Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Sojung loved her job. 

Beautiful scenery, fairly good pay and getting to work with people that are now her closest friends? It was perfect. Well, aside from working with the general public sometimes. But that was always to be expected. And it was hard to be upset when working in such a gorgeous national park, the mountains and main waterfall able to be seen easily from the many windows of the park's visitor station and info desk.

Tucking some of her long brown hair behind her ear, Sojung adjusted the position of her hands on the wheel of her assigned jeep that boasted the park’s logo and name across the side of it, expertly maneuvering it into her assigned parking spot. It wasn’t a super long drive from her shared house to the park, only around an hour if she didn't stop into town for a coffee. But even if it had been, she wouldn’t have cared at all. The park was extra beautiful this early, a light fog spread throughout the area while the morning sun’s rays bounced off of the small patches of snow scattered on the ground.

Normally, her roommate would have joined her on the drive over, instead of borrowing Sojung’s personal car, but she had wanted to leave the house earlier in the morning to get some things done. Sojung had forgotten to ask what those ‘things’ were but she figured she would find out once she got settled in for the day. 

“Nice parking this time.” Sojung chuckled under her breath once she spotted her car as she exited her jeep. At least her roommate had listened to her scolding when Sojung had come into work and saw how crooked of a parking job the girl had done in her rush over when she had been extra excited for the anniversary celebration of the park a few weeks ago. 

Smoothing down the winter version of her ranger outfit after tying her long hair into a low ponytail, Sojung locked the jeep and made her way down the main trail, taking in the sights of various wild animals and birds going about their business. It was a chilly morning but Sojung didn’t mind. In fact, she welcomed the cold, finding it more enjoyable than the heat of summer. She couldn’t wait for more snow to roll in and properly coat the park. It was always such a beautiful sight, even if that meant that the main waterfall would freeze over until the next spring.

“Good morning, Sojung!” A loud and excited voice called out the second that she entered the main lobby of the park's visitor station, the owner of the voice running towards her in order to give her a hug.

Sojung laughed at the sudden contact, returning the hug back as best as she could while ruffling the soft black hair and dog ears on the top of the girl’s head.

Yes, dog ears. The mentioned girl, Choi Yuna, was a hybrid, one of the first hybrid park rangers to ever exist in the area.

The world had progressed quickly, thankfully, when it came to the many cat and dog hybrids that existed being accepted into society and Yuna was proof of that. Many hybrid individuals and families frequented the national park as well, the owners of the land happy and proud to make sure the area was an inclusive spot for both humans and hybrids to enjoy together. Just another thing that Sojung loved about working at the park. Hybrids were such sweet souls and Yuna, again, was more proof of that.

Yuna’s fluffy tail was wagging furiously as Sojung gave her affection, a bright smile spreading across her face while a giggle escaped her lips.  

“Good morning to you too, Yuna.” Sojung replied with a loving smile, continuing to ruffle Yuna’s hair and dog ears playfully while glancing around the room.

“Where’s Yerin? Is she at the gift shop already?”

“She’s getting stuff ready for the kids later!” Yuna explained happily as she finally let go of the taller girl. “It’s a field trip day, remember? You put both Yerin and me in charge of it.”

“Right. That's today, isn't it?” Sojung nodded. “No wonder she was in such a hurry to leave.”

“Why were you looking for her? Did she park your car weird again?” Yuna asked as she tilted her head cutely to the side. 

“She didn’t, actually.” Sojung chuckled. “I was just wondering what she was so excited about but I got my answer. Thanks, Yuna.”

“You’re welcome.” Yuna said as she playfully saluted the older girl. “Anything for you, boss!”

“Don’t call me that.” Sojung rolled her eyes with another laugh, returning the gesture with a small slap against Yuna’s arm. “I may have gotten promoted but I’m still your friend before I’m your boss.”

“Of course.” Yuna replied with a mischievous glint in her eye as she bowed dramatically. 

Sojung reached out to grab the hybrid to get her back for her continued teasing but Yuna only darted away in response, sticking her tongue out teasingly before running to the back area of the building in order to find and help the mentioned Yerin with her task. Yuna’s tail wagged the entire way until she was out of sight and all Sojung could do was shake her head in response, a smile remaining on her lips. Getting promoted to head park ranger at the anniversary party was something that her friends were all proud of her for but at the same time, that didn’t stop them from taking every opportunity to tease her about it in various ways. 

Sitting down at the front desk, Sojung logged into the main computer and clocked in, scrolling through her worksheet next to figure out what tasks she needed to do for the rest of the day. It seemed like it would be a somewhat slow day, aside from the mentioned school visiting the park for a field trip in the early afternoon. The main things she would have to do consisted of small tasks like checking inventory, sending emails about future plans for the park, checking in on the other rangers periodically and doing her regular supervising drive through the park every four or so hours. Just another normal day.

The feeling of something being pushed against her cheek broke Sojung out of her concentration. Slowly, Sojung turned her head to spot her roommate, Jung Yerin, pressing a squirrel puppet against her face with a huge playful grin. Normally she would be annoyed by being interrupted but Yerin’s eagerness was so infectious that all Sojung could manage to do was let out a small sigh. 

“What do you think?” Yerin’s eyes were practically sparkling with excitement. “It got delivered today! Just in time for the kids!”

“I was working on something, you know.” Sojung said, trying to keep a small smile from breaking out on her face but quickly failing once Yerin started to pout.

“C’mon, Sojung, isn’t it cute?” Yerin whined as she held up the puppet, moving its plush paws around.

“It is.” Sojung finally admitted. “The kids are going to love it. Good call, Yerin.”

Yerin’s face lit up again at the praise and Sojung finally allowed a full smile to appear on her features.

“Are the kids hybrids or humans this time?” Sojung asked curiously. 

“Both!” Yerin replied. “The school that’s visiting this time is fairly new but they’ve been doing great! They’re one of the most popular schools around town already!”

“I’m glad to hear it.” Sojung nodded, feeling her chest warm up at the thought of hybrid and human kids able to be friends and grow up together. That had seemed impossible when she had been around their age but she was thankful to be wrong. The world really was shaping up to be a better place.

“Be careful with that around the hybrid kids though.” Sojung chuckled as the thought crossed her mind. “They might want to bite it.”

“That’s exactly why I’m using it.” Yerin said proudly. “It’s important for us to teach the kids that non-hybrid wildlife needs to be left alone and respected.”

Yerin paused, glancing back at the back room for a moment before back at Sojung again.

“Yuna tried to bite it, didn’t she?” Sojung asked with a teasing grin.

“Yeah.” Yerin sighed before starting to laugh. Sojung joined in, finding the thought of their mutual friend’s action adorable.

"It sure is lively today."

A voice suddenly interrupted. Both Yerin and Sojung's heads immediately turned towards the sound.

"Yewon!" Yerin was the first one to speak up before she darted over to greet the other girl who had quietly made her way in through the front doors, hugging her tightly.

"Good morning, Yewon." Sojung greeted as she watched the mentioned girl return the hug as best as she could with a cute smile on her features.

 Kim Yewon. Another fellow park ranger and friend. Well, she wasn't exactly a normal park ranger. Even though Yewon was younger than all of them, she was an experienced doctor with a medical school degree and several years of experience at the local town's main hospital under her belt. Yewon was clearly skilled enough to work full time at the hospital and had even been offered the position of head doctor at the facility. But she had rejected that opportunity to work full time at the park as a park ranger in charge of the medical department and clinic instead, her love for the park and her passion towards helping hybrids making her a perfect choice for the role. Her close connections with the hospital were a huge bonus as well.

"Good morning to you both." Yewon replied, the smile still remaining on her face even when Yerin finally let her out of her grip. "I brought over some medical supplies to restock in the back for today. I know the kids are usually fine but you can never be too careful."

"I appreciate it a lot." Sojung nodded. "Thank you. I'll have Yuna stock them once shes done preparing."

"I'll go help her for you, boss!" Yerin exclaimed as she playfully saluted Sojung just like Yuna had earlier.

"Cut it out." Sojung groaned as she stood up and attempted to slap Yerin's shoulder. Yerin dodged the blow, mirroring Yuna's behavior and sticking her tongue out before running to the back to join her.   

"They're both still doing that, huh?" Yewon giggled as she held out the small box filled with first aid kits towards the taller.

"They haven't stopped ever since the party." Sojung sighed, taking the box from the other girl in order to place it on her desk.

"They're only doing it because they're proud of you." Yewon said, glancing back at where Yerin had disappeared with a small smile on her lips. "They just have a funny way of showing it."

"For sure." Sojung agreed before sitting back down at her chair in front of the computer. Yewon chuckled in response before she grew quiet, her gaze drifting away as she leaned against the front desk. The silence was strange. Usually, Yewon would be up for a longer talk after making the journey to the visitor center building from the clinic building.

"Is something wrong?" Sojung asked. "I'm sure you didn't walk all the way over here just to give us bandaids and antibiotic ointment. I could have easily made Yerin pick them up from you at your station instead."

"Nothing's wrong." Yewon pressed her lips together. "Nothing concerning me, anyways. I've just been hearing some....rumors during my daily walks in the park ever since yesterday and I wanted to talk to you about them."

"Rumors?" Sojung raised an eyebrow, sitting up straight in her seat. "What kind of rumors?"

"Nothing serious." Yewon managed to chuckle. "It could just be some kids making up things to scare their friends. But still, its been bothering me."

Yewon paused for a moment, tucking some of her long dark hair behind her ear.

"Ever since yesterday morning, I've been hearing people talk about spotting a werewolf in the woods. Near the cave that's next to the waterfall."

"A werewolf?" Sojung was baffled. "Halloween was a month ago. Why would someone make a story like that up right now?"

"That's exactly what I thought at first." Yewon continued. "But then those rumors switched from people saying that they saw a 'werewolf' to a 'wolf hybrid' instead."

Yewon's eyes focused back on Sojung, clear concern showing in gentle brown hues.

"I'm sure they're just rumors. After all, there's been no signs of wolf hybrids even existing in the world yet. But I can't help but worry about there being some truth to these rumors. What if its a lost hybrid out in the park alone? It's starting to get really cold out at night. What if they get sick and don't know their way around well enough to get help? What if-"

"Would it make you feel better if I went out there and checked?" Sojung interrupted, placing her hand over Yewon's in order to comfort her. Yewon seemed to calm down slightly at the touch.

"Is that okay?" Yewon asked quietly. "I don't want you to have to add another thing to your schedule because of me hearing some possibly pointless rumors."

"Don't worry about it. Yuna and Yerin are in charge of the field trip today so it would be no issue." Sojung shook her head with a motherly smile. "I can drive there and take a look during my routine park inspection in a few hours. It'll be no trouble at all. I promise."

"You're the best." Yewon said as she squeezed Sojung's hand, a relieved expression appearing on her face.

"Hearing that from the best doctor ever is always so flattering." Sojung grinned.

"And hearing that from the best park ranger ever is just as flattering." Yewon returned the grin with her own smile. Sojung only laughed, squeezing the younger girl's hand back before letting go.

"Just make sure to keep your radio on. I'll keep you updated and let you know if I find anything."

"That would be great. Thank you." Yewon nodded. "I'll keep myself on standby just in case."

"Don't let yourself worry too much, okay?" Sojung instructed. "I'm sure everything will be fine." 

"I'll try." Yewon sighed. Sojung smiled sympathetically before opening her mouth to speak again, wanting to make the other girl promise to take a breather while she investigated, but she was quickly cut off by the sound of Yuna letting out an excited noise behind her that almost sounded like a bark.

