When I said I wanted to sit down with him, I didn't realize it included him, his two nurses, and my nurse. A knot of awkwardness tightens in the pit of my stomach as the nurses stare at us.

Jimin isn't helping our situation either. He hasn't stopped staring at me since we came to the table. It's as if he expects I'll vanish before his eyes in some cruel magic trick. His tension is making his nurses nervous, which makes Namjoon worried, and makes me feel uncomfortable and slightly irritated.

I understand why the nurses are here, but it doesn't stop me from wishing they would leave. Namjoon can stay but the others are acting as if Jimin would attack or try to run away. It's only making things worse.

I take a steadying breath, trying to ease my frustration and focus on the warm waffle sitting before me. My stomach growls, pleading to eat something. This will be my first meal since yesterday morning, and even that's a strength. One bagel doesn't count as a full meal.

Oh screw this, I'm so hungry. Even with the awkward atmosphere, I can't stop myself from digging into my meal.

I open a small packet of syrup and pour it over the crisp, golden waffle. I try cutting my waffle with a plastic fork but that fails miserably. I use the fork to tear off pieces instead, and finally dig in. I enjoy every bite of the heavenly waffle. Well, maybe it isn't heavenly but it certainly feels like it.

I start wolfing it down, temporarily distracted from the scene, and finish my waffle in record time. I move onto my massive chocolate chip muffin but pause when I realize Jimin is still staring at me. He hasn't touched his food.

I lower my muffin from my mouth. "Are you going to eat?"

Jimin's expression turns sour as he looks over his plate. "Eat what?" he asks bluntly.

His plate is literally filled with every food from the buffet table.

I raise an eyebrow and point at his eggs with my muffin hand. "That. Do you not like this type of food?" Do hybrids eat a different type of food? I know I've seen them at the store before, but he was once human, right?

Jimin sits back in his wheelchair and eyes the food. Then he turns his head away and shoots his nurses a withering glare. "I'm not eating their food."

I take a slow bite of my muffin, watching him carefully. Does he think they poisoned the food?

Then it hits me.

Of course he thinks they did. He was experimented on to become a hybrid. Nobody in their right of mind would trust doctors and nurses after going through such a horrible experience.

Even so, he must eat something. He looks as if he were starving.

If he refuses their food, maybe he'll trust the food I offer to him?

"Do you like chocolate?" I ask suddenly.

Jimin blinks in surprise. "What?"

I offer my muffin with a kind expression. "You can have mine. I already took a bite, but you can eat around it. You need to eat something."

With a hesitant hand, he takes the muffin from me. I notice his hands are small and soft; his pinkie is adorably tiny. Jimin sniffs the muffin top and takes a cautious bite.

I start on my fruit cup and offer him an encouraging smile. "See? Totally safe."

Jimin nods, lost in thought, and continues eating.

We lapse into silence and eat our food in peace, despite the looming nurses. I watch them through the corner of my eye, mentally wishing for them to leave us alone. There are too many people around to let me talk freely with Jimin. I am not sure how to get us alone.

Jimin begins taking quicker, hungrier bites of the muffin as he begins to trust it. When he is done, he wipes the corner of his mouth with his wrist and smears a little chocolate across his cheek. He watches me intensely before staring at my empty waffle plate.

I take notice of his stare and ask, "Do you want a waffle too?"

"Yes..."

I turn to Namjoon and begin to ask him to get us another waffle but Jimin cuts me off. "No," he snaps, "I don't want it anymore."

I give him a wry smile. "As much as I'd love to do it myself, I can't." I gesture to the injured side of my body, "It hurts too much to stand. I trust Namjoon, he made mine. You can trust him too."

Jimin's gaze travels up my body until it stops on the bandage on my head. "Are you going to be okay?" he asks, his voice soft. His tone sends me back to last night when he found me. The memory of blood and snow comes unexpectedly and I feel a tremor of fear pass through me.

I drop my head and focus on my plate, hoping nobody caught it. I try to ignore the memory of that man's fists battering against my cold skin. "I—, I believe so. They said I have a concussion but I should be okay in two weeks."

"When do you escape?"

I almost took it as a joke but I realize his expression is serious. I watch him, quizzically. "Escape?" I repeat.

He gestured vaguely to the space around us. "Escape this place."

My heart aches with sympathy, realizing he probably thinks this is just another prison. The trauma he must be experiencing right now must be unbearable. He's probably scared out of his mind.

"I will leave in two days," I explain carefully. "I don't need to escape. I'll go home when I feel better, and so will you."

Jimin's full lips curl back with doubt. He lowers his voice, "Are you sure?"

I nod, "Of course. Trust me, they want us out of here." I smile a little, "They don't want to waste their money on us."

Jimin doesn't appear convinced and his gaze remains fixated on me. I shift in my seat and decide to add, "You'll leave too. I promise." I fork another strawberry and begin lifting to my lips when he suddenly leans forward.

