~~*~~

The chilling chain between the handcuffs was against my neck and I was feeling asphyxiated. “T-T-Taeyeon….”

“You lied to me.” Her icy cold voice echoed in my ears. “And you know...Doc… I hate when people lie to me.”

“I...I'm s-sorry...”

“Are you? Tell me, Doctor, how do you think I felt when I woke up and you were gone?” Tears started to roam down my face.

“I...” She pressed the chain harder against my throat.

“You promised me you wouldn't leave...and you lied.” My body started to spasm trying to grasp some air. “You lied to me. I thought you were different. Out of all the doctors I had, I really thought you were different, but you are just like everyone else.”

“N-No...I'm n-ot.”

“Liar.”

“Tae-yeon...P-please...I...” There was only one thought in my head and that was… 'I'm gonna die.'

“You didn't even say goodbye...”

“Tae..yeon...”

“I told you, didn't I? Everybody lies. Everybody lies… to me...”

“Tae….yeon...”

“Well, no more, Doctor! No more!”

“Tae...”

“Because now I'll kill them all...” I heard her laughter.

“...”

“Goodbye, Doctor...”

I woke up suddenly, shivering from the dream I had. My heart was beating like crazy and I was sweating like a pig. I had never had a dream where I 'died' before, and it was terrifying how real it seemed. I could still feel the metal chain around my throat and her icy words as she was choking me to death.

I got up from my bed went to the bathroom to wash my face. I wiped it with a towel and I stared at my reflection in the mirror.

How is she gonna react when she finally sees me? Would she really kill me like in my dream? Would she try to hurt me? She's been in a killing spree and I never heard of her doing that before… would she stop upon seeing me? “Officer Kwon Yuri told me she trusts you enough.” Does she? The thing is… I don't really know.

I mean, yes, that's what I want to believe… I want to believe that she trusts me… that we are indeed friends. But… “Think about it Tiffany...” Yoona's words rung in my ears. “She hasn't shown her actual personality. She's shown a personality you would fall for. She doesn't want you to be far from her because she knows she's got you. She's gotten into your head like no other doctor had. Kim Taeyeon is lying to you, making you believe she's not a bad person so you can like her.”

My chest started to burn and my nostril dilated, angry with that thought. My fists clenched.

“She's got what she always wanted… a doctor who she could manipulate as she pleased, a doctor to get her out of here. You are the perfect option, easy to approach, friendly personality… and all she just needs to do is to make you laugh at her stupid jokes and pretend she's a poor unfortunate soul in need for support and caring.” Pain shot through my head as my tears fell one by one upon remembering what Yuri had told me once before.

What if what they are saying is truth? What if everything I believe about Taeyeon is a lie? What if Taeyeon is just playing with my feelings?

How am I supposed to know her real personality? Picking up from her last interview tape, she sounds so different. She sounds cold, dangerous...mad. She had never shown me that side of hers before and even when that time when she was headed to the SHU, she was just pretending it. I never really saw Taeyeon having one of her episodes. I never knew how she would behave. That killing spree of hers… is she doing out of her episodes of violence or…

“Why did you kill Yeri?”

“Because I wanted to.” Was it just because she wanted to? I didn't know. I couldn't know.

What if she wants to kill me? What if she has an episode and kills me? I never felt so clueless in my entire life. What am I supposed to do? To let go of my safe job and go back to Asylum to take care of an inmate who might kill me? How all the “You will also take care 24/7” is gonna be? Is that really safe? Must I stay all the time, 24/7, at the Asylum? And like...sleeping alongside her in her cell?

I cried and smashed the mirror to bits, having pieces of glass scattered on the ground. The back of my fingers started oozing blood. I was close to have a mental breakdown.

Did I really do good upon agreeing with that ?

I retreated until my back hit the nearest wall while my feet collapsed from under me. With my eyesight now completely blurred from the tears, I brought my knees into my chest and let out a shaky breath.

The feelings were too much, they were asphyxiating me, eating me alive, as thoughts, situations and talks were passing through my head like a hurricane. My heart skipped a beat when I remembered that day under the rain and her ultimate breakdown. That was what sold me Taeyeon as not 'what-she-seems-to-be” kinda of vibe. That was when I grasped a bit of the pain she feels inside… and that's what was making me wish to go back, to finally obey my whispers and 'go back home'.

I could still say no. I could call Lee Soon Kyu and tell her I changed my mind. And Taeyeon…

...Taeyeon… would be executed. Dead.