"Yewon!" Yuna yelled out happily, running towards the mentioned girl and practically tackling her with a hug just like she had done to Sojung earlier.

"Good morning, Yuna!" Yewon sounded just as excited, hugging the hybrid back tightly with a grin on her face. "How are you? How's your tail feeling?"

"It's all better!" Yuna said proudly, her tail wagging not letting up. 

"What happened to your tail?" Sojung asked curiously.

"She almost sprained it after the anniversary party." Yewon explained. "It can happen when a hybrid gets excited and wags it too quickly for too long."

"For real?" Sojung couldn't help the laugh that left her mouth, covering her mouth with her hand to suppress it. Almost spraining her tail because of how happy she was? That was just like Yuna.

"I couldn't help it." Yuna whined, a small blush appearing on her cheeks out of slight embarrassment. "I just love the park and working with all of you so much. It just got a little sore, that's all." 

Both Yewon and Sojung laughed in unison, huge smiles on both of their faces.

"We love being here with you too, Yuna." Yewon cooed as she ruffled the top of the hybrid's head. "And I know it wasn't that bad. I just wanted to make sure nothing happened to it. I love seeing your tail wagging and I don't want it to stop."

Yuna grinned widely at that statement, nuzzling her cheek against the younger girl's face happily. Yewon clearly didn't mind and Sojung felt her heart warm up at the sight. She really did love these girls. Everyday was enjoyable and fun thanks to each of them. And that was something Sojung knew she would never take for granted.

"Yuna! Are you ready to go?" Yerin called out as she left the back room, her official park ranger backpack strapped to her back with various educational tools inside, including the new squirrel puppet that she had been so excited about. Her light brown hair had been tied back into a low ponytail, her park ranger hat properly on her head. In her other hand was another backpack, Yuna's name stitched into the fabric of the bag just like Yerin's was on her own. Yuna did have a custom park ranger hat that allowed for her dog ears to show but she wasn't required to wear it since the uniform rules weren't as strict as they would be at other parks. She tended to wear it mostly during the summer, when the sun would beam down hard on anyone outside.

"Yep! I'm all set!" Yuna exclaimed as she was let out of Yewon's grip, adjusting her uniform and the radio pack that was attached to her belt.

"Hold on. Don't forget to take along some of the first aid kits that Yewon brought over." Sojung instructed, pointing to the box on her desk. "And keep your radios on at all times." 

"Got it." Yuna nodded as Yerin helped strap her own backpack on, unzipping it to place one of the mentioned kits inside. Yewon took another one of the kits to place it in Yerin's backpack while Yerin worked on strapping her own assigned radio to her belt. Sojung could feel at ease now, fully confident in her friends skills. The four of them really were a perfect team.

"I'll walk Yerin and Yuna out to the field trip location and help them set everything up while I'm heading back to the clinic." Yewon said after she had properly zipped Yerin's backpack back up, turning on her radio as well.

"You don't have to do that." Yerin said with a slightly confused expression. "We know the way and how to set things up."

"I know I don't have to, but I want to." Yewon smiled. "We haven't really seen each other in a few days and I wanted to finish catching up with you both."

"My sweet little Yewon." Yerin's expression quickly changed to one full of affection as she playfully pinched the younger girl's cheek. "I don't mind that at all. Let's all get dinner together after our shifts too. My treat."

"Sounds like a plan." Yewon giggled. "You'll join us too, right, Sojung?"

"Of course." Sojung nodded with a gentle smile, affection shining clearly in her eyes. "I would love to."

"Perfect!" Yerin said with a smile as Yuna took her hand, the hybrid's tail wagging gently behind her. "See you then!"

"See you later. Good luck." Sojung waved goodbye to the three, proudly watching them leave. She could see that Yerin had immediately started a conversation with Yewon the second they had left the visitor center's doors and Sojung could feel her own nerves settling down as she spotted the calm expression on Yewon's face before the three moved out of sight. Yewon had seemed beyond stressed about the rumors so the fact that she was distracted was enough to ease Sojung's mind. 

__________________

The rest of the day continued like normal, Sojung busy with restocking supplies from the delivery truck that had arrived with a small shipment earlier than expected. At least that was one thing she wouldn't have to worry about for the rest of the week. Aside from that, the time leading up to when she would have to do her supervising drive was spent interacting with both hybrid and human families who had decided to spend the day at the park, one of Sojung's favorite things to do during her shifts. The hours had passed fairly quickly thanks to those fun interactions.

"Yewon?" Sojung spoke into her radio after she had finished locking the visitor center's front doors and put up the 'out for lunch' sign, slipping her own park ranger hat onto her head. "I'm about to drive over to the cave."

"Thank you, Sojung." Yewon's voice eventually replied. "I'll be waiting for your updates."

"Don't stay glued to the radio." Sojung instructed. "Talk to you soon."

  There was no reply and all Sojung could do was sigh as she unlocked and climbed into the drivers seat of her jeep. Hopefully this would be a quick trip so Yewon's anxiety could be taken care of. There was no way it was any sort of 'wolf hybrid'. It was most likely some hybrid teenagers messing around or an actual wolf. Those were common here. It was going to be fine.

  The afternoon was chilly but not as much as it had been early that morning, the sun bringing some warmth to the area even with the clouds that had appeared in the sky. It was looking like there was a small possibility that it would either lightly snow or rain later. Hopefully it wouldn't cause any ice on the roads if it did end up getting cold enough out to snow. That was always a pain to have to deal with.

Sojung's assigned ranger jeep was able to go off road easily without much trouble, the older girl maneuvering it over the gravel paths without being bumped or jerked around aggressively. On the way over, Sojung spotted Yerin and Yuna leading the group of school kids down one of the walking paths nearby with huge smiles on their faces. Both girls noticed her driving past, waving excitedly at her while the various hybrid and human kids did the same. The sight made Sojung grin widely, slowing down her jeep and waving back to the group just as happily before continuing her journey.

After around thirty minutes, Sojung had reached the area between the waterfall and cave, not wanting to drive too close since it was somewhat dangerous to get near. The front part of the cave was small but there was a good sized drop off that could easily be slipped off of if someone were to ignore the footpath to the entrance of the cave, several jagged rocks below it. Most of the time, the area was off limits to normal visitors unless they filled out the required paperwork needed in order to explore it carefully, along with an instructional video presentation since the cave got deeper farther in.

"I've reached the cave." Sojung radioed to Yewon on the secure channel. "I will check back in within twenty minutes or so." 

"I'll be waiting for the all clear." Yewon's voice said through the speaker. 

"Did everything go well with the kids at the field trip?" Sojung asked as she climbed out of her jeep, wanting to ease Yewon's mind with a distraction again. 

"Everything went perfect." Yewon responded. "No scrapes, sprained ankles or bug bites."

"Glad to hear it. Talk to you soon." Sojung smiled before lowering her radio, clipping it to her belt before making her way forward towards the entrance.

As she got closer, something strange caught the head ranger's eye. It seemed like some of the dirt near where she parked had been disturbed. Leaning down, Sojung examined it with narrowed eyes. It wasn't from her tires. It seemed like a group of footprints but they were close together, signs of some sort of struggle between multiple individuals obvious the more she looked. Sojung felt her heart sink into her stomach.

Something was wrong. And the farther she ventured towards the cave proved that. 

The next thing on the ground was definitely unusual. Sojung had seen animal fur scattered around the area several times but this was a first. Hair. A few good sized chunks of black colored hair were laying lifelessly by a tree, more distressed groups of footprints near them as well. Something had happened here. But what? Sojung's breathing got quicker, her heart sinking even lower as her eyes took in everything she was seeing. And that feeling only grew worse as the older girl noticed the path of scuffled footprints leading towards the cave's drop off. 

This was not good.

Sojung was practically running now, unable to believe her eyes once she was close enough to the drop off to look into the dark and damp cave without slipping off herself. She couldn't see it clearly but the silhouettes of two bodies laying limply together inside the cave's entrance were obvious. Sojung couldn't move once her eyes adjusted to the light. They were hybrids, that's all Sojung could make out at this distance, unable to properly tell what type of hybrids they were yet. She felt frozen, her eyes widening in horror as the reality of the situation sunk in.

"Sojung?" Yewon's voice called out through the radio, the anxiousness in her tone obvious. "It's been twenty minutes. Is everything okay?"

Sojung didn't respond, lowering the volume on her radio as she finally forced herself to move down the side of the cave to the entrance, her steps unstable but determined. As she got closer, she couldn't help the gasp that left her mouth.

The two hybrids were curled into each other for protection and warmth, their clothes torn, covered in dirt and small spots of blood. One of the hybrids had medium length jet black hair that had been unevenly sliced into different short lengths in several areas, cat ears poking out of the top of the girl's head. The other hybrid's head was pushed against the cat hybrid's chest, whatever type of ears she had almost fully covered because of the close contact and the cat hybrid's arms around her.

 The cat hybrid's cat tail was able to be seen sticking out of the top of her torn up pants but there was no tail that could be seen on the other, confusing Sojung completely. Both hybrids were breathing, thankfully, but Sojung sucked in a breath as the state the two were in became more clear. The cat hybrid was in the worst state, her right leg clearly broken as it was swollen and laying in a slight but still obviously abnormal way, her breathing sharp and shallow as her body was shaking. The unknown hybrid's right arm was wrapped around the cat hybrid's torso, her muffled sniffles echoing off of the cave's walls.

"Sojung?"

 Even with the radio's volume lowered, Yewon's distressed voice was clearly heard in the silence, causing the unknown hybrid's head to jerk up in fear while the cat hybrid's arms limply slid away from where they were originally positioned, scared eyes focusing on the approaching ranger. And with that movement, the type of ears the hybrid had was revealed to the other girl as they swiveled forward.

Rabbit ears. A bunny hybrid. The first bunny hybrid Sojung, or probably anyone for that matter, had ever seen. Now the rumors made sense. If the two had been running past someone among the trees of the park, the size of the hybrid's unique ears could have easily been mistaken for wolf ears.

There were tears in the bunny hybrid's frightened eyes, a tremble coursing through her body. The cat hybrid, however, hadn't moved, eyes still shut and arms still limp. Sojung quickly put her hands up, trying to show the scared hybrid that she wasn't here to cause anymore harm.

"It's okay." Sojung kept her voice as low as she could. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm here to help."

The bunny hybrid continued to stare, another sniffle able to be heard as a few tears streamed down her cheeks. Her left cheek had a fairly deep gash that was still lightly bleeding, mixing in with her tears while a few short strands of her bobbed light brown hair stuck to it. She seemed to be cradling her left arm, that wasn't around the cat hybrid, close to her own chest protectively, the position of it and the fact that she was wearing a short sleeved shirt revealing how swollen it was. 

"What happened?" Sojung continued, her voice steady and calm. "How did you get hurt? Did you fall?"

The bunny hybrid glanced up at the drop off before back at Sojung, nodding weakly. It seemed like she was starting to trust the other girl, finally able to sense even in her current state that Sojung was here to rescue them. The head ranger could see the relief fill the bunny hybrid's teary eyes as the realization sunk in.

"Can I help?" Sojung asked, taking a few careful steps forward. The sound of her getting closer caused the cat hybrid to finally react, eyes opening and cat ears flattening against her head. Almost instantly, a low growl was heard, the cat hybrid's arms moving up to protectively cradle the bunny hybrid's body against her own again. 

"D...Don't...." The bunny hybrid whispered to the cat hybrid, pressing her forehead against the other hybrid's as more tears dripped out of her eyes.

