As I walk through the door of the monitor room, I hear a voice coming out of Shin's room. He is talking, but I can't hear what he is saying. I open the door and see him lying on the ground right next to the door. He looks up at me, as if he didn't expect me to come here.
"You're back?"
He says confused and I nod. I place myself next to him on the ground and give him the bottle of water. What he doesn't know, is that I mixed the medication in the water. I think he wouldn't take them, if I'd offer him them just like that.
"Here is the water you asked for."
He takes it without saying a word. He immediately drank almost the whole bottle. He must have been really thirsty.
"The water tastes weird."
He says and looks at me, as if I am some criminal. He probably knows by now that I've mixed something in the water.
"I said no medications."
"And I said you have to take them."
"…"
Silence.
I look at him for a few seconds, before I start to stare at the cold, wet wall. The room in general looks really uncomfortable. No wonder why someone would get sick that easily.
"It's just for your best"
["Its just for your best, Jinsei."]
I am frightened as I hear the same words of the professor in my own words. He probably sees that something is off, because now Shin looks confused at me. I shake my head to get the thoughts of the past out of it.
"It's nothing."
I say and look at him again.
"I can try to get you a better room. Or to get you better living conditions. I don't have a lot of might but if I go down and beg on my knees he might allow it."
I'm just joking, of course. But I think I said it with a too serious tone, because he doesn't seem to get my joke.
"Just kidding?"
I say and now I think he got it, because he looks at me with wide eyes, as if he just solved a math problem and knows the correct answer.
"Even if you could manage to get me a better room, I would deny the offer. I don't want to get you, or the little child in trouble. Or just anyone who has to do something with me. Being sick isn't too bad. You're over worrying."
He says.
"I'm not worried."
I respond.
"I just think that no one ever should live in conditions like that. Not you, and no other human as well."
He sighs in annoyance, but I don't know why he would be annoyed now. Did I do something again?
"When I was younger I used to dream a lot of freedom."
Is he just changing the subject like that?
"I thought happiness comes from freedom, that's why I escaped from my home."
I look at him with wide eyes. Wasn't he free? I didn't know what he had to go through, before he came here, but it doesn't seem to be easy, being a number 0.
"Weren't you free before you came here?"
I ask and he looks at me with a sigh.
"What do you see as freedom? If you are outside? If you have free will? If you are with the people you love? I really loved my family you know. My mother always took care of me, and my little sister was very sweet. But I felt like all that wasn't real- I… I don't know it's just weird. I didn't felt loved. It felt like they were only treating me right because they were scared of me."
I can't see his expression because of the darkness, but I can hear the sadness in his voice.
"It's always like that. Everywhere I go people are scared of me."
"I am not scared of you."
I say. It almost sounds ridiculous if he says that everyone is scared of him. I wouldn't even know why they would be. Sure, his personality is a bit… Special, but he can't even use his ability right now.
"I know that you aren't. Maybe you should be."
He laughs, but I don't.
"Are you free?"
He asks after a little silence. I know this question should be easy to answer. I am trapped in a laboratory and have to work as a lab rat for an insane professor who makes me suffer almost everyday.
"I don't think so."
That's the only answer I can come up for now.
"Why would you have to think about it?"
He asks, but I don't know either. I mean I was raised here. It's almost like my home. I know the people and the secret ways through the lab. I hate the professor, but I don't really have something against the other people. It's almost as if I am home. I'm not even sure if I could ever escape. Not because I wouldn't be able to, but maybe I couldn't step over this line in my heart, that tells me this is where I belong.
I didn't respond, that's why he is talking now again.
"I still don't like you. But you are really caring for Coras. I want to repay you."
What is he talking about? He doesn't need to repay me. I didn't do that for him.
He stood up and stretches his hand towards me, to help me up.
"Come with me. Let's escape this place, Jinsei."