15 Chapter Eleven

"Miss Whittaker, can I see you in my office?"

I nodded and followed the HM. Oh boy... moment of truth.

"Take a seat, please."

I sat across from him, trying to hide my nerves. I couldn't be fired. If I was fired... it would make me helping them a lot harder. I gulped slightly, my hands fidgeting under the desk. The HM folded his hands and sighed.

"Last night... you did not follow my direct orders."

I took a deep breath. "I know sir."

"You insisted on staying, even though I-- your boss-- specifically told you not to." He seemed to be trying to put me more on edge. In all fairness it was working, but I wasn't about to let him know that.

"Yes sir."

He nodded. "Well, I'm not firing you."

I blinked. "You're not?"

"No. In fact, I'm going to give you a raise."

I looked at the HM in confusion. Hmm... what was his game plan? This was a little weird and I didn't trust it.

"You are? Why?"

"Well, I see how you are with the Patients. They seem to be in better spirits already. Lord knows I just want them to heal, and you're helping them do that." the HM explained. He never broke eye contact with me. "But there is a catch. You can't come to the Institution at night. I'm sorry, and I know you helped with Changgu last night, but we were not able to get to our other patient, who was also having a panic attack."

"Who?"

"Hoetaek."

I held in a gasp. He... was lying. Right to my face! I saw him afterward! Hui was fine! Were they going to try and hurt him too?

"Oh... I see..." I knew I had to play by the rules, but god did it hurt. "I apologize for that."

I need to see Hui... ah, but he can't tell me anything! Why? If any of them were to say anything, it would be Hui or Hongseok...

"It's quite alright. You should apologize to Hoetaek though."

I nodded. I was sick to my stomach.

"So for future reference, please... at night, I know how difficult it is, but please do not interfere. We've been doing this for ten years, we know what we're doing."

If you knew what you were doing, why the hell are they still here?

I nodded slowly. That meant I'd have to do as much as I could during the day.

"Sir?"

"Yes?"

"Can I take them for walks? They need to get some sun, and some fresh air. I don't want them physically weak."

The HM's eyes flashed with irritation. I definitely was challenging him. If he was going to make me stay out during the night, I wanted to get something out of it.

"Alright. You can take them for walks. But they have to be handcuffed, and you'll have to get Yuto down the stairs somehow."

"I can do that," I agreed.

"Okay, well, I think we're done here." The HM stood. "You'll be getting your first paycheck in about a week and a half."

"Okay sir."

I stood also.

"Wait."

I turned to the HM. He pulled out a pair of handcuffs from his desk and handed them to me. I looked at them a tad sadly.

"Use these on the walks. We'll be watching to make sure nothing happens."

I nodded, then left quickly.

Okay... okay. Well, maybe if I can get them far enough away from the Institution, they could let me in on some info. Today I would be meeting with the B patients, so Hongseok, Yuto, Kino, and Wooseok. I need to talk to Hui though... maybe after I meet with them, I could take Hui for a walk.

I started upstairs, to Hongseok's room.

I unlocked his door. "Hongseok?"

"I'm here... obviously."

I smiled softly as I walked in. "Hey Hongseok, how are you?"

He was sitting on the couch, shirtless, waiting for me. I could not believe how muscular and ripped he was even though he had been in this institution for years.

"I'm alright. How are you?"

I blew through my lips. "I could be better. However, I have some good news for you. We're allowed to go on a walk!"

"Really?" He asked, eyes wide.

"Yes! So put a shirt on and let's go!"

Hongseok noticed the handcuffs. "Are those for you?"

I sighed. "I'm really sorry..."

Hongseok shrugged. "It's alright. I'm just glad I get to leave this god forsaken room for a little while."

"I'm excited for you," I said, smiling.

Hongseok grabbed a clean white shirt and put it on, then walked over to me. "I heard a commotion in Yeo One's room last night. Do you know anything about it?"

I looked up at Hongseok as I cuffed his hands. "I don't think I can tell you."

I give him a warning look, trying to say 'i'll talk about it on the walk', and he nodded. "Alright. Let's do this walk thing."

I open the door for him.

He gasped as he stepped out into the hallway. "Jane..." he looked back at me as I closed his door. "I haven't left my room... in so long..."

Jeez... how did they say sane? Staying in one room for such an extended period of time...

"What do you do by yourself?" I asked him. "Like... during the day?"

We start walking toward the end of the hall, then down the stairs. Hongseok looks around, in awe. I was deeply saddened by this. He hadn't left his room in probably a year or more.

"I... I work out, or I read... there's also some games in there... I had a TV but I broke it, so they took everyone's away. That was a few months ago."

"Oh no..." I said sadly. "Are you bored now?"

"A little, but I mean, it's okay. I plan on leaving soon anyways."

I opened the door for Hongseok and he stepped outside. He closed his eyes and grinned. "It's freezing out here... I love it."

I smiled. "We're just gonna walk around the building, okay?"

"Okay Jane."

We begin walking. He walked slowly, not wanting to rush anything. I understood.

