Serendipity 2 JHope and Jimin

Part 12

Jimin

We entered the first door and were met by a set of double doors that looked like they were made to keep people out. There was a bell and the nurse pushing me pressed it, and we waited. Eventually someone came, and she showed her ID and they let us in. It was very modern looking, and not at all what I expected. We went down a short hallway and came out in large open area. To my right was a nurse's station, covered with a glass panel and reinforced with bars all the way around. In front of that was a huge are that looked someone living room, there were couches and arm chairs and a giant TV on the wall. To my left was a dining area full of tables and chairs, sort of like a school cafeteria. There were people wandering around, or sitting watching the TV, and I even spotted a couple of kids on a PlayStation in one corner. There were two corridors, one directly in front of me and one going off to the left, the whole place was surrounded by full length windows that enclosed an outdoor area in the middle with a BBQ and table tennis table.

The nurse went to check me in and then wheeled me down the corridor to my left and into a room not too far along. There were two single beds, with a chest of drawers in between them, and an ensuite bathroom, it wasn't a lot, but it was clean and fresh, and much better than I had expected.

"Right Jimin I'm going to leave you to get settled in. Another nurse will be along shortly to speak with you "and she smiled at me, took the wheelchair and left.

I didn't have a lot to unpack, only the few things mum had bought in for me, so once I did that I wandered out to the day room to have a look around. As soon as I got there a girl came over and introduced herself.

"Hi I'm Soomin. You must be the new kid"

"Yeah hi I'm Jimin"

"Welcome to the mad house Jimin"

"Madhouse?'

"It's a joke its just what we call it here"

"Right" I was a little taken aback

"So, what you in for?"

"Oh, um.... eating"

"Cool me too"

"Wanna watch a movie with us?"

"Sure"

She took my arm and dragged me over to the couch and introduced me to the others, always adding the reason they were here in after each name. There were about ten of us altogether, and to my surprise they all seemed cheerful and not at all what I imagined a mental heath patient to be like.

"It's a lot different than I expected" I said to Soomin later

"Everyone says that. You were expecting people to be walking around mumbling to themselves, or pulling out their hair, or screaming or something, and the rest sitting around staring into space right?"

"Yeah"

"There are some like that, but they are in a different section, and even here sometimes someone loses it and has to be subdued, but over all we are all just normal kids trying to get well again. Mental health has such a stigma and I hate that "

"You're right I never thought about it before"

And that's how I spent my first night in the mental heath ward. We had some fun, and we laughed and finally when it was time for bed. I curled up quiet happily in my bed and drifted off the sleep.

At breakfast the next morning my battle really started. I wanted to eat it, I really did, but the voices were insistent and wouldn't stop. I had a spoonful of cereal and they just grew louder and nastier. A nurse had to sit with me at all meal times, and she watched my every move. I continued to refuse, and after an hour they let me go, but I knew lunch would bring more of the same, and I didn't know what to do.

After two days of the same fight at every meal they told me this was my last chance, and put aside a small portion of the meal, and if I didn't eat it the feeding tube was going in in the morning. I cried and choked and almost screamed but I got it down. I felt disgusted with myself afterwards, and wanted to go throw up, but I knew they watched me for hours after every meal. I went to bed that night and cried myself to sleep

JHope

It wasn't at all what I had been expecting, they wheeled me to my room and there was a boy in there already sitting on his own bed reading a book.

"Jimin your roommate has arrived" the nurse said to him and he looked up at me and smiled

"Hi I'm Jimin"

"Hoesok" was all I said as the nurse left me to settle in.

"Welcome Hoseok. When your done unpacking I'll show you around if you like?" and he gave me a smile that lit up his whole face and almost made his eyes disappear

"Thanks"

After I was done putting my few things away he got up and took my arm, and we walked out to the main area again.

"This is the day room, there are movies and TV and a PlayStation and puzzles and books" he pointed out each thing as he went

"This is the dining area pretty self-explanatory

And on and on he went, pulling me around to the different areas, and pointing things out to me and introducing me to people as we went.

"And that's about it really, the nurses are lovely and the kids friendly. Any questions?"

"No"

"You're not a talker, are you?" he said still smiling

I had already broken my own rule and forgotten what I had promised myself.

"Sorry just a bit nervous"

"That's understandable, I was shitting bricks when I first got here" he giggled "But its ok here really, once you get used to it"

He had the most innocent baby face I had ever seen on a person in my life, and I wondered how someone so sweet looking could possibly end up here, but I was too afraid to ask, I figured that was a taboo subject

"So, what are you in for Hoesok?" he surprised me

"Oh....um.... I have a little problem with pain killers"

"I have an eating disorder, Soomin over there is the same" he pointed to a tiny girl watching the TV.
"Hejung is drugs, Yunho is depression, Minha anxiety and depression, and I'll point out the others as we see them"

"I didn't think anyone would talk about it"

"No secrets around here Hoseok that's the first thing you need to learn." He laughed "bBesides its good to talk about it, we aren't freaks who are locked away, we all just want to get better. If we share what we are going through, we can help each other. "

I was a little surprised, but I guessed it made sense. After he had finished showing me around we sat down with some of the others, and they all asked me a bunch of questions, and I answered them all honestly, probably for the first time in my entire life. I felt comfortable around these people. Maybe it was because they had no idea who my father was, or maybe it was the promise I had made to myself, but it felt good and right.

When we finally retired to our room to get ready for bed I was exhausted, but feeling OK. Jimin turned off the light and I climbed into my bed and lay there staring at the ceiling for a while, until I heard his small voice in the darkness

"I think we are going to be great friends Hoesok"

"Me too Jimin"

I smiled to myself and rolled over before melting into sleep.