Trapped |Jake Sim|

25

"Jake, I have some news for you." His doctor said sitting down on the chair next to his bed as he fixed his hair in front of the mirror.

"What is it?" He asked absentmindedly, looking at her through the mirror.

He had been in the hospital for five months now, and although Sonny still hadn't disappeared, she was no longer there as often.

As time passed, Sonny would only appear in his dreams or once in a while sitting near his hospital bed.

Sometimes, she'd be sleeping next to him when he woke up, just for her to disappear after a few seconds, and he'd somehow gotten used to it.

He wondered if it was the treatment plan actually working, the fact that her killer was facing his sentencing in just a few days, or his acceptance of her not being really there.

"You're being discharged next week."

Jake turned to the doctor, who had a warm smile on her face. "Really?"

"We believe you are much better now. Your PTSD has become more manageable and less invasive, so I believe that you can go back to your regular life as long as you keep taking your medication and attend the regular sessions."

Jake stayed quiet for a few seconds, before nodding his head. "That's great."

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Jake narrowed his eyes at the brightness of the sun as he walked with Heeseung towards his car.

He placed his suitcase in the trunk before getting in the passenger seat.

They were both quiet as Heeseung left the hospital parking lot.

"Aren't you happy to be out of there?" Heeseung questioned after a long moment of silence.

"I am."

Heeseung hummed at the short response as he kept his eyes on the road, occasionally looking at Jake, just to see his expression, but his eyes were on the window, and unreadable, just like they always were lately.

"You don't look too happy."

"It's just another day. I'm happy that I'm out of the stuffy hospital, but it doesn't feel much different than going home." Jake's voice was quieter and less energetic than before, and Heeseung knew the reasons why.

Jake was always down lately, and Heeseung suspected it was because of his realization of Sonny being just a hallucination.

He no longer talked about seeing her, and whenever she was mentioned in conversations, his eyes would pool with sadness.

It was nice to see him getting better and starting to distinguish make-believe from reality, but at the same time, seeing his personality being drained out was too overbearing for Heeseung.

"Do you want to go out for a drink tonight?" Heeseung suggested, trying to bring up the mood. "We need to celebrate your discharge before you get back to work, don't we?"

Jake took a bit to respond, thinking about his words, before shaking his head. "I just want to be at home for now. Sorry."

"It's okay." Heeseung said reassuringly, looking ahead.

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Jake stared at the ceiling as he couldn't seem to fall asleep. He was glad to be back on the comfy bed and not having to stand the smell of disinfectant, but his eyes couldn't seem to close.

He felt someone lay on his extended arm, but he didn't panic.

He turned his head, and his eyes met Sonny's. She gave him a small smile as she placed her hand against his chest.