Chapter Thirty One

Taehyung POV

I bounced my knee anxiously as we sat in the waiting room. It had already been nearly 7 hours, and every minute was agony. It was 10 PM and there was still no word on Jimin or Hobi. Jungkook had finally given in to exhaustion and was leaning his head onto my shoulder, his hand still woven into mine. I was just as tired and the only thing keeping me awake was my terrible anxiety. The doctor had come in a little while ago to make sure we didn't have any serious injuries. They were pretty sure Kelly had a concussion, and Jungkook and I had managed to escape with only some major bruises and scrapes. My right arm was killing me, yet they had assured me I hadn't broken it. I leaned my head back and watched the clock tick on the wall. I was vaguely aware that I was hungry, but my mind wandered elsewhere. The amount of pictures being taken at the accident scene was unnerving. Our managers would certainly see our headlines and be on their way. It was a bittersweet situation. On one hand, we would finally be safe and free, but then we'd be majorly set back in finding the others. Kelly knew where they were, we could only hope that BigHit would trust her word.

"Mr. Kim?" I heard someone ask and I instantly sat upright. A doctor was coming into the waiting room and I squeezed Jungkooks hand to wake him. He groggily lifted his head and blinked slowly, but pulled himself together as he saw the doctor. "I've got some news for you."

"Jimin and Hobi, are they alright?" Kelly asked and he looked over at her.

"Both are stable." He said with a smile and I breathed the biggest sigh of relief in my life. I leaned against the chair. "Jimin had a collapsed lung, and Hobi some internal bleeding, but surgery managed to stabilize both situations. Damn, they needed surgery.

"Can we go see them?" Jungkook asked, his voice hoarse from sleep. The doctor nodded and motioned for us to follow. I jumped up.

"They're in the same room, just opposite sides. We figured it would be easier for you this way." He explained as we navigated the bright hallways. The smell of antiseptic and shiny metal tables unnerved me. He finally reached a door and slowly pushed it open. "They're not awake yet, so just take it slow."

"Thank you." Kelly said as we entered the room. He closed the door behind us. The room was small and quiet, all except for the rhythmic beeping of the two heart monitors next to their beds. Jimin was on the left, Hobi on the right. There was a small couch in between and a window just above it. Soft yellow light bathed the room from the single lamp on the table in the corner. I moved over to Jimin quietly, as Kelly and Jungkook moved to Hobi. He lay in a white hospital bed, blankets pulled up over his chest. An IV in his arm, oxygen tubes coming from his nose, and the heart monitor clipped to his finger, he hardly looked like himself. I pulled a chair up and sat down, taking his cold hand in mine.

"Jimin-ah, we're here. Don't worry." I said, tears forming in my eyes. I reached out gently and moved the blanket out of the way some, seeing bandages around his chest. I sighed and replaced the blanket, sitting back in the seat. I glanced up at the heart monitor as it beeped slow and steady. I stood and moved to Hobi as Jungkook traded me spots. He looked a little better, though he had the same equipment on. I sighed and leaned my head down to gently rest on his chest. Tears ran down my face and wet his blanket, small choked whimpers escaping me involuntarily. How did we end up like this? We were just trying to enjoy some time off from the constant pressure of performing. Camping, hiking, relaxation, and peace and quiet...it all turned into a nightmare. I felt Kelly's hand rest on my back and I instantly jumped away from the touch.

"Don't touch me." I hissed, turning to glare at her. The aggressive gesture was enough for her to step back slowly, averting her gaze. I grit my teeth and turned back to face Hobi. Tears streamed down my face and my hands were shaking.

"Tae," I heard Jungkook's soft voice behind me now. His hand rested on my shoulder and I turned with his gentle tug. We hugged tightly, my head leaned into his shoulder now as I couldn't keep the pain hidden any longer. I squeezed my eyes shut and quietly sobbed into his shoulder. My frame shuddered with every shaky breath, but Jungkook stood still, his hand gently rubbing my back. Several minutes went by before I finally let him go. His shirt was wet and his eyes were red from crying as well. He gently took my hand and led me to the couch, sitting down carefully. I sat down next to him and leaned against the couch, rubbing my eyes with my hands.

"We should get some sleep." Kelly finally broke the silence. "It's been a long day, I'm sure you two are exhausted." I nodded slowly, agreeing with her. My mind was fuzzy and drained, my body felt like a huge sack of wet cement.

Yoongi POV

This morning had already been eventful and terrifying. Nix and Tom had thrown open the door with a loud clang and came bustling through the door. Both were angry and flustered.

"Your friends were finally found." Nix hissed, clearly disappointed. I sat in the far back of the cage, my legs up to my chest again. "A car accident in Kansas." Car accident? My heart slammed to a stop in my chest and my breath froze. They must have made the news, if these two idiots knew about it. I could only hope that everyone was alright. I was partly relieved as well, it meant that our managers would finally be able to track them down.

