sinularity

[sinularity]

selcouth - 01

࿔ pairing : bts!ot7 x reader

࿔ genre/themes : hybrid au, mystery, eventual romance, hurt/comfort

࿔ warnings : 18+ for swearing, future sexual content, mentions of self harm and past suicidal tendencies, blood/violence

࿔ word count : 8.8k

selcouth masterlist

࿔ note : hello everyone!! i’m really excited to share this story. this is my first time ever working on something like this, so i’m sorry if it’s not up to anyone’s likings. i do not have a set update schedule at the moment, so i’d appreciate patience. i’ll kindly take any comments, questions, and feedback! thank you so much for reading, i hope you enjoy!

I should’ve been satisfied, but I couldn’t find it in myself to be.

I’ve dedicated years of my life to becoming a doctor, spent them chasing high marks in my classes as well as professors approval, working side jobs to be able to provide properly for myself and my aunt, even becoming a widely known and respected neurologist in the hospital I worked at, but it didn’t feel like I thought it would.

Unfortunately, I was still missing something. I just couldn’t understand what.

“—you okay Y/N?” I blinked, eyes focusing onto Justin who peered concernedly into my face.

“What?” I breathed, rubbing my eyes to block the overbearing white lights and relieve the headache that was beginning to form.

Justin chuckled, “I asked if you were alright. You don’t look that good right now.” He pat my arm where it was leaning onto the cushioned chair I sat on.

“Hmm, I could be better. I haven’t been sleeping enough this week. I think it’s catching up to me.” I mumbled, exhaling deeply.

“That makes both of us, then,” he sighed, walking over to another cushioned seat near me to sit down himself.

I glanced at him, curious. “Don’t you have an appointment? Last time I checked it was nearly half past 6.”

“Huh? I finished for today—already clocked out. I think you had an appointment today for 7, though..” he stroked his chin, glancing at me and eyes widening when I shot up from my seat.

“Shoot! Y-yeah you’re right, gosh I almost missed it.” I uttered to myself, quickly gathering my few belongings and shoving them into my scrubs’ pockets. “Thanks Justin, I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said, hurrying out of the doctor’s lounge.

“Yeah, see you!” He called out to me, laughing slightly.

As I rushed to the right wing of the hospital for my next session, I glanced at the time, shuddering in relief when I noticed I still had roughly around 10 minutes before my last appointment of the day.

Justin is a co-worker of mine, who also works with me as a neurologist. However, whereas I specialized in both pediatric and adult neurology, he was more of a general neurologist.

We met 2 years ago when I first transferred here to New Orleans from a nearby city in Louisiana. It was an easy friendship, and we’ve grown considerably close. He’s started to feel like a brother, and I’m forever grateful for him taking me under his supervision when I first started my career journey here.

I winced as I felt my head throb again, mentally preparing for my next patient of the day before I could finally leave.

ꪆৎ

7:55. Finally time to clock out for the day. Though it was hard to keep my eyes open, I stumbled my way out of the hospital and hopped into my car.

Starting my car, I began driving back home, flicking the radio on lazily and grinning to myself when it played Alice In Chains.

I rolled my window down, sucking in the cold November air greedily while singing along to the queue of songs that played from the radio.

Seemingly out of no where, I caught a glimpse of something ahead of me in the road, and just before I could hit it, I slammed my foot on the breaks, nearly flinging myself out of my seat.

I gasped, staring wide eyed at what I assumed to be a deer. But upon closer look, it was most definitely not a deer.

It was a wolf. A huge one at that. And it was staring right at me with a sneer on it’s face.

I couldn’t help myself from freezing completely in both shock and awe, heart stammering in my chest. What in the hell was a wolf doing so far out from the woods?

I could tell from it’s pulled back ears and stiffened body that it was tense upon seeing me, and my chest clenched in fear for a moment.

After a few moments longer of our stare down, it must’ve decided I wasn’t going to do anything. It finally shifted its eyes away and began running into the direction of the forest, which also led to the city if you took the correct path. Sighing in relief, I watched as the wolf’s figure receded into the dark wisps of the woods.

Shaking my head quickly, I tried to snap myself out of it.

“What the fu—I need to get home,” I groaned as I dragged my hands down my face, trying to shrug off the sudden eeriness I felt upon seeing the wild animal.

However, my house was in no way safer considering it was also in the forest. I lived on my own, and I inherited the house through my late grandparents and parents. Definitely was way too big for me, as it had around 8 extra bedrooms that I had absolutely no use for.

As a child, I only came over to visit my grandparents a very small amount of times, and after they passed, my parents had already devoted to a life in the city and even felt unable to sell it off. They ended up hiring maintenance to keep it orderly, as well as keep up with the bills they thought was necessary for the maintenance workers to keep up their work.

Later on, when I was 16, my parents got into an ugly car accident that killed both of them, leading me to live with my mom’s sister in another city, Lafayette. Those years were my hardest, and I went through therapy a handful of times, but she provided as much support as she could for me, emotionally and physically. I appreciate her more than anything, and would do anything for her. Now, 8 years later, we have a bond most wouldn’t understand.

