The hospital’s atmosphere was tense when hours passed and there was still no update on the abused girl’s condition. Eunbi felt worn out due to everything that happened earlier that she fell asleep on Xiumin’s shoulder two hours after they brought Alex in, and the boys were battling with their own exhaustion.

As soon as they arrived five hours ago, Chief Byun ordered a nurse to find his wife and took Alex from Kai’s hold before settling her down in a gurney. As soon as his wife appeared, and she was briefed about what happened, she took Alex away to get checked. Baekhyun’s father told the boys to sit inside the waiting area while he went to the police station to file a report.

Kai rubbed his eyes and sighed. “This is taking forever. Why isn’t your mom telling us anything?”

“I don’t know. But I’m not going to bug her again.” Baekhyun frowned. “She yelled at me the last time I asked.”

“She’s going to be okay, right?” Xiumin asked out of concern. “I mean, she has to be okay. She’s a strong girl, she has to.”

The boys had no idea how to respond. Kai rubbed his head out of frustration and stood up from his seat, pacing around the room for a while. They were the only ones inside the waiting room. The other two looked at him with sadness. They gave each other a knowing look and Baekhyun stood up to follow Kai.

“Jongin?” Baekhyun called as he placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder for comfort. “How are you feeling?”

Kai let out a painful chuckle and looked at his friend. “I want to kill her uncle, if that’s any help.”

Baekhyun winced at the anger coming out of the boy. “You don’t mean that, though.”

“Oh, trust me, Baekhyun. I do mean it.” Kai grimaced. He leaned his back against a wall and slumped down to the floor. Baekhyun followed his actions and sat next to him with a sad frown. He heard his friend sniff and turned his head to see him trying his best to suppress unshed tears.

“He didn’t even hesitate.” Kai slowly shook his head in disbelieve. “He just… hit her- No… h-he…he didn’t just want to hit her… he wanted to kill her. I don’t think I’ll ever understand how a person, especially a blood relative, could do such a horrifying thing…. Just… why, Baekhyun?”

Baekhyun looked to the front, his own cheeks stained with tears. His own mind filled with old memories of his precious cousin and how miserable he felt for years after her death because he was not able to see before that his own blood relative hurt her. If only he’d been able to see the signs beforehand… How many times did she subtly asked for his help and he could not see? How many nights did she suffered in silence for what that monster did?

“This world is full of beasts, Kai.” Baekhyun whispered in between tears. “And i-it pains me so much to admit that sometimes those beasts… come from inside the family…”

Kai felt the sorrow on the other’s voice. It made him feel as if his answer was more personal than it seems.  He turned his head to his friend and saw that his eyes were distant. Full of agony and resentment. Kai frowned because the only other time he has seen Baekhyun this tormented was after Yoona died… and it dawned him. Kai widened his eyes, mouth opened in shock and tears flowing down his cheeks. “B-baek…”

Baekhyun closed his eyes and let out a heartbreaking sob. He knew his longtime friend understood what he meant. He felt the other wrap his arms around him and gently rub his back in sympathy.

“I-im so s-sorry, Baek….”

The boy shook her head against Kai’s shoulder. “S-she t-tried t-to warn u-us… s-she t-tried…”

Kai just held him tighter and bit his own lip to try to hold in his own tears.

“W-we were t-to late… h-he j-just… h-he just…”

“Who, Baek?”

Baekhyun pulled back from the hug and gasped for breath as he tried to calm himself down. After a few minutes, he found his voice again and spoke a little hoarse. “It was my uncle… h-her own father… he j-just killed her, without any slightest care in the world.”

Kai was in complete shock over this revelation. He couldn’t help but look at his friend in complete sadness. “Baekhyun, I am so sorry.”

Baekhyun was able to manage a sad smile. “I wanted to tell Alex first. Maybe telling her what happened to Yoona would’ve help her.”

“It still can.”

Baekhyun and Kai slightly jumped when they heard Xiumin’s voice, completely forgetting that they were all still inside the waiting room together. Baekhyun looked at him and saw that Eunbi was fully awake with tears in her own eyes next to him, confirming  that they also heard the story.

The couple stood up and sat down in front of the other two on the floor. Xiumin gently patted Baekhyun’s leg and offered him a sympathy smile.

“You may think that it’ll be irrelevant telling her now, but I think you still should.” Xiumin explained. “We know that she’s getting help, whether she likes it or not, but maybe telling her your story can give her more insight.”

