Before the Fall

Chapter Fifteen - Conflicting Emotions

Taehyung

I had been tasked with babysitting duty.

The General didn't feel lower ranking soldiers could be entrusted with our new ward's care.

I found that annoying.

I kicked my chair back, slapping my boots up on the top of the table.

This observation room was rather bland. It needed a TV or a computer or something.

I folded my arms across my chest and dropped my head back, staring up at the equally bland ceiling. This soldier life was not for the artistic person or the ones who loved color in their life.

My ears twitched when a scream came from the room on the other side of the glass.

Ceiling-to-floor glass comprised the fourth wall of the patient's room. It was outside this glass where I sat, bored as could be.

I looked over to see the ward doubled over on the floor. She looked miserable.

Painfully miserable.

I lowered my boots to the floor and walked over to the glass, squatting down and staring at her.

"Yah," I said, tapping on the glass. "Tell me your name."

Her tear-filled bloodshot eyes slowly looked over at me and she grimaced. I knew she was in pain.

I had seen this experiment performed countless times.

I never liked to see this part. Honestly, I hated to see people in pain, but I had to act like I did.

"Tell me your name," I asked again.

She rolled onto her knees and slowly pushed herself up onto the small cot. "You know my name," she ground out.

"I want to hear you say it."

"Aster."

"Aster? Hm, pretty."

"Leave me alone," she whimpered, rolling to face the wall. She was now curled up and shivering.

I stood to my feet and looked around the room. It was stark.

I walked back into the clinic and snagged a few clean blankets from a cabinet.

Once I was back to the observation room, I placed my palm on the security pad and opened the glass door. I walked over to the cot and unfolded one blanket, placing it over her shuddering figure.

"This should help a bit."

I really hated this.

"You know, I don't know what you did to set General Li off, but it musta been bad."

She didn't respond.

I sat down on the end of the bed and rested my elbows on my knees. "Hey, I haven't read your file yet. Tell me your story."

I lied. I had read the thing several times now.

"Liar," she rasped.

I smirked at her calling my bluff. "Caught me."

She rolled over with painstaking movements, shoving herself up to rest against the wall. "Why do you care?"

"I don't," I shrugged.

I lied again.

"Then why are you here?"

I looked at the floor and shrugged again. "You seem to be pretty important to some important people. I'm just curious."