⟨Jɪɱɪŋˈs pøʋ⟩

"Alright, sir. We have a doctor available for you right now. I'll send him the message that he's gotten a patient. Meanwhile, you may wait here for a little while."

She said and diverted her attention away from us, taking the telephone and ringing someone, probably the doctor.

I gestured for the boy to sit down on one of the metal seats and sat myself down beside him.

"So."

I started, feeling how uncomfortable the boy looked at the tension around us. It made me feel too awkward to stay so quiet.

"Jungkook, right?"

He nodded, hands curled up in fists and rested on his knees. And I swear I could hear his heart beating loudly against his chest. I've never seen someone so nervous. And I wanted him to not be.

"That's a lovely name."

I said while smiling. He slumped down even more onto the seat, the corner of his lips curving up a bit, but he did not smile.

"T-Thank you."

"Why are you so nervous?"

I asked directly and I probably made his condition worse. He probably did not expect anyone to ask him like that. But he was being too obvious to hide it.

"I'm-I'm sorry."

He said his a low voice, his shoulders slumping further. I found myself frowning. Boy, he was acting really suspicious. I understand that I should not have said that to him directly, knowing that he is nervous. But there still remained an itchy feeling in my heart that I couldn't get rid of.

"Why are you apologizing? There's nothing to be sorry of. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

I said. Jungkook nodded his head a little but stayed quiet otherwise. I sighed. I know something is up. He did not seem introverted, but rather scared.

A long silence followed. I stared at Jungkook, watching him fidget with his own fingers until he heard our names being called.

"Go to room no.7"

The receptionist lady extended a visiting card towards us before we went in. The doctor's chamber was a lot colder than the outside and was quiet. Too quiet. It made Jungkook shiver and he'd, I'm hoping, unconsciously clutched onto my sleeve.

The doctor noticed and gestured for us to sit down.

"What brought you here?"

The doctor asked, but Jungkook stared at me. I hesitated to say for him like a little kid, but I realized Jungkook wasn't willing to speak a word either.

"He got burns."

The doctor nodded and gestured for him to come closer. He hesitated but did what he was said to do anyways. He pulled his chair a little closer to the doctor.

"Can you show me where you've gotten the burns?"

He asked. I saw Jungkook freeze. I don't know why, I have a very bad feeling about this. I chose to keep quiet though, remembering how our past interactions did nothing but make him comfortable.

He gave me the 'do I have to' look, but I pretended to not understand.

"What's wrong? He asked you to show him. How else is he supposed to treat you?"

He bit his lips. And God, I felt even worse. He totally disliked the idea. As far as I've noticed in the boy, he hates being stared at. He looks as if he's being molested.

He slowly started to unbutton his shirt, hands trembling from fear, or maybe just nervousness. The room was as quiet as it could be. When he finally managed to remove the entire piece of clothing, I couldn't help but let a gasp out.

"How did you even get burns this bad?"

The doctor asked, just as shocked. And for the second time today, I saw tears in his eyes. My suspicion grew. I wanted to pull him aside and ask what really happened, though that's exactly what the doctor just asked him. But he's sounding rude. And it's probably scaring the boy. He just stares blankly at his foot for a few seconds before beginning.

"I forgot I t-turned the geyser on a-and turned the tap on while I-I was under t-the s-shower head. I-It was t-too h-hot."

The doctor sighed immediately, annoyance clear in that. I wanted to punch the annoyance out of his face. All he had to do is sit the the fucking air-conditioned room and just do his job. Why is that so hard?

He inspected his wounds closer and sighed. And gave Jungkook an annoyed look again. I had to close my eyes to keep my anger in control. I could just take the boy to my home. But then again, my home is not the first place I'd think of if I had to take someone somewhere.

"They look like they were kept untreated for a long time. What took you so long to come here?"

He asked, now the annoyance that he tried hard to hide was clearly showing. Jungkook kept his head hung low and I could see him nibbling on his lips. Man, I felt bad. I shouldn't have brought him here. But I couldn't leave him to go when I saw his injuries, can I?

