly. "... I'm going to sleep."

"It's morning. You haven't even eaten anything yet!"

"Healing a poisoned tiger can take a lot out of you. Wake me up later," Namjoon said and marched right up to the nearest bed, crashing down on it soundly. He started snoring the moment his head hit the pillow.

"Let me know when he wakes again." Jeongguk made Yumi promise before leaving the infirmary and off to the cabin, Namjoon's snores resonating behind him.

"Right." Yumi said brightly, feeling lighter than she felt in weeks, "So we-- uh--" She looked dumbstruck as her friends claimed each bed for themselves and plopped down on it.

"I'm going to sleep for a year," Jimin mumbled into the pillow. "No, two years. Good night."

"It's morning."

"Good morning," he said before going to sleep.

Yumi smiled slightly, glancing at Hara, "Is this how we're celebrating Taehyung's healing?"

Hara blinked blearily, "We haven't slept... in a while,"

"I can take the watch," Yumi said easily.

"Wake... Wake us up if something happens," she yawned, burying herself inside the blankets, "If the alarms don't do so first,"

"Go to sleep." She reassured.

"Oh, and Jeongguk will pop up every five minutes to check. I speak having seen the events first-hand. Tell him not to disturb us," Hara said and also passed out.

In a matter of seconds, the room was filled with snores.

Yumi turned her eyes to the sleeping Taehyung, unknown emotions rushing inside her. She remembered the words she last heard from his mouth, a reminder that this healing, in a way, was only supposed to be about proving themselves, proving themselves worthy of their trust and goodness. She wasn't sure how she should feel now that his recovery was confirmed. She wasn't even sure what he felt towards them now.

Surely, his memories would return. She did not know how much of his sickness he would remember, but he would definitely remember the situation from before he fell ill. She knew a completely full companionship filled with trust and respect was too much to ask for, but he would not go back to square one of pure hatred, right...?

She took a seat on a further bed and took a small breath. This mission was supposed to be about gaining trust and a safe place, which was sort of fulfilled with Jeongguk. But she wondered if that was all that Taehyung would see, a ploy for their own gains and reasons, not something they did out of actual devotion. Knowing him, it wouldn't be completely uncharacteristic for him...

That would be a problem to think of later, she decided. Right now, his health is the top priority.

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A/N: *screams as if I'm not the one who planned and wrote all this* FINALLY!