chapter 4

jungkook tried not to take what taehyung said into account, as he himself was considered a high-risk, mentally ill patient.

but he couldn’t.

and he didn’t.

it was a chilly tuesday morning when jungkook filed a request to personally take taehyung out in the huge garden of the hospital, granted three guards will always be there, and taehyung’s hands and feet would be chained.

and it was a chilly tuesday afternoon when jungkook’s request was approved.

so for the first time in 2 years, on a two hour watch, in chains and with three guards surrounding him and his doctor, taehyung saw the sun and the sky from outside his cell.

“why did you do this?” taehyung suddenly asked, pulling the chains so he could sit on a bench.

“do what?”

“you know, bring me out here. the higher ups are probably mad at you right now”

“so? let them be. i treat my patients as equals, not as troubled people.”

the fact that taehyung showed enough interest to ask me a question is so much progress, jungkook thought.

he turned to the older, who fell into a light sleep, and admired his strong jawline and rounded nose, and his long eyelashes shielding his eyes from the sun rays as he lightly snored.

and for the first time in a while, jungkook felt relieved

it’s been a few weeks since jungkook and taehyung started working together, and the progress was obvious.

taehyung was opening up to jungkook.

but unfortunately so was jungkook opening up to taehyung.

their therapy hours became a casualty, a usual thing, the only thing each of them was waiting for.

jungkook was put on watch for taehyung, as they believed taehyung was faking the progress.

today’s meeting was different though.

taehyung came into the room, sat on the chair and looked jungkook straight in his light brown orbs, not saying anything.

“taehyung, are you alright?” he asked, eyes full of concern.

“no im not. and ill never be”

“why is that so”

“you do ask a lot of shitty questions, did you know that?” he spat.

“taeh-“

“and stop calling me that, everyone out here calls me V, you should do it too”

jungkook was beyond shocked. he didn’t understand the sudden change in behavior.

he looked at taehyung’s hands, that were hidden under the table, scratching its back.

“taehyung, put your hands on the table.”

“and why would i listen to you?”

“because im your doctor and you do as i say.” jungkook said, sternly but surely.

he didn’t want to sound rude, but he did.

nonetheless, he wanted to understand taehyung all the way.

after tsk-ing for what seemed like 5 minutes, taehyung rolled his eyes, slammed his head on the table twice, then finally put his chained hands on the table.

his black ink tattoos were penetrated by long, deep cuts, not well stiched enough for him to hide. burn marks lurked on the forearms, while his sleeved were covered in red spots that was, most likely, blood.

jungkook shivered. taehyung showed no pain whatsoever, and the wounds seem as new as yesterday, or even this morning.

“are you done ogling now? can i go to my cell? thats where we belong anyways”

“we?” jungkook jumped, waiting for the answer.

taehyung stood up, kicking the chair back.

he looked around the room, furrowed his brows, closed his eyes and started counting backwards from 15.

jungkook looked at him and immediately realized what he was doing.

he was using the relieving method to calm one when he has hallucinations or hears voices.

but then jungkook at taehyung’s concentrating face, showing no sign of madness or illness on his face.

and it suddenly hit him.

it’s not the patients who use that technique, but the doctors, when they think they’ve gone insane.

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