The doctor started to put an ointment on the burns and an almost inaudible hiss left his mouth when the cream touched his wounds for the first time. I watched them with an intense stare. I didn't know why, but I felt over-protectiveness rise inside me for the boy. He looked so tiny and fragile like he'd break if I hugged him too tight.

He'd occasionally let out small winces and honestly, it broke my heart. The poor boy couldn't even afford to get his wounds treated at the proper time.

"Please be a bit gentle."

I told to the doctor when I saw him bite at his lips, knuckles turning white at how hard he was clutching the armrest of the chair and his eyes filled with tears of pain.

"I am being gentle. If he didn't keep it untreated for so long, it wouldn't have stung so much."

Now I was clearly angry. And annoyed. What was that attitude? Just because he is a doctor and earns a quite decent amount of money, he thinks he's superior or something? He finally lunged for the bandage and I started at him, wanting him to look back at me so that he could feel the daggers I was sending him through my eyes, pierce through his soul. But he didn't look at me. Lucky old man.

"He needs to apply this ointment till the wounds heal completely. It'll take more time to heal than it would have if he didn't keep it like that for so long."

He said, pushing the ointment in front of me. I don't know how I got the strength to not punch him in the face already, but I didn't do anything to him. I just grabbed Jungkook by his hand and grabbed the ointment in my other hand and just sped out, not caring to bow down or even mutter a 'thanks'. I placed the money on the receptionist's desk and in a fit of pique, ran out of the clinic with Jungkook, slamming the front door shut behind me.

"I'm sorry he was being an asshole to you."

I said as I let go of his wrist. He stared down for a bit before he spoke.

"I'm sorry to give to a hard time. You were probably going somewhere."

Why is he always apologising? Why is he behaving so timidly?

"You didn't give me a hard time. I was just going home."

I said. I don't know how I'm intimidating him. But it's making me sad. I want him to be comfortable near me.

"There's a park nearby. So, do you want to hang out?"

He immediately shook his head, clutching the piece of clothing in his hand that I may have noticed just now.

"I-I have to go. I need to get the groceries. I'm sorry."

He said and tried to run, but I grabbed his wrist, preventing him from doing so. He looked a bit surprised, a little scared even. There were a lot of questions in my mind, but I asked him none. Instead, I opened the palm of the hand I was holding and put the ointment on it.

"Make sure you apply it every day. Take care. It was nice meeting you."

I said, to which he replied to me with a bow and quickly left the place. I stared at his disappearing figure with a heavy heart. Something was wrong with him. Out of all the people I've met so far, there is something about him that just doesn't sit right.

I turn around and start to walk. The sky is slowly starting to turn orange. I look down at my clock. It was almost five in the evening. Mom will worry. I usually get back home by three. She usually calls me if I'm late by even ten minutes but I've not even gotten a message from her today and that's very concerning.

I start to pick up my pace. My heartbeats start to increase too. Dad is home with Mom. His temper is unpredictable. I have a bad feeling about this. I don't want her to get hurt again.

Please be okay.

I nudged the knob of the front door a few times. My hands were shaking from nervousness. I opened the door. And the scene in front of myself, made all the colour drain out of my face.

My Dad was there. He was there, hovering over my mom, who was shaking on the floor beside the couch, hands shielding her face, trying to protect herself from the hits he's been giving her. He had a broken glass bottle of wine in his hand, held high up in the air, ready to come down with force and smash itself on my mom's head.

I saw red. In a second, I was on top of him, my fist coming down on his face continuously, one after the other. I didn't care to give him time to breathe between the hits. Tears blurred my vision and I sobbed. I was so mad. So, so mad.

He tried to kill Mom in my absence. I will kill him in Mom's presence.

I felt hands grab my shoulder, trying to pull me off of my Dad, or at least stop me from hitting him. But why would I? He tried to kill her. He tried to get a hold of my hands but failed miserably. I could see blood. I don't know if it was his or mine. I don't care. The second grip on me began to weaken.

"Jiminie, Please."

Her voice was watery, full of tears. It made me even angrier at Dad. I brought down my fist on his face with all my might. He seemed like he'd pass out any moment. And as I said before, I don't care.

A sudden pain on my forehead made me halt my moves. He took the chance to pry me off of himself. He had smashed the broken bottle on my forehead to make me stop. I was pulled into a warm embrace.