“I agree with Min-min.” Eunbi softly said. “Telling Alex will make her see the gravity of the situation and maybe it can become easier for her to accept help.”

Kai squeezed Baekhyun’s shoulder with a small smile. “It’s worth a try, Baek.”

The boy was about to nod but a call from Xiumin caught his attention. “Baek… I am so sorry for what you and your family went through.” Xiumin whispered before wrapping his arms around Baekhyun, who cried silently on the boy’s shoulder. Eunbi followed a few seconds after and so did Kai, forming a group hug.

Chief Byun entered the room and stopped his tracks a few feet away from the group huddled together on the floor. He watched in admire, grateful that his son had such amazing and caring friends. He carefully approached and cleared his throat to catch their attention.

The kids looked up at the sound and send the man a small smile as they stood up one by one, Kai helping Baekhyun as he was feeling a little fatigued to stand up on his own. “Chief? Are we finally getting an update on Alex?” Kai asked once he made sure Baekhyun was balanced against the wall.

“Doctor Byun hasn’t told us anything yet.” Eunbi informed the man.

“That’s because you kids need to learn how to have patience.”

The group startled at the voice coming from behind and turned to see Baekhyun’s mother, Doctor Byun Mijung, walk towards them. The woman gave a sly peek at the Chief and stood next to him before turning back to the group.

“Mom, please tell us how she’s doing.” Baekhyun begged.

The doctor smiled with a short shake on her head. “Alex is doing just fine. The reason we took long is because I needed to make sure there wasn’t any internal damage on her head.”

“And she’s okay, right?” Kai nervously asked. “The studies came out clear?”

“Yes, she’s clear.” Doctor Byun send him a soft smile. “My theory is that she managed to take a step back before her uncle hit her head, so the wound wasn’t as deep as the blood made it seem.”

“The head is a very sensitive area. Even a small cut or scratch made there can make a person bleed a lot.” Chief Byun explained. The kids slowly nodded in understanding, relieved that the abused girl doesn’t have to worry about any dangerous health issues for the moment.

“I just finished stitching her wound and left the nurse to clean her face.” The doctor continued. “We’re going to keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn’t have a concussion. She’s going to have to take it slow for a few days.”

“Is she resting right now?” Baekhyun asked.

His mother chuckled. “I wish. But she has found an interest in fighting with the nurse who’s tending her.”

The kids knotted their brows in confusion. “Why?” Xiumin asked.

“She hates having a needle in her hands. So, she keeps pulling off her IV drop and the nurse keeps reprimanding her.”

Everyone laughed and Eunbi shook her head with a smile. “Yup… that’s definitely Alex, alright.”

“Can we go visit her?” Kai requested in hopes to see her fast.

“Actually guys, before you go in, I need to talk to her first.” Chief Byun told the kids, earning a disapproving look from his son. Before the boy could refute, the man held a hand up to stop him. “I know you guys want to see her, and don’t worry, you will. But it’s very important that I talk with her first.”

He gave the boys a reassuring smile when ne noticed the look of distress from them. “I won’t be long, okay? It’s just for a few minutes.”

The group nodded in agreement and the chief gave his wife a peck on the cheek before disappearing from the room.

The staring contest was starting to feel amusing for the abused girl when the nurse looked as if smoke would come out of her ears. Alex’s right hand was on the other one, ready to pull off the needle for the eighth time and she was sure the nurse thought of fifteen ways to knock her out so she would stop messing with her job.

“Don’t!” The nurse demanded when she saw Alex scratch the corner of the tape that held the needle in place.

Alex, however, paid no attention to the order and with a smirk on her lips, she kept tugging the tape until it came off completely with the needle. The nurse rubbed her face out of frustration.

“I swear that you escaped from the devil’s leg.” The nurse muttered before she took Alex’s hand again to stick another IV drop, ignoring the girl’s complaints.

“I would be more cooperative if you stop putting that thing on my hand!”

“Your hand is the only place where I can put it!”

“But it hurts!”

“That’s because you keep squirming!”

“Why can’t you just put it in my arm?”

“Because I can’t find a good vein on your arm. Now shush and let me do my job.” The nurse pulled Alex’s hand and the girl grunted when another needle went inside.

“Knock knock.” Chief Byun poked his head inside the room with a smile. Alex glanced at the door and lowered her head in shame the second she saw who it was. The nurse took the chance that she stood still and wrapped even more tape around the girl’s hand to ensure the needle.

