“Let's take her to Ho Sung.” I closed my eyes, feeling my heart ache as I heard an officer say it. I was silent, still trying to have the guts to say the truth. “Let's have this worthless rot her in the SHU!” Upon hearing that many officers cheered up.

That's it. I couldn't take this. It's wrong. It's wrong Sooyoung being humiliated like this. It's wrong to hide myself behind my white jacket. This...is just...not okay. I need to do it. I need to say.

“It's me.” I said, my voice croaked a little. All the officers and doctors around looked at me. “It was me.”

I could notice Yoona was looking at me suspiciously. I knew she was finding strange that I had some tears crying for what just happened to Sooyoung. I had promised her I would leave Sooyoung alone – that I wouldn't bother her anymore - but I know she will get mad at me for saying that out loud. I know she will not look at me as a friend anymore. What I've done was way too far as a doctor, I reckon that.

“It was me.” I said one more time, this timer louder.

“Doctor, what are you doing?” Yuri asked getting near me.

“I gave Sooyoung these cakes.”

“Stop it, Doctor.” Yuri tugged my arm. “Don't try to save those bastards, they are not worth it!”

“They are worth it!” I shouted angrily, pushing Yuri's arm away from me. I saw Yuri widen her eyes. “Those residents are people too, god dammit! And they need to be treated with dignity and respect! Those inmates… they are lost, hopeless…Have you ever tried to understand how it feels like? To be treated like for all those years?” I then started to feel all their gaze change to a serious and cold glare.

“You know why I brought her pastry? Because of THIS! THIS TREATMENT OF YOURS!” I said now pointing at the officer who previously beat her nose up. “You use this uniform of yours to beat them up, to humiliate them! WOULD YOU LIKE THAT, OFFICER? WOULD YOU LIKE IF I BEAT YOU UP LIKE THIS?” He stood quiet. “So, yes, officer, I gave her pastry! I gave Sooyoung these cakes! I gave Taeyeon sweets! I gave them all those goods so they could finally know how it feels like to have someone to care about them!” I shouted angrily. My chest rising and falling for my outburst.

“You gave Kim Taeyeon sweets?” I heard Yuri's voice and I closed my eyes, picking her disappointment in her voice. I looked at her, ashamed of myself. “Are you really serious? ARE YOU ING KIDDING ME?” I cried a tear.

“Yuri….”

She scoffed, completely sarcastically. “You gotta be kidding me… This is...” She looked away angrily. After what she told me, I know she is upset with me. I fell for Taeyeon. I fell for Taeyeon just like Soyeon had fallen. And that was another stab in Yuri's heart. “I KNEW IT! I knew you two were way too close!” I looked down.

“Yuri...”

“C'mon guys! Take that inmate and the doctor to Sung's Office!” She commanded and I gulped hard. Sooyoung, who still had her nose broken, was dragged up immediately. “Enjoy your last day here, Doctor Hwang!” Yuri said it harshly.

“Yuri...” I cried as Yuri walked away from us. My eyes opened wide as I felt my hands being handcuffed behind my back.

“Sorry, Doctor, but for safety reasons you will be headed to Dr. Sung's Office restrained.” I felt my heart twist around my chest. There's nothing else I could do so I nodded in silence.

It was the first time I ever been cuffed in my life. And I never really knew how powerful handcuffs were. There's a big feeling of inferiority for being imprisoned like this. It's the officers who make you walk and when not, it's the officers who make you talk and when not. No wonders they feel superior to prisoners after a while. Quite amazing how are a pair of cuffs can mean so much.

My feet were following the steps of the other officers leading me to Ho Sung's office. I had my head lowered, looking at the floor at all times. Walking alongside me was Sooyoung, also following the other officers. Even with my head down like that, I could feel Yoona looking at me. Probably mad and disappointed at me.

I knew I was wrong. And to be honest the only reason why I was feeling awful at myself was because the sweets have given Taeyeon a heart attack. If she hadn't suffered that, I wouldn't be so hurt. My actions almost killed a patient of mine, my favorite patient above all, and I would never forgive myself if Taeyeon ended up being dead. But truth to be told, if she had never suffered that heart attack, I would still proudly keep giving her all the sweets she wanted. It was very unprofessional of me, but I felt like I was owing her so much. I felt like she needed to have a doctor that could treat her with no use of violence either it be physically or emotionally here.

But now I was being dragged up to Ho Sung's office to face that man in charge. “What's the problem now?” The warden asked upon us entering his office. Yuri got back to her basement and I knew it was an excuse to not look at his face. That coward prick who once ually harassed her is now the warden. That evil man who allows all that torture to happen here is now the one who will decide my future.

“Doctor Hwang have been smuggling food for the inmates, sir.” Officer Siwon replied. “She gave Choi here a bunch of food; and according to her herself “I gave them all those goods so they could finally know how it feels like to have someone to care about them!”