His nurses bristle from the movement but I shoot them a warning look. I refocus on Jimin and realize he is opening his mouth expectantly; he reminds me of a baby bird.

"What?" I ask, confusedly.

Jimin's brow furrows and he points at the strawberry. "Me too," he says simply.

My gaze flicks between the fork and him. "You want some fruit?"

Jimin sighs and makes a soft noise of annoyance. He grabs my wrist, moves my hand towards him, and leans further. He eats my strawberry off my fork before settling back into his wheelchair, obviously pleased with himself.

I raised an eyebrow at him, my fork still pointed towards him. I chuckle quietly and shake my head in disbelief. "Cheese and rice, you could have asked for some fruit... you're very rude, you know that?" I say playfully.

Jimin smirks, deviously and my heart skips a small beat at the sight of it. I haven't seen him smile before. It's such a lovely smile. Maybe I am making progress with him after all.

"Alright then," I replied sarcastically and found another strawberry in my cup. I offer it to him, "Open wide, sweetheart."

Jimin's eyes light up and he leans forward again. He bites the strawberry off in one bite and grins at me, proud of himself for stealing my food. His tail raises into the air and flicks back and forth.

I laugh quietly and wonder why I didn't find hybrids cute beforehand. I have never met a hybrid before, I've only seen them on T.V, but I wonder if they are all like him or different.

A chilling thought enters my mind without warning.

Does he remember being human? When he was turned into a hybrid? What did they do to him to make him like this? I've only ever heard of genetic editing through an unborn child. Was it the same for him or did they really kidnap him?

I push aside those dark thoughts for another time. I need to take things slow. I can't get distracted when I am making so much progress with him right now. I need to stay focused.

"David, can you grab another fruit cup?" Namjoon asks, breaking the silence. He gestures over his shoulder, "I'm going to make another waffle for them."

Secretly, I cast Namjoon a grateful look and make a mental note to thank him later. He winks at me and takes one of the nurses with him, leaving with one nurse instead of three. The remaining nurse glances between us before shrugging. "I'll get some water for you two."

Lady Luck appears to be on my side today.

Finally, we are alone.

I feed him my last strawberry and he savors it. He hums quietly, content, and settles back into his seat. His tail curls behind him before dropping down again.

Now is my chance.

"Jimin... I wanted to talk to you about something. More like thank you, for something."

Jimin looks up with mild confusion. "What is it?"

I lower my head in deep respect. "Thank you for saving my life," I say sincerely. I close my eyes and gather my thoughts for a moment. "I don't think I'll ever be able to repay you, but you saved my life last night. I don't think I would have survived if you hadn't appeared."

I raise my head to gauge his reaction.

His eyes are wide, flustered by my words. "Oh..."

"If there's anything I can do for you, within reason, you let me know, okay? I wouldn't be here right now if you hadn't... escaped."

Jimin bites his lower lip and looks at the table with a grave expression. "I think you're giving me too much credit. If I wasn't there in the first place, there would be nothing for you to witness. You wouldn't have been attacked if I wasn't there."

"It's not your fault. There was nothing that could change that. What matters is that we escaped and that we're still breathing."

"Do you really believe that?"

I shrug one shoulder and tilt my head to one side. "It's a good way to look at it. I'd rather look at the positive if I had a choice to."

Jimin gives me a half-smile, "That's nice."

"I'd like to think so."

The nurses return with more food and this time, Jimin eats the food without hesitation. He eats faster than me and asks for more food off my plate, wanting me to feed him. I agree to feed him since it is helping him eat more. And I have to admit, it is kind of cute.

We finish our meal and I promise Jimin to see him again. Maybe at dinner, if we're lucky enough to cross paths again. Jimin's easy smile slips from his face but he allows me to leave without any incident.

As Namjoon pushes me out of the cafeteria, I smile over my shoulder and give Jimin a small wave. Jimin's eyes track me as if he were memorizing my face, leaning to one side to get one last look before I leave.

Once we are out of sight, I allow my face to contort with the pain I was masking. I sink down into my chair and absently flip my phone over in my hands. "Namjoon," I whisper, glancing up at him, "it hurts."

Namjoon's eyes widened with worry. "We'll get you another dose when we return to your room. Where does it hurt?"

"My side... I think I hurt it earlier and it hasn't stopped."

He nods in understanding. "We'll hurry. I'll get the doctor when you're back in your room, okay? Can you hold on a little while longer?"

"Yes, I can..." I take a shaky breath and press my empty hand against my side. "I didn't want to worry him..." We enter the elevator together and Namjoon presses the button again. "He seemed to be in rough shape and I didn't want to scare him."

"I see..." Namjoon's expression is doubtful but I can live with it.

At least Jimin is doing better. If anybody's needs should be prioritized, it's his. I don't mind a bit of pain if it means he can smile and eat without fear.

Then I allow myself to zone out until we reach my room.

A/N: A storm is brewing in the distance for dear Eden... but at least she ate! A crisis is best faced when you have a full stomach. Eat well today, lovelies! I wonder what will happen next : )