How The 7 Have Fallen

Tell Me You Don't Love Me

Everyone seems to have retired to their rooms, and Namjoon walks Poppy upstairs. Reaching the top floor, she says, "Good night, Jooni," and kisses him on the cheek.

"Night, Noona, and thank you."

She goes to Yoongi's room, opens the door, and giggles. Then the lights go out, and the door closes with the snick of a lock engaging.

The following day, Poppy and Namjoon arrive at the hospital just as the doctor leaves your room. He sees them and approaches, "It's good to see you, Miss Park, Mr. Kim."

Poppy asks, "How is she doing this morning?"

The doctor says, "She is doing extremely well physically but seems a little depressed this morning. I'm sure seeing you will cheer her up."

He smiled, and then one of the ICU nurses called to him. "If you will excuse me," he said, stepping away to talk with the nurse.

"You go first, Jooni." You tell Namjoon as he wrings his hands in worry.

He says unsure, "I don't know. I don't want to upset her."

Poppy says, "If I go in first, she will want to know who is with me, and I won't lie to her. You go in first."

Namjoon sighed, then started towards your room and stopped before the door. Poppy gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder and said, "She loves you, Jooni. Go on." She gently nudged him forward.

He enters your room and sees you lying in bed with so many tubes, lines, and wires. His heart feels like it is going to stop. He can hardly breathe. He had no idea your injuries were so severe.

He softly comes closer to your bed, and upon hearing the motion, you turn to look and see him. Shock crosses your face and you start crying and becoming very upset. The monitors by your bed are spiking, showing your heart rate and blood pressure increasing.

Namjoon takes your hand and caresses your cheek, glancing at the monitor. "Please don't be upset with me. I'm so sorry for everything. I should have saved you."

You watch as tears form in his eyes. You try to calm down to avoid the tears in your eyes. You gesture to the paper and pen, and he hands it to you.

You write, "GO AWAY!"

He asks, "Why? Do you hate me so much for what happened?"

You write, "Don't look at me! I'm UGLY!" You shift your head slightly so you don't look directly at him.

You write, "Go away!"

One of the monitors is sounding a loud rhythmic ding, ding, ding. One of the nurses comes in, and Namjoon steps back as she tends to you. She asked if you wanted any pain medicine as it was time as she reset the monitor. You let her know that you do. Because it will put you to sleep, and you won't have to keep hurting . . . him. She leaves the room and returns quickly with a syringe of pain medicine and gives it through the IV. You can already feel its effects. After ensuring you were comfortable, she gave the monitors one final check before leaving the room.

Namjoon steps up, firmly takes your hand, and says, "Never say you are ugly. You're beautiful, and I . ."

You put up a hand to stop him from speaking and rapidly write again, "LOOK, JUST LOOK!" and you throw the paper and pen on the floor and pull the covers down, exposing your slashed and stitched-up neck and chest.

You close your eyes, scared to see the disgust on his face. But you realize he is gently pulling the sheet back up, covering you.

As he strokes your cheek, he says, "What I see is you hurting. What I see is the woman I've fallen in love with."

You stop crying and look at him, so sure he would hate your disfigurement. You start gesturing for the paper and pen. He hands it to you.

You write, "You love me? How? I'm ugly." You gesture to your body.

He says, "I love you, not the skin you are in, but YOU. I love you for who you are, for what's inside your heart."

You start to write, "Wish I could talk," you write more aggressively, "You can find better!"

Namjoon has become angry and says, "I love you! Tell me you don't love me. Tell me, and I will walk out of your life forever. But I will never be able to move on from you!"

You go silent and can't look at him any longer. You close your eyes and ignore him. You think it's for the best that he finds someone he can love who is whole, a whole person not tattered and torn like you.

He dejectedly says, "I had hoped . . . I thought that you loved me too." He silently turns and leaves.

Namjoon's heart is breaking as he slowly walks out of your room, he takes one glance back before heading back to Poppy. You are still not looking at him. Your eyes are closed.