Page 249 of Scarbound

Relief crossed Duri’s face. “Yes.”

Noeul frowned. “Your…”

“My room. At my mother’s apartment.”

Noeul repeated the information silently, fixing it in place. Duri’s room. His mother’s apartment. Away from Chung-Hee.

He rubbed his forehead. “My head hurts.”

“I know.” Duri remained near the door. “Dr. Daniels came last night. He looked at your head and your wrists.”

“Doctor?”

“Yes.”

Noeul stared down at his hands. Both wrists were bandaged. He turned them slowly, examining them as though seeing them for the first time.

“What happened?”

Duri went still.

Noeul looked at him. “What happened to my hands?”

Duri took a careful breath. “You hurt them trying to get free.”

Noeul’s expression changed. “Free?”

Duri regretted the word immediately.

Noeul’s breathing quickened. Images came without sequence.

Metal. A bed. Hands. Pain.

He squeezed his eyes shut.

“No.”

Duri lowered his voice. “You don’t have to remember.”

“No.”

“Okay.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Then don’t.”

Noeul opened his eyes. Duri was still standing where he had been. He hadn’t approached. Hadn’t touched him.

Noeul looked down at the blanket. “Where’s Ji-Woo?”

“He fell asleep in the living room about an hour ago.”

Noeul frowned. “He’s here?”

“Yes.”

Another pause.