“Now, you devilish girl, don’t make me come back to fix this. You’re not the only patient in this  hospital. I’ll be back in a while.” The nurse stated and bowed to the Chief before she left the room.

Alex’s hand was a little sore due to all the times she took off her IV drop, and she rubbed it carefully while looking around the room awkwardly when Baekhyun’s father approached her.

“How are you feeling?” The chief asked, trying to brighten up a little the mood when he noticed the girl’s reaction.

She avoided the other’s gaze and nervously gulped. “Would it surprise you if I say I’ve dealt with worse?”

The man sighed. “No, it actually wouldn’t.”

Alex looked at him with a sad frown and he offered her a small smile. “But for my heart’s sake, let’s not talk about it yet. I actually came in to give you an update.”

“About what?”

“Your uncle.”

Alex’s face turned into worry, trying hard to hold in the tears that where slowly forming inside her eyes. “What happened?”

The chief sat down beside her and looked at her with soft eyes. “After I dropped you here this morning, I went back to your house with backup, but your uncle wasn’t there. His car was gone. Sweetie, we believe he might have fled town as soon as you kids ran out of there.”

“He was injured, he couldn’t had gone far.”

“You’d be surprised with what people like him are capable of doing.”

Alex lowered her head in guilt. “People like him?”

The chief took her hand in his and gently squeezed. “Honey, it’s not an easy process, I understand. But the sooner you accept it, your healing process will be quicker.”

She closed her eyes, a few tears falling down her cheeks, speaking in denial. “I-it was just an accident.”

“No, sweetie.” He slowly shook his head and continued in a stern voice. “It wasn’t an accident. I need you to understand that your uncle tried to kill you this morning. He is a criminal, a monster and he has to be stopped.”

Alex silently cried her eyes out. “W-what’s g-going to h-happen to h-him? A-and me?”

Chief Byun pulled her into his arms and gave her tight hug for comfort. “You will have all the support from your friends, my wife and me. We will help you get through this, together. You won’t be alone in this. I promise you that.”

Alex clutched his arm and nodded against his shoulder, his shirt getting wet due to her tears. “What a-about him?”

He pulled back to look at her, holding her by the arms. “I already filed a report back on the station. I have every officer on the lookout for your uncle with the description Baekhyun gave me of him. We won’t stop until we find him.”

“But what’s going to happen to him?”

The chief let out a sad smile. “Once caught, charges will be pressed against him for everything he has done to you. That… and other stuff we found when we swiped the house for evidence.”

Alex knitted her brows in confusion. “What other stuff?”

“There were boxes filled with drug substance inside his room.” He explained. “We strongly believe he might had been running a drug cartel when you weren’t home.”

Alex’s eyes wanted to pop out of her head at the revelation. “I live with a drug dealer… what the hell?!”

Chief Byun patted her head in a fatherly matter. “Calm down, sweetie. You won’t have to go through that anymore. You no longer live there.”

She looked at him and frowned. “Where am I going to live now?”

“Glad you asked.” He stood up and took out his phone to text his wife for her to come in. As soon as she appeared, trying her best to keep the group out for another minute, he finally answered. “Since you’re still a minor, child services have to be involved in this. Thankfully, your case worker is a close friend of mine. So, I managed to pull a few strings and…”

Doctor Byun smiled at her husband when he urged her to continue, “And… she gave us the okay for you to stay with us in the meantime.”

“I figured it’s best for you to stay with people you already know and trust. And it also keeps us at ease…”

“Yes, that way we don’t have to constantly worry if you ate or if you’re sleeping well.” The doctor finished as she Alex’s hair. “We’ll have you close to know all that.”

Alex, however, was speechless. She kept looking back and forward at the two adults in complete shock. “You guys don’t even know me… how can you just accept a total stranger into your home?”

“We know enough about you.” The doctor smiled.

“And eventually we’ll know even more.” The chief ruffled her hair in a playful way before walking towards the door. “Besides, you’re not a stranger to us, Alex. You’re my son’s friend.”

He opened the door, and the kids came rushing inside. “Alex!”

Eunbi quickly grabbed her in a tight hug. “Ohmygodohmygodohmygod! Are you okay? Are you in pain? Do you have a headache?”

“I do now.” She answered stoically earning a shove from her friend and a few laughs.

“Alex, how are you feeling?” Kai asked in concern as he approached her. She looked at him and silently gasped when she did a doubletake at his appearance. His shirt was stained with her blood and there was a visible bruise on his left cheek. Her mind recalled earlier events and she remembered that Kai received a handful from her uncle when they saved her.