  The cat hybrid started to growl again but was stopped as the bunny hybrid gently placed the hand of her good arm against her cheek, letting out a small pained mew instead. The trembling in the cat hybrid's body wasn't stopping and Sojung was sure that it was because of the pain her leg was causing her, mixed in with the cold. The head ranger couldn't tell how long the two had been stuck like this just from looking at them, but it didn't matter. This was an emergency. Slowly, Sojung grabbed her radio, making sure at least the bunny hybrid could see and hear what she was doing. 

"Yewon, I need you to just listen to me right now." Sojung pressed her lips together, trying to keep her voice calm even though she wanted to panic.

"There are two hybrids here and they're badly hurt. I'm not sure what happened but they definitely fell off of the drop off. One of them is hurt more than the other. I think her leg is broken."

Sojung paused, allowing the information to settle for a few moments before continuing.

"I'm going to transport them over to you as carefully as I can. I have some blankets in the back of my jeep that I can use to keep them warm. We need to move fast. I don't know how long they've been out here."

"I'll be ready." Yewon's voice finally responded. Her tone had turned professional, any anxiety unable to be heard now even though Sojung knew that the younger girl was feeling the same way she currently was. 

"Can you get in contact with Yerin and explain what's going on to her too?" Sojung asked. "And tell Yuna that she's in charge of the visitor center for the rest of today. I don't know how long it'll take to get them out of here and I'll need Yerin's help if we have to bring either of them to the hospital."

"Of course." Yewon replied, quicker this time. "I'll contact the hospital right away after I examine them. Just let me know when you're on the way here."

"I will." Sojung said before lowering her radio, clicking it into place back onto her belt again before focusing her eyes back on the two hybrids. Both girls were staring at her, the cat hybrid's eyes flickering shut and then open again as she struggled to keep herself from passing out.

"I'll be right back." Sojung said softly, giving the pair a small, encouraging and comforting smile as best as she could. "I'm going to move my jeep closer so that neither of you have to move more than you need to right now. I know you're both in pain."

The bunny hybrid nodded at that, visibly wincing as she attempted to move herself up into a sitting position with her right arm. 

"Don't try to move." Sojung instructed the bunny hybrid quickly. "I'll help you do that once I get my stuff. Just lay here and try to keep warm. And make sure she doesn't fall back asleep."

The bunny hybrid nodded one more time before curling up to the cat hybrid again, burying her face into the girl's shoulder as another tear slid down her injured cheek. Sojung stood back up to her full height before turning and taking off running out of the cave. There was nothing else in her mind right now. She was completely focused, pushing her anxiety away so that nothing could slow her down.

 Sojung slipped the previously mentioned blankets under her arm from the small trunk of her jeep before closing it, sliding into the drivers seat as quick as she could and tossing them onto the front seat, along with her heavy park ranger jacket that she wore during the cold winters when the snow would pile high on the ground. She turned the key in the ignition and tried her best to not speed to the trail leading into the cave's entrance. The jeep jerked as she pressed down on the brakes harder than she usually would but Sojung didn't care, too focused on the poor hybrids waiting for her help.

 Sojung opened the door without turning off the jeep and practically jumped out, running to the other side and opening the opposite door while leaving the drivers side door open. She adjusted the position of the front seat so it was laying down as far as it could go, spreading one of the large blankets on top of it so it could be wrapped around the cat hybrid to keep her warm. Moving to the back seat that wasn't blocked by the position of the front seat, Sojung did the same with the other blanket and tossed her hat into the trunk area before speed walking down to the cave again, the thick ranger jacket tucked underneath her arm.

The head ranger kept up her speed until she was back with the hybrids, not wanting to frighten them more than they already were.

"I'll help you first." Sojung breathed out as she knelt down and extended her hand out towards the bunny hybrid, trying to calm her racing heart. 

The bunny hybrid shook her head, sniffling again as she looked down at the cat hybrid pressed against her. 

"H...Help her first..." The bunny hybrid's voice whispered. "...Please..."

 Sojung nodded, placing her jacket next to the bunny hybrid before moving in closer in order to figure out how exactly she was going to move the cat hybrid over to her jeep without hurting her. Gentle eyes examined the cat hybrid's body while the cat hybrid turned her head weakly to meet her gaze. The cat hybrid's cat ears were still flat against her head, half open eyes full of pain and anxiety. Sojung reached down and slowly placed her hand against the girl's back, rubbing it softly. The cat hybrid only kept up her stare, not reacting at all to the touch. The bunny hybrid scooted back as best as she could, biting her tongue and squeezing her eyes closed in pain as the movement caused her swollen left arm to move away from her chest slightly.

"My name is Sojung. Kim Sojung." Sojung spoke quietly as she kept up the soothing motion. "I'm a park ranger and I'm here to help you. But first, I need to get you both out of here. Starting with you. Can I do that?"

The cat hybrid seemed like she wasn't going to respond. But eventually, her cat ears lifted up very slightly, the realization that the head ranger wasn't going to hurt her finally processing in her foggy mind. The cat hybrid opened her mouth, wanting to try and say something but her voice died out in her throat as she gasped for air instead, her eyes closing for a moment as another wave of pain coursed through her trembling body.

"It's okay." Sojung whispered. "I'll do all the movement for you. I just need you to let me." 

 Sojung paused as the feeling of the cat hybrid gripping at her arm suddenly came. The hybrid's grip was weak but it was the signal that Sojung had been waiting for. A silent permission given from the cat hybrid. Quickly, she gripped at the girl's hand, using her other arm to slowly bring the hybrid up to a sitting position. The cat hybrid immediately let out a pained meow but she held on, her breathing short and sharp.

"I'm going to carry you, alright? It's probably going to hurt and I'm sorry." Sojung apologized. "But it won't last long. I can promise you that."

The cat hybrid closed her eyes in response, bracing herself. The bunny hybrid could only watch with worried eyes, her lower lip trembling with emotion. Sojung took a deep breath, slipping her arms under the cat hybrid's thighs and back, steadying her muscles before lifting the girl off of the ground as gently as she could. The cat hybrid let out a sharp, pain filled meow as her injured leg moved with the motion, a few tears sliding down her face.

"It's okay." Sojung whispered as she started to walk towards the jeep as carefully and slowly as she possibly could. "You're doing so good."

 The cat hybrid let out another small cry of pain, her grip on Sojung's arm returning and tightening. Sojung hated the sound, holding back tears herself, her heart aching. She wanted to move faster but she couldn't risk hurting the hybrid's leg more than it already was. The minutes crawled by and Sojung could swear this was the longest moment of her life, her muscles straining and her heart continuing to race. But eventually, they had reached the idling and warm jeep, doors open and waiting.

  Taking a deep breath, Sojung lowered and laid the cat hybrid on the adjusted front seat. The cat hybrid closed her eyes and let out a pained meow before growing quiet as the head ranger tucked her shaking body into the soft blanket, not making another sound even as the jeep's seatbelt was buckled around her waist and chest. Sojung took a few more minutes to make sure the cat hybrid was secure before running back to where she had left the bunny hybrid, almost tripping in the process. This time, helping the bunny hybrid was a lot easier since it was just her left arm that was hurt. Just as carefully as she had done for the cat hybrid before, Sojung eased the bunny hybrid into a sitting position.

 "Here." Sojung said as she picked up her jacket that she had left nearby, wrapping it around the hybrid's shoulders, making sure to avoid the girl's swollen arm while she tied the sleeves loosely around her neck so the jacket wouldn't slide off. The bunny hybrid remained quiet the entire time, simply staring at Sojung's face while she worked. The lead ranger was too focused on making sure there weren't any other visible cuts or injuries on the hybrid's body to notice. Once she finished her quick examination, Sojung kneeled in front of the bunny hybrid so she could wrap her arm around her waist to help her up, getting a grip under the hybrid's non-injured right arm with her other hand firmly for more support. 

"Alright. I'm not sure if this will hurt but I'll try my best to make sure it won't." Sojung said. "On three, okay? One, two..."

 With the whispered "three", Sojung carefully but quickly helped the bunny hybrid up and onto her feet. The hybrid let out a small pained gasp of air, wobbling on her feet for a few moments. Sojung kept her arm around the bunny hybrid's waist supportively, taking slow steps forward to lead the shorter girl towards the jeep.

  It was a lot quicker of a walk this time, even though the bunny hybrid wasn't strong enough to walk without leaning against Sojung's body yet. Though, wrapping the blanket around the bunny hybrid was a bit tricky, Sojung settling on wrapping one end of it around the hybrid's right shoulder and her lap so she wouldn't accidentally touch her swollen arm. It was okay. The jacket would provide the extra warmth the bunny hybrid needed instead. At least the seatbelts in the back seats were waist only ones, unlike the ones in the front seats. 

"Hey. Don't fall asleep yet." Sojung said once she was in the drivers seat after closing all of the open jeep doors, leaning over and gently patting the cat hybrid's cheek to wake her back up. "I don't know if you have a concussion or not."

 The cat hybrid unexpectedly leaned into the touch, making eye contact once her eyes fluttered open. Sojung sighed in relief, allowing her thumb to rub against the hybrid's soft skin before taking her hand back so she could reach for her radio again.

"Yewon? I have both hybrids safely in the jeep. ETA to the clinic is around thirty minutes." 

"I'm ready for you. I'll stand outside so I can get to work right away. Yerin is on standby inside."

  Sojung didn't reply, placing her radio in the jeep's cupholder so she wouldn't have to fumble with her belt again, gripping the steering wheel as she shifted the jeep into drive and carefully pressed down on the gas. She wanted to speed but that could be risky, both to anyone in the park and the injured hybrids if she hit any bumps. Sure, her jeep was capable of handling it but the sound of the cat hybrid softly whimpering while she made a small turn was enough to prove her theory that any slight movements could cause the hybrid pain right now. The bunny hybrid remained quiet the entire way over, her eyes shut as exhaustion started to take over, the pain in her injured arm the only thing keeping her from falling asleep. 

 Sojung's mind raced as the drive continued, images of what she had seen before finding the hybrids flashing into her head. It didn't seem like the hybrids had jumped off the drop off or wanted to hide in the cave so what had happened? It was seeming like they had been attacked and potentially been pushed off of the drop off. Or they had been running from an attacker and not seen the drop off.

The very thought of it filled Sojung's chest with anger. She knew that some humans in the world were still against hybrids but to go out of the way to attack them? That was unacceptable. In that moment, the head ranger promised herself that she would make sure whoever these 'attackers' were would be found and brought to justice. She could file the incident report once the hybrids were stable again.

But where would the hybrids go after this?

Sojung glanced over at the cat hybrid who had let out another distressed meow. It didn't seem like they were much younger than herself and they had been all alone without any backpacks, phones or other things with them. Their clothes and shoes seemed worn down as well. Sojung pressed her lips together as she focused back on the path she was driving down. She could feel the answer in her chest, like it was a sign from the universe.

There was no way she could abandon these hybrids. They were coming home to live with her. Yerin would agree for sure. They had a big enough house with a spare room. It had always seemed to be a bit too big for only two people when they had both first moved in.

It was fate, wasn't it?

The sight of the clinic building approaching with Yewon outside in the small parking lot broke Sojung out of her thoughts, the older girl trying her best to slow the jeep to a stop without pressing down hard on the brakes like she had before. Shutting off the jeep, Sojung unlocked the doors and jumped out, Yewon already next to the front door on the right side of the jeep with a small bag full of a few medical supplies.

"Give me a quick rundown." Yewon spoke up once Sojung was next to her, eyes full of anxiousness just like the older girl thought they would be.