My aunt paid for therapy for me, but there was only so much she could afford, so I got a job too. I juggled my high school classes, grades, judgmental peers, and rude customers for 2 years straight. They were distractions towards my family that I gladly drowned in, but it only made me feel worse. I ended up getting into a couple things that I shouldn’t have, but it never hurt anyone other than me. I had myself convinced because it was a slight reprieve for me, but when, unsurprisingly, something happened and my aunt found out, I was forced to drop it completely.

Pulling into the driveway, I had already forgotten about the wolf encounter when I yawned, collecting my purse and phone from the passenger seat and checking my notifications on my way inside, shoving my keys into the lock and slamming the door shut and locked behind me.

I laughed to myself when I saw the message my aunt sent to me, and immediately rushed to call her.

”Sis!” I giggled into the phone when she answered. “You know I’m too busy for all that.”

I could basically feel her grin from the phone, “Goodness Y/N! Not even a date? Work sure is draining the life outta you..” she pondered to herself, humming. I scoffed at her words.

”Have you seen the news lately?” She suddenly asked, and I furrowed my brows in confusion at the sudden question.

”No, why?” I asked, setting my purse down on the kitchen island and moving towards the living room.

“Well, haven’t you at least heard about them hybrids? Apparently, they’ve been getting snatched up and off the streets into research labs, nothing short of evil. The news have been covering some recent escapes that were made,” she apprised as I plopped myself down on my couch and turned on the TV.

“Seriously?” I couldn’t help the frown from making its way onto my face, navigating through the channels and pouting when I realized nothing interesting was on for tonight. “That shouldn’t be allowed, right? Surely the government would help them.”

“That’s the thing sweetheart, they’re allowing it. It’s because they want to ‘discover’ more about them and some other bullshit. It’s absurd.” She said, indignant, and I glanced back at the phone momentarily.

“Mhm…” I said. To be fairly honest, I didn’t know much about hybrids. My childhood was extremely sheltered, and my teen years were such a blur of emotions and difficulties after losing my parents that I can barely remember anything at all. Those years were mostly spent immersing myself in school and work to an extreme extent for a distraction and coping through what helped me regulate my emotions best, even if they weren’t the most conventional methods to go about it.

That meant I had never formally met a hybrid before either, or at least not that I know of. I’m aware that society views them as a threat, to the point where they are extremely looked down upon. Most times, they’re unable to find proper jobs to stave off of, and also often have to hide away from the public eye in order to protect themselves. It’s not rare to overhear conversations about people owning hybrids for their own selfish purposes as of nowadays.

”Y/N, don’t you think it would be nice to help one out? I know you’ve been faring along fine all on your own in that god awful house, which I still don’t understand how you’re still alive right now,” she whispered the last part into the phone. “But! Having a hybrid could fill up some of that lonely space. Not only that, but you’d be able to support it as well. I know you’d be an amazing ‘owner’, if that’s what I must call it, for one. They’d be so lucky to have you!” She said, and I could hear her happiness seep through the phone.

My jaw from dropped, gaping at her suggestion. “A-adopt a hybrid? I—I don’t know, Sis… I'm barely able to take care of myself as of right now.”

“You’re such a bore. I’m serious! They could take care of you too, you know. It’s not like they’re incapable of taking care of people or themselves.” She said.

“I never said that! Stop putting words in my mouth,” I groaned into the phone, eyebrow twitching in annoyance when she laughed. “I’m just… I don’t know, can we talk about this later? Like tomorrow or something? I worked extra hours today, I’m so tired and I still have a shift tomorrow. 7 am to 5 pm,” I whined, forcing myself off the couch to swap places with my bed instead.

“Okay, fine. Just call me up whenever, you know I’m here for you. I just want to see you be okay.” Y/N nodded to herself at her aunt’s words, suddenly feeling a little emotional.

“I know Sis, I love you. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, I love you too. Mwah!”

Exchanging goodbyes, I made my way up the stairs and into my room. I grabbed a change of pajamas and went to take a shower before I could even begin thinking of sleeping.

In the shower, I cleaned myself up, massaging shampoo and conditioner in and out of my hair before lathering myself in my jasmine scented body wash.

Quickly finishing and desperate to get some sleep, I didn’t even bother drying my hair as I flopped onto my bed and cuddled into the warmness of my blankets.

I breathed into my pillow, ruminating on my aunt's words as I slowly fell asleep, embracing the darkness.

ꪆৎ

Fortunately, I was able to get in a good night's sleep before it turned 6 am, and I got ready for my shift at the hospital.

My routine is the same every morning: freshen up in the bathroom, change into a clean pair of scrubs, make some coffee, and even make breakfast if I have the time to.

Today was no different. Rubbing the sleep away from my eyes, I groaned as I stood up, stretching with an obnoxious yawn.

I plucked my phone from its charger on my nightstand, making my way to the bathroom to do my business.

The sun had begun to rise by the time I finished brushing my teeth, and I hummed to myself as I changed into my scrubs. Checking the time, I did a double take when I saw I had a little less than an hour before I had to clock in.

Cursing under my breath, I flew down the stairs, jumping and skipping the last step. In the kitchen, I made sure to turn on my coffee maker and prepare a cup for it, placing it down and immediately moving to the fridge to get something to eat on my way to the hospital.

I was greeted by nothing but the leftovers of Chinese food I had 2 days ago. Sighing, I shut the fridge door closed.

Since I’ve been working extra hours lately, I haven’t even been able to go shopping as I usually would. Luckily though, because I was off tomorrow, that meant I would finally be able to get some errands done that I’ve been continuously putting off.

