"Stop!" April Black shouted, struggling to free herself from the clutches of the two men that held her. "Let go of me! I do not belong in here! I'm not crazy!"

"No one ever called you crazy," one of them muttered, "but you sure are acting like it."

"If no one thinks I've gone off the deep end, then what am I doing in here? And why the hell are you two dragging me around like some inmate