I Told You, I'm A Monster

Chapter Four

"Thank you so much for volunteering, Mr. Kim. I know it was a huge imposition and you had to move some things around in your schedule, but I can assure you that we appreciate every effort that you've made." Dr. Lee smiles as he's escorting Kim Taehyung to the common room where a group of patients are gathered.

"I don't mind at all. You know I live for this stuff." The two men share a chuckle as Dr. Lee opens the door for the younger man and then disappears down the hall. Taehyung turns his attention to the circle of chairs in the middle of room, all of which are occupied by patients, except for one reserved for him. "Hi, everyone. My name is Kim Taehyung, and you can address me by my first name if that makes you more comfortable." He settles into the empty chair and crosses his legs, setting his notepad on his thigh. "Why don't you all tell me your names and something about yourselves, starting with you." He points to the young man to his immediate left.

"My name's Kim Namjoon. I choked a doctor this morning." Namjoon nudges the man next to him.

"Um, h-hi. My name is Hector." Taehyung has to glance at his list to see that the man's real name is Park Chanyeol. "I-- OOH your pen is so shiny! I love it!! Oh, and I like to color, but my mommy doesn't let me color."

The man next to Chanyeol speaks up next, looking insanely cheerful even though his body is covered in bruises, his upper lip is split, and he has a bandage on his nose. "I'm Jung Hoseok. I'm your hope, I'm your angel!!" Hoseok practically screams as his smile lights up his own face. The man next to him looks on adoringly before speaking.

"I'm Park Jimin. I'm really good at dancing." He's about to say something else when the doors open, revealing a doctor pushing a young man in a wheelchair. Jimin's eyes nearly pop out of his head as his jaw drops and he abruptly stands from his chair, letting it fall to the floor with a loud clatter. Chanyeol screams and hides behind Namjoon's chair, shaking like a leaf.

"Everyone, this is Jeon Jungkook. He's new here. Be nice." The doctor hands Taehyung a slip of paper before exiting the room. Jungkook wheels further into the room, and Jimin makes room next to him.

Jungkook finally looks up then to thank the man who helped him, and he inhales sharply. "Jimin!" He holds his arms out, and Jimin falls into them, hugging him tightly. Jimin slowly and not-so-discreetly runs his hands up and down Jungkook's back before Taehyung clears his throat.

"Okay you two, okay. You can talk later, but right now I want to hear from all of you. Please return to your seats." Taehyung speaks kindly and indicates the man between himself and Jimin. "And what's your name?"

"I don't remember my name. I'm sorry." The man's bottom lip quivers, and he buries his face in his hands, his messy black hair flopping down to hide his face. Taehyung glances at his chart again and sees the name Kim Minseok with his conditions written next to it: Early onset Alzheimer's and major depression.

"It's alright. It's okay. Your name is Minseok." Taehyung gently scoots closer to the patient and places a hand on Minseok's back. "I'd like to have a discussion with you all. Namjoon, you said you choked a doctor this morning. Can you tell me why you did that?" The papers on his clipboard indicate exactly what happened - Namjoon's is the only room with cameras that also record audio - but Taehyung wants to hear it from the man himself.

"He triggered me, and I have anger issues. I choked him pretty hard. He was turning purple before some nurse came in and knocked me out." He smiles, clearly pleased with himself, and Taehyung jots something down in his notepad.

"I see." He tries not to show that he's disgusted; luckily, in his line of work, he's had years of practice keeping his face and demeanor composed. "Hoseok, you look incredibly happy. What made you happy today?"

"So many things!" Hoseok launches into a tirade of things that make him happy, most of them fake due to the strength of his medications, and the conversation ebbs and flows easily from there between Taehyung and the patients. Jungkook doesn't say a word, and Minseok mumbles polite platitudes when they're needed. Other than that, the conversation is dominated mostly by Hoseok and Namjoon, who are polar opposites in their demeanors and attitudes. Hoseok is manic and jittery, happy to share anything and everything. Namjoon is cool, calm, and patient, not revealing much unless it's about his past crimes. Again, Taehyung finds himself working hard to maintain a nonchalant facial expression.

When their time is up, Taehyung thanks them sincerely and discreetly flexes his hand since it's cramped up from writing so many things down. He leaves the room and immediately seeks out Dr. Lee. They have a conversation about the other patients, and he saves Namjoon for last.

"Doctor, I'm very disturbed by Namjoon's demeanor and behavior. What happened to him? Why is he here? I was briefed on all of the patients except for him."

"That's because there's too much to simply tell you over the phone. Come with me. Our newest doctor took his chart home with him, but I have a digital copy I can let you read." He leads Taehyung to his office and offers him a seat before firing up his tablet and tapping the screen a few times. "Here we are. Give this a read, and you'll understand."

Taehyung thanks him and takes the tablet from his hands, settling it on his lap as he begins to read. He feels his stomach turn, and a mixture of emotions floods through him. Pity, sadness, anger, disgust, sorrow, numbness. When he finishes, he calmly sets the tablet on Dr. Lee's desk and steeples his fingers under his chin. There's a lengthy stretch of silence before he speaks. "Why isn't he in prison?"

"He was deemed too much of a danger to himself and others, especially others, to be in a normal prison, so he was transferred here. The other doctors and I have given up on trying to help him. The doctor he choked this morning is new here and hadn't met Namjoon until today. I don't know if he'll want to come back."

"I see. If he does, let me know, please. I have other things to do, but I'll see you tomorrow."

"I will, Mr. Kim. Thank you." The two men stand and shake hands before bowing to each other. Dr. Lee leads Taehyung out of his office, and as the younger man is leaving the hospital, he catches a glimpse of some of the patients. Hoseok pacing back and forth in his room laughing loudly. Chanyeol sitting with his long legs carelessly sprawled out in the middle of the hallway asking for crayons. Minseok looking desperate and near tears as he's in the middle of a discussion with a doctor. And lastly, Namjoon, sitting on his bed, his ankle cuffed to the bed post and wearing a straitjacket.