Healer

Memories

"Are you alright?"

Jimin rolled over, forcing a small smile as the stranger leaned over him, hands hovering over his skin.

"He has no voice," the guard said stiffly. Jimin felt tension ripple up his body, and the healer noticed as well, giving him a sharp, discerning look before responding smoothly.

"I'll just talk to him, then. Keeps them calm."

"Hah. He knows to follow instructions."

"All the same." the healer turned back to Jimin, resting a hand on his bare shoulder. "I'm Yoongi. I'll be giving you a checkup today."

Jimin swallowed, rolling onto his stomach and struggling to sit up. Yoongi waited patiently, then gently helped Jimin stretch his legs out, pointedly ignoring the guard's protests.

"Hold your arms out," he said, then ran his fingertips gently over them, frowning and furrowing his brow. Jimin shivered, swallowing hard, and looked down at his splayed legs, hunching his shoulders.

What is he doing?

Yoongi took advantage of the movement to sweep those smooth, cold fingertips over Jimin's shoulders and neck. Jimin shivered again, coughing, and Yoongi tipped his head up, once again barely making contact with his skin.

"How long have you had this?" he mumbled.

"He's been coughing on and off for a few months," the guard answered carelessly. "Honestly, you're not paid to hover over him like a nanny. Just check him for serious injuries already."

Yoongi shot him a harsh look, but lifted Jimin's leg into his lap, pressing one hand to the top of his thigh. "His whole body is in terrible condition. Does he ever walk around the palace?"

Jimin flinched involuntarily, starting to pull away. Terrible condition? The pain had faded, was almost gone. It had taken his voice with it, sure, but at least he was numb. What was this man doing?

"Terrible?" the guard echoed, suddenly worried. "He just lies in bed, he's been sick. He looked like he was getting better."

Yoongi frowned. "Lie down, please," he told Jimin, gesturing to the bed. "On your stomach, if it's not too much."

Jimin obeyed, squeezing his eyes shut, and a sudden rush of warmth filled his body. He gasped, turning slightly, and Yoongi pressed his shoulder back down, laughing softly.

"Don't worry. It'll be over in a minute." 

If you've seen me post before, you may wonder why I'm taking so long(for those of you who haven't, I tend to write the whole book and then spam-post it in a morning or afternoon). The Internet has been on the fritz in my house lately and pages will close down without warning a lot-- I've had to rewrite posts that were deleted because of that. Also, Wattpad glitched once, so I keep going to my profile to check that the book is still there and the chapter count is up to date. Just erring on the side of caution. 

Oh, and if this book is physically hurting you, take a break. I've read books that hurt my soul before and that's when it's important to pace yourself. I just know that a lot of the topics in here are pretty sensitive... either way, thank you for reading. It means a lot.