My coffee machine beeped loudly, announcing that it was finished. Making my way over, I poured the steaming liquid into my cup, adding some sugar quickly before grabbing my purse where I left it last night on the kitchen island counter.

I did a once over of the kitchen before passing through my living room on my way to my car.

I shivered when the cold air nipped at me, immediately regretting not grabbing my coat on my way out, but it was only a fleeting thought as I hopped into my car and turned it on. Pulling out of the driveway, I glanced at the time again, breathing out my relief.

Since I lived on the outskirts of the forest lining, it meant the hospital was quite far for me. I usually wound up driving around 40 minutes on my way to the city.

The roads here are always void of cars and people, but it never came as a surprise to me considering it would be weirder if there were lots of people around the forest. There wouldn’t be a reason for that.

While driving, though, the memories of last night suddenly flashed in my head. For an unknown reason, goosebumps raised on my arms at the remembrance of the wolf. Why was it bothering me so much? I couldn’t understand. I’ve seen a handful of wild animals, but something was different about the wolf I saw last night specifically.

It must be the unwavering gaze it had on me, as if it was staring straight through my soul and peering into the depths of it. I could barely catch a proper glimpse of its golden eyes, but it didn’t change how awe struck I was of them. They were gorgeous.

But I just couldn’t put my finger on the unsettling feelings it gave me.

I flicked the heater on higher, the car suddenly feeling colder than it should’ve.

ꪆৎ

I managed to get my way to the hospital just before 7, half finished coffee cup and purse in tow as I rushed to input my arrival time on the time clock just near the registration desk.

“Y/N!”

I jumped, turning around.

“Meena! Oh my gosh, how have you been? I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages.” I gasped out in shock, a smile making its way up to my face as she approached me.

“I’ve been doing great! You wouldn’t believe the rollercoaster I’ve been on these past few months,” she sighed out dramatically, opening her arms wide in invitation for a hug.

I didn't hesitate in throwing myself into her arms, squeezing her tightly as I kissed her left and right cheeks, pinching them afterwards when I pulled back to get a good look at her.

“You look amazing. What d’ya mean? Oh! How's baby?”

Meena works as a patient registration clerk at the main entrance, but since she was pregnant, she took the last couple months off before her due date in order to be able to take care of herself and newborn properly.

Besides Justin, she’s also another friend I’ve gotten close with after moving to New Orleans. Having a bit of social anxiety makes it difficult to make friends, but she never gave up on approaching me until we would giggle for the entirety of our lunch breaks.

“Baby’s amazing, thank goodness. It’s like she doesn’t fuss at all! Nevermind even cry. I hit the lottery.” She giggled, returning kisses to both of my cheeks as I did hers.

I grinned, congratulating her genuinely as happiness swelled in my chest.

“Hey, do you wanna go out today? I wanna catch up with you. I missed you,” Meena whined.

“Of course! What do you have in mind? I get off at 5 pm today.”

“That’s great! Let’s go to our cafe. I get off at 3 today, so I can meet up with you there after you finish your shift. Is that alright?” She asked me.

I nodded at her. “Yeah! That’s fine. Ooh, finally something to look forward to.” I sighed out, before pulling away and patting her arm gently.

“I hate to leave you so soon, but I have to go now. I have a spinal cord surgery to look over just in the next hour. I’ll see you soon though! Just text me when you get there alright?”

“Of course, don’t worry! Bye Y/N, love you,” I blew a kiss at her as I turned away and left to drop off my stuff at the lounge before I could start preparing for the surgery, smiling when I heard her laugh.

At the doctors lounge, I put my stuff away, pulling out only what I needed for the rest of the day. It was supposed to be a decent day, only one surgery to monitor as well as another appointment with a patient, maybe squeeze in another if necessary.

Making my way to the designated operating room, I greeted Mr. Lee, our Chief Of Neurosurgery, before he sat me down with the rest of our group of nurses and surgeons to discuss and go over the details of the surgery once more.

Once we were all confident enough, we exchanged words of encouragement to each other before we began changing into the standard surgical attire, including surgical caps, masks, and gloves on top of our scrubs.

In the next 10 minutes, our patient, a middle aged man named Dale, was sat down to discuss the details of the surgery, including a review of the treatment options as well as benefits and risks of the surgery just in case.

Since he already completed the pre-operation checks with a nurse beforehand and during his appointment a few days prior, he was then directed to lay in prone position and dosed with general anesthesia to be put to sleep. That’s when we began proceeding with the surgery.

My job during neurosurgeries is to assess and consult with the neurosurgeon to ensure the best possible outcome. As a neurologist, I do this with intraoperative neuropsychological monitoring, which is a technique that measures sensory and motor nerve function as well as recording electrical activity with and without stimulation.

It’s a tedious process, and requires a lot of patience. The longest neurosurgery I participated in was 9 hours, and I was completely out of it after.

However, this was no time to ruminate. I had to be fully focused for this surgery, lest something could happen.

Once 4 hours had passed, the surgery was completed and a success. The feeling of completing a surgery that went smoothly always left me feeling hopeful and relieved. We all congratulated each other on our hard work, and since I was finished, I had no reason left to stay.