"Two hybrids. One cat hybrid and one bunny hybrid. Both are injured but the cat hybrid is in the worst state. Her right leg appears broken while the bunny hybrid's left arm is swollen. There's a gash on her face as well."

"A...bunny hybrid?" Yewon gasped out in surprise, unable to keep herself from reacting. "They exist?"

"I guess so." Sojung managed to chuckle for a moment before her tone turned serious again. "Both hybrids are frightened but they trust me. I'm not sure if either of them hit their head when they fell but the cat hybrid has been struggling to stay conscious the entire time. I'm also not sure how long either of them were out there alone. I'm guessing a night, based on when you started hearing the rumors."

"Alright." Yewon's energy had shifted, her professional doctor persona taking back over. "I can move the bunny hybrid over to my clinic after we check the cat hybrid here. If her leg is broken, I don't want to move her out of the jeep. Especially since we'll have to take her to the hospital."

"I'll have Yerin drive her over once we finish examining her." Sojung nodded. "I don't want to leave the bunny hybrid alone. She seemed the most scared."

"That's fine." Yewon replied with her own nod, readying herself for a moment before reaching out to grip the jeep's door handle, pulling the door open slowly. At the sound and movement, the cat hybrid's eyes opened, focusing on the new park ranger that had appeared. She seemed scared at first but the familiar sight of Sojung standing behind the 'stranger' visibly caused the cat hybrid to relax. 

"Hello." Yewon greeted softly, kind brown eyes examining the hybrid's face and body. "My name is Kim Yewon. I'm a doctor and a friend of Sojung's. I'm here to help you too so please don't be scared."

Yewon paused, making sure the cat hybrid was calm before she unbuckled her seatbelt and started to unwrap the blanket from her body. Yewon then rolled up the girl's torn up right pant leg to get a better look, the cat hybrid yelping out in pain in response, causing the doctor to frown both at the sound and the state of her leg. After a few more seconds, Yewon rolled the girl's pant leg back down and tucked her into the blanket again, the cat hybrid whimpering and closing her eyes as her seatbelt was buckled back into place after.

"Yeah, it looks broken." Yewon let out a breath. "Her tail looks fine, at least."

"I figured. It looked pretty bad when I saw it earlier even though most of it was covered." Sojung replied, glancing at the cat hybrid sympathetically. "I'll call Yerin now."

"And I'll get everything set up with the hospital while you do that." Yewon agreed. "And then I'll check on the bunny hybrid. Is she in the back seat?"

"She is." Sojung confirmed. "I'll help you with her too. She's able to walk slightly but she needed me for support."

 Yewon nodded before taking several steps away from the jeep as she pulled out her phone, the call only ringing a few times before it was connected. Sojung turned her focus away from the young doctor, closing the front door of the jeep before making her way to the drivers seat again to retrieve her radio from the cupholder.

"Yerin?"

"I'm here." Yerin's normal cheeriness was nowhere to be found, the anxiety in her voice stronger than it had been in Yewon's.

"I'm sure Yewon filled you in already but I'm going to need you to take the cat hybrid to the hospital in my jeep. Yewon is getting everything in order so you won't have to do much more than wait once she's taken in. If they need an emergency contact for the cat hybrid listed on their files, give them my name and phone number."

"Does the cat hybrid have a name?" Yerin's voice asked.

"I'm not sure. She hasn't been talking. You can try asking her."

"What should I do after she's cleared to leave?" Yerin questioned but the tone of her voice gave away that she knew exactly what the answer was going to be.

"You'll bring her back to our house." Sojung replied. "I'm going to bring the bunny hybrid home once Yewon is done taking care of her. They'll both be a permanent part of our lives now. Is that okay? I know I decided this without your input first."

"Of course it is." Yerin's voice had obviously become lighter, the anxiety in it fading slightly. "I was going to demand that they both come home with us if you hadn't said that."

"I figured." Sojung managed to laugh for a brief moment. "I'll pick up some extra food and other things for them after this is all over. I'm sorry that we can't go out for dinner tonight like we planned."

"Don't apologize, Sojung. This is way more important. And Yewon and Yuna feel the same." Yerin said. "We'll take the hybrids out to dinner with us once they're all healed."

"I like that idea." Sojung felt a familiar warmth fill her chest at the suggestion. "Head out to the clinic parking lot in about five minutes. We'll give you more instructions then. See you soon."

"The hospital has an emergency room team prepared and waiting." Yewon said as she walked back to Sojung's side, slipping her phone back into her pocket while reaching into her bag to slip a pair of medical gloves on. "All Yerin will have to do after she's dropped off is fill out some paperwork for me while she waits."

"She'll be out in a little bit." Sojung nodded as she started to make her way to the back of the jeep, clipping her radio to her belt. "She's ready to go."

"Is the bunny hybrid able to move her arm at all?" Yewon changed the subject, following behind the taller. 

"I don't know." Sojung sighed. "It doesn't look as swollen as the cat hybrid's leg though so I don't think its broken. She doesn't have long sleeves covering it but I wrapped my jacket around her to keep her warm. If you need me to take it off of her I can."

Yewon didn't reply as Sojung opened the back door of the jeep, revealing the bunny hybrid to the kind doctor for the first time. Yewon could barely focus at first, fascinated by the rabbit ears poking out of short, light brown hair. The bunny hybrid looked frightened again until she spotted Sojung just like the cat hybrid had, her widened eyes glancing between the two humans a few times. Sojung watched as the hybrid's breathing settled down, managing to smile encouragingly at the injured girl. She could already feel how attached she was to the two hybrids and the fact that both of them were calmed simply by her presence was only amplifying it.

"Don't be scared. I'm here to help you too. Let's take a look." Yewon spoke softly as she made her way in front of Sojung, keeping her movements slow as she took part of the jacket covering the bunny hybrid's left arm in her hand to lift it away. The hybrid only watched for a few seconds before her gaze flicked back to Sojung's eyes again. Yewon leaned her head forward to get a closer look, examining the swollen arm carefully without touching it yet.

"It's not broken." Yewon sighed, relief filling her voice. "It looks sprained. I can take care of that here easily."

Yewon paused, shifting her focus to the gash on the bunny hybrid's left cheek. Letting go of the jacket, the doctor reached up to gently turn the hybrid's head to the side, wanting to get a better look at the wound. The bunny hybrid closed her eyes, wincing as Yewon briefly pressed a gloved finger against the cut to determine if it was still bleeding.

"It doesn't look infected." Yewon spoke up again. "And it doesn't need stitches. It looks worse than it actually is."

"That's good." Sojung replied as she let out the breath she had been holding. "Can she go home with me once you're done patching her up?"

"Yes." Yewon nodded. "You'll have to learn how to clean and dress the wound after I do it but it'll be easy."

"Let's get to work then." Sojung said, spotting Yerin running towards the jeep out of the corner of her eye. Yewon turned her head at the sound of Yerin's frantic footsteps, the bunny hybrid's eyes remaining closed as exhaustion settled in again.

"I'm here." Yerin gasped out, taking a deep breath as she pushed the keys to Sojung's personal car into the head ranger's hand. "Are you ready for me to take her?"

"We have to move the bunny hybrid to the clinic first." Sojung placed her free hand on Yerin's shoulder while slipping her keys into her pocket. "But yes, everything is set up and the keys are in the ignition. Yewon will call you once the hybrid is taken in. You'll have to do some paperwork for her at the hospital."

Yerin nodded as she took another deep breath, her eyes focusing on the half conscious cat hybrid in the jeep's front seat. Instantly, Yerin's eyes softened, her gaze full of affection as she took in the sight of the cat hybrid for the first time. Yewon pulled out her electronic thermometer, brushing back the bunny hybrid's bangs to get a proper reading. The bunny hybrid didn't move or react, keeping her eyes shut.

"Good news, she doesn't have a fever." Yewon said as Sojung made her way in front of her. "And I don't think she has a concussion."

 "That's great." Sojung nodded before focusing back on the bunny hybrid, reaching out to place her hand on the girl's right cheek to move the position of her head towards her slightly. Soft brown eyes slowly opened again, staring up into Sojung's caring hues.

"You're going to be okay. Both of you." Sojung smiled gently. "My friend Yerin is going to take care of your friend while Yewon and I focus on you. And then you'll both come home to live with us, okay? I'll get you something nice and warm for dinner while your friend is at the hospital. Sound good?" 

  The bunny hybrid's eyes glistened for a moment, a few tears gathering at the edges. Sojung could tell that it was out of relief. The hybrid nodded, turning her head to look at the cat hybrid in the front seat one last time before back at Sojung, reaching out with the hand of her un-injured arm to grip at the taller girl's arm. Sojung lowered her hand away from the bunny hybrid's cheek so she could intertwine her fingers with the hybrid's, squeezing her hand comfortingly before starting the process of moving her out of the back seat.

  Unbuckling the seatbelt keeping her in place, Sojung eased the bunny hybrid out of her seat with Yewon's help, wrapping her arm around the girl's waist like she had before to steady her. Yerin seemed distracted for a moment once the rare hybrid was in full view but just as quickly as she had been, she was back to being focused on her assigned task, opening the driver's side door and buckling herself in.

Sojung let Yewon take over keeping the bunny hybrid upright and walking for a moment so she could talk to the cat hybrid, not wanting the girl to be frightened by the new person helping her. Opening the front door of the jeep caused the cat hybrid to wake up again, focusing on Sojung with half lidded eyes.

"This is Yerin. Jung Yerin." Sojung gestured to her roommate in the driver's seat who had started the jeep's engine, the hybrid's gaze following.

"She's another friend of mine. She's going to take you to the hospital and stay by your side while I take care of your friend."

"Hey, sweetheart." Yerin softly cooed with a warm smile. "You're going to be okay soon. I promise."

"She's right." Sojung nodded as the cat hybrid's gaze shifted back to her. "She's going to take care of you. And then you'll come home to live with us. Your friend too."

Sojung couldn't help but place her hand on top of the cat hybrid's head, gently rubbing at the girl's soft cat ears, fingers tracing over them lovingly. 

"I'll have dinner waiting for you. Is there anything specific that you want?"

The cat hybrid slowly shook her head at first until Sojung started to move away to close the door, gripping at her hand firmly before she could get out of reach. Sojung paused, allowing the hybrid to finally speak for the first time.

"...Eun....Eunbi likes burgers...." The cat hybrid said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Can....Can you get her one?..."

"Of course." Sojung smiled slightly, squeezing the hybrid's hand before moving back. "See you soon, okay?"

The cat hybrid nodded, turning her head and closing her eyes as Sojung shut the jeep's door. She watched the jeep start to pull away, feeling comforted as she noticed how Yerin seemed to be talking to the half conscious cat hybrid as she drove to keep her distracted. Everything was going to be okay. It was just a matter of waiting now.

Allowing herself to finally turn around, Sojung was quick to get to the bunny hybrid's side again, the hybrid halfway to the clinic's front doors already with Yewon's help. Once inside, Yewon locked the front doors, turning the open sign to closed as Sojung helped the hybrid down the small hallway to one of the few medical examination rooms. 

"Is your name Eunbi?" Sojung asked while she laid the bunny hybrid down on the examination bed, removing her winter park ranger jacket from the girl's body so Yewon could get to work.

The bunny hybrid nodded slightly, wincing as Yewon started to roll up the left sleeve of her faded t-shirt to get a full look at her arm. 

"Sorry." Yewon smiled sympathetically. "I'll get you some pain medication once I figure out where and how bad your sprain is."

