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the next days were nerve-wracking for soon. she was decided to help hyungwon to get out of jail. he had expressed it hadn't been his fault completely and she believed him. she knew the real chae hyungwon wasn't a violent person, only one of his identities was.
"are we making a mistake by signing this?" dr. lee asked, re-reading the medical report that stated that hyungwon was mentally unstable and that he had acted only based on his illness.
soon nodded. "we need to help him... sajangnim you know it's not his fault entirely, it's the DID." she argumented.
"he stabbed one of the staff members, a nurse." he emphasized.
soon looked down and sighed. it was true, he had stabbed hyunwoo, his nurse. the man who has taken care of him since he arrived this clinic. it had been awful.
but thankfully hyunwoo was alright, still in intensive care but stable. "he's alright. he'll be fine-
"soon-ah..." dr. lee interrupted her with a cautious tone. "don't you think it's better if he's locked away? i mean... i don't want to sound heartless but- he ran a hand through his silver hair - it's a problem less for us, right?"
those words made her blood boil, she almost couldn't believe her own ears. "please, sign the document."
dr. lee glanced at the document in front of him and then back at her. "are you sure?" he asked.
soon just nodded. "i take full responsibility dr. lee." she finally added. after having meditating the whole night about this, soon's final words made him finally make the decision.
dr. lee grabbed the pen and signed the documents. hyungwon was now a step closer to be free, kind of.
soon took them almost desperately and kept them inside of a folder. "thank you." she said with a serious tone, bowing to the man to finally leave his office.
she hated the fact that she had to practically beg him to sign the documents. she couldn't believe how someone who had founded a clinic like that, to help the mentally ill people, would refuse to help an actual patient, even if it was hyungwon, who had stabbed a nurse.
her phone beeped on her way out, she checked the id and quickly answered the call. "chaeyeong-ssi? how are you? you returned my call."
soon had been trying to get in touch with hyunwoo's family, at least with his wife. she was dying to know about his state but even if she dialed hyunwoo's number several times, his wife didn't answer.
"soon-ssi... - she heard the woman wiping behind the phone – i am sorry. we've- we've been really worried about hyunwoo... but he... he woke up finally, this morning." apparently the woman was crying of happiness.
a smile was drawn on soon's face. "really? oh my god, that's such great news, can i see him? i need to ask him some questions-
"of course you can see him... but please don't talk about work, we want him to rest properly." the woman quickly added.
soon bit her tongue as she felt disappointed over hyunwoo's wife request.
she needed to know what have happened between hyunwoo and hyungwon, it was necessary in order to understand him better. "sure. i am on my way." she finally said, ending the call.
soon had cancelled a few of her therapy sessions those days, she'd move them to different times and skipped the patients who were making the most progress since she knew hyungwon is who needed her the most.
her schedule was cleared for the rest of the day so she had time to visit hyunwoo before going to the police station. what hyunwoo had to say might be or not valuable for her interview with the police.
soon rushed through the people around the clinic, quickly looking for the elevators and finally towards hyunwoo's floor.
her eyes moved around as she tried to locate the room that chaeyeong had said to her over the phone and there it was. "304" she muttered as she took a heavy breath and finally knocked on the door.
she was soon invited to step inside and the view was really like a stab in her heart.
there it was, hyunwoo laying on his back in a white medical bed, his face partially covered with bandage.
soon couldn't hide her surprise.
she knew he had been stabbed but somehow she never asked where exactly. "hyunwoo-ssi?" she asked, her eyes suddenly turning glassy.
the wife stood from her chair and came close to her. "soon-ssi... - she looked worried, constantly glancing at hyunwoo and the woman – he's a bit sleepy but he's awake. please do not disturb him with you know what – she said clearly referring to the topic about work or hyungwon for the matter.
soon just nodded. "i'll go get a coffee, would you like something?" the sweet woman asked. but soon shook her head.
"no. i am fine... you can go." she nodded and the woman did the same. she left the room, not before glancing at her husband first.
she approached the bed and looked down at him. his strong body somehow seemed weak at that point and she noticed his right hand was trembling. "soonie-ssi?" his voice was weak, almost as a whisper.
soon tried not to cry in front of him, she dragged the closest chair and sat there, holding his hand. "are you alright? how do you feel?" she asked worried.
he coughed. "i- i am fine, alive at least." he dared to joke. but the joke wasn't funny. he actually could have died.
soon's tears found their way out and they soon were running down her cheeks. "i am so sorry hyunwoo... for everything." she said while shaking her head.
he did the same. "no, please. it's not your fault... it's nobody's fault – he swallowed hard – not even his." he finally admitted but with a angered tone.
but hearing this supposed a big relief to soon. that meant he also understood it hadn't been hyungwon, chae hyungwon, the patient.