“She doesn't wake up… I don't what happened Doctor… She doesn't move.” Snot started to come out from my nostrils.

“You're not one of them. You're a good person, Doc. You have a good heart. Don't... let the asylum break it.”

Taeyeon…

“I'm sorry… I promise I won't do the same mistake again.”

“Please, don't go.”

“Where to?”

“Away...”

“I won't.” “I promise.”

And as just tears and more tears roam down my face, flashing memories of me and Taeyeon together made me sob hard. I was convinced I was going crazy, arguing within my own mind.

And though I knew I had to sleep and rest, I couldn't. I spent the whole night thinking about my situation and by the time I had to talk to Lee Soon Kyu again, I was still in doubt of what my answer would be.

~~*~~

“Are you alright, Doctor Hwang?” Lee Soon Kyu asked upon seeing me stop before signing the contract.

“I...” I left out a tear. “I'm not sure… if I...”

“If you...”

“Can...help...her…” She twisted her lips.

“You want to step back?” She asked and I looked away. “We are willing to count you on with this, but it's up to you… so if you feel you can't do it… then… we'll proceed to our plan B.” Plan B = Execution.

“Care of her 24/7… is that really safe?”

“No.” She shook her head, taking another gulp of her cappuccino. “We are aware of the risks involved. But if it's true that Kim Taeyeon trusts you then it becomes safe for us to have you watch her 24/7.”

“What about my privacy? I need good nights of sleep and...”

“Very well, then.” She quickly replied. “You may have your nights if you wish.” I nodded a little bit more relieved. I sighed looking at the dotted line I had to sign. “Is there anything else you wish?” My fingers were around the pen just about to write my name on it.

“Yoona… do you who is that woman talking to Taeyeon?”

“That's Lee Soon Kyu. She's actually Lee Sooman's niece. She often comes here to check how things are going. Some say she gives personal reports back to her uncle.”

“Why is she talking to Taeyeon?”

“Whenever she comes here she takes her time to speak with some of the residents. Seems like today was Kim Taeyeon's turn.”

“But I thought inmates in the SHU were isolated all times.”

“They are. But when the niece of the chairman demands to talk with one of them, it no longer matters if they are in the SHU or not.”

I blinked raising my eyes to the short woman before me. “Something wrong?”

“May I ask you something?” She frowned her brows confused but nodded anyways. “Once, I saw you talking to Kim Taeyeon…”

“Yes...”

“Are you guys familiar with each other?”

“No...I often talk to some of the inmates.”

“Yeah, Doctor Lim told me that. It's just that I found weird you talking to an inmate who was in the SHU in that particular day… especially someone who is widely regarded to be dangerous…” She squinted her eyes.

“I don't know what you mean...”

“Though Taeyeon killed people during her time at the Asylum, you were still pretty chilled with her. And even now… when she is just about to be executed… you decide to come to me to 'save' her…Your uncle, Mr. Lee Soo Man is in still in charge of some of the decisions, right? And you told me he's ready to give the word for her execution… So why he would wait for your call to say yes? Why would he listen to you before giving the authorization to her execution?”

“We at the Asylum don't like our prisoners to be executed.”

“Thinking about money, it makes much more sense though.” I replied. “You waste money in her medication and treatment, and every time she kills a doctor or an officer, you must give indemnities to their families, isn't that right?” She didn't say anything this time. “So… my question is… why do you want to save Taeyeon? Why are you willing to hire me back and have the risk of Taeyeon go killing someone else again other than shut her down and spare all the trouble?”

“I just told you… we don't want our prisoners to be executed. The Asylum believes everyone can be cured with the right treatment.” I found funny how she said that giving the fact that the Asylum still uses electrifying weapons.

“Why does it seem you are doing everything you can to save Taeyeon?” I asked frowning my brows. “Clearly, Ho Sung wants to kill her as soon as possible, just like your uncle. But you are here...willing to give all the assistance I need to take care of her… why? Why Taeyeon is important to you?”

“Why is she important to you?” She retorted, taking me surprised. I gulped anxious.

“She is not...”

“You call her by her first name… and You were sounded desperate to save her from her fate… why is that?”

“I...”

“Why would Kim Taeyeon trusts you enough when she never had trusted any other doctor of hers?”

“I don't… know...”

“You don't? Didn't giving her gummy worms help you in the process?” I gulped guilty. “Why did you do that?”

I looked away. “Why did you give her candy?”

“She asked me to.” I said honestly. I let go of the pen, feeling my hand all sweaty.

“