The bunny hybrid, Eunbi, let out a small breath, trying to keep herself from whimpering as Yewon continued her thorough examination, the kind doctor touching and moving her swollen arm around as gently as she could. Eunbi had let out a few small yelps of pain but she allowed Yewon to do whatever she needed to do even if it hurt, only flinching instead of pulling away.

"You're doing amazing." Sojung encouraged, positioned next to the other side of the examination bed so she could supervise the entire time. Eunbi turned her head to focus on the taller as Yewon moved away, the doctor leaving the room to grab the pain medication and the other supplies she needed for the hybrid's arm. Sojung was going to speak again until her phone vibrated in her pocket. Pulling it out and into her hand, Sojung stared at the text messages from Yerin in confusion, Eunbi letting her eyes close again.

[yerin]: i asked the cat hybrid her name on the way over
[yerin]: her name is eunbi
[yerin]: isnt it cute?   

Sojung quickly typed a response back.

[sojung]: the bunny hybrid said her name was eunbi too
[sojung]: the cat hybrid even called her that name when she talked to me
[sojung]: how is that possible?

The reply back was almost immediate.

[yerin]: whoa they both have the same name? what are the odds of that?
[yerin]: we should give them nicknames bc this could get confusing

Sojung pressed her lips together in thought. What sort of nickname should she give the two? It needed to be close to their original names or else it would get confusing for the hybrids instead. Another text from Yerin interrupted her thoughts.

[yerin]: how about we take apart their names to make new ones?
[yerin]: eun and bi
[yerin]: we could make something out of that

Sojung chuckled. Yerin really was a smart girl.

[sojung]: thats a great idea
[sojung]: i think eunha would be a cute name
[sojung]: i always loved learning about space when i was younger

[yerin]: oooh i love that! it would suit the bunny hybrid so well too!
[yerin]: how about sinb for the cat hybrid?

[sojung]: sinb? is she really that mysterious? 

[yerin]: idk it just sounds cool....

Sojung covered her mouth with her free hand to muffle her laugh. It was honestly a perfect name and the reasoning behind it was so Yerin.

[sojung]: sounds great
[sojung]: i have to stop texting now to help yewon with eunha
[sojung]: keep me updated after yewon calls you

[yerin]: of course! the nurses took sinb the second we pulled up
[yerin]: that was about ten minutes ago so yewon can call right away

 Sojung slipped her phone back in her pocket as Yewon entered the room again with a different small bag of things under her arm. Placing it on a metal rolling desk, the skilled doctor maneuvered it next to the examination bed before adjusting the bed slowly so it was at a slant instead of fully laid down. Eunbi didn't react to the motion aside from opening her eyes, the smoothness of the bed's electronic and motorized adjustment feature preventing any painful movements. 

"Your arm isn't sprained as bad as I thought it was. And its just your elbow and shoulder. Your wrist seems fine, at least." Yewon explained. "I thought it might be a grade three sprain but its looking like its only a grade two. Which isn't good but its not as bad as a grade three. That would have sent you to the hospital too."

"Isn't that great, Eunha?" Sojung chimed in, placing her hand on top of the hybrid's head as a cute, confused expression appeared on Eunbi's face in response.

"Both you and your friend have the same name so Yerin and I came up with nicknames." Sojung explained. "Yours is Eunha. It means galaxy. Like the milky way galaxy our planet is a part of."

  Eunha's eyes glistened for the second time that day, a clear sign that her new name was approved and even loved by the hybrid. Sojung grinned at the reaction, ruffling short hair and rabbit ears as the bunny hybrid leaned into the touch. Yewon pulled a sling and elastic bandage out of her bag, setting them down on the metal rolling desk as the moment between Sojung and Eunha continued. Yewon then took a bottle of water and a bottle of pain medication out of the bag, slipping out two of the pain medication tablets into her hand in preparation. 

"Can you take this for me?" Yewon asked as she held out the items, passing the bottle of water to Sojung while making a motion to place both of the quick dissolving tablets in Eunha's mouth. Eunha obeyed without much hesitation, opening her mouth and allowing both Sojung and Yewon to help her take the much needed medicine. The bunny hybrid made a face once the medication was swallowed with the water, grimacing at the aftertaste left behind on her tongue. 

"Sorry, sorry." Yewon let out a laugh. "It's gross, I know. But it's going to help you heal. I promise. And so will the rest of this."

 Yewon took the elastic bandage in her hand after she had said that, leaning over in order to start wrapping it around the hybrid's left arm, beginning a few inches above Eunha's elbow after she positioned her arm properly. Eunha winced but the medication had already started to kick in, easing the pain while the doctor continued. Sojung watched on, taking the bunny hybrid's right hand in her own and allowing the girl to squeeze it tightly whenever something hurt more than the medicine could muffle at the moment.

 The process didn't take very long, thanks to Yewon's quick and caring hands, the tightness of the elastic bandage around Eunha's arm compressing her sprained elbow and keeping it from moving almost like a cast would. Next was the arm sling, Yewon clicking the straps together once they were adjusted and in place on the hybrid's right shoulder, the pouch of the sling elevating Eunha's arm and taking the weight of it off of her sprained left shoulder so it could rest and heal properly. The doctor moved away again, reaching inside her bag for the last items. A small tube of antibiotic ointment cream was placed down on the metal rolling desk, a bottle of antibacterial soap, a square bandage, a clean washcloth and a roll of medical tape following after. 

"This might hurt but it's important for me to clean out your wound so it doesn't get infected." Yewon gave the bunny hybrid an apologetic smile. "Trust me, you don't want that to happen."

Eunha glanced at Yewon's face before closing her eyes, turning her head to the right, so the gash on her cheek could be reached, without even being asked to.

"Good girl." Yewon whispered proudly as she wetted part of the washcloth with some of the water from the half finished water bottle, adding some of the soap to the spot along with it. Carefully, the young doctor pressed it against Eunha's wound, slowly cleaning it with the mixture. The bunny hybrid instantly squeezed Sojung's hand in response to the stinging sensation, twitching as she let out a small pained sound. 

"It's okay." Sojung encouraged, squeezing back while rubbing her thumb against the hybrid's shaking hand. "You're being so brave. It'll be over soon."

"That's it." Yewon joined in with her own encouragement as she worked. "Just a few more seconds, okay? The cream will feel better. I promise."

  Eunha whined softly but she kept still, the shaking in her hand easing up as the doctor finished with the cleaning process. Yewon took a breath, using the other end of the soft washcloth to pat the wound dry again. The gash looked better already. It was still red but the redness didn't look as angry as it had been before and it had finally stopped bleeding. Spreading the antibiotic cream on her gloved finger, Yewon rubbed it into the wound. Eunha flinched out of habit but didn't let out a sound, the cream soothing the pain just like the young doctor said it would. 

"There we go." Yewon said with a cheerful tone as she pulled off her gloves. She took the square bandage off of the rolling desk before taping it into place over the wound with small strips of the medical tape, making sure it was completely covering it and secure. 

"All done." Yewon finished with a smile, the bunny hybrid focusing back on her. "Now we just have to wait for you to heal. Your arm will take around a month or so but the cut on your cheek should only take a few weeks. I'll stop by in a week to check how everything is healing, just in case."

"Thank you, Yewon." Sojung sighed, her shoulders un-tensing as the adrenaline in her body finally left. "Seriously. You're the best."

"No need to thank me." Yewon chuckled, taking the moment to rub the bunny hybrid's head affectionately. "You're the one who rescued both of them. It was a team effort."

 "And I have the best team in the world." Sojung agreed before glancing down at the tired bunny hybrid. Eunha had stopped squeezing her hand but Sojung didn't want to let go at first, caressing the top of the hybrid's hand with her thumb for a few more seconds before finally pulling away. Eunha seemed like she wanted to protest but the medication in her system was quickly causing her to become drowsy since her stomach was empty. Getting her situated in her personal car would be easier than the jeep but it would still be difficult if the bunny hybrid was half asleep. 

"I'm sending you home with a two week supply of everything. You'll have to reapply the antibiotic cream and bandage just like I did once every day." Yewon instructed as she helped Sojung move Eunha to the edge of the examination bed, preparing the bunny hybrid to walk again. Once she was on her feet, Sojung's arm was immediately around Eunha's waist. Yewon made sure the hybrid was properly in place before moving away to grab the bag of supplies for Sojung to take with her.

"The hospital team will send Yerin home with instructions and medication for the cat hybrid. She'll need a lot more help. But you can worry about that when she gets cleared to leave. Eunha needs rest now. And both of them need some yummy food. Doctor's orders." Yewon winked playfully at the older girl, holding out the bag towards her. Sojung could laugh fully now while Eunha leaned her head against her shoulder and nuzzled into it, the heaviness in her chest fading as she took the bag from the doctor's hand.

Yewon's smile never let up as she helped the pair to the front doors again, her loving gaze following the two until they were safely in Sojung's car and driving away. She switched the closed sign to open before taking her phone in her hand to call Yerin, sitting down at her desk and logging into her computer in preparation to help with the paperwork. 

__________

 The ride home was quiet, Eunha finally giving in to her exhaustion and falling asleep once the drive started. Sojung thought about pulling in to a fast food drive-through to order the hybrid's meal once they had reached town but decided against it since the sounds could jerk Eunha awake, not wanting to interrupt the bunny hybrid's much needed nap. She could order from a delivery app instead. It would take longer but that was okay, Eunha needed to rest first after such a stressful day.

The second Sojung pulled into the driveway of the shared home, her phone started to vibrate, the caller ID showing Yerin's name and number. Sojung quickly answered but kept her voice low, still wanting to give the bunny hybrid some extra moments of sleep before she would have to help her inside.

"Hello? Yerin?"

"SinB didn't need surgery." Yerin's voice was full of relief. "They took some quick x-rays first and it was a clean break. They had to give her general anesthesia so one of the doctors could set her bone back into position and she's in a cast but they didn't have to open up her leg. And she doesn't have a concussion either."

"That's wonderful news." Sojung's eyes brightened, a smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. "I'm so glad to hear that. Is she in the recovery room?"

"She was moved there a few minutes ago. The nurses said that she woke back up with no issue and can go home in a few hours with her new crutches. I'm about to be let in her room now. How's Eunha?"

"She's all patched up." Sojung replied, stealing a glance over at the sleeping hybrid in the front seat. "Her arm is just sprained and not broken. Yewon said that it's a grade two sprain, not a grade three like she was worried it would be. It's not good but its not as bad as it could be. Her words."

"That's fantastic." Yerin let out a small happy sigh. "I'm so glad they're both okay. I thought I was going to pass out because of how worried I was."

"Same here." Sojung chuckled under her breath. "I can't remember the last time my heart raced that fast for that long."

"You're telling me." Yerin managed to chuckle too. "It feels like I can finally breathe again. Anyways, I'll text you when we're on our way home."

"Sounds like a plan." Sojung said. "And text me what you want me to buy you and SinB for dinner later. I'm going to order Eunha something first."

"Okay. I'll send you some money too."

"Don't worry about that." Sojung shook her head, even though she knew that Yerin couldn't even see her do it. "It's my treat this time. Just take good care of SinB."

"Of course." Yerin agreed. "Thank you, Sojung. Love you. Bye."

"Love you too." Sojung replied before hanging up, a smile on her lips as she turned to stare at the sleeping Eunha.

 She wanted to tell her the good news about SinB but getting her situated and taken care of inside was more important right now. Yewon had only taken care of her injuries so it was Sojung's turn to take care of everything else that the bunny hybrid needed. Like new clothes, a shower, food and a good nights sleep. She would have to give the hybrid a partial sponge bath and a hair wash instead of letting her shower alone though, not wanting to risk getting her wrapped up arm and bandage on her cheek wet or her falling over since she was still weak. SinB would definitely need more help than Eunha but she would let Yerin take care of that for the most part.