“Is that so?” I gulped, still having my head down. “So..you became friends with the residents, huh Doctor?”

I stood quiet. He sighed disappointed. “It seems like the rumors are true after all… And you know, Doctor Hwang, we have rules here...and they must be followed strictly.”

“I'm sorry, sir.”

“Are you? Tell me, Doctor...How many rules you think you have broken by giving food to Miss Choi over here, Doctor Hwang?”

“I… I don't know, sir.”

“She also allegedly gave Kim Taeyeon sweets, sir.” Officer Park added in.

“Oh...really?” Ho Sung crossed his arms over his chest. “You know, I thought you would learn by now, Doctor… This is not a place for soft hearts.” Sure it isn't. They are all bunch of heartless scumbags. “How do you feel, Doctor Hwang, knowing that your almost killed an inmate in here for your gesture of kindness?” I clenched my teeth.

My eyes started to burn. I didn't reply. “And for that I can understand. I can understand why would you give food to Kim Taeyeon, Doctor. She's your patient, someone you grew very fond of. Everyone here at the Asylum knows how special Kim Taeyeon is to you. But tell me, Doctor… why would you give illegal food to Choi Sooyoung over here?” He raised his brows curiously.

I glanced over Sooyoung's side, looking at her, still a bit shocked by the bruises on her face. I could say it was because she asked me to. But to be honest, I was the one involving her in this mess. If I hadn't ask Sooyoung about Taeyeon and the incident with Yeri, none of us would be here. Everything just happened because I promised her food if she told me what I wanted to know. So it wasn't her fault. It was rather mine.

I sighed, decided to actually tell the truth.

“Miss Choi once shared a cell with Kim Taeyeon. I asked her about my patient in order to know her better. She told me what I wanted to know and as an act of gratitude, I gave her macaroons.” I finally said. “She's innocent, sir. She didn't do anything illegal. I did.” I noticed Sooyoung widen her eyes.

“Are you aware of what you've done, Doctor? Are you aware of your acts and its consequences?”

“Yes, sir.” I said nodding my head, looking at the floor under my feet. “I'm aware.”

He nodded his head. “Guards, please take Choi back to her cell.”

“What about the SHU, sir?” Officer Park asked.

“She won't be headed to the SHU today, officer. It seems all the trouble here was caused by Doctor Hwang herself.” She pointed at me with his head. “So… I guess Choi is safe from that for now.”

“Sir, may I have Sooyoung for a minute, please?” Yoona asked politely, I was still avoiding looking at her.

“Yes, sure, Doctor Lim. Suit yourself.” He waved his hand off.

“Thank you, sir.” Yoona helped Sooyoung to move and left the room, leaving me and Ho Sung behind.

“Thank you for sparing her from the SHU, sir.” I said it.

He eye-smiled. I didn't like one bit. I hope that when I do it myself, my eye-smile doesn't look like that. There was a feeling of cruelty on it that I just felt goosebumps.

“I gotta say… Doctor Hwang… You surprise me day by day.” He backed on his chair.

“Do I? Why?”

“We had several doctors assigned to treat Kim Taeyeon for all those years. Great doctors, you know. None of them could really help her.” I frowned my brows. “But you… a rookie doctor who spent most of your time dealing with children and teens managed to control the inmate… why is that, Doctor Hwang?”

I frowned my brows. “I don't know, sir.”

“Are you trying to defend your little inmate?”

“I'm honored that I could control Kim Taeyeon the best… but I don't really know how I did it. As you said earlier, I don't have much experience and… Wait… if you always had doctors more experienced than I am, why did you chose to hire me?” I asked finding it weird.

“Two reasons. First, your cover letter was very well written I might say. You stated that you always had fascination to work with those people. I had no doubts that even if you didn't have much experience dealing with inmates, you would try your best to work here. It was a great opportunity to train you.”

That offended me somehow. “Train me?”

“Well, when we hire doctors with much experience they already have their own standards and habits. It's difficult to work with them and sometimes they don't really fit in the Asylum's methods. We thought that you would make a great asset to our team because you never really worked in a penitentiary before and we could sharp you. We wanted to teach you our ways here at the Asylum.”

That actually made sense. Most of places actually try looking for experienced people to hire because they don't want to spend time training them to fit their standards. However, because the Asylum always had experienced doctors and even so none of them could help Taeyeon, maybe having a not so experienced person could actually be a better option. In a way, yes, they were right, it was easier to mold fresh people to what they want than to mold already molded doctors.

But he was wrong. They wouldn't mold me to be one of them! “No offense, sir, but I would never fit in the Asylum's methods of treatment. I don't do tortures.”

“Of course not, you're woman after all. Women have soft hearts.” I didn't want to show I fel