Mountain Soul PART 1-7 (1/1)

PART 1-7      The room was bright, too bright, with white walls and a white ceiling and white door and floor and bed… Jeez, everything was white, and it hurts his eyes and head. Groaning, he had no idea where he could be and even less why he was feeling so numbed. In an attempt to press a hand on his throbbing skull, he realized he was cuffed to the bedrails and could not move. Great.Sighing, he sunk back in the mattress and tried to think. He could not remember much for a too long and unnerving moment, then the pain in his right arm brought back yesterday's events. Lens flashed through his mind. This bastard's smirking face with piercing blue eyes flaring him up uncontrollably. He had wanted to hurt the man and kick him down for playing with him so much, and remembering the bloody mess he was responsible of, he could not help smile. "I see you're awake." Came a voice on his left, and turning his head, he eyed the female nurse wearing a white uniform before ignoring her. "You've been out for eighteen hours. We were starting to wonder if you'll ever wake up."Minwoo noted they just wondered and not worried, which he was not surprised of. Why would they worry about him ? They hated him, and he was perfectly aware of such fact. They would not have put him in Lens' cell otherwise, and they would have came to his help when he was howling in pain. Instead, they just let him to his cellie's mercy until everything went to hell and left them no other choice than step in. He shook in hatred at the thoughts and clenched his good fist in an attempt to calm down. "You need any painkiller or medicine ?" Glancing up at the nurse in a bored way, he shook his head and tried his mushy mouth, "Water." He managed out before grimacing at the sound getting out of him. It sounded so foreign to his ears and brought back a taste making him sick in his stomach. Closing his eyes on yesterday's memory, he felt his guts twist and threaten to expulse whatever he could have in his stomach. The taste of blood on his tongue was disgusting, and the smell of it made him nauseous. Paling, his breathe became heavier and his eyes unfocused. "Here !" Said the nurse hurriedly with a hand on his back helping him to sit up, and the next second he was throwing up in the container held for him. As expected, he did not have much in his stomach, but the acids burnt his throat and nasal cavity. Spitting in the stainless steel container, he waited a few seconds before moving back against the mattress. He was still feeling sick, and the glass of water brought at his lips felt repulsing; but he was too thirsty to refuse it. The cool liquid washed away some of the copper taste on his tongue, and reliving in the fact, he shut his eyes and tried to relax. "You're in the psych ward." Said the nurse after a minute of silence, and opening his eyes, Minwoo stared at her blankly. "We were told about yesterday's incident with your cellmate. Can you tell me what happened ?" He refused to answer and just stared. Why should he talk to her anyway ? She was just a nurse, and she did not care about him, just like everyone else in this place. Besides that, he was too tired to talk and just wanted some peace of mind. He knew it was a lot asking at the right moment, but he still had hope he could expect some. "Alright." She said with a small smile. "We cast your wrist. It was broken, and we pulled your shoulder back in place. It was dislocated." She swallowed before saying. "I know you don't want to talk about it. But seeing your injuries…" She waited for his reaction and continued when he looked up at her. "I guess it was self defense." He could not help blink in disbelieve. He was not expecting anyone to understand him or his actions in prison, and here was this woman, telling him she had figured it all out. It felt strange, to not be looked at as if he was the devil itself and snapped at as if he was nothing more than trash. He would not lie, it made him feel good for the time it lasted. "He deserved it." He rasped out, as if he needed to let her know he was not as crazy and dangerous as his actions were telling. As answer, she smiled softly and stayed at his side for a second more. Why it made him feel so funny ? He was not sure, but for the first time since long ago, he felt like an human being. Maybe not the best one or worth one, but he felt human in this nurse's eyes, and he was not sure how to deal with the feeling. "You must be tired." How did she know ? Ah, yeah. She was a nurse, and he was certainly looking like shit. "We'd to give you a strong doze of sedative." She chuckled softly as if amused then added. "You didn't want to fall asleep." He observed her as she checked he did not need anything else and if his vitals were okay before smiling once again. "Just press this button if you need anything." She said, showing him the little red button near his good hand on the bed. "You'll be transferred tomorrow morning, so you can rest for now." "Thanks." He rasped back and wondered why he voiced his gratefulness. It was not in his character to do so, and feeling flustered by the sudden change, he looked away and shut his eyes. The nurse got the hint and left him alone without a word. He was glad for that, and feeling the most relaxed since he had entered Mountain Soul, he fell back in a restful slumber. 　       As a guard and a male nurse walked him to his new room, Minwoo could not help feel like suffocating in the too enclosed and secured place that was psych ward. He did not like to be locked up with Lens but knew he did not have other choice than deal with it, but here, in the crazy wing, he felt like flying the place and never come back. He could not stand the aseptic smell coming from everywhere, nor these plain white walls making him feel sick in his stomach. He had never considered himself the sanest person on earth, but he was not crazy either and should not be there. Lens should be, and it was a wonder why he was the only one sent in the psych ward. The room was bigger than the one he had to share in his cellblock. There was a single hospital bed in the center with the headboard against a wall and a table with a chair screwed into the ground in the corner near the door. It felt depressing, and Minwoo did not want to stay here. However, for the time being, he knew he did not have a choice. "Breakfast's at half past six. You've ten minutes to shower at eight and if you're late to your appointments you'll be locked up in your room for a definite period of time." Great.Not only he could not avoid the useless shrink appointments but he would have to see more of this depressing room if he was trying to. Minwoo found himself considering