My eyes widened when they saw Taeyeon when I walked into the hospital room. The medical tapes and a fixer on her nose meant to arrange its position. Her lips were a bit swollen and there were some bruises on her cheeks and one on her right eye.

“T-Tae...yeon...” My voice just fading away as I mentioned her name. What the hell happened? One day I'm not in this place, she gets hurt like that? When they told me Taeyeon was at the infirmary I thought it would be for a completely different reason, like some examinations, not because she had been beaten up like that.

“She got into a fight.” Seohyun explained beside me.

“What?”

“She got into a fight yesterday, with another inmate. We managed to put her nose on the right place, but she will need to stay with the tapes for a couple of weeks till it's fully recovered.”

“Who did she fight?” I asked feeling a little angry that someone hurt Taeyeon like that. I mean, I never pictured Taeyeon losing to anyone in a fight. I know she isn't so strong physically,  but her experience with dealing all sorts of dangerous people in her lifetime would help her in fights. I guess if she picked a fight with a beefy male inmate, she would take the worst part of it, but still, I didn't comprehend how Taeyeon would deliberately pick up a fight with someone. Not after we talked. She said she was trying to avoid problems. Hell, she even said she didn't want to leave the SHU. What happened there? Why did she even leave her cell?

“Bae Juhyun.” Seohyun answered the question I momentarily had forgotten.  Bae Juhyun?

“Irene?” I asked incredulously. What in the world? Irene could beat Taeyeon like that? How was that possible?

“No one expected that but the two of them had a pretty big fight yesterday.”

“Why?”

“I have no idea.” That didn't make any sense. Why the two of them would get into a fight?

“What's gonna happen to her?”

“To Bae Juhyun?”

“Yeah, will she be put in lockdown?”

“No.” Why not? How can she hurt Taeyeon like that and get away with it? I mean if Taeyeon had beaten the out of Irene herself, I'm sure she would've been punished by now. But Irene won't face any consequences? How is that fair?

“Why not?” My voice was a bit cold. I didn't like someone hurt Taeyeon like that.

“Kim Taeyeon asked not to.”

“What?”

“Your patient asked the Warden to not put the inmate in solitary confinement. Stated herself she was the one who started it all and that Bae Juhyun had no fault whatsoever.”

“That's an absurd. Taeyeon wouldn't go looking for trouble.” I stated. “If a fight happened, it must be Irene's fault. Taeyeon promised me she would stay out of trouble.”

Seohyun twisted her lips.

“I know she's not the best inmate here, Seohyun.” My voice immediately softened up. “I know that. And I know she has been problematic in the past, but she has changed now. Taeyeon has been out of trouble those past months and I can't think of a reasonable thought for her suddenly to get into a fight like that.”

“Maybe she wasn't on her full self because you weren't here? She's shown this behavior before, hasn't she? She seems to depend on you a lot to help her with her moods. You were missing yesterday so it probably made her angry.”

I had the day off in order to meet with the lawyers and see if they could help Taeyeon's case. Taeyeon had promised me she wouldn't go looking for trouble. I really don't think my absence was the problem. I had taken some days off before and Taeyeon behaved well. A gut feeling was telling me there was something else there that happened but I couldn't tell what it was.

“No... it's different now.” I said, looking at Taeyeon. “I know it is.”

“I feel bad for her.” I heard Seohyun say it and that made me turn my head to her once again. “I don't know why, but I believe in you.” I lifted my brows. “When you say she's not a bad person...” My insides warmed up. “I believe in you. For some reason.”

“Thank you, Seohyun.” I said in gratitude. Seohyun had never really felt hard feelings for Taeyeon all her time in here. She felt it me for me once, when I lied to her saying that I didn't give Taeyeon any sweets back in the day when Taeyeon had that heart attack, but she seemed to leave it past behind her and I'm happy we are all good now.

“I've heard you brought her sister to see her. That was really nice of you, unnie.” She complimented. “I've never seen her having any visitations, and suddenly you managed to bring her sister here. That was great. Sometimes, all we need is a little help from the people we care about.”

“Yeah.” I nodded, smiling. “I'm happy she managed to see her sister as well. I believe that will help Taeyeon immensely.”

“I'm sure it will.” She nodded, reassured. “Is she interested to come often?”

“Well, Hayeon lives in Jeonju and needs to take time for her college, so she won't be able to come here every weekend, but I believe she will try to come whenever it is possible.”

