Room 97

Chapter 5 [TW]

After Jennie finished feeding Lisa, it was now time to clean her up. She left for a moment to get a basin with water, a clean cloth, and another set of uniform for Lisa to wear so she could finally do her task. Jennie closed the door and put the table beside the bed to put the basin and the cloth and she then helped Lisa with her clothes. Jennie was shocked when she saw Lisa’s body. Lisa was surprisingly skinny that Jennie didn’t even notice until she wasn’t wearing the nasty uniform. Jennie could already see Lisa’s bones and it just made her even more sad and worried for Lisa.

“Stop staring.” Lisa glared at Jennie and the latter quickly soaked the cloth and started wiping Lisa’s arm gently.

“Maybe I’ll ask the cooks if they can cook decent food.” Jennie said.

“You don’t have to. It’s better this way. The skinnier I get, the more I can die fast and easily.” Jennie stopped in the middle of wiping to take a look at Lisa.

“Really? That’s your plan?” Jennie said with a hint of annoyance in her voice. “Don’t you want to be saved? I’m here to help you!”

“I don’t need anyone to save me!” Lisa yelled and Jennie was taken aback. “No one can save me.” Lisa said in a low voice as she averted her gaze and there was a short silence before Jennie sighed and started wiping Lisa’s cheek.

“Maybe I can.” Jennie softly said. “If you’d only let me.” She looked at Lisa straight in the eyes, full of hope that the latter would finally let her shatter the thick walls she had built. “How’s your forehead?”

“I don’t feel pain.” Lisa coldly said and Jennie tapped the bandage on her forehead without warning that made Lisa winced.

“Liar.” Jennie said as she lightheartedly chuckled.

“I was startled.” Lisa defended.

“Yeah, right.” Jennie scoffed and helped Lisa put her clean uniform on.“I’ll be right back and change that bandage okay?” Jennie smiled and left the room with the basin and Lisa’s dirty uniform.

Meanwhile Lisa couldn’t tell how she was feeling towards her new nurse. Yes, she knew that Jennie was just doing her job which is taking care of her. But she found it strange that she finds comfort in her new nurse hence why she was talking to her more than the other nurses. Jennie made her feel...alive again. Lisa snapped out of her trance when she heard the door clicked, Jennie was back with a piece of band-aid. When Jennie caught Lisa was looking at her, she smiled and waved the band-aid and Lisa quickly avoided her gaze.

“Now hold still.” Jennie commanded and Lisa did what she was told.

Jennie swept Lisa’s full but messy bangs away from her forehead to clean her healing wound. Lisa on the other hand scanned Jennie’s face instead because there was nowhere to look or focus on something because Jennie was blocking every direction where her eyes could land. Jennie had this habit of biting her lower lip to keep herself focused and Lisa couldn’t help but to just stare at her pinkish lips.

“There. Clean and new.” Jennie said and she fixed Lisa’s bangs and the latter quickly averted her gaze before Jennie could catch her being creepy. Well, who was she kidding? She was creepy. “And don’t worry, you won’t realize that three weeks would pass quickly.”

“What difference does it make? Even after three weeks of being in this room, I’m still locked up in this place.”

“Don’t you want to go out for some fresh air or maybe go to the mini garden you once told me about? Engage with other people maybe?” Jennie suggestively said.

“I never left this damned room. Even with or without a consequence of hurting other stupid patients.”

“Well maybe we can change that.” Jennie smiled at her assigned patient. “I’ll be checking the other patients, but I’ll be back again later.” She said and she was about to pat Lisa’s head but she remembered what Irene told her about a patient losing a finger before so she thought it was not a good idea to do it. “I’ll see you later.” Jennie started walking towards the door and went out then locked it.

While Jennie was checking her other assigned patients, she would admit that Lisa was by far her favorite. And with that being said, she remembered what Lisa told her after she won their first game. What did she mean she wasn’t insane? If she wasn’t, then why was she admitted here? Was it because everyone thought it was insane to kill your own nurse? Shouldn’t she be on jail because of that?

After taking care of the other patients, Jennie and her colleagues had lunch together outside and it was obviously everyone’s favorite time of the day—away from almost everyone who was always screaming for no reason and heck they already had their eardrums broken for sure. But for Jennie, she couldn’t actually wait for lunch time to be over. Lisa was a mystery she had to solve. She already had been occupied by her thoughts on how Lisa was still there.

“Uh, Jennie?” Irene called and Jennie shook her thoughts away for a while.

“Yeah?” Jennie asked, looking at Irene.

“You haven’t touched your food yet, are you okay?”

“Of course I am.” Jennie faked a laugh as she shove a spoonful of rice in her mouth.

“Jisoo told me that you already know about Chaeyoung and...” Irene paused as the atmosphere turned awkward. “We just want you to know that if Lisa ever threatened you, don’t be scared to tell us okay?” Irene smiled and she waited for her colleagues to agree with her but when she looked at them, they were all hesitant and avoiding her gaze. She cleared her throat so the attention would be on her. “Right guys?” She said as she subtly gave each one a mean look to agree with her and everyone ended up agreeing with her out of force. “We’re here for you Jennie.” Irene said as she looked at Jennie.

“Thanks.” Jennie halfheartedly said. “But...you don’t have to do it, she’s my patient after all. She’s my business.” She said when she noticed the unease expression on their faces.

“But your life depends on it, aren’t you worried about yourself?” Irene asked.

“I am, but this is my purpose.” Jennie assuredly smiled.

***

When the nightfall had come, it began to rain hard and it made the other patients go even more nuts when they would hear a loud thunder. Like the usual, Jennie brought Lisa’s dinner to her room and when she entered the room, she saw Lisa staring outside the window.

“Dinner’s ready.” Jennie announced and Lisa gave her a quick glance before returning her gaze outside. Jennie sat on her usual spot and started feeding Lisa. “I’m sorry that you still have to eat this disgusting food. The cooks won’t take exceptions. But don’t worry, maybe I can sneak in a decent food for you again. I don’t see it’s prohibited to bring food from outside so we’ll see.” Jennie smiled but it quickly faded when Lisa’s attention were not on her. She looked outside as well but she didn’t notice anything strange or interesting. “Lisa?” Finally, Lisa looked at her this time. But only there was something different in her eyes. Jennie saw...sadness in Lisa’s doe eyes. What could possibly make her sad? The rain? The thunder? “Is everything okay?” Jennie asked.

“Can you stay here?” Lisa asked.