Seungri slowly came awake due to the insistent pain in his shoulder. He stifled a groan as he tried to loosen up his muscles in order to ease the pain.

He hissed at his body’s protest and kept his eyes closed as he evened out his breathing.
Sure, most of the time he acts as if his injury was no big deal.It really isn’t if compared to the previous injuries he and s have had. Just because they’re the best in their field doesn’t mean they don’t get injured. It’s not really a surprise with the risks they take.

Jiyong once had four ribs, an arm and a leg broken when he fell from the helicopter transporting them from a mission. How the hell he survived that fall, I’ll never know, he mused. 

Youngbae temporarily lost his hearing when a bomb exploded and he wasn’t able to get far enough. It must have been tough, but Youngbae kept his pain and worries hidden, even comforting s as he kept his smile in place. 

Seunghyun was in a coma for almost two weeks after surviving eight gunshot wounds to the chest. Bom was hysterical but trying to keep it together, just like Big Bang. That episode certainly brought them closer.

Daesung was almost emasculated when a knife intended to gut him, slashed too low. He didn’t actually suffer any fatal wounds that time, just a shallow cut that came much too close, but the emotional trauma was shared by the whole team who seriously started to consider wearing protective jockstraps.

As for himself, well.. Seungri has his own fair share of scrapes, but the worst one happened soon after he joined BB Securities. He was on a reconnaissance mission and found a lab filled with unidentified chemicals. Jiyong ordered him to stay put and wait for Youngbae who was carrying the equipment needed to determine the chemicals’ stability; but feeling confident in his genius abilities, the very reason he was recruited in the special forces, he acted. And triggered a chemical explosion, burning half of his torso. Thankfully, his teammates got him out there but healing and rehab was a . Even worse? The lecture he received from all his hyungs and even General Yang. Not to mention the noonas.

But that incident straight up taught him a lesson that he would never forget. Cured him of his cockiness, at least when it comes to missions. Seungri wouldn’t be Seungri without a little bit of overconfidence, after all.

He shook his head to shake off the memories, wondering why he was focusing on those kinds of memories when he could have fun with Sandara.

A mischievous smirk crossed his lips as he thought about the havoc he could cause without severe repercussions from his Jiyong hyung, thanks to the newly-discovered, super effective Sandara shield! Able to repel the dragon’s fiery breath, and calm his explosive temper with just a single smile or a pleading gaze. Seungri giggled as he twisted his body so he could check out if Sandara was already awake. Whoever decided to make us share rooms is a genius! He has loved spending time with Sandara. The girl was funny, sweet and makes everything seem like an adventure or a new discovery. Which in a way, to her, is. He also doesn’t hate how Jiyong’s eyes softens when speaking with her or how his usual Iceman demeanor melts around her.

He turned fully on his side, careful of his injured shoulder, only to be met with an empty bed.

He frowned and concentrated, trying to determine if she was in the bathroom. The door was shut, but their room was silent.

He got up and approached the bathroom door, furrowing his brows as he contemplated opening the door. “Sandara?” he called out, knocking on the door lightly.

Taking a deep breath, he put his hand on the knob and prepared to open the door.

“What are you doing?”

“Aaah!” Seungri screamed in surprise at the intrusion.

Daesung was looking at him from the doorway with a serious wtf expression.

“Aisht!” Seungri complained. “What are you doing here?”

“Jiyong hyung sent me to deliver breakfast.” Daesung held up a couple of bags of food. “Jiwon hyung came really early this morning and they’ve been locked up in his office since. What are you doing?”

“Sandara!” Seungri remembered with a jolt. He quickly opened the door and found it empty. “.”

“You lost her?!” Daesung asked in panic as he approached the bathroom door.

“I didn’t lose her!” Seungri insisted. “She wasn’t here when I woke up.”

“You didn’t hear anything?”

“No.”Seungri answered picking up the telephone. He quickly dialled the nurse’s station and watched as Daesung placed the bags of food on the table. Daesung then did a quick sweep of the room, checking the windows, making sure that there aren’t any signs of a struggle or tampering that Seungri in his medication-induced sleep could have missed.

“No one has seen her since the last bed check just around two am when the night nurse did her rounds.” Seungri shared what the head nurse told him. “She isn’t scheduled for any procedure this morning. I had them check the security cameras.”

“Better check the cameras for the whole floor, the elevators, the rooftop and the ground floor.” Daesung suggested. “Better yet, check every camera near every entry and exit point. You’re going to be so dead once Jiyong hyung finds out-“

“Finds out what?” Jiyong’s calm but equally scary voice asked as he entered the room followed by Eun Jiwon.

Daesung and Seungri looked at each other in panic.

“Uh.. hyung.. You see..” Daesung started. 

“Hyung..” Seungri interjected. “I would just like to remind you that I am injured and under heavy medication prescribed by the doctors.”

“I just came here to deliver the food!” Daesung squeaked.

“Spit it out!” The annoyance was clear on Jiyong’s face turned deadly when he finally looked around the room and discovered a very interesting thing. “Where is Sandara?”

“Gone!” Seungri answered, babbling. “I woke up and she was gone. I called the nurse’s station and no one has seen her. I ordered a review of the security cameras -”

“And I checked to make sure there wasn’t any sign of forced entry or exit.” Daesung quickly added. “There wasn’t.”
The tick in Jiyong’s jaw became more pronounced with every word that came out of their mouths. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to not act as instinct demanded and tear this place apart. “Okay. I left you close to midnight, yeah?”

Seungri nodded. “She was still here around two am, because the night nurse saw her.”

“How much access does she have in this place?” Jiwon asked.

“Close to none.” Jiyong answered. “She’s never gone anywhere without one of us and she wasn’t given security clearance so she can’t access the elevators.”