Glancing at the time on a clock in the hallways as I navigated my way back to the lounge, it read 11:42 am. Which meant I had roughly an hour and half before my next appointment.

My neck ached slightly when I moved it, and I made a mental note to take some ibuprofen from my purse for it. Looking straight at a computer screen for a multitude of hours never ends up feeling nice.

My stomach, growling for the umpteenth time, reminded me of its hunger once again as soon as I caught a glimpse of the self serve stations upon entering the lounge. I’d have to get something to eat with the ibuprofen anyway, it wouldn’t make me feel any better to take pills on an empty stomach.

Happily snatching up a tuna sandwich along with a cup of freshly cut fruit, I made sure to additionally grab a bottle of water for extra measure when I moved to sit down at one of the tables near the windows.

There was a light chatter amongst the groups of people, but I decidedly tuned them out as I gazed outside. As per usual, traffic was ongoing and horrible.

People watching is a habit of mine, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I had always hoped to understand why people were the way they were and what dictated their actions and feelings, hence why I decided to dedicate myself to becoming a neurologist. Everyone is so intriguing and interesting. No matter how much you learn about the human neurological processes involved in humanities’ personalities and behaviors, it’s never enough.

I shifted in my seat, glancing around the lounge once more, thoughts beginning to spiral again.

Every individual in the world lives a different life, and they have struggles that I either share or don’t share. It could affect us the same or differently. Something I never thought twice about having before is the very something someone doesn’t have access to.

I never thought life was fair. Losing my parents just a few years after my grandparents passed and struggling financially, unable to even get the same things my peers considered normal, was always a silent struggle for me. I felt like I had to work twice as hard, both studying and working a part time job at a dingy restaurant filled with perverts to help support myself and my aunt.

In those years, I don’t know what made me so motivated, even after failed attempts that resulted in me at a hospital. I coped intensely with over the counter medications whenever I felt severely burnt out and stressed, which was nearly every day. After a couple of weekly sessions with my therapist, she referred me to a psychiatrist, where I was then diagnosed with depression and anxiety.

That period of my life was and still is unforgettable. I can’t believe how far I’ve come with myself, and I feel glad to say that I am proud of myself, too.

A plate suddenly set in front of me, and I jolted slightly, immediately glancing up in confusion and easing when I only met Justin’s perturbed gaze.

“What’s up with you lately, Y/N? You’ve been out of it,” he said, lips tugging downwards.

I opened my mouth to answer, furrowing my brows, but I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t understand either.

“Nothing,” I lied.

He raised a brow, unconvinced. “Really? Because I’ve been calling your name the last couple minutes while you just stared—wide eyed—at the wall. Must’ve been very interesting.”

I scoffed in annoyance, kicking his leg when he sat down in the seat in front of me. He loosed out a chuckle.

“I’m fine, seriously. Probably haven’t been getting enough rest, but I have tomorrow off for that.”

“Mhm…” he stared at me warily, and I shoved a strawberry into my mouth, avoiding his gaze.

“Anyways…” I mumbled, “how’s today been? I kinda ran away from you last night.” Pushing out a grin, his gaze at me turned unimpressed. Of course I was trying to change the subject…

”It was fine—oh! Well, something weird actually happened while you were in the operating room.” He exclaimed, and I inwardly gleamed at myself for successfully pushing his train of thought into something else.

“Huh? Was it another crack addict or something?” I asked. It wasn’t unusual for druggies to go into hospitals unprompted, either for serious medical help or just desperate pleading for something random. There were even a couple of times some patients and nurses got assaulted by them.

“No. Even worse. There was an injured hybrid that came in, and when I say injured, I don’t mean lightly. He was bleeding so bad, Y/N, I’m surprised he was even still breathing. His clothes were beyond soaked with blood.”

My eyebrows flew up in shock. A hybrid? They hated public places, and them coming to a hospital was nearly unheard of. Often times, instead of getting the medical help they needed, they ended up staying to themselves, leaving them to harbor serious medical issues which could kill them. Which was definitely heard of. My heart swelled, they didn’t deserve to feel like they had no place in getting the help they needed. But that’s what society made them believe, shunning them away and selling them off as if they were a commodity, hot in the market.

“Actually? Did you figure out what happened to him? Wait—is he okay now?”

“Yes, well, the thing is, he was found near a dump in an alleyway. Usually, people probably would’ve called in government services, like the HBA, but since he looked so beaten up, they thought a hospital would do him better. Pretty sure he’s still knocked out though, he was completely out of it. I only caught a glimpse of him when they were moving him to the Exotics’ wing.”

The Exotics’ wing. Specifically where threatened and threatening hybrids ended up going when they came to the hospital for treatments and other services instead of the more docile hybrid wing. It was a good thing that whoever found him decided to send him to the hospital, then. The Hybrid Bureau of Administration probably would’ve dragged him into a research lab, considering what my aunt was telling me about yesterday.

He continued. “The paramedics that dragged him in were saying how he must’ve been dumped by a hybrid adoption center that was nearby the alleyway where they received the call from.”

“Holy hell, that’s horrible. What the fuck is wrong with people?” I said. At this point, I’m fully convinced that society was well on its way to devolving. Where is everyone’s humanity?

Justin nodded, a grim look on his face. “I have no idea. Say… do you wanna drop by the exotics wing to check on him? If you have the time, of course,” he said quickly.