"i know... this... - she started, trying to find the proper words – this was such an unfortunate event. i am deeply sorry, this should have never happened to you."
he shrugged. "it's the ugly part of this job i guess?" he said with a harsh voice.
hyunwoo noticed she was staring at the bandage. "it's okay... i am married anyway. i said to my wife i'll look ugly but she says i'd actually look hotter. she says that this scar will give me character." he said laughing but soon stopped when it started to hurt.
soon felt bad for him and she caressed his hand. "you're alive. it's what really matters. right?"
hyunwoo stared and her and finally nodded.
they remained quiet for a few seconds and then soon dared to touch the topic. even if his wife had told her not to, she needed to know.
"hyunwoo... i am sure you know why i am really here?" she said softly.
she noticed his eyes were alert. "to see if i was alive?" he joked and tried to laugh at his own joke.
"of course... but there's another reason... you know it, right?"
he remained silent but somehow his eyes answered for him. he knew.
"you know it wasn't his fault entirely... he... he's sick." she said.
hyunwoo closed his eyes and after a few seconds, he nodded. "i know."
"then... i need to know what happened exactly that day... please, anything you remember, before your wife returns." soon insisted.
he narrowed his eyes, as if he was trying to remember with detail what happened exactly. "i remember at first hyungwon was there. i was joking about how the clinic's cybersecurity system sucked and i said something stupid like... if he wasn't there as a patient, he'd be working for us, you know? protecting our systems and all."
hyunwoo sighed. "i don't think he found funny the joke, but he tried to laugh. i was making my rounds and giving him his night medicine when i turned around his voice changed and... he called my name, i stopped walking and turned around and then... he was there." his eyes widened in fear at the thought.
"w-who was there?" soon asked.
hyunwoo swallowed hard and finally looked at her. "nam gun."
"nam gun? one of his identities?" she asked only to receive a nod from hyunwoo.
"he changed... so quickly... - he shook his head as if he was trying to find some sense into that – he didn't even give me time to turn around completely, he was there with a knife already, going for my face."
the only words sent cold shivers down to soon's spine. it was horrible.
"oh my god..." she muttered.
"i have no idea from where he got that knife... seriously. i've been thinking about it since i woke up but – he closed his eyes in lament – i can't find sense into all this."
"did he say something afterwards?"
hyunwoo shrugged. "i just remember lots of blood, clouding my vision... i didn't hear him saying anything but he didn't move either. he just stared down at me while i was agonizing on the floor."
"so he didn't try to... run away or something?" soon asked shocked. she at first thought that he did all of this to run away. but hyunwoo shook his head.
"no. he just stared down at me with a certain... satisfaction." he said with disgust.
soon's mind replayed the notes she read about this identity.
blood thirsty was one of his characteristics. he was also a psychopath.
"what happened then?"
"i think one of the nurses was around, she probably was passing by when she saw all of the blood, i remember hearing a female scream, screaming for help. i think it was sana."
soon nodded. "i see... hyunwoo-ssi... do you think... he's a danger?" she asked curiously.
but hyunwoo didn't understand the question. "danger how?"
"to everyone? do you think... he should be... locked away? like... in jail?" she asked, somehow the words hurting the back of her throat.
she was a psychiatrist. she hated the idea of one of her patients rotting in jail for such incident.
hyunwoo took time to think but he finally shook his head. "i don't... think so. at least... i don't think he deserves it. i mean – he tried to move on the bed, to sit better, soon helped him – he's definitely dangerous at some level but... not hyungwon, not the real hyungwon. he's just troubled, he needs help. medical and professional help."
soon eyes relaxed after hearing that. "i don't think this would have happened if he wasn't in possession of a knife." he finally added.
"we need to know how he got that knife." soon said.
hyunwoo sighed. "that'd be hard. hyungwon usually doesn't know nor remember anything of what the other identities do or say."
"i know..." she sighed. it was true. she had seen him before. he usually doesn't remember what the others did.
"after the nurse arrived and you got help... do you remember anything else? from him?" soon asked, hoping he'd reveal more information.
hyunwoo shook his head but then he narrowed his eyes and looked at her with widened eyes. "actually... - he started – i remember something."
soon nodded. "what is it?" her eyes widened as she was expectant to hear what he had to say.
"he was... crying? – he seemed confused, not over what he was saying but over the fact that hyungwon was actually crying.
"crying?" she asked confused, he nodded.
"why?"
"i don't know... he was crying and calling for someone. a woman."
"a woman? did he say a name?" she asked, each minute increasing her adrenaline. she needed to know everything.
hyunwoo swallowed hard when all the memories returned to his mind. "he was calling for her... a woman... and then... he said the name." hyunwoo's eyes were opened, as if he was seeing something horrible.
"do you remember? can you say it?"
"it was you... it was your name. park soon."
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