“Fire escapes?” Jiwon asked again.

“Would only lead her to the ground floor.” Jiyong answered as he saw Seunghyun and Youngbae approach them.

“What’s up, Big Bang?” Seunghyun called out in a cheerful voice, distracted due to the story he was telling Youngbae, he was unable to read the tension from afar. “You won’t believe how much Bom kept nagging me this morni- what’s wrong?”
“Sandara’s missing.”Jiyong answered.

“No, she’s not.” Seunghyun protested, speaking slowly as if he was addressing three year-olds or people with the mental capacity of a three year old.

“What do you mean no, she’s not? Hyung! I woke up and she wasn’t there..” Seungri exclaimed as Youngbae and Seunghyun exchanged looks.

“Maknae. Focus.” Jiyong reminded him to keep his emotions in check.

“I assume you’ve ordered a review of the -”

“Yes! We’ve done all that.” Seungri cut-off Youngbae. His fear that Sandara could be hurt, overriding his training.

“Get a grip.” Seunghyun reminded him again. “Is this how you are in an actual mission situation?”

“Of course not!” Seungri protested, indignant at being questioned about his abilities. “But this is Sandara. Tell them, Jiyong hyung!”

“You don’t seem too concerned.” Jiyong observed.

“Because she isn’t missing.” Seunghyun repeated.

“Then where is she?!” Seungri demanded.

“Hyung, just show them the photo.” Youngbae suggested. “It would be quicker that way.”

“What photo? A ransom?” Daesung asked, the worry from earlier still present but with the way Seunghyun and Youngbae are acting he thinks - and hopes and prays- that there is no reason to worry.

“She’s safe.” Youngbae assured everyone as Seunghyun fiddled through his phone.

“Bom sent me this photo this morning.” Seunghyun handed the phone to Jiyong and watched as the everyone but Youngbae crowded around him. “Along with a whole day’s worth of complaints.”

“Why is she complaining?” Jiwon asked, not really getting the significance.

“She wanted to be close to Sandara first.” Seunghyun shrugged, not really understanding the logic behind his girlfriend’s issue this time. “Don’t ask me to explain.”

“Guess Hyesun noona beat her to it.” Daesung commented as they stared at the photo of two girls seated on a couch next to each other,sleeping. Sandara was leaning her head on Hyesun’s shoulder and Hyesun was leaning her head on top of Sandara’s. Both of them looked tired but peaceful.

__________________________________

EARLIER

Hyesun stretched her arms over her head to help ease the aching muscles between her shoulders. 

She checked the time on her laptop and winced. It was almost three am. She debated on the wisdom of driving home versus the convenience of just crashing in one of the rooms the company provided just for instances like this.

She has been invited to be a guest lecturer by one of the top organizations that are working hard to bring awareness about post traumatic stress disorder. Some people think that PTSD only happens to soldiers but PTSD can happen to anyone who witnessed or experienced traumatic events. This kind of thinking, that kind of doubt, can cause further damage to a person already battling with the illness.

She sighed as she saved her presentation and turned off her laptop. She began gathering her things after deciding to just take a cab home.The dorms and even the private rooms in the building are great but she’s looking forward to long soak in her bath tub.
She smiled at the thought, so immersed that she didn’t notice the soft knocking on her door.

She opened the door and found a crying Sandara there.

She looked around to see if anyone was with the girl. She knows Sandara hasn’t been alone anywhere and wonders what brought the girl to her door.

“Sandara? Are you okay?” She asked gently, trying not to frighten her.Her eyes widened when Sandara started sobbing. She only hesitated for a second before pulling the frail girl close to her. She ushered them both inside, dropped her bag on the table and led the both of them towards the couch. She let Sandara cry, running her hand up and down her back in a gesture of comfort. 
Recalling their earlier interaction, she could see that Sandara was still wary of her. Something big must have happened to make Sandara actually seek her out.

When Sandara’s sobs subsided, she pulled away gently. She handed Sandara a box of tissues that she kept by her desk. Whispering a soft assurance that she’ll be back she went out of her office to the common pantry. She quickly grabbed what she needed and rushed back to the room, scared that Sandara would have left. She let out a sigh of relief when she found the girl wiping her tears with the back of her hands.

“Here.” She placed the tray she prepared in the pantry on a small table and handed Sandara a cup of tea. 

Sandara took the cup and sipped, closing her eyes as the warm liquid soothed her raw throat. She watched as Hyesun took a cup for herself and drank. 

After a couple of minutes, it became obvious that Hyesun wasn’t going to say anything. This frankly surprised Sandara. She thought Hyesun would ask her question after question as soon as she entered the door.

She’s not sure why she sought out Hyesun but upon waking up from the nightmare, she knew that she needed to speak to someone who could help her understand.  She her lips as she tried to speak, “I.. I had a.. Dream.. Only I’m not sure if it was a dream or a memory.” She her lips again. “It was like you said.. I started writing then I fell asleep.. Then..” She shuddered as she remembered the fear she felt in her dream.

“Can you tell me about it?” Hyesun asked. Sandara started at the kindness she saw in the other woman’s eyes. No wonder she was so good at her job. There was something comforting about her and Sandara could see the genuine desire to help. She wondered if she was too blinded by fear before to notice.

Sandara nodded and told Hyesun in halting words about her dream. She told her everything she could remember. When she finished, she looked at Hyesun expectantly. Wanting her to say that it was all a product of her overactive imagination.

“I can’t tell you which part is a dream and which part is a memory. I’m sorry.” She said as she saw Sandara’s face fell. “You were remembering, when you were writing in your journal, it is possible that you triggered your brain’s memory functions. It could also be the drugs.”<