I tapped on my phone, nodding my agreement when I saw that there was a little less than an hour left before my scheduled appointment. I should be fine.

By the time we reached the Exotics’ wing, I noted the scarce amount of nurses and doctors. Since hybrids were so untrusting towards humans and rarely came to them for help, our designated hybrid wings were always quiet.

However, just because the rest of the world shunned them away, didn’t mean that our hospital team was like that too. For the most part, we were dedicated to our purpose: helping people receive treatment and care, regardless of their background and appearances.

Hybrids were of no exception to that, but it wouldn’t make sense for them to trust so easily like that regardless. However, for the professional team of hybrid doctors, it definitely discouraged them when they first started their services.

”He should be…here!” Justin said, suddenly stopping in front of a door.

I suddenly felt nervous, he must’ve been awake right now, right? What if he jumps at us in defense or something? Maybe this isn’t a good idea after all…

Justin must’ve sensed my sudden hesitation, reaching out to grab my wrist.

”Y/N, don’t you dare ditch me. I promise you it’ll be fine, and I give you permission to give me any and all repercussions if something bad does happen.” He pleaded, silently begging me with his eyes. I sighed.

”Fine. You first though.”

He nodded, and promptly flashed his ID to the side of the door, making it slide open after verification.

When I stepped in after him, the view I was met with made me gasp in shock.

On the bed was a man, surely, but I could see orange and white ears, striped with black, sitting on top of his head. Furthermore, I could also tell that his breathing was extremely labored, an oxygen mask connected to the bottom half of his face to help him.

I braved a step closer to the bed, my heart clenching in my chest when I saw the extent of his injuries that peeked past the hospital gown’s sleeves. I could make out the plethora of lacerations and bruises, both fresh and old. Who in the world could’ve done such a thing?

Justin moved to stand next to me, tugging my arm to point out the loosely hanging tail off to the left side of the bed. My hand flung up to my mouth in bewilderment and anger.

His tail was extremely battered and bruised, swollen with the brunt of it. It didn’t slip my eyes that it also had some obvious signs of hair loss in some areas too.

I didn’t register when I had approached the unconscious man even further, and surely did not think it through when I reached out my hand to touch the base of his tail.

”Y/N, don’t touch th—!” I heard Justin begin to whisper loudly before he cut himself off, and I turned towards him in confusion when I suddenly felt something grab my wrist where it skimmed the tail lightly. I jumped at the sudden touch, whirling my head around where I then locked eyes with the most breathtaking individual I’ve ever seen. But…

He was glaring straight at me, and I could hear a low growl rumbling from his chest.

Registering what I’d done, I stammered stupidly with wide eyes, face flushing hotly in embarrassment. I immediately tried to pull my wrist away, though his grip only tightened even further when I attempted to move.

Wincing, I grit my teeth in pain and clutched my eyes shut for a moment, fear coursing through my body at the overbearing strength in which he held in place with. I am such a fucking idiot, I inwardly seethed to myself.

When I reopened my eyes, he was still glaring at me, a scowl imminent on his features. From the corner of my eyes, I could make out his tail twitching intensely, still laying limply to the side of the hospital bed. Most likely in pain.

”Oh my gosh, oh my gosh,” I heard Justin mumbling to himself in panic, but I couldn’t look away from the man, entirely paralyzed.

I held my breath as I watched his eyes dart around the room in confusion and panic. He had no idea where he was, and I already ruined the sleep that he looked like he desperately needed. A pang of guilt passed through me.

”H-hello.. I’m so sorry for startling you and touching you without permission.” He snapped his gaze back at me, and I flinched, withering slightly at the fierceness it held. “That—it was unprofessional, I don’t know what came over me… I’m Miss L/N, and this is Dr. Aguirre. We’re both doctors at this hospital,” I continued in a quieter tone, motioning to Justin who stood behind me. I hoped to help calm him down, lest something else happens.

He blinked rapidly at my words, and I felt his grip on my wrist loosen a little.

“Do you… have any recollection as to how you got here?” I prompted him.

Wariness was evident in his eyes, but he settled on a slow nod. His eyes flashed with something, but I couldn’t tell what it was when it disappeared as quickly as it appeared.

Still reeling from feeling incredibly embarrassed at the awkward situation I created, I could only slowly nod back at his confirmation. Witnessing this must’ve snapped Justin out of it, who then cleared his throat.

”We’re very sorry for disrupting you. Would you like anything? I can call up a doctor for you, if needed. I think they needed to ask you a few questions—“ Justin spoke, easily switching into his standard doctor voice.

”Didn’t you say you were both doctors?” The man cut off with a deep, baritone voice, immediately regarding us with unease and suspicion. I blinked in surprise at hearing him. I did not expect that voice at all.

“Ah, yes, we are, but hybrid healthcare is not of our ability. We have other doctors here for that specifically. They should be coming shortly to check up on you.” Justin spoke, seemingly unaffected.

“No. That’s alright.” He said, grunting slightly. Moving to pull the oxygen mask off his face as well as the IV lines connected to his arms, he continued, “I’ll be leaving.”

“What? I’m sorry, sir, but you’re not in a stable enough condition to leave yet.” I breathed out in worry. “I assure you, we only want to help you. All fees are covered—“

His face twisted into something akin to disgust. “I don’t need any humans’ help,” he spat out, now throwing the blanket off of his legs.

