Room 97

Chapter 3

“W-what do you mean you’re not? Why are you really here?” Jennie asked as she grew more curious.

“Too much question.” Lisa said. “Maybe when you win our next match, I’ll answer your question.” Lisa smirked.

“Okay.” Jennie chuckled as she started packing up the chess board. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.” Jennie stood up and went to the door.

Jennie walked back into their office with a bothered expression and sat at her table. Jisoo entered as well and noticed Jennie’s expression so she put her clipboard on her table before she approached Jennie.

“Are you okay?” Jisoo asked and Jennie almost jumped, she didn't notice Jisoo entered the office.

“Yeah. I was just thinking.” Jennie dismissively said.

“What were you thinking then?” Jisoo asked as she grabbed a chair near her and sat in front of Jennie.

“Okay, have you ever had a talk with that patient, Lisa?” Jennie opened up.

“Uh, no. She don’t really talk to anyone here.” Jisoo knitted her eyebrows in confusion. “Wait, she talked to you?” Jennie nodded. “What? How?”

“I don’t know. She just...did.” Jennie shrugged.

“So what did she tell you?” Jisoo asked, curious.

“Nothing.” Jennie lied. “She just keeps on pushing me away like she didn’t need my help.”

“She was close with one of the nurses here before. Her nurse to be exact.” Jisoo revealed.

“Well...what happened?” Jennie asked, leaning closer to Jisoo to hear more.

“That was really tragic.” Jisoo sadly sighed as she shook her head. “Lisa killed her.” Jennie’s eyes were widened in shock as she leaned her back on the swivel chair. “Oh god, I shouldn’t have said that.” Jisoo squeezed her eyes shut as she regretted what she told Jennie. “I’m not saying Lisa is going to kill you. Something just happened back then and—”

“So what you’re really trying to say is...I’m nursing a murderer?!”

“Well...yes.” Jisoo said as she bit her lip. “That’s why you should really be extra careful when you’re with her. You don’t know what she would do or what’s even running in her head.”

“Can I just take care of other patients instead?” Jennie hesitantly asked.

“You got to ask the supervisor if you want that.” Jisoo answered. “But I think it’s impossible because Lisa do need your help. The supervisor believes in you for some reason that’s why he chose you to nurse her.” She added.

“Can you tell me about her past nurse?” Jennie asked, growing more curious and interested.

“Her name was Chaeyoung. She was the one who brought Lisa here and according to her she found her when she was out with the other nurses and doctors on a medical mission. They were really close that’s why we got shocked when Lisa killed her in front of us. Lisa wasn’t really dangerous back then. We have no clue why she did that. She wasn’t even opening up to us that’s why we’re having a hard time to communicate with her. We don’t know how to help her. But maybe you can, right? She talks to you so maybe you can help her, this is all up to you now.” Jisoo hopefully but sadly smiled. “We believe you can.”

“And you do realize that you’re putting too much weight on my shoulders now, right?” Jennie lightheartedly said.

“Well this asylum’s mission is to help and heal people after all.” Jisoo shrugged. “Anyway, I really do hope you won’t change your mind about nursing Lisa.” Jisoo gave Jennie a plain smile and stood up, returning where she got the chair. “We’re all hoping for the best. But be careful, always.”

“Yeah, I know. And you all should stop telling me that. It feels like I won‘t be able to live another day.” Jennie chuckled.

“We just don’t want anyone to die again okay.” Jisoo lightheartedly said but meant it.

***

Dinner time had already come and since Lisa was not allowed to get out of her room, Jennie brought her dinner for her. Jennie put the chair in front of Lisa and sat on it, placing the tray on her lap. She picked up the spoon and scooped a spoonful of disgusting food and brought it to Lisa’s lips. Lisa was just blankly staring at Jennie as she opened her mouth. The room was filled with the same cold silence but it was awkward for Jennie. She knew it was her job to talk to her assigned patient but she hadn’t greeted or even say anything to Lisa ever since she got in the room. She just couldn’t. How could she even utter a word after what Jisoo had told her back in the office? She couldn't even look into Lisa’s eyes. Probably the patient was already killing her inside of her head or imagining any nasty things that anyone could do.

“You’re strangely silent.” Lisa spoke and Jennie was startled that Lisa initiated the conversation. Jennie stopped in the middle of scooping to glance at Lisa’s scary stare which she immediately regretted and avoided the latter’s gaze.

“I thought you’d like it if I just keep my mouth shut.” Jennie said as she gulped nervously and then continued feeding Lisa.

“And you’re just not strangely silent, you seemed bothered as well.” Lisa continued after she swallowed the food. “Care to share?”

“Shouldn’t you be the one who should be sharing?” Jennie challenged and Lisa scoffed.

“Well, you’re right. But maybe I will if you win in another game.” Jennie sharply inhaled through her nose and gathered her strength to look at Lisa who was now wearing a smug smile on her face.

“Fine. But we will play a game of my choice.”

“Sure.”

After Lisa finished her dinner, Jennie left the room to find a card game that she was thinking they would play and she was lucky that they had one in the office. After Jennie had the cards in her hand, she only had two things in mind-to win the game again and to make Lisa open up to her. She took a deep breath before entering Lisa’s room again and placed the table between them. She was about to untie Lisa’s sleeves but Jisoo’s voice echoed in her head.

“Lisa killed her.”

Lisa noticed Jennie’s hesitancy. “Are we going to play or not?”

“Y-yeah.” Jennie gulped and untied Lisa’s sleeves with her shaky hands and sat in front of her with an averted gaze. She then heard Lisa’s laugh which made Jennie’s heart sank in her stomach. Was it a bad idea that she untied Lisa? Was this her last day on earth now?

“Seriously? Uno cards? That’s for kids.”

“U-unless you don’t know how to play it?” Jennie stuttered.

“Try me.” Lisa shortly said.

Jennie gulped again as she tried to keep her hands from shaking nervously and shuffled the deck before distributing the cards. The game was longer than Jennie thought would be. She chose this game because she was good at it and thought she could easily win. But she was wrong, she still had many cards in her hand while Lisa only had two left. How was that even possible? Jennie always win in this game when she was just a kid and she was an uno cards champion in her elementary days. How in the hell was she losing?

Jennie let out a sigh as she put down a card. Lisa looked at her with a smirk and she uttered the word “uno” before putting down a card. Now Lisa only had one card left.

“How does it feel that you’re clearly losing, again?” Lisa chuckled.

“Shh, I’m focusing.” Jennie said with her brows knitted together. The game was already making her frustrated. She had no card that matched Lisa’s card so she had to draw from the deck. What’s even more frustrating was that she hadn’t held any power up cards to help her ever since the beginning of their game. But there’s no time to lose hope. She needed to win. Good thing that the card she drew matched Lisa’s card. But when she saw the latter’s smile, she knew it wasn’t really a good thing.

“Game over.” Lisa said as she laid her last card down. “Looks like I win, this time.”

“Alright, fine.” Jennie let out a frustrated sigh as she gathered the cards to put it back in the box. “What do you want to ask or know about me?” Jennie said to get it over with already.

“I won’t be asking you anything. I want you to do something for me instead.” Lisa said. After Jennie was finished with the cards, she went behind Lisa’s back to tie her sleeves again. She had to do it fast or else Lisa might do something that might stop her breathing.

“Woah, this is not a truth or dare game. It’s...truth or truth.” Jennie slowly said.

“Funny.” Lisa scoffed. “Don’t worry, it’s just simple.”

“Fine. But don’t make me do something embarrassing.” Jennie crossed her arms.

“When you come back tomorrow, buy me something at McDonald’s.”