“Where could she have gone to?! She's hurt and could barely stand on her own!” Jaebum padded up and down in the ward.

They arrived to an empty room, with the hospital drapes left messily on the bed. They checked everywhere and her clothes, her mobile was missing.

“I told her to stay in the room, she's not a fan of instructions, I see.”

“She probably went somewhere important, she'll be back,” Yael said but her worried tone betrayed her words.

“Really,” JB deadpanned. “That idiot! What could be more important than her injuries?”

“That would be my brother, .” The door creaked open, revealing a drenched Moonhee. “I would appreciate it if you would keep these insults in front of my face instead of behind my back.”

“Hee!” Yael shoved past Jinyoung and Jaebum to rushed to her friend. “Oh dear, we need to get you some dry clothes and a new gauze for your cheek.”

“Do you need a tracker on you? Why can't you just stay still for a second?” Jaebum fired away. “The doctor mentioned a knee brace, and you have a hairline fracture in your ribs. Your twisted ankle? Do you not want to walk anymore?”

“Shut it, old man.” She grunted, letting out slight pants of pain as she climbed onto the bed. “It’s just a dislocated knee and some almost fractured ribs. I’ve been through worse.”

“And that makes you a superwoman now?” JB scoffed, folding his arms.

“Fine, fine. It’s my bad for leaving the ward. I wanted to go get some air, okay?” She gave in, lying down on the mattress and closed her eyes.

“When am I able to be discharged?”

“The doctor should be coming any minute now.”

A knock on the door signalled the arrival of the doctor. He entered and Moonhee sat up.

“Hey, how are you feeling?” The male doctor asked. Yael stood up.

“Kibum.” She greeted.

Jaebum found a corner to himself, near the end of the bed and leaned against the wall, his arms still folded across his chest.

“I’m good,” Moonhee smiled. “When can I leave?”

“Another couple of days for observations and you’re good to go.” He nodded before narrowing his eyes playfully. “But no running around. I know about your little getaway earlier.”

Yael wagged her finger at her best friend, to play along with the doctor, another one of her childhood playmates.

Sensing the lightened atmosphere in the room, Jinyoung went to his colleague and nudged him.

“What?” JB whispered, eyes still pinned on Moonhee, noticing all the times she masked her pain behind her cold front.

“You seem awfully worried for Moonhee, huh.”

“I am not.”

“You so are, hyung.” Jinyoung chuckled. “Do you perhaps feel a little something for our hurt consultant there in your ice cold heart?”

Jaebum jabbed him in the ribs and grabbed his head in a headlock.

“Do you think this is a place for that?” He gave his friend a noogie.

He then let go, reverting to his Detective self. The doctor then turned towards the men after he was done speaking to the girls.

“Thank you for keeping Yael and Moonhee safe. Any benefactor of theirs is a friend of mine.” Kibum extended his hand to the officers.

“Thank you.”

Jinyoung glanced at Yael and shook the doctor’s hand.

“It’s part of our job.”

Jaebum then looked at the extended hand after Jinyoung let go.

“Detective?”

He shook out of his thoughts and shook the other’s hand.

“No problem, I just wish she would stay out of trouble.”

Moonhee gave him a scowl and laid back down on the bed. He huffed, amused.

***

The next day, Moonhee was sitting on the bed as Yael packed her things up for her. She was still hurting but it wasn't as bad as the first day. At least her wrecked ankle from the loan sharks was taken care of, she just had to wear a knee brace for a couple more days and she's good to go.

“You ready to head home?” Her best friend asked.

“Hell yeah.”

There was a knock on the door. Jaebum and Jinyoung strolled in.

“What are you guys doing here?” Yael asked, surprised. “Don’t you guys have some sort of a briefing to attend to?”

“Well, it ended earlier than expected. Chief wanted us to come by, to check on Moonhee.” Jinyoung stepped up beside Yael. “How are you feeling?”

“Alive,” Moonhee breathed, with a barely noticeable smile. “What does Taecyeon want to know about me being alright?”

“Taecyeon? It’s Chief to you.” JB spoke, rolling his eyes.

“You know what?” Moonhee shot daggers his way. “I’ve been through enough and gone from hell and back to endure any more of your sarcastic today. So lay off my back.”

She coughed, her ribs started aching again. Yael shot him a glare.

“What? I was just saying she needed to respect the Chief, for him to even care about her.”

“How about we all stop talking and send the girls home?” Jinyoung suggested, clearing his throat. “Are you guys ready to leave?”

“Yeah, we’re done. She’s staying over at my place.”

Yael patted Moonhee’s hand, signalling that she didn’t want any argument from her saying that she could take care of herself.

“Okay, i’ll stay with you. But now, send me back to the precinct. I have something I want to do.”

“What? No! Moonhee, you need rest!”

“What can you do at the precinct, anyway?” Jaebum piped up, genuinely curious. “You have to take care of your knee.”

“I don’t have to be able to run around, just to help solve cases, dimwit.” She countered. “I just want to go to the archive room, can’t you all just let me go?”

Everyone gave in and Jaebum went to get the car from the carpark. Jinyoung carried Moonhee’s items as Yael stayed by the girl’s side, in case she needed some support.

“Gosh, guys! Stop treating me like I’m a patient!” She huffed in annoyance.

“But you are one!” Jinyoung and Yael both yelled at the same time, making Moonhee cringe.

“I’m fine now, aren’t I?”

Honks stopped their conversation and JB slid down from the car. He stood by the driver’s door and lowered his sunglasses. Jinyoung then opened the car door to the passengers’ seats for Yael and Moonhee.

JB’s brows furrowed as he watched Moonhee hobbled to his Mazda, taking in details like how her face scrunched up when she had to lift her leg and to shift until she got to a comfortable position.

He hopped in, not wanting to say anything. He figured he needed to observe Moonhee more to understand how her mind actually worked, her defense mechanism to almost everything - her backstory.

“Done, let’s go.” Jinyoung sat at the passenger seat beside Jaebum.

*

The quartet stopped outside the precinct, the officer got out of the car to sign their vehicle in and show their passes. Yael tapped Moonhee’s thigh.

“Hmm?”

“Hee, did you really go visit your brother earlier?” Yael asked. “How are you holding up?”

“I promised him that I would reopen his case. I keep saying it, but I don’t seem to be holding up to my promises.” She sighed.

“You got hurt. You were helping the police. Taehyun would forgive you for delaying.”

“I hope so. I just want the real killer to be brought to justice.”

Moonhee glanced up and saw the two o