My stomach twisted into knots. “I—please, sir. We don’t expect anything back from you, we just want to help, I promise you. You should leave as soon as you’re feeling better.“ I was never good at handling rejection or criticism, and it was definitely beginning to show.

“Miss L/N is right, you’re really not in any condition to leave at the moment. Our hybrid specialists here can provide you treatment, and once it is clear to them you are doing better, no one is going to stop you from leaving.” Justin said, backing me up. “Would you rather limp your way out of the hospital with a permanent wince on your face, or get the medical care you so obviously need?” He pressed on.

I inwardly winced at Justin’s harsh and less than empathetic wording. I mean, I could definitely understand why the hybrid would be so against staying any longer than he felt necessary, but the way he said it probably made him more angry than open to reasonable reasoning.

A scowl showed on his face again. But when he moved to place a leg on the ground, he groaned in pain, leg buckling.

I rushed to him, putting my hands up to usher him back into the bed again. He seemed to listen this time, clutching his head with furrowed brows and a frown. He was definitely annoyed at our persistence, but must’ve known we were right.

He huffed when he sat back down on the bed, and I caught the time on the computer monitoring his vitals on the side. If I didn’t leave now, I was probably going to be late.

“I’m so sorry again for disrupting you, but I’ll be late if I don’t leave now for my patient’s appointment,” I said. “I hope you will heed our words, mister…?” I continued as diligently as I could, trying to prompt his name.

He didn’t respond, and I nodded, understanding.

I looked back over at Justin, and he smiled awkwardly as I walked out the room. We are so going to have a conversation later.

ꪆৎ

I sighed out in relief when I clocked out, so ready to debrief and unpackage the last couple months with Meena at our usual spot.

I texted her I was on my way to the cafe when I got into my car. She immediately responded with a ‘Yes!’ and said she was already there.

When I reached the cafe, I grabbed my other purse that sat in the passenger seat. Since I was too lazy to keep switching my things between my shifts at the hospital and whenever I went out, I decided on keeping two different bags for each circumstance. Certainly a time saver, and it kept me sane.

There weren't many people in the cafe, probably because it’s a little bit of an unusual time. But when you work at a hospital, unusual shifts are the norm.

I saw Meena sitting at the back of the cafe, near a window. Like usual. I smiled.

”You haven’t ordered anything yet?” I asked, and she looked up, smiling when she saw me.

”Hey! No, I haven’t. I was gonna order for you too, my treat.” She smirked, already standing up.

”What? No, I’ll pay!” I said as I followed her to the man at the cash register. She ignored me, beginning to place an order. She paused, looking at me for a moment. “You still want what you normally get?”

”Yes, but—“ I sputtered when she faced the cashier again, telling him my order too, and I immediately grabbed my debit out of my purse. Two can play that game.

”That’ll be $9.26, please.” I slid my card over before Meena could even process the amount.

“That’s not even fair!” She complained when he took my card.

”You just had a kid!” I bickered back, the cashier awkwardly standing as he waited for us to finish our banter for a couple moments more.

He eventually just decided to take mine, and I gave Meena a triumphant grin. She glared at me, saying she’s gonna get me back.

We giggled, shoving each other lightly and grabbing our drinks, sitting back down to finally catch up on our lives.

“So, have you finished renovating that mansion of yours yet?” She asked me after an hour had passed us, and I frowned.

”No, actually. It’s on my list of things to do, but I’ve been too busy to fix up the extra bedrooms and bathrooms. I don’t know why my grandparents owned such a huge house in the middle of the forest, nowhere. It’s so unnecessary.” I pouted, taking another sip out of my drink.

“Poor you, it must be so lonely. I honestly don’t know how you’re still alive. The forest is no joke, I know I’d be shitting my pants if I heard a weird noise.”

“That’s what my aunt said! You guys do not need to scare me with those kind of thoughts, I’m already paranoid enough as is.” Groaning, I took a bigger sip out of my drink.

“Sorry,” she laughed at my reaction, “but you haven’t thought of like, I don’t know, a guard dog or something like that? It would definitely make you feel safer,” she amended.

I nodded. “Yeah, I have, but I can barely take care of myself right now. How would I be able to take care of something else that depends on me?”

She agreed quietly, thinking about something for a moment before she looked at me with wide eyes. I furrowed my brows, “What?”

“A hybrid.” She said with conviction, and I gaped at her. What is up with the hybrid conversations lately?

”Seriously? Did you not just hear what I said?“

”No, listen! Hybrids are completely different, idiot. They don’t need you to baby them if you get one that’s our age. You know, I heard that today, a tiger hybrid was rushed to the hospital in the ambulance. Apparently, he was super injur—“

“Oh my god, I know exactly who you’re talking about! Why’d you have to remind me about him?” I whined, bringing my hands up to cover my face when I felt it become warm, embarrassment flooding me.

“What? Did you meet him? When was this? What happened? Tell me right now,” she demanded, kicking my leg, and I whined again.

“Meena, it was so embarrassing, you’re gonna laugh at me.” I mouthed into my hands.

”None of that, spit it out!”

”I touched his tail, Meena! And that woke him up, and he was so mad at me and I swear I thought he was gonna eat me right then and there! I ran out of there like a dog with its tail tucked in between its legs! I half blame it on Justin—that idiot was the one who wanted me to come with him in the first place.” I rushed out in one breath, clutching the table as her jaw dropped.