"Eunha?" Sojung called out softly as she placed her hand against the girl's un-injured cheek and gently caressed it. "It's time to wake up now, okay?"

 Eunha let out a tired whine but opened her eyes even so, pushing her head against Sojung's hand like she was asking for the motion to continue. Sojung's eyes filled with affection, keeping up the gesture for an extra few moments. Eventually, Sojung pulled away, closing her door and circling the car to help the hybrid out and inside. It was a bit tricky unlocking the front door with Eunha pressed so firmly against her but Sojung had done it, flicking on the main lights and tossing her keys on the small coffee table next to the entrance where she always left them. 

"Careful." Sojung whispered while she eased the bunny hybrid down onto the couch in an upright position, kneeling down next to the couch in order to remove the girl's worn down shoes and place them to the side, along with her socks and the bag of medical supplies for her cheek wound that had been tucked under her arm.

"I'll be right back. I'm going to change and grab some pajamas for you to wear after I get you cleaned up. Do you want me to leave our TV on while I do that?"

Eunha sleepily nodded before trying to move onto the taller girl's lap. Sojung chuckled, carefully pushing the hybrid back into place while ruffling the girl's hair with her free hand. The bunny hybrid instantly pouted, stomping her bare foot against the floor firmly to show her disapproval.

"Later, okay?" Sojung bit her tongue to hold back her laugh. Was this normal bunny hybrid behavior? How cute. "After I get you clean and fed we can do whatever you want."

Eunha seemed content with that response, settling back down as Sojung stood up and turned on the TV hung up on the wall that faced the couch. Sojung flicked through the channels with her remote before deciding on one of the channels that played animated cartoons, noticing how the bunny hybrid's eyes immediately focused on the colorful scenes and fun characters. Placing the remote down on the coffee table, Sojung pulled her phone back out, texting Yerin again.

[sojung]: can i take one of your extra pajama sets for eunha?
[sojung]: sinb can have a pair of mine
[sojung]: eunha is way shorter than me so i think sinb would fit into my extra pair better

[yerin]: of course! she can have the light pink set i barely wear it
[yerin]: also
[yerin]: [video attachment]

  Sojung raised an eyebrow at the notification, pressing play on the video curiously.

  The video started out with Yerin's hand rubbing the cat ears of a very obviously sedated SinB in a recovery room medical bed with a hospital gown on, her body almost fully covered up with blankets while her eyes stared forward at nothing. The sound of her heart monitor beeping slowly was the only sound Sojung could hear until the phone camera got closer. A purr was rumbling in SinB's chest, continuing softly as Yerin lowered her hand to caress the cat hybrid's cheek instead. The beeping of SinB's heart monitor in the background started to speed up as the affection continued, her purring growing louder in volume as well while her unfocused eyes continued to stare at the wall blankly. Yerin's voice could be heard giggling while the phone lowered slightly as she leaned into frame to kiss SinB's forehead, the video ending after she had.

[sojung]: cute

  Was all Sojung could send back as she grinned at her phone while replaying the video again, saving the video to her camera roll. Slipping her phone back in her pocket, Sojung left to her bedroom to get changed into her normal housewear, a pair of comfy, black sweatpants and a soft, grey, long sleeve shirt. She folded her park ranger uniform neatly and placed it, along with her belt and radio, in her top dresser drawer before making her way into Yerin's room across the hall, digging through her roommate's closet for a few moments to find the previously mentioned pajama set. 

  Once she was back in the living room, Sojung left the pajama set on the coffee table, leaving the room again to grab a washcloth, a few towels and a bottle of soap from the bathroom. Placing most of the items down on the coffee table next to the pajamas, the taller girl moved to the kitchen to fill one of her large empty bowls with warm water before adding the soap to it, carefully bringing it over and setting it down next to the couch without spilling. She would wash the girl's hair in the bathroom sink later but for now, she could do the rest this way, wanting Eunha to enjoy the TV show while she got her somewhat clean.

 "I'm going to wash your face first, okay?" Sojung spoke up as she wrapped one of the towels around the bunny hybrid's shoulders, dipping the washcloth in the bowl of soap and water. Gently, the lead park ranger started to rub the wet cloth against Eunha's non-injured cheek, running it down her jawline and neck next before dipping it back in the water mixture again. The warmth of the water seemed like it was relaxing the hybrid's muscles while her eyes remained glued to the TV. Sojung continued her task slowly, moving to the girl's other side and repeating what she had done exactly the same way, aside from avoiding the bandage over her cheek wound.

 Lastly, the taller girl moved the dry towel down and lifted short strands of bobbed hair away from the back of Eunha's neck, using her other hand to rub the damp washcloth against the area before carefully pulling her shirt a few different ways so she could also access her shoulders and part of her upper back, not caring if she got Eunha's shirt partly wet in the process. She was planning on actually cleaning it and the rest of her clothes, along with SinB's clothes, in the washer and dryer before repairing the rips and tears in them later on anyways. She finished up by drying everywhere she had washed with the towel that had been around Eunha's shoulders. 

"Can I help you get dressed?" Sojung asked the bunny hybrid once she was done and the used water, towel, washcloth and bowl were safely in the kitchen sink. Eunha finally turned her gaze away from the TV, a hesitant look showing in her eyes.

"It's okay if you don't want me to. I need to take off your sling and then put it back on, but that can be the only thing I do if that makes you more comfortable."

"...You...." Eunha swallowed, finding her voice again after hours of not speaking. Her voice was still soft but the sound of it caused Sojung's heart to almost melt.

"....You can help me a little. My...My arm still hurts when it moves...."

  "Okay." Sojung smiled as she took the pajamas off of the coffee table, setting them next to Eunha before un-clipping the sling and easing it carefully off of her sprained left arm. After she had done that, the head ranger turned both her body and head away from the hybrid, allowing herself to get distracted by the TV show until Eunha needed her help. Eventually, the feeling of Eunha tapping at her shoulder came, the bunny hybrid unable to get her bandaged arm through the left long sleeve of the light pink pajama shirt by herself even thought it was baggy, her worn clothes laying on the coffee table where the pajama set had been originally.

  Sojung moved the hybrid's arm extra slowly, pausing whenever Eunha winced. During one of those times, Sojung's gaze fell on part of the girl's bare lower back, spotting the small, fluffy and unique rabbit tail poking out of the top of the pajama pants the hybrid was now wearing. The sight was so cute that Sojung had to bite the inside of her cheek as she finished getting Eunha's arm in her sleeve, pulling down the rest of the bunny hybrid's pajama shirt properly and covering her tail. No wonder she hadn't seen any tail on the shorter girl when she found the hybrids. It was so small that it was easily covered by her clothes, unlike SinB's cat tail or Yuna's dog tail.

"Are the pajamas warm enough? Does it feel okay?" Sojung asked while clicking the straps of the sling back on Eunha's right shoulder, making sure her arm was properly resting in the sling again and that the long sleeve of the pajama shirt was rolled up above the elastic bandage. Eunha nodded, wanting to try to climb into the taller girl's lap but Sojung stood up before she could. The bunny hybrid frowned, her foot stomp returning for the second time.

"I need to wash your hair after I order you some food." Sojung explained apologetically, taking her phone out of her pocket. "After."

Eunha huffed but didn't stomp her foot again. Sojung chucked as she watched the hybrid's gaze return to the TV, patting her head before turning her attention to her food delivery apps, saving the new text messages from Yerin for after Eunha's meal was ordered. Selecting two cheeseburger combo meals from a nearby fast food restaurant, Sojung paid for the delivery and switched to her messages.

[yerin]: sinb will be able to go home in thirty minutes! theyre starting to prep her to leave!
[yerin]: we'll be home in an hour most likely! i have to stop by the pharmacy on the way home to pick up her medicine

Sojung smiled widely, tapping a message back as fast as she could.

[sojung]: cant wait
[sojung]: have you decided what you want to eat yet? ive already ordered something for eunha and myself

[yerin]: i could really go for some spring rolls
[yerin]: the nurses told me to get sinb something simple to eat since she was given anesthesia
[yerin]: maybe a beef bowl with rice? two of them? that should be fine if we keep the spicy sauce off of sinbs bowl right?

[sojung]: that sounds perfect
[sojung]: itll be waiting for you both when you get home

[yerin]: thank you!! see you in an hour!! 

 Sojung sent a heart emoji back before switching to the food delivery app, ordering what Yerin requested as fast as she could, making sure to include specific instructions to keep the spicy sauce off of one of the beef bowls and in a small sauce cup instead so Yerin would be able to have extra. Sojung even ordered a larger amount of the spring rolls than Yerin would usually order. She deserved it, after all. 

  Washing the bunny hybrid's hair in the bathroom before the food deliveries arrived didn't take as long as Sojung had thought it would, Eunha enjoying the feeling of the head ranger's hands and fingers running through her short tresses with the warm water and shampoo. Sojung had been prepared for the hybrid to possibly dislike the process, especially when it came to cleaning her fluffy rabbit ears. But the sight of Eunha half asleep with her head leaned back into the large sink while she sat on one of the chairs from the kitchen table was proof that the hybrid was completely fine with it. Sojung had snuck a picture of the cute sight while preparing to dry Eunha's hair off and sent it to Yerin, smiling the entire time as Yerin's affection filled texts came in one after the other for a good minute.

  Even though the sound of the hair dryer was loud and had made Eunha almost jump out of her seat at first, the bunny hybrid kept still the rest of the time, her eyes closing again as she allowed herself to trust Sojung completely. Sojung's smile refused to leave, continuing as she ran a brush through soft light brown hair, observing it as she did so. It seemed like a few sections of the hybrid's cute bob were uneven, some strands around an inch or two longer than the rest as if she had tried to trim it herself. Maybe SinB had tried to trim it. Whatever had happened, it could be fixed.

   Not many people knew it, aside from Yuna and Yewon, but Yerin had spent a couple years in beauty school before switching her career a few more times, eventually ending up in the same college as Sojung. The two had grown close immediately back then when they had first met, finding their dream and passion together and graduating side by side. Yerin had been her right hand park ranger from the very start, the various skills that she learned in all the different paths she had tried helpful for some of the unusual situations that came up over the years. Yerin liked to run the park's gift shop but she was reliable in all areas. Sojung couldn't imagine a life without her, both as part of her team and one of her best friends.

 The sound of several text messages and notifications from the delivery apps vibrating her phone brought Sojung out of her distant thoughts, the taller girl helping Eunha take a seat at the kitchen table before moving to the front door to pick up the bags of food and drinks. It took a few trips to get everything in the house and the smell of the food caused Sojung's stomach to rumble. She hadn't realized just how hungry she currently was, the unexpected situation with the hybrids causing her to skip lunch earlier.

Keeping SinB and Yerin's dinner in its separate bag, Sojung placed the cheeseburger, fries and soft drink in front of Eunha for her to start eating. The bunny hybrid's eyes widened in surprise, her rabbit ears twitching happily for a moment.

"How..." Eunha started to speak again, her sparkling eyes meeting Sojung's brown hues. "...How did you know?"

"SinB told me." Sojung explained with a smile. "She asked me to get you a burger before she left for the hospital with Yerin."

 "SinB." Eunha tested her friend's new name on her tongue with a small, happy smile before picking up the cheeseburger with her good hand and biting in. The hybrid's pretty smile got even wider as she ate and Sojung could barely tear her eyes away from watching. But her stomach won over in the end. The head park ranger joined the hybrid in eating, taking her phone out to check the text messages that Yerin had sent after a few minutes. As she checked, another message popped up.