“That's great.”

“Yeah.” 

The slightly movement of her head called my attention and I glued my eyes on her. When she opened her eyes, the corner of my lips tugged upwards, glad that she is now awake.

“How are you feeling, Ms Kim?” Seohyun asked her straight away. Taeyeon didn't answer, keeping her gaze at me. Seohyun nodded her head. “Well, guess I'll leave you two alone for a while. Excuse-me.” She then proceeded to exit the room.

“You alright?” I asked her this time, as softly as I could. But her silence following a tear falling on her cheek pierced through my heart. “Taeyeon? What's wrong?”

“I-I'm sorry, Doc.” Her shaky voice called my attention. My brows no longer sustaining the frown on my face.

“Taeyeon?”

“I'm s-sorry.”

“What's wrong? What are you sorry for?”

“I'm tired.” Well, I guess being beaten up like that makes you feel tired and negative about yourself.

“It's alright, Taeyeon. You'll recover from this. Seohyun said there are no major injuries. Give yourself a couple of weeks and you'll be fine.” Like she's always been. Taeyeon is strong. She endured so many things in her lifetime. The aftermath of a fight wouldn't bring her down. “You're strong. You'll get over this.”

She looked at me and the gleam of light always so present in them had vanished completely. Those eyes I've always found charming and inviting were now dark, empty and sad. “I'm... I’m not feeling well.”

Is she sick or something?

“What's the matter? What are you feeling?”

“I…” She started. “I just…. Need to be alone.”

“Taeyeon...”

“Please...”

“Okay.” I sighed, finally giving in. “If you need something, just call me okay?” She closed her eyes and I took that as yes. Closing the door on my way out, I had a severe urge to come back and stay with her, but I ended up listening to her wish and left.

My legs taking me to the refectory of the Asylum, where I met Yoona getting some food for her own.

“You okay, Tiffany?” She asked after we found our table and take out seats.

“Taeyeon...” Yoona wasn't surprised when I said that name. “She's weird.”

“How weird?”

I shook my head, not understanding Taeyeon's behavior. “She's...sad. And… absent...” I saw her frowning her brows. “It's not like she's completely there. I'm scared, Yoona.”

“Of what?”

“This is the first time I've ever seen her like this. I know the Asylum is not the best place to be at, but Taeyeon never showed me this side of hers before. I am worried, because this type of behavior could be an indicative of depression… and I don't want Taeyeon of all people to fall into that.”

“Depression?”

“I don't know what to do. I try talk to her but she's always telling she wants to be alone. This isn't right.”

“I'm sorry.”

“How can I help her… if she wants to be alone?” I asked, not knowing what to do.

“Maybe you should leave her alone.” That answer got me aback. She held up my hand. “Sometimes, all we need, is a time of our own. I've heard Kim Taeyeon got into an intense fight with Bae Juhyun yesterday. She might not be in the mood to talk to anyone. Just listen to her and let her be.”  Should I really do that?

“Do you know anything about that? Why did suddenly those two got into a fight?”

“We're not sure. Words have been spreading that Kim Taeyeon started the fight, saying sorry for something she's done, and that Bae Juhyun didn't like that.”

“Next time...you see her... Irene....”“Tell her... I'm sorry.... For her friend...”

She didn't pick up a fight with Irene. She tried to apologize and Irene didn't want to hear it!

I stood up, my insides burning in anger. “Tiffany? Where are you going?”

“Have a talk with Irene.” I answered, walking away, not hiding my coldness. “That's an inmate I need to talk to.”

~~*~~

The moment Irene walked in, the tension was built. She knew why I was calling her here and I knew that my feelings for her after what she did to Taeyeon weren't amicable. I would let it go if she had hurt Taeyeon trying to defend herself, but beating the crap out of her when Taeyeon only wanted to apologize? No. That I won't take it.

She was staring at my eyes all the time, never looking away, and she even looked a little taller than I remembered. Her long hair were no longer blonde, but rather its natural color, a darker shade of brown. How long has it been? How long has it been since I last talked to her? I couldn't tell. I couldn't even remember.

As Lee Sungmin exited the room for our private talk, Irene's stone expression continued, and the silence creeping in around us was making the environment a little bit awkward.

“Do you start or I start?” She asked, nonchalantly.

“You know why you are here.” I started.