“You touched his tail?! Y/N, do you have any idea how sensitive those even are? Why would you do that? Are you trying to die?” She exclaimed, stunned.

“I had no idea Meena, you know I know dog shit about hybrids, he’s the first one I ever met! And it wasn’t like it was on purpose, I swear, I don't know why I did it.” I said, desperate to convince her.

”There’s always something new going on with you,” Meena sighed, reaching over to hold my hand where it gripped the table for consolation. “Of course I know you didn’t do it with any ill intent, but that doesn’t mean that anyone else would think like that, especially a hybrid. You need to be more careful.” I nodded along to her words.

”I know…” I said, and she was silent for a few seconds before continuing.

“Y/N, have you heard of the hybrids that are being fostered by doctors? I think you should do that.”

“Huh? Wait, what?”

She nodded enthusiastically. “A lot of the hybrid doctors lately have been fostering and adopting hybrids that come into the hospital. It’s so they can build a relationship together while also keeping close watch over their health. They all have a choice, of course, but this could be a starting point for you. It would also help you out with your living situation, you know.”

“No, I meant you think I could foster one of the hybrids from the hospital? I just told you what happened, and that was my first interaction with one. I really don’t know the first thing about them, Meena.”

“Y/N,” she breathed out a laugh. “That was an honest mistake, and I know you’d be more than willing to do research on your own time too. How else are you going to learn and build an honest relationship with them otherwise? You’d be amazing for one, I’m sure of it.”

We were interrupted by her phone ringing, and she mouthed a ‘sorry’ to me when she saw who it was. I waved her off, staying quiet when she answered.

“Aaron? What, really? …Okay, I’m on my way.” She said, ending the call.

”I’m so sorry Y/N, my husband is complaining that our girl is being super fussy right now. You know how men are, they have no idea how to take care of toddlers,” Meena said, peeved, and I laughed.

”Of course, Meena, don’t worry about it. Go do whatever you have to do.”

”Thank you babe, I’ll text you later, alright?” She said, grabbing her stuff and hugging me briefly, planting a kiss on my cheek before making her way out.

I sat on my own for a while after she left, ruminating over her words. My aunt was saying something like that too. Should I really consider it?

Like Meena said, I wouldn’t be irresponsible enough to not do any research. Again, I could also adopt or foster a hybrid that’s around my age too. That’d save me a ton of trouble.

I groaned. Am I seriously thinking about this?

I glanced out the window. It’s already nearly night, but it’s only about 7 pm now. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to check out a hybrid center, right? I’m off tomorrow, too, so if I don’t finish getting my groceries by 9, I’ll just go home and see how I feel about trying tomorrow.

I blew out a puff of air. That sounds like a decent enough plan.

At the grocery store, I made double sure I had bought at least two weeks worth of food. It felt more like three though, stuffing my car trunk full.

When I believed my groceries were gonna be fine, I spared a glance at the time. 8:43 pm; not 9 pm yet, but cutting it close. Though, if I’m only looking to check out a hybrid shelter, then it shouldn’t be an issue.

I quickly searched up the closest hybrid shelter near me, relieved when I saw the first option was only a 15 minute drive away. The only thing was, it didn’t have a definite closing time, which was really weird. I’d just have to get a good look at it to see if it’s closed, but I did hope it was still open.

Though, as I made my way around my car, I could hear the sounds of something…in pain? I wasn’t too sure, but my ears could definitely pick up that they were not the noises of a human, but an animal.

I looked around in confusion, unable to locate where I heard it from until I heard another pained grunt coming from a nearby alleyway, just to the side of the store I parked in front of.

Hesitantly, I glanced around me. There weren’t many people out even though there were a few more hours until midnight, surprisingly enough.

When the sounds persisted, I couldn’t help but want to figure out what was wrong. I could definitely help if it was an injury, so why would I let it drown itself in pain?

Somewhere, in the back of my mind, I acknowledged that I should’ve been more mindful of my actions as I slowly approached the dimly lit alleyway, but it was too late now. I was only a few steps away before I could turn into the alley.

Abruptly, the animal’s sounds of pain were exchanged for low growls, as if it sensed me approaching.

I paused.

I understood that it was only trying to protect itself since it seemed like it was already hurt, but I could never seem to rid myself of the undying sense of altruism. I walked slower this time, trying my best not to frighten it any further.

When I turned into the alley, the only thing I could utter was “Oh my god.”

In front of me laid an enormous wolf with an all too familiar sneer on its face, paired with blood painting its grey coat completely red and brown as it continued to dry and oxidize in the winter air.

At first, I doubted that it could’ve been the same wolf that I had encountered just the day before, but once I met it’s golden eyes, I felt as if that confirmed it.

If it could recognize me too, I wasn’t able to tell as it’s eyes continued piercing me.

“Hello… gosh, how am I supposed to help you..?” I said under my breath, brows pinching together. It’s ears flickered back for a moment as I spoke, slowly easing, and I didn’t overlook the action.

Could it be another hybrid? That would, again, explain a lot. There would never be a wild wolf in the city under any normal circumstances.

Tentatively, I slowly crouched down to it’s level and spoke again. “Can you, I mean, are you a hybrid…?”