[yerin]: we're home! help me get sinb in the house okay? shes still kind of groggy

 Sojung took another bite of her own burger and wiped her hands off, sending Yerin a quick message back before moving away from the table to run outside, leaving the rest of her meal to be finished once SinB and Yerin were ready to eat their own dinner. Eunha tilted her head in confusion but that was quickly erased once the front door was opened again, revealing the missing SinB, a full cast on her broken right leg that even covered most of her foot. She was struggling with the crutches but Yerin was steading her, Sojung holding the door open until the cat hybrid was fully inside. At the sight of Eunha, SinB's eyes lit up, her tail and cat ears perking up instantly.

 Eunha looked like she wanted to jump up and run to the cat hybrid but she waited until SinB was seated next to her, placing her half eaten burger down and pushing her head against SinB's neck eagerly. SinB started purring loudly, nuzzling her cheek against the top of Eunha's head and carefully wrapping her arms around her with a happy sigh mixed in with her purrs. Yerin was smiling brightly as she placed the bag of the cat hybrid's medications that she had been carrying down next to the table, pressing a kiss against SinB's cat ears and then Eunha's rabbit ears before moving over to Sojung and hugging her tightly. Sojung let out her own relaxed sigh, hugging Yerin back just as tightly.

"Welcome home." Sojung said once the hug was finally broken.

"It's nice to be home." Yerin smiled. "We did good, didn't we?"

"We did." Sojung agreed. "You'll need me to help with SinB too, right?"

"I can handle most of it." Yerin replied. "She can eat first but then I need to fix her hair and then get her set up in my bed so I can keep an eye on her throughout the night. The nurses said that there's a possibility that she'll wake up in a bit of pain tonight and need some of the stronger medication."

"Speaking of hair." Sojung chimed in. "Eunha's is a little uneven. I noticed it while I was washing it."

"I can fix that right now." Yerin nodded. "That won't take long at all."

"At least have some of your spring rolls first." Sojung instructed. "I know you want to take care of both of them but you need to eat."

"Fine." Yerin rolled her eyes, giggling as the taller girl lightly slapped her arm before running to sit down at one of the kitchen chairs across from SinB. Sojung let out a laugh too, following Yerin back to the table to resume her eating.

  Yerin had quickly eaten only two spring rolls and a mouthful of her beef and rice bowl so she could trim Eunha's hair while the hybrid ate, much to Sojung's slight disapproval. But she still allowed it, watching as Yerin skillfully evened up the bunny hybrid's adorable bob with a towel around the girl's shoulders. Eunha didn't react at all, happily munching away at her meal as Yerin worked. SinB was watching while she ate her dinner as well, an anxious look in her eyes as she realized that she would have to be next. Sojung focused on SinB's head and dark hair with a sympathetic expression. Whoever had hurt the two of them had really done a number on the cat hybrid's pretty hair.

"All done!" Yerin sang out as she lowered her scissors and pocketed them, removing the towel from Eunha's shoulders carefully so no loose hairs would get on the hybrid's food. "You're such a good girl, Eunha."

Eunha's face lit up at the praise, turning her head to smile up at the other girl as Yerin placed a kiss against her rabbit ears after she had swept up the small pieces of hair on the floor.

"Alright, SinB. Let me see what I can do with yours." Yerin kept up her cheerful attitude, trying to keep the cat hybrid in a good mood. SinB's cat ears flattened against her head as Yerin started to examine her hair by running a comb through it, her eyes focusing down at her lap. Eunha scooted her chair over, nuzzling her un-injured cheek against SinB's face. That seemed to calm the hybrid down, a small purr rumbling in her chest again.

"It's going to have to be short." Yerin broke the news gently, taking some of the medium length strands that hadn't been sliced off unevenly and pulling them away from SinB's face to get a better idea of what exactly she would do.

"But its going to look so good on you. You have the perfect face for short hair."

SinB didn't seem convinced, her tail flicking around uneasily as Yerin moved away and held out a hand towards her.

"Trust me, okay? It's going to look great. I promise." Yerin comforted with a smile. "It'll feel nice and be easier to wash too."

SinB's gaze drifted over to Eunha's face, her cat ears twitching anxiously. Eunha was smiling encouragingly, giving SinB's cheek a gentle head bump. That caused the corner of SinB's mouth to twitch, a small smile appearing for just a second. Taking a deep breath, SinB turned her head to meet Yerin's gaze with her own, placing her hand into the other girl's grip and allowing herself to be helped up and out of her seat.

"Such a brave cat." Yerin cooed as she situated the crutches under SinB's arms, looking over at Sojung before speaking again.

"We'll be done in about forty minutes. I'm going to help her with a quick shower after I'm finished with her hair."

"Take your time. I left one of the kitchen chairs in the bathroom so feel free to use it. And my extra pajama set is in the lowest drawer of my dresser." Sojung said, giving SinB an encouraging smile of her own. "I can't wait to see her new hair. I'm sure she's going to look amazing."

 SinB's cat ears perked up slightly at Sojung's words while Yerin led her over to the large bathroom, her gaze drifting down to her legs as she tried her hardest to properly use her crutches, not fully used to them yet. Yerin was patient, easing the cat hybrid down on the mentioned chair next to the bathroom sink and leaving her crutches against the wall, closing the door to the bathroom after she had. 

 "Are you finished eating?" Sojung asked Eunha, taking her attention away from the closed bathroom door that she was still staring at. She didn't really need to ask, the empty burger wrapper, fries container and plastic soda cup giving her an obvious answer to that question. The bunny hybrid nodded cutely, her eyes clearly giving away what she wanted now. Sojung simply smiled in response, rounding the table and helping Eunha to her feet. The hybrid seemed to be growing stronger already after finally eating, her legs moving at a more normal pace as the head ranger brought her back to the couch.

 The second they arrived, Eunha was climbing onto Sojung's lap like she had wanted to for the past few hours, nuzzling the right side of her body against the taller's chest and tucking her head into her neck. Like it was out of habit, Sojung's hand rested against the back of the bunny hybrid's head, running her fingers through bobbed hair while allowing herself to focus on the animated movie that had started playing on the channel she had left the TV on earlier. Eunha was watching too, adjusting her head so she could see the TV properly but not give up her position against Sojung at the same time, finding comfort in the close contact.

  Halfway through the movie, the feeling of the couch moving pulled Sojung and Eunha's attention away from the TV, both of them so immersed in the movie that they hadn't noticed Yerin helping SinB onto the couch next to them.

SinB was clothed in Sojung's extra set of pajamas, the right leg of the black, plaid, pajama pants rolled up so that the cat hybrid's cast wouldn't be covered. SinB's hair was short but not excessively, the length somewhere in between a bob and a long pixie cut, the previously crude cuts transitioned into layers and some whispy bangs that added to the final style. Yerin was grinning proudly while SinB seemed shy, her gaze focused down at her lap while her cat tail flicked around behind her nervously.

"Wow. I love it." Sojung cooed as she reached out to touch SinB's new hair, letting her slender fingers brush though it lovingly for a few moments.

"Doesn't it look perfect on her?" Yerin was practically beaming.

Eunha hadn't said anything but she had moved off of Sojung's lap, crawling onto SinB's as best as she could without touching her cast. Silently, the bunny hybrid nuzzled her face against the side of SinB's head, burying the hand of her un-injured arm into soft black tresses and keeping it there while she moved her fingers through the short strands. The uncertainty that had been on SinB's face faded away, a smile replacing it as she leaned into the bunny hybrid's touch, her cat ears finally perking up fully on her head.

"Do you like your new hair, SinB?" Sojung asked, feeling emotional at the sight of the cat hybrid fully smiling for the first time. SinB nodded as she closed her eyes, purring loudly as Eunha giggled and kept up the motion. Yerin kissed SinB's forehead before leaving to go get changed into her own pajamas, a small bounce in her step. 

"Finish your food." Sojung scolded once Yerin had come back, stopping her from squeezing into the space next to the cuddling hybrids onto the couch.

"Yes, mother." Yerin grumbled sarcastically, dramatically sighing as she made her way back to the table. Sojung laughed. Yerin really could be funny at times. At least she wasn't calling her 'boss' again.

 Once the movie on TV finished up, Yerin helped SinB take some of her pain medications with a small cup of water so she would be able to get to sleep soon without any issues. But she was unable to move Eunha off of the cat hybrid's lap, the bunny hybrid stomping her foot against the couch with a frown on her face each time Yerin tried. SinB seemed unphased, clearly used to this behavior as she let out a small yawn.

"Eunha." Yerin sighed. "SinB needs to sleep. It's getting late."

Eunha huffed before turning her head and tucking it into SinB's neck, moving her body against the cat hybrid so that her injured arm was the only arm that could be reached. Yerin raised an eyebrow before letting out a small laugh. The bunny hybrid really was clever.

"I want to meet them." The sound of Yuna's voice whining from the other end of the phone call caused Sojung to laugh where she was standing, her phone in one hand while she threw away the trash from dinner into the kitchen trash can with the other. 

"You can come visit when they're healed up more." Sojung chuckled. "But I'll buy you and Yewon a little gift to thank you for taking over our shifts for a few days. It really means a lot to us."

"Of course! It's no problem at all!" Yuna replied happily. "Yewon promised me that she'll take breaks from the gift shop to help out at the front desk as much as she can. We can handle it!"

"I know you both can. That's exactly why I'm not worried." Sojung smiled. "But if you end up needing anything at all, just call me. And you can always radio the other rangers on shift out in the park for help too."

"Does missing you count as needing something?" Yuna asked cutely. 

"Not really." Sojung laughed again. "But I'll allow it if the park isn't busy."

"Great! Talk to you later then! Bye!" Yuna said eagerly, clearly giving away that she intended to call the second that the opportunity arrived. "I love you!"

"Love you too, silly puppy." Sojung teased before hanging up, allowing her eyes to focus back on the living room. SinB was already half asleep but Eunha was refusing to leave her spot against her, even with Yerin trying everything she possibly could to convince her. 

"Eunha." Sojung said with a sigh as she walked up to the couch. "Let Yerin help SinB get to bed, okay? Both of you are injured and need to get plenty of rest."

Eunha didn't stomp her foot but she pouted up at Sojung, still cuddled against SinB's body possessively. 

"I would let you get to sleep together but I'm worried about your arm or SinB's leg accidentally getting moved in a way that hurts in the middle of the night." Sojung continued with a knowing look in her eyes. "I don't want you to be away from SinB but I also don't want either of you to be in that much pain ever again."

 Eunha seemed like she was starting to understand and Yerin smiled in relief. She didn't want the hybrids to be separated either but it was only going to be for a few weeks while they healed up more. Besides, they could be together during the day. Eunha was still obviously hesitant, the bunny hybrid nuzzling her head against SinB's again as her eyes drifted away from Sojung's face. The taller girl knelt down next to the pair, placing her hand against the side of Eunha's head in order to run her fingers through her hair lovingly.

"It'll be okay." Sojung whispered. "It'll just be during the night. She'll be right back with you when you wake up again every morning."

 It took a few more moments of comforting, but eventually, Eunha started to move off of SinB's lap. The bunny hybrid pressed a kiss against SinB's cheek before sliding back onto the couch, allowing Yerin to help the quietly purring SinB back up to her feet and onto her crutches. SinB seemed hesitant to leave Eunha's side too, anxiety showing in her half open eyes as her purring slowed to a stop.

"You'll only be separated at night." Yerin encouraged the sleepy hybrid, ruffling short black hair and cat ears gently. "We can ask Yewon when she visits in a week if it'll be safe for you two to share a bed, okay?"