his options and liking more the idea of being locked up than seeing anyone wanting to psyched him. He had a bad experience in his childhood, and since then he knew shrinks were just a scam act to make perfectly sane people believe something was wrong with their heads. Who did not have something wrong with their head anyway ? Everyone had a little something not working as it should, and Minwoo hated the hypocrisy with which these claimed expert wanted to encase him in a category he did not belong. Maybe he was crazy, maybe he was not. Or maybe he just loved the thrill of going against the law. Who knows ? But it did not mean he had to be tagged as this or that just to satisfy and appease some moralistic and insecure idiots. "How long do I have to stay here ?" He asked and ignored the nasty look in the guard's eyes. "As long as necessary. You'll have your first evaluation today, and then we'll see." Answered the nurse, and Minwoo had to stop himself from sighing. "Can I get some fresh air ?" The two men thought about it and shared a look before the nurse spoke up, "You're allowed in the yard from two pm to a quarter to three. Three days per weeks. Smokes are prohibited, and you can't talk to other patients." Patients ? Funny. Just yesterday he was being called an inmate, and now he was a patient. Odd enough, he rather be an inmate than a patient, and he could not wait to go back to his cellblock. At least there he was not watched as if he was about to explode and had a semblance of freedom. Here, he could already feel even his piss would be analyzed twice a week. He hated this place. "You've some time before I take you to the communal room. There's two pairs of clean pyjamas in the closet and a pair of slippers. You're free to wear them whenever you want."Awesome.Everything in this place was made to make one feel impotent and different. From these white gowns they were forced to wear all day long to the way they were treated by the staff. Minwoo had only encountered the nurse walking him to his room yet, but the way he had to talk and look at him was enough to let him know it was different than in the cellblock. Back there, they were maybe despised and yelled at, but it was better than being treated like mentally ill people. Watching as the nurse and guard stepped away to share a few words, Minwoo eventually ignored them to look at the room. There was no window, and unlike in his cell, it felt suffocating. Sighing, he sat on the edge of the bed and waited. What else could he do anyway ? He had nothing to distract himself, and thinking he had ended up here because of Lens, he felt rage bubble inside him. It was not the place to lose it, and with great efforts, he managed to calm down just as the nurse was coming back and knocking on the open door. "Let's go." Said the man with a nod of his head before waiting for Minwoo in the hallway. He hated how the guy watched him, observed him, as if he was some complex enigma he had to figure out or be careful of. He almost snapped at the man he was not about to implode, but as often, he opted for silence and just followed to the communal room.       Arriving in the room, it kicked him hard in the face he was in psych ward. The guys there were all on some kind of medication making them like zombies and appear even more crazy. He gulped at the thought he would have to take whatever pills they wanted to give him. There was no way he would end up like these wrecks. He would not allow it. "You can sit there." Pointed the nurse, and looking over at the designated chair, Minwoo stepped to it and sat down. There was some drooling guy sitting across from him, and just with one look it was clear he was passed the point of being aware of the world around him. He wondered what could be happening in his head at the right moment, and then thought he rather not know. "You want something to play with ?" Minwoo looked up at the nurse. "Chess, cards, dominos…?" "Cards." He answered, wanting the guy to get lost and leave him alone. He watched the nurse nod and walk to a locked closet he opened before coming back with a deck of card in hand.       He played on his own for the two hours he had to stay in the communal room, and when lunch was announced, he could not be more relieved. He had thought he would become nuts sitting in this room with these zombie like guys wandering around. How could they expect people to feel better with nothing to do and drugged beyond possible ? Minwoo had no idea but remembered it was the psych ward of a prison facility. Most of these men around him were certainly the worst kind society ever had to deal with. It made him curious to what kind of monster were surrounding him, but then he remembered he better not care too much about it. Wanting to know too much was never good in prison, and he knew it.       The food was slightly better here, but it was still far from good. He was too hungry to be picky though, and finishing his plate quickly, he had to wait -again- for most of the drugged patients to be done too before being allowed back to his room. He hated it the first time he saw it -and he was still hating it- but he rather be there than anywhere else in this place. The people there were creeping him out and making him fear what could happen to him.He spent long hours in the room waiting for something to do. He tried to sleep but he was not tired, and when the pain in his arm awaken, he went looking for a nurse. He found one, a man, talking with a colleague before spotting him and changing his demeanor from casual to defensive. "What are you doing here ?" He asked, without the hostility Minwoo was expecting, but he hated the tone used even more. It made him feel like a child knowing nothing. "I need painkillers." He answered, showing his hurt arm, and glancing down at it, the nurse nodded and escorted him away. "Where's your room ?" He asked and Minwoo nodded towards an open door. "Wait here, I'll give you a painkiller." "Okay." He entered his room and sat on the bed, waiting for the man who came back a minute later with a water bottle in hand and a pill in the other one. He swallowed it wordlessly and gulped some more water before handing it back to the nurse who walked away after that. Minwoo could not believe how alone he was feeling since he had stepped in the psych ward. He had thought guards were not giving a fuck about them in his cellblock, but here it was even worst. The nurses did not have other purpose than watch them and give them pills when they needed to before disregarding their existence. It was like they were invisible and just expected to stand in a corner and cause no trouble. It was crazy, and he could not wait to go back to his cellblock.