“Wada wada wada, Taeyeon, wada wada wada...” She put her cuffed hands on top of the desk and I noticed some bandages. Her knuckles might have been hurt after that fight of theirs. “It's always about that , isn't it?”

“Don't call her that.”

“I call her whatever I want to.” She said, defiantly. “What are you going to do? Lock me up?Oh, wait… I'm already at prison.”

“Why did you do that to her?”

“Because she deserved it.”

“She wanted to apologize, Irene.”

“Apologies mean nothing!” She hissed. “She is always saying sorry and then keeps doing the same mistakes again and again! She thinks she's smart-, better than everyone here, but she ain't! She is a piece of and she deserves to know her place.”

I gulped, feeling annoyed by her speech. “Taeyeon is really sorry for your friend...”

“That doesn't bring Yeri back, does it?” She asked, all smart- like. “She killed my friend. Our maknae. You won't ever know how it feels like.”

I can imagine since the same exactly happened to Taeyeon.

“She saying sorry doesn't mean nothing!”

“I know it's hard, Irene, but Taeyeon regrets immensely what she's done-” She scuffed, turning her head to the left.

“You're an idiot.” I blinked. “So ing dumb! Don't you have a brain inside that head of yours? She's using you.” That buzzed inside my ears. “You're pathetic, Doctor Hwang.” “Pathetic. You and your feelings for that .”

I didn't say a thing. “We all know it, you know?” She said. “All inmates in here know you're ing that inmate.” I felt my heart thud faster. “It's not our business really. You whoever you want. I mean, we see inmates and officers getting laid all the time. Doctors wouldn't be any different. But you have no right to come at me saying I should forgive that .”

“I'm not f-

“Don't even try to deny it, Doctor.” She cut me off. “We know it. We saw you two kissing at the yard.” When did I kiss her at the yar- Oh, right. When I was wearing the inmate's uniform. I thought no one recognized me. “Quite brave kissing her in front of the yard for everyone to see.”

“You wouldn't understand the implication of that gesture.”

“Therapeutic reasons?” She scoffed again. “You're ridiculous. I can't believe the Asylum put you in care of that inmate. She's using you since the first day she saw you.”

I looked away. Irene kept talking nevertheless. “She is ing you so you can get her outta here. She knows that without you, she is stuck in here. And that without you she will be here forever.” That disturbed me. “She knows that without you, she will rotten in here. I could've killed her, you know, she wouldn't mind. She told me to kill her.” She did? “But I didn't. I let her live so she could see how miserable her life is. I let her live so she could get old and die here in this place with no one else to care about her. You won't work here forever, it is nothing but a temporary job. 2 years in, you might resign. That's what all doctors do. They can't stand this place for so long. Kim Taeyeon will live here and will die in here. Old, alone and grumpy.”

“She won't.” I bargained.

“She will.”

“I will get her outta here.” I reassured.

“Funny. You said the exactly same thing to me once.” I got quiet with that. “1 month in, you had forgotten about me and was all over that inmate.” Her faint smile was clearly a sarcastic one. “You've fooled me, making me believe you were actually trying, but you were not. 2 months in, you were giving candy to that inmate. 3 months in, you were fired, leaving me behind without even saying anything. 5 months in, you're in charge of caring that inmate 24/7 while I have to stand this creep old doctor of mine who's constantly hitting on me and Wendy all the time...”She said starting to grit her teeth. “It's been 9 months, Doctor, what exactly did you do to get me outta here?” I looked down. “You're just a liar. Always have been. Your words mean nothing!”

“Irene...”

“You had forgotten me. You had left me in here. And after 9 months, you're only reminded of my existence because I had punched your patient in the face. After 9 months, the only thing you come to say is how sorry is your patient for what she's done to Yeri. After 9 months, all you wanna do is hear me apologize for your ing stupid inmate. Not an even, 'Good morning, Irene, how has everything been? Is there someone bothering you? Are you alright? Have you been hurt?' Nope! Just straight up, 'Why did you hurt Taeyeon?”

I had no words for that.

“So you and your little patient, Doctor Hwang! her and her apologies! I don't wanna hear that. I don't want to see her face! I don't want to hear you calling her Taeyeon! What I want to hear is that finally I'm free from this place! That I'll finally live with Wendy without any of this we have to endure every single day!”

...

“But if I have to stay here, at least give me s