 SinB nodded as Yerin started to lead her to her bedroom. Eunha watched the cat hybrid leave, her lower lip trembling for a moment until Sojung sat next to her. The sight of the taller girl holding her arms out towards her snapped the bunny hybrid out of her sadness, her gaze softening as she stared into Sojung's eyes. Without hesitating, Eunha slid herself over and allowed Sojung to carefully scoop her up onto her lap, tucking her head into the crook of the other girl's neck while her body relaxed. Sojung knew that they weren't going to be able to sleep like this but that didn't matter. Keeping Eunha feeling safe and comfortable was what did right now.

 The head ranger rested her chin on top of the bunny hybrid's head, rocking the shorter girl carefully and kissing her rabbit ears, like Yerin had earlier, as her eyes drifted over to the sliding glass door that led into the large backyard. It was almost fully dark out but it had finally started to rain, small streaks of water droplets running down the glass as the sound of it could be heard softly pattering against the roof of the house.

"We have an extra room that we were using for storage but I want to work on making it into a room for you and SinB to share." Sojung spoke up, continuing her gentle rocking of the bunny hybrid. Eunha reached up with her un-injured hand so she could pull the taller girl's arms around her so she was almost fully surrounded. Sojung smiled at the motion, making sure to keep from touching or moving the girl's injured left arm while she continued.

"I'll make sure to get it done soon. And once you and SinB are healed up enough, I want you both to come shopping with us so you can pick out things to really make it into your own space."

Sojung paused, taking a moment to listen to the sound of the rain outside again, Eunha's quiet breathing able to be felt against her neck.

"You haven't had anything like this before, have you? Both of you were all alone out there without anyone or anything." Sojung bit her lip slightly as Eunha seemed to tense up once she had said that. But she continued, wanting the hybrid to understand what she was trying to say.

"You don't have to worry about being alone ever again, okay? I knew it the second I saw you both. You belong with us. You're home now."

  Eunha's body relaxed again at those words, much to Sojung's relief. The bunny hybrid then lifted her head away from Sojung's neck in order to affectionately nuzzle her un-injured cheek against her face in almost the exact way she had done to SinB earlier. Sojung was smiling, running her fingers through short brown hair as Eunha kept up the motion for a few more moments until she moved back into her original position. The head ranger pressed another kiss against her rabbit ears, her chest filling with warmth that was showing no signs of stopping any time soon.

"Come on. Let's go to sleep after you take your medication. Yewon said that you need lots of rest too, not just SinB."

 This time, Eunha was more accepting of the idea since she was finally starting to wear down. The bunny hybrid let out a yawn before allowing Sojung to gently move her off of her lap and onto the couch. The lead ranger left the hybrid there for a few moments to grab a blanket and some pillows from her bedroom, placing them next to the couch so she could get Eunha set up for bed comfortably after she took her medication. Eunha had made another cute disgusted face after taking the medication but she quickly settled down once Sojung had laid her down on the couch and tucked her into the warm blanket, her head resting on the soft pillows.

  Coxing her to sleep was no issue, the bunny hybrid's eyes shutting and her body growing still as Sojung lovingly rubbed her head and traced her fingers along her fluffy rabbit ears. It had only taken a few minutes for Eunha to fall asleep and Sojung couldn't stop herself from kissing the sleeping hybrid's forehead before finally moving away to get to sleep in her own bedroom. It had been a very long day and the head ranger was more than ready to get to bed.

 SinB, however, was having a rougher time. Sojung's expression quickly changed to one of concern once the muffled sound of distressed meowing coming from Yerin's bedroom entered her ears. Moving away from entering her own bedroom, Sojung wasted no time in entering Yerin's room, her eyes focusing on the scene in front of her.

Yerin was kneeling next to her bed where SinB was currently laying, her hand cupping the cat hybrid's face while her thumb rubbed against the girl's cheek. SinB wasn't crying but she looked panicked, her cat ears flattened against her head and her wide eyes focused on Yerin's gaze until the sound and motion of Sojung sitting down next to her on the bed caused her to look away, her cat ears lifting up very slightly. Yerin let out a tired breath of relief as she lowered her hand, thankful that the older girl was helping now.

"SinB? What's wrong?" Sojung asked quietly. "Are you in pain? Do you need more medicine? Are you still hungry?"

A whimper was the only sound that SinB replied with, the look in her eyes giving away exactly what she was so upset about to the head park ranger.

"You want to be with Eunha, don't you?" Sojung gave the hybrid a knowing smile. "You've been away from her a lot today and you're not used to that at all. Am I right?"

SinB nodded weakly at that, her eyes drifting away as another small whimper formed in her throat.

"Help me get her out of bed." Sojung said as she turned her head to focus on Yerin. Yerin looked confused, opening her mouth to protest. 

"Don't worry. I'll get her to sleep." Sojung interrupted before Yerin could speak. "But you need to rest too. Let me take over for the night."

  Yerin closed her mouth and nodded, too tired to disagree at this point. Sojung patted her friend's shoulder encouragingly as Yerin shifted SinB over to the edge of the bed, sitting the cat hybrid up so the head ranger could get her onto her crutches. Sojung didn't bother with that, placing her arms under SinB's thighs and back in order to carry her just like she did when she found her in the cave earlier that day. SinB looked surprised but didn't protest, clinging to the taller girl firmly as she was carried out of the room. Yerin crawled under the covers where the cat hybrid had just been instead of back onto her floor where she had set up some blankets and pillows, falling asleep within moments.

  Slowly, Sojung brought SinB into the living room where Eunha was fast asleep, the bunny hybrid's chest rising and falling quietly under her blanket. SinB's eyes were focused on Eunha's sleeping form the moment she was in sight and Sojung could feel the cat hybrid's tense body relax in her arms almost immediately, her cat ears moving back to their normal position. Chuckling softly, Sojung lowered SinB onto the plush recliner near the sliding glass door that the two barely used, adjusting the position of it so the hybrid could get to sleep on it instead. It seemed to be working, SinB's eyes starting to close as Sojung returned with an extra blanket and pillow from the floor of Yerin's room to tuck her in with.

"Sleep for as long as you need to." Sojung whispered as she bundled SinB in the blanket comfortably. "If you wake up early and are hungry, I'll make you breakfast. But if you sleep through the morning, that's completely fine. I'll wake both of you up for lunch either way."

  Sojung cradled the back of SinB's head in her hand and slowly lifted it up, slipping the pillow underneath before gently laying the cat hybrid's head back down. SinB's eyes were half open, focused on the head ranger's face. Sojung leaned down, kissing the girl's cat ears as she ran her fingers through her hair, easing her to sleep. The cat hybrid was asleep in moments, almost beating Eunha in how fast she had slipped away into her dreams. Sojung smiled affectionately, taking a deep breath as she stood back up properly and quietly made her way out of the room. She had expected herself to be too fixated on the hybrids to get to sleep right away but Sojung found herself drifting away once she was in her own bed, matching the speed of her three exhausted roommates.

  Morning arrived like it did any other day, but this time, it seemed like it was brighter. Even though the rain had continued through the night and into the morning, the relaxing sound of it pattering against the shared house keeping the two hybrids fast asleep. Both Sojung and Yerin had woken up at their usual times, doing their normal morning routines around the house as quietly as they could so SinB and Eunha could rest. Surprisingly, SinB was the one who had woken up first, Eunha still sound asleep even while Sojung prepared a homecooked meal for the cat hybrid.

  Sojung wanted to feed SinB her breakfast by hand, since she was still feeling overprotective of the injured girl, but had been met by the hybrid's tiny grumbling every time she tried. It was only when she placed the tray of food on SinB's blanket covered lap and handed her the utensils that the grumbling stopped, an amused smile on Sojung's lips as she watched the cat hybrid start to eat. And that smile reappeared as SinB allowed her to help her take the next dose of her medication after she finished her breakfast, sipping at the glass of water cutely as Sojung held it up to her mouth. The cat hybrid really did have an interesting and slightly mysterious personality. Getting to know her better as she healed up more was going to be fun.

  Eunha continued to sleep through the morning and Sojung almost didn't want to wake her up as lunchtime approached. But she needed to. Especially since Yerin had ordered lunch to be delivered from a famous restaurant in town, wanting to spoil the hybrids herself this time. Sojung didn't want to risk the bunny hybrid being scared awake if the delivery person decided to ring the house's doorbell instead of using the app to notify Yerin once the food was dropped off.

  Sojung kneeled next to the couch, placing her hand against the bunny hybrid's un-injured cheek out of habit. It took a few seconds but Eunha quickly reacted to the contact, her rabbit ears twitching slightly as she nuzzled against the head ranger's warm hand, her eyes still closed. Sojung caressed the girl's cheek gently, running the fingers of her other hand over the soft fur of the hybrid's rabbit ears. Slowly, Eunha's eyes finally opened, her sleepy gaze focused on the taller girl's face. Sojung had been prepared for the bunny hybrid to possibly be disoriented or frightened waking up in such a new place but the calm look in Eunha's half open eyes pushed that fear away completely.

"Good morning, sleepyhead." Sojung whispered. "It's almost time for lunch."

 Eunha's rabbit ears swiveled up alertly in response, her eyes opening fully and causing Sojung to let out a laugh as she eased the hybrid up into a sitting position. The taller girl then started to get into position to help Eunha stand up but the bunny hybrid had other plans. Once Sojung had sat down on the couch next to her to help her up, Eunha had crawled onto Sojung's lap, snuggling against her happily. It had happened so quickly that Sojung was unable to react at first.

"It's lunch time. Not cuddle time." Sojung let out a sigh but she was unable to keep herself from smiling. "We can do this after we eat."

 The sound of Eunha's bare foot stomping against the couch was the only response. Sojung struggled to keep herself from laughing again, biting the inside of her cheek as Eunha nuzzled her head into her neck in a familiar motion.

  The laugh that she was holding back came from someone else instead. Sojung turned her head towards Yerin to give her a look in response to the sound. Yerin only gave her a teasing grin back from where she was kneeling next to the plush recliner that SinB was still laying in, her phone in one hand while the other was absentmindedly running through the cat hybrid's short black hair. SinB was distracted by the TV that was playing a show quietly in the background but she was leaning into the touch while purring, her eyes never leaving the screen the entire time. Sojung rolled her eyes before turning her attention back to the cuddly bunny hybrid on her lap. This sort of affection wasn't a bad thing but it was definitely different than what she was used to being given from Yewon, Yerin and even Yuna.

 "The food is here!" Yerin spoke up, slipping her phone back into her pocket, after closing the delivery app notification, while SinB's cat ears perked up eagerly. Yerin quickly adjusted the recliner to its upright position so that SinB was sitting up properly, helping her to her feet and letting the cat hybrid use her body as support instead of her actual crutches since retrieving them from the bedroom would take longer. Within a few short minutes, SinB was sitting at the kitchen table watching Yerin run to the front door to pick up the mentioned lunch, her cat tail swishing contently behind her.

 Eunha, on the other hand, was still refusing to leave Sojung's lap even though she was just as hungry as SinB was, the bunny hybrid pouting up at her. Sojung could already tell what she wanted with that single look.

"I'm not carrying you to the table, Eunha." Sojung raised an eyebrow, fully expecting another foot stomp to follow after she had said that. Instead, Eunha immediately started to give the taller girl her cutest begging face, swiveling her rabbit ears down towards the back of her head to add to the expression. The head ranger was no match for it.

"Fine. I'll carry you. But only this time, okay?"

That was a lie and she knew it.