"It means that you're all we've got too. So we need to get this party started." Tom cracked his knuckles. I could hear a van crunching through the gravel outside and my heart again nearly stopped. It could only be one thing. Nix left the room and began hollering at someone outside.

"Move." Someone's gruff voice ordered and I slowly got to my feet. Dizzy and light headed, I leaned my hand against the wall for support. I could barely see straight, but I forced myself to remain steady. Through my blurred vision, I saw both Namjoon and Jin stumble through the small doorway, both handcuffed. I clenched my jaw as Nix opened the door and shoved both inside, removing their handcuffs as they went. Jin landed on his knees and I paused, not trusting myself to move.

"Yoongi?" I heard Namjoon ask, but I barely registered it.

"Have fun catching up." The door slammed shut and we were left alone. I blinked carefully, trying to clear my vision.

"Jin?" I asked, my voice horace from not talking for so long. Joon stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me tightly. Jin followed him, burying his head against Namjoons back. His arms felt so nice, strong and gentle. I hugged him tightly, not wanting to let go. I felt tears forming in my eyes and spilling down my cheeks. I leaned my head into his chest, my frame shaking.

"Oh Yoongi, I'm so glad we found you." Jin's choked voice said but I couldn't answer. It had been so long since I had seen either of them, I was beginning to think I never would again. When they finally let me go, I leaned against Jin heavily, my legs growing weaker. My vision was tunneling out and my head was spinning.

Namjoon POV

Yoongi's eyes rolled back and he fell forward, unconscious. I barely managed to catch him before he hit the hard metal floor. I carefully lowered him to the ground, sitting down with Jin. I pulled his head into my lap.

"Is he alright?" Jin asked nervously, his hand trembling as he took Yoongi's.

"He's just exhausted. He'll come around." I said quietly, taking his wrist in my hand. His heartbeat was fast and uneven. I sighed and leaned back against the wall of the cage. So this was where he's been this whole time? Trapped in a dark cell alone? He had bruises around his neck, signs of being choked at some point. My heart skipped a beat as anger began to build inside me. Bruises littered his arms and legs, and he was very thin. I reached out and lifted his shirt, seeing his ribs clearly and more bruises down his stomach. One bruise in particular was very large and purple, going across the right side of his ribcage. It was most likely from a boot, similar to the one that kicked Jimin. I cursed under my breath. Jin looked up at me, his eyes red.

"He looks terrible." Jin said quietly, brushing tears from his eyes.

"Not too different from either of us." I said and he nodded, swallowing hard. I was glad that the others were safe now though. I hoped that the car accident wasn't too serious, but it may have been a blessing in disguise. I was worried that Kelly would be prosecuted, and unable to help them get to us now.

Jungkook POV

Taehyung had finally drifted to sleep. He lay out on his side on the couch, hugging one of the blankets close to his chest. I hadn't seen him so upset in a long time. Kelly was asleep too, laying out on a small chair by the lamp. I sat next to Taehyung, my hands clasped in front of me as I leaned onto my knees. The only reason I was awake was from nightmares. Ones that continued to show us trapped in a cage, in the dark, starving, alone. I brushed tears from my eyes, blinking a few times. I looked up at Jimin as he lay in the hospital bed. His and Hobi's surgery's had gone very well and the doctor had high hopes for their full recovery. I stood, moving quietly to his bed in the darkness. I couldn't make out his face but I knew he was still asleep. I sat in the chair next to him and looked up at the heart monitor. Steady green spikes blinked across its screen, even and strong. I sighed, leaning my head into my hands. I was so tired, but I was afraid to sleep again. I heard the monitor pick up speed suddenly, going from a steady 80 BPM to nearly 100. I looked over at Jimin, seeing him shift. He tried to sit up, hissing in a breath of pain.

"Taehyung?" He called out, panting as he began to panic. His monitor was spiking up to 110 now and I stood, taking his hand in mine. He was shaking and squeezed my hand weakly.

"Jimin-ah, it's ok. It's Kookie." I said quietly, and felt him instantly relax. He lay his head back into his pillow and he took a shaky breath. "You're in the hospital, everything's ok. You're safe."

"What happened?" He asked. I was about to answer when the small lamp suddenly clicked on, causing him to close his eyes to the sudden light. I looked over through squinted eyes to see Taehyung standing by the lamp.

"Jiminie, you're awake." He smiled widely and moved to stand next to me. He leaned down to hug Jimin gently. "It's nearly 3 in the morning."

"There was a car accident. You were hurt pretty badly. Hobi too." I answered his question and his face grew worried, looking past us at the other bed.

"Is he alright?" He said nervously, his eyes fighting to stay open.

"He is, and just asleep right now." I smiled and he nodded, reaching out to take Taehyung's hand.

"I'm glad you're alright." Tae said, new tears in his eyes now. "I thought I had lost you."

"Hello, my alien," He said weakly and it made Tae instantly smile.

"Annyeong." He said calmly without missing a beat.