Repairing the Hurt

Chapter 26

"Sang?"

I stop in the doorway of my apartment, surveying the surroundings.

"Sang?" Kota asks again, rushing up to me and placing careful hands on my shoulders, concern clouding his eyes.

"I'm okay," I give him a small smile.

He doesn't return it, only hugs me close.

He releases me and I go back to surveying the room. "Why are we now having meetings here?"

I don't mind, I really don't, but it strikes me as strange that they would choose a place they deem unsafe as their headquarters.

"At the time, this was a middle for us," Kota explains.

I shrug, stepping further into the room and letting Sean close the door behind us.

My movements are slow, my head still a bit foggy.

I hate concussions.

"At least you're no longer on the school job," Nathan remarks, guiding me to sit on the couch.

I eye the couch first, feeling the scowl on my face. How did I know they wouldn't listen to me about the couch? "I didn't need it."

Nathan continues to guide me until I'm sitting in his lap.

"Just say thank you, Princess," Victor says from across the room.

"Thank you," I grumble, "And I'm still taking the school job."

"The fuck you are," North bellows.

Ouch.

"North," Kota warns, seeing me flinch.

I flinch again at the volume, and see Kota's face pinch in worry and regret.

Nathan rubs my back, "Peanut, you can't take it with a concussion. You need to rest."

I hear the grumbles of agreement around the room and I close my eyes, snuggling deeper into Nathan, "Guys, stop."

"Sweetie, you can hurt yourself more if you take this," Kota argues.

I feel myself beginning to concede, and I mentally hit myself for it.

If I don't shut the argument down soon, I'll crack.

"Guys," I start in a loud voice, loud enough to stop the talking and hurt my head, "This is the last of the protesting I want to hear. I'm taking this job, and I need you to support me, not fight me."

I feel bad arguing with them, knowing they just want to protect me, but at the same time, this is something I need to do. I need to make a difference, I need to help someone. I've been forced to have these capabilities, and now I want to convert something I've taken from blood and war into something that truly helps people.

I breathe slowly, trying to stop the pounding in my head, "Please, I need to do this," I say quietly, but knowing all of them can hear me.

Nathan's hand stops moving circles onto my back and he wraps his arm  around me, tugging me closer.

"Sweetie, none of us want anything to happen. We just got you back  and you're not at full health yet. We know how these jobs go," Kota pushes his glasses up, sniffing a bit and not looking directly at me.

He doesn't like going against me.

I crawl out of Nathan's lap and make my way over to Kota, lifting his face to meet mine.

"I know you're worried about me," I start, "but I'm not worried. And you know why?" I'm only speaking the partial truth here. I'm utterly terrified. "Because I have you backing me, and I know you won't let anything happen to me."