That had hurt.

It made a few black stops appear in my vision. But I was quick to recover. I was about to attack him again, but a hand held my fist and another held my waist, preventing me from moving. Soon after, I heard a sob. I dropped my fist to my lap. Her voice always made me weak. It took away all the strength I had to stand up against him.

"Please, sweetie. You're hurt."

Something trickled down my forehead. I knew I was physically hurt, but no wound could compare to the emotional pain I was feeling at that time. She still tries to protect him. She still tries to defend him.

She stills prefers to live with him instead of listening to me and moving out.

I heard a door slam. I knew he was gone. I drew a heavy breath and slumped against Mom. I didn't hear her cry anymore, but her heart was still beating unsteadily. I screwed my eyes shut, suddenly aware of the throbbing pain in my head. Mom didn't say anything. She just hugged me, patting my back softly as though trying to get a baby to burp.

"Let me treat that."

She said and I opened my eyes. I turned my head to face her. She was smiling at me.

She was smiling.

Funny how she tries to cover her pain with a smile. It always works though. People never ask anything. She smiles, and they smile back. And that's it. Never in my life had I heard someone ask her 'Are you alright? That smile doesn't look so sensible'.

I didn't speak. I just unwrapped myself from her hold and walked towards my room. I could hear her footsteps behind me. I didn't want to talk to anyone. But I didn't want to hurt her anymore.

"Are you okay?"

I asked her as I sat on the corner of the bed. She fumbled through the drawer of medicines. She didn't reply to me instantly, probably thinking to give a reason for my father's outburst but she knows I wouldn't take anything as a justification for what just happened today.

"I'm okay but..."

She paused, turning to me with antiseptic liquid, an ointment, some cotton and some bandage on her hands. She kicked the drawer shut with her knee and made her way towards me. She sat down cross-legged in front of me. I stared at her, waiting for her to complete her last sentence.

"Please don't pull out stunts like that. It makes me nervous."

She let out an awkward chuckle and took some cotton, cleaning the blood on my forehead and where it trickled down. I stared at her dead in the eyes in disbelief. What was I supposed to do? Let him kill her?

"He tried to kill you."

I said in a monotonous voice. Mom tried not to react, but I can see her eyes fill with new tears. It made my eyes sting too. I tried not to get cross. That man needs to be in jail.

"He was not in his right mind, Jiminie."

"And so he tried to kill you."

"He didn't mean it."

She poured a small amount of the antiseptic solution on the cotton and cleaned my wound. I stared at her, trying to show the disappointment I was feeling. I wanted to lash out at her, telling her how stupid she was for believing that he didn't mean it. He never says he doesn't mean it. Hell, he never even apologizes. Yet, I didn't say anything to her because I believe in her. I believe in what she does. Maybe someday, she'll realize that he should be out of our lives for good.

"You are hurt too."

I tell her, knowing that she isn't going to look after herself even after she's done with me.

"I'll be fine. It's just some small bruises."

She says, applying the bandage on my forehead. I realized the conversation was useless at this point. She always does that. Gets hit and acts like nothing happened.

Fuck, I need a break from this.

"I'm going for a walk, Mom."

I tell her. She looked at me and I can tell by her expression that it made her upset. She knows that what she's doing makes me upset at her and she hates it when I want to stay away from her. But I can't help it. I need some fresh air after what just happened.

"Please keep your phone with yourself all the time and call me if you need me. Or even just leave a missed call. Anything that would make me alert."

I said. Maybe I should rethink my decisions. Hurting each other wouldn't make any progress for us. I grabbed my bag and slung it over my shoulder. I need time to think. I walk past my mom and across the living room but before opening the front door, I turn my head around a little bit. Mom was standing at the door frame of my room, completely silent. I mentally sighed, knowing that what I was doing probably wasn't the best, but then again, I don't think what I would've done by staying home would've been the best either.

"I promise to be home in an hour."

I said and walked out.

2776 Words!

Hi! I'm back with a new chapter! I hope you'd like it. If you do, Please leave a comment. Even one comment matters a lot!

Love you all so much!

Bye!