Kai noticed that she was looking at his shirt and frowned. He placed his index finger on her chin and lifted her head gently for her to look at his eyes instead, keeping his hold on her chin. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is how you are feeling. Are you okay?”

“Are you?” Alex asked out of worry.

Kai let her go and looked at the others in disbelieve. He scoffed. “Didn’t I just say it doesn’t matter?”

“What, you can worry about me, but I can’t worry about you?!” Alex froze when she realized what she just said. Everyone’s eyes widened at her remark, and Kai could only look at her, unable to answer. Baekhyun, Xiumin and Eunbi gave each other a knowing look, all biting their lips to suppress a laugh.

Doctor Byun noticed the distress on Alex’s face and with a smile she decided to quickly change subject to help out the girl. “Alex, sweetie, I wanted to ask if you feel comfortable staying here overnight or if you’d prefer to stay at the house? Either way we’ll have to keep you under observation in case you have a concussion. That means no sleeping for more than two hours straight.”

Alex muttered a low “bless you woman” out of relief when the doctor changed the subject. She looked at her and nodded. “I understand… if it’s possible, I’d like to stay at the house. I don’t do well in hospitals… well you can ask the nurse about that.”

Doctor Byun chuckled. “She keeps referring you as ‘the little devil in room 312’.”

Everyone laughed at the nickname, except for Kai who was still processing Alex’s words. The doctor smiled and turned towards the door, “I’m going to fill out the discharge papers so we can take you home. Are you guys staying tonight?” She asked the rest of the group.

“Not me.” Eunbi pouted. “Dad called me earlier and reminding me I have dentist appointment tomorrow. So, I have to go home today.”

“I’m staying.” Kai said once he finally recovered.

“Me too.” Xiumin raised his hand. “But I need to go home and grab my uniform for tomorrow.”

“I’ll give you both a ride.” Chief Byun told the couple. “I have to stop by the station anyways.”

The two nodded and walked over to Alex to bid their goodbyes. “Call me if you need anything, okay?” Eunbi told the rest before giving Alex one more hug and following Xiumin and the Chief out.

Kai sat down on the chair next to the bed in silence and Baekhyun climbed on the bed next to Alex with a hanged head. Alex could feel him tensed next to her and raised a brow. “What’s wrong?”

Baekhyun sighed. “I’m so sorry, Alex.”

“For what?”

The boy shamelessly rubbed the back of his neck with a sad frown. “I broke the promise, but I had too, Alex. That man almost killed you and we couldn’t just stand there and not do anything about it.”

Alex softened her eyes once she understood what he meant. She glanced at Kai who was looking at the ground feeling blue. She let out a low sigh and grabbed Baekhyun’s hand with her right one while stretching her left hand for Kai to grab. The boy looked at her stretched hand and briefly hesitated before taking it in his’ with gentle care since it was the one that had the IV drop.

“I’m not mad at you for telling the chief.” She softly said to them both. “If anything, I’m the one who should be sorry for putting you in danger. I should’ve listened to you sooner.” She smiled. “I really am grateful to have you four in my life.”

The boys softly grinned at her and quickly gathered her in their arms in a tight hug. “We love you, Alex. We just want what’s best for you.” Baekhyun admitted.

Alex smiled in their hold and pulled back a bit to look at Kai. “Seriously, are you okay?”

Kai chuckled with a nod. “I’m not the one who got hit in the head, Alex. I’m fine.”

“You did get punched in the face.” Alex pointed his left cheek and Kai grabbed her hand with a gentle squeeze.

“It’s not as bad as it looks. I’m fine, okay?”

Kai’s smile made her heart flutter and for the first time that day, she felt happy.

After a brief discussion with Baekhyun’s mother about Alex’s sleeping schedule for the night, the boys decided it was best for them to sleep in the guest room with her, that way they get to keep an eye on her during the night. They were ordered to each take turns every two hours to wake up the girl and ensure she does not have a concussion while sleeping. Alex wasn’t entirely pleased about the idea of a restless night, but she pushed away those feelings for she knew it was for her own good.

An hour before midnight, the chief and his wife entered the room to find the kids playing a gameboard on the floor. “Guys, lights out. You have school tomorrow.”

The boys whined but tucked away their game anyways. Baekhyun stood up from the floor and looked at his father. “Speaking of school, Alex doesn’t have her uniform.”

“It’s fine because she is not going to school tomorrow.” His mother informed as she picked up a few things from the floor.

Alex frowned a