It growled lowly again, and I panicked at the vehement confirmation. “No—I’m so sorry, I would absolutely never hurt you. Can I please help you? You look like you're in a lot of pain.” I rushed out nervously, pulse thrumming underneath my skin.

It stared up at me, seemingly hesitating.

“Would you like to go to a hospital?” I prompted the wolf, and felt stumped when it growled low and threateningly again. The only other place I would be able to take the large wolf right now would be… my house.

“Then, would you let me drive you back to my home…? I’m a licensed doctor, and I promise I’ll be able to treat you properly, if that’s a concern.” I said hesitantly, watching it’s expression very closely. It’s breathing was labored, and I was worried it would lose consciousness.

It took the wolf a couple moments, sniffing thoroughly, before it grunted softly. I smiled, taking it as a confirmation.

“Okay, here, my car is just around the corner. You could just hop into the back. But please be quick, I’m not sure if it’s safe for anyone to really catch sight of you.”

It grunted, albeit slightly more rougher this time.

ꪆৎ

Miraculously, it had managed to plop itself into the backseats of my car. I sighed in relief, heart still racing at my rashness.

I turned my car on, took a glimpse of the wolf through the rear view mirror, and bit my lip anxiously when I saw it’s gaze fixated on me, blinking ever so slowly. It must’ve been exhausted, but I couldn’t help the shiver that traveled through me at it’s evident study of me.

By the time I had finally arrived at my house, there was no doubt it was struggling to stay awake. I made sure to park as closely as I could, and it seemed to perk up immediately when I switched the car off. I got out and opened the door for it, motioning it to come out.

It’s sluggish body heaved in exhaustion, and as soon as I managed to get it inside, it decided to lay right next to the door.

I didn’t expect anything less, so I rushed to get the first aid kit I had stored in every bathroom I owned. Only a safety precaution I couldn’t help myself but take when I first moved here.

When I had come back, it’s eyes were closed, but I noted it’s ear flicking at my return. I sat down on the floor near it, flipping the clasps of the kit and plucking out the saline solution, antibiotic ointment, antiseptic, and then the dressings.

I quickly got to work, but I was as gentle as I could be when I touched it. I felt a wave of guilt and pain pass through me. The wolf, which I now noticed was a male, had knife wounds and visible swelling, as well as slight discoloration that I could notice even under his thick coat of fur.

Only a human could inflict these injuries. There was no doubt about it, and I even suspected it must’ve been more than just one person.

But, what was he doing out in the city? I tried my best to recall how he seemed to act when I had nearly run into him last night, now moving on to use the antiseptic around the less severe wounds.

The wolf hybrid seemed distracted and uneasy, and upon seeing me, it had tensed up considerably. Though, when it noticed I wasn’t making any significant moves, it didn’t even offer me a final glance before it ran off into the forest.

Was it perhaps running away from something? If so, then what?

I exhaled softly, finally managing to place gauze pads and wrapping conforming bandages around them on the hybrids injuries.

When I considered myself done, I looked at him again.

“Would you like to lay somewhere more comfortable? There’s a bedroom nearby that I have ready for guests, but you can use it.” I whispered, and his ears flicked. He opened his eyes to look at me and snuffed. I took that as permission to lead him to the bedroom.

He dragged himself behind me, and I felt another pang of guilt pass through me.

When we reached the bedroom, I stopped at the door. “You can take as long as you need in here, I’ll leave you alone and close the door, but I’m going to sleep.” I said before hesitating.

“Thank you… for trusting me. I really appreciate it.” He stared at me, and I smiled awkwardly before closing the door.

As soon as the door clicked shut, I blanked completely.

I was running purely off fumes, and now that I finally helped nurse my main stressor at the moment, I wasn’t sure what to think.

I shook my head, and made my way upstairs. I could get the groceries from the car tomorrow. I pulled my phone from my pocket and paused when I saw it was already nearly midnight.

At least I’m off work tomorrow.

Moving to the bathroom in my bedroom, I washed the blood off my hands thoroughly before lazily and reluctantly grabbing another set of clothes. Something I would feel more comfortable wearing with a male stranger and hybrid sleeping just downstairs.

I showered as quickly as I could, lathering my hair with shampoo and conditioner and then my body with my body wash, the jasmine scent calming my nerves.

Once I had finished my steamy shower, I got into bed. As soon as my head touched the pillows, I immediately began to lull to sleep, the quietness of the house ringing throughout and sending me off into a gentle rest, thoughts swirling.

[sinularity]

selcouth masterlist

࿔ pairing : bts!ot7 x reader

࿔ genre/themes : hybrid au, mystery, eventual romance, hurt/comfort

࿔ warnings : 18+ for swearing, future sexual content, mentions of past self harm and past suicidal tendencies, blood/violence

࿔ summary : Filled with a longing for the unknown, Y/N is struggling to find out why she’s having such a hard time keeping up with herself. Having recently moved to the city of New Orleans, she is still in the process of discovering who she really is. However, when she stumbles across several hybrids in light of her impulsiveness, she begins to find herself in ways she never imagined. Navigating through the newfound struggles of owning a handful of hybrids amongst a society dedicated to monopolizing and dehumanizing them, Y/N experiences a multitude of challenges, emotionally and mentally.

࿔ chapters : 01 | …