"So, Hongseok, we're away from the cameras, at least a little," I started. "Look, I don't know if they can hear us... " I lowered my voice to a whisper. "I thought the building was on fire, so I ran inside and to Yeo One's room. The Headmaster was there with some nurses and they said there was no fire... but I know what I saw." He listened intently, seeming a little nervous. "Hongseok... are they hurting you guys?"

"I want to tell you Jane but I can't," Hongseok said. "There's a reason I can't say anything... believe me."

"Can you at least tell me how often...?" I asked.

Hongseok sighed and leaned closer to me. "Two of us every night. We're paired up. Yeo One and Hui, Jinho and Shinwon, Wooseok and Yuto, then Kino and I. It's just a continuous pattern."

My heart rate sped up. Oh my God! Two of them each night?!

"Look," I said. "I want to help, but in order to help, I have to wait. I need to get evidence... and gain the Headmaster's trust so I can eventually help you all out. I also have to plan and find a place for you all. I don't have a house or anything. Once I get things sorted out, I'm going to help you all escape. But he can't know. Please don't tell."

Hongseok looked down at me. "I won't tell, Jane. But that sounds ambitious. That sounds like it could take months or even years. I don't think some of us have that long."

"What?" I gasped.

"Like Yuto and his legs, or Shinwon's scratching... even Wooseok."

"Believe me, I'm going to try my best," I said. "And if I get fired, I won't stop. I'll come back and keep helping."

Hongseok's eyes fell toward the ground. "You're getting mixed up in a lot of things. You're still very young, younger than most of us. I don't want you to ruin your life for us." He met my gaze. "So please... just be careful."

"I will. I promise."

He nodded. "I don't like talking about this, as much as I want to. I always feel like someone is listening." He shuddered.

"They aren't," I assured him. "Thank you... for telling me that. Do you know the schedule?"

"Well, if Yeo One and Hui were last night... that means that Yuto and Wooseok are tonight." He gulped.

1. Jinho & Shinwon

2. Hongseok & Kino

3. Yeo One & Hui

4. Yuto & Wooseok

(Repeat this)

"Is there a reason you're all paired like that?"

He shrugged. "I think it has to do with severity. One more severe, one less severe. Well, at least with two of the pairs. Jinho is more minor than Shinwon, and I'm more minor than Kino. Yeo One and Hui are pretty... even, and so are Yuto and Wooseok."

I nodded slowly. "Wow... I... I didn't think it would be like this when I got the job..."

"Neither did the other therapists. They weren't really as nice as you though. They left because they were annoyed by us, or they didn't want to get wrapped up in it. Some never even found out..." Hongseok shook his head. "Thank you for trying."

I smiled softly. "Of course."

After Hongseok, I went to Kino, because Yuto was still asleep. "Kino?" I called out.

Nothing.

I unlocked the door. "Kino? Are you okay?"

Maybe he was sleeping too. But, when I opened the door, he wasn't in the main area.

"Kino? Are you in here?"

The bathroom door was slightly ajar. I heard Kino crying.

"Kino? Are you okay?" I peeked in the door nervously. I didn't want to invade his privacy, but what if he was hurt.

I cried out in shock and fear.

"KINO!" I pushed the door open and went to rush forward but remembered he couldn't be touched. He was sitting on the floor against the tub, a bloody, plastic fork on the floor next to him. The end was broken off and very sharp. His wrists were cut, much like Wooseok had cut his a few days prior.

"J-Jane?" He stuttered. I wanted to help him, but if I moved, he'd freak out.

"Kino, I'm going to get one of the nurses, okay?" I said. As much as I'd rather help him myself, the warning from HM played in my mind, and there was also nothing I could really do.

"N-No! Just let me d-die!" He sobbed.

"No, I won't let you," I said sadly. "You're going to be okay! I'm going to heal you, and we're going to leave this place, okay?"

He rocked back and forth. "I'm sick of being here," he whimpered. "What kind of life is this?!"

I wanted to hold him so bad.

"Your life is valuable," I told him. "It really is!"

"But no one wants me around, including me," he said weakly.

I knew I needed to get the nurse...

I squatted down in the doorway, far enough away so he wouldn't get scared.

"I do though," I told him. "I really do. Because I wanna get you out of here so you can live in the real world. It's much better than this place. There's better food, and music, and movie theaters, and amazing art, and big cities..."

He listened.

"Just let me help you, and you can see all of that."

Kino's wrists were still bleeding, but not hard enough for it to be lethal. "You're gonna help me see all of that?"

I nodded. "Yes, I will. I'll want to show all of you those things."

Kino wiped his tears away, but ended up leaving blood on his cheek. "O-Okay. I trust you."

I sighed with relief. "Thank you Kino. I'm so glad."

He looked at me desperately. I tried to give him a warm smile, but I was so shaken up that it was hard to make it convincing.

"I'll be right back."

"Okay..." I turned to go, but he stopped me. "Jane?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you... you're so kind."

I looked back at him. "Of course Kino. You're kind too."

He gave me a little smile and my heart melted.

"I'll be right back, Kino."

"Okay Jane."

I hurried from the room and ran as fast as I could downstairs.

"NURSE! I NEED A NURSE!"