Author's POV

If watching the progression of both Namjoo and Hayoung's conditions had been heart warming and a joy to see then the regression of their illnesses since being split was simply heart wrenching and cruel.

Nurse Tiffany knew that in a normal situation, she would be considered too emotionally attached to provide proper care for her patients but there was something about the two girls that affected everyone around them in a similar fashion.

While it had only been 4 days since being torn apart, the girls had reverted back into their old habits with horrifying ease.

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Namjoo's eyes flickered open, the images from her nightmare burnt into the back of her eyelids. Each blink caused a horrific scene of violence to flood her vision for just a slight moment before the world around her came into view again.

Tilting her head to the left, Namjoo's eyes landed on the empty bed at the other side of the room. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, she felt tears beginning to form. Closing her eyes tightly, Namjoo decided that she would rather face the demons lurking behind her eyes than face the reality of Hayoung's absence.

Watching the horrific sight of her mother rearing back into her arm, kitchen knife in hand, she looked on horrified, as she brought it down into her father's chest repeatedly, over and over again

With her eyes snapping open, Namjoo realized that it was useless. No matter what she did, her efforts were in vain. Hayoung was gone and that was that. There would be no one thereto catch her as she tumbled through the horror of her nightmare. No one to hold her tight and whisper words of comfort into her hair. No one who, with just just their mere presence, could pull Namjoo out of herself and make her want to find her voice. All that remained was the shell of a girl who had been clawing her way out and into the bright future. With Hayoung's light gone now, Namjoo had never felt herself in such a dark place before in her life.

With a heaving sigh and a quick swipe to remove the tears from her eyes, Namjoo hoisted herself up out of the bed and began to get ready for another hopeless day.

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With a groan, Hayoung let herself fall backwards to sit on the floor of the bathroom stall. Wiping , Hayoung felt the tears building her eyes as the guilt overwhelmed her. Since being torn away from Namjoo, Hayoung had fallen back into bad habits. While she couldn't control how much she ate, she could control bringing it back up.

Knowing that she had to be quick to avoid suspicion from the nurses, Hayoung slowly stood and exited the stall. Grabbing a paper towel, she ran it under the water from the tap before wiping it over her face and mouth.

Looking at her reflection in the mirror, all Hayoung could see was the same face that had haunted her for years before Namjoo appeared in her life. The same face that, with the brunette by her side, she had begun to hate a little less everyday.

With Namjoo gone, the reflection staring back at Hayoung was one she could barely look at. It was of a girl who had no control over her life. A girl who couldn't stand up to her parents or anyone who spoke in her place. The eyes looking back at her held a pain that resonated so deep, it was impossible to tell where the anguish ended and began. The cheeks hanging under her eyes taking a sunken appearance and the lips below that dried and cracked. 

Quite simply, the reflection staring back at Hayoung was of a broken girl, clinging desperately to the remaining strands of a potential future. 

Heaving a great sigh, Hayoung threw the paper towel aside and walked out of the bathroom, intent on going for a walk to the park.

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Dr Lee closed the door gently as Namjoo took a seat. It was unusual for the man to hold sessions in his office but after events, he had decided that it was most likely for the best to give the younger woman a change of scenery by bringing her to a more personal surrounding.

Turning to the brunette, Dr Lee took in her appearance. It was clear to see that the last few days has taken a toll on Namjoo. With her knees pulled up tightly to her chest and head resting upon them as she took in her surroundings, the girl had clearly withdrawn completely into herself once more.

Treading carefully across the room, Dr Lee gently eased himself into his seat before casting a careful look over the girl in front of him.

"Namjoo--" Dr Lee paused as the girl before him flinched upon hearing his voice. Sighing, he continued. "-- I'm not going to try and make you talk again. We both know that it's unlikely you'll find a reason to do so without Hayoung here.

Watching sadly as the averted eyes before him filled with tears, Dr Lee continued with his speech. "I've brought you in here today because I want you to know that I'm doing everything in my power to get the two of you back together. The way you were torn apart was barbaric and only set the both of you back in your conditions."

Seeing Namjoo frown at the small tidbit of information concerning Hayoung's condition, Dr Lee took a deep breath before continuing, choosing his words carefully. "Namjoo, Hayoung is fine for now. Like yourself, she seem to have regressed slightly in her condition but unlike you, her problems have a direct effect on her physical health.

Taking a moment before continuing, Dr Lee watched Namjoo's eyes rise up to look at the pen in his hands. It was obviously a sign that she was listening closely to him. This was the closest to direct communication that Namjoo had ever expressed towards him.

"I need you to stay strong Namjoo, for Hayoung. She's going to need you when we get you access to her. I won't sugarcoat it for you Namjoo, in the past few days, Hayoung has set herself on a self-destructive path. Straightening up in his chair, Dr Lee rested his elbows on his desk as his voice lowered slightly.

"I understand that you probably don't trust any of the staff here after what had happened, but please believe me when I say that we are all doing our best to reunite the two of you. You have touched the hearts of so many people here and I, for one, would like to thank you for that."

Clearing his throat, Dr Lee turned slightly in his chair to look out the window, his eyes on a fixed location somewhere in the distance. After approximately 20 seconds of silence, he turned back to Namjoo and slowly stood.

"I'll let you go now, Namjoo. Feel free to go about your day." Watching the silent girl rise from her seat, Dr Lee called her name once more as she reached the door. Seei