Thinner

8

Cafeteria.
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"So this is the room older kids here tends to put in use to have some more private talks, it's not that easy when doctors and nurses are swarming the halls left and right. So this area is located far from where most chaos takes place, so no disturbing should happen regularly here" a nurse, who he met about 2 or so hours ago, had been showing him around the general area of the department he'd be staying in.

He couldn't really wrap his head around why it was so necessary to show him everything, when there was literal signs showing directions everywhere. But he was standing infront of a door, made of glass and you could see into the room where the kids were hanging out. He was a bit unsure, cause they all seemed to be his age, if not older. And there was just something about walking past kids his age, that freaked him out.

"Why don't you inside and talk a little with them-".

"I rather know a clearer answer as to when I can leave" he spoke, genuinely not wanting to meet a bunch of new faces, especially since he was mentally planning to not stay for long.

"I'm sorry Jeongin, but until your primary doctor here has sorted out everything, I think you might just want to settle in, it can take a while sometimes" she spoke, trying to keep her tone calmer and more prominent at the same time.

But there was something in her eyes that made him unsettled.

"What exactly does he need to know? I can just tell him myself" he claimed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"We are all aware of that, but words doesn't always define one's behaviour completely, and since your chart shows risky signs of mental illnesses, we need to get an overview on how you are as a person..physically, not just emotionally. That what all us nurses, social workers and weekly meetings with doctors are here for. And I'm sure your doctor is working hard sorting everything out, to make everything not seem so stressful" she spoke, rubbing his shoulder gently in order to comfort his racing mind.

He didn't say anything, he was unsatisfied with the response. He didn't see the point in why something had to take so long to be sorted out, it made him sad, mad, stressed all the emotions at once.

"Go inside and get familiar with the faces, they are sweet kids, I'm sure you'd fit right in" she smiled, opening the door for him.

He didn't feel encouraged at all, he felt pushed beyond boundaries, frozen in place..it made him feel so disrupted, like a prey being looked at by a bunch of hawks.

"Hi, this is Yang Jeongin..he came in last night, mind inviting him in?" The jersey spoke optimistically.

In his head he continued to just yell out the word, no. He didn't want to hang around or feel comforted by others presence, at this point he'd rather drown himself in a bathtub, than be stuck in another depressing room of the same color pallet of the rest of the hospital.

When he could hear the door shut behind him, he finally felt it. She literally just left him there, infront of all these people he hasn't ever seen before.

"Take a seat, new boy" an unknown voice called, patting the cushion beside himself, welcoming Jeongin to sit his ass down and actually be interacting with someone for once.

He complied quietly, sitting himself down as he took his time to silently gaze around the room.

There was people who didn't really care about his presence, others who haven't really taken time to notice him, and then the circle he was sitting in, all looking at him as if he was the odd one out..in which he sort of was at this point.

"It's your first time?".

"How'd you know?" He asked looking at the guy beside him who smiled gently.

"You're so tensed up, it was just a lucky guess" he shrugged. "What led you here?".

He scratched the nape of his neck at the question, nodding a bit to himself as he verified the answer in his head, clearing his throat before speaking.

"Uh..I'm not exactly sure.." he mumbled, looking down, feeling so unsure withing himself to the pint he didn't know which way to look.

All the others seemed to get along well, and he felt like he didn't fit well in this circle.

Some people were bald, others had device and wires inserted into their bodies..and the rest, looked relatively normal. He on the other hand, looked like a skeleton compared to them. He felt a bit envious, but knew he shouldn't be..cause certainly they had their life out on the risk too.

"You don't feel comfortable talking about it, do you?" The guy asked, raising one brow before leaning back in the couch.

"I'm rather unsure of everything actually..I'm just waiting to get more information when it is all sorted out" he breathed out, his tense shoulder starting to relax as he felt more comfortable the longer he spoke to this unknown guy.

It wasn't that he had trouble socializing, he was just shy and rather introverted at times. He could talk to someone for hours if he wanted to, but he had to know them well enough to keep talking.

"I'm Chan" the guy whose name was finally revealed spoke, holding out his hand in a gentle manner.

Jeongin smiled briefly before executing the action of returning the handshake, feeling a bit better knowing he had made a possible friend around here.

"Chan.." he repeated, noting his name deep within his brain so he wouldn't forget in the future.

Chan seemed like a nice guy, who looked rather laid back and relaxed, rather than tensed up by the smallest, creeping little thing. He had this smile that sort of littet up the room, and the way his eyes flashed shining stars within them, gave a sense of humanity..comfort.

"Mhm that's me" he smiled.

"You seem so..relaxed...why?" He asked, genuinely curious as to how he managed to keep calm, when he himself couldn't even stop thinking about the possible hurtful torture he'd go through when he went home again.

"I've been here for some time, 2 years actually. I got into a severe car wreck those two years ago, which left me with 3 fractured ribs, a fractured arm an wrists, and a fractured thigh bone, my back broke too, and finally a concussion" he sighed, smiling bitterly to himself as he re-positioned himself to sit properly.

"That's....a lot" he commented, surprised on how this guy was even alive after such a fatal crash.

He also felt less validated, now that he knew someone which a much more severe case, could most likely take up his spot in this hospital, and here he was taking up space for no big deal.

"It sure is..I had to sit everyday, for months, getting my bones healed back while I was casted in. I had 3 operations done, I had to go through physical therapy, and mental therapy for ptsd..which I'm still in process of".

"Is it normal just to spit that out..all at once?".

"A lot of people come and go, they pass by and doesn't leave a single goodbye. But one thing that brings everyone close here, is that we are all here for the same thing..healing" Chan stated.

Jeongin's eyes shined as he looked at the latter with full admiration. The way his words left such a relief off of his shoulders after the though of not being valid nor sick enough, made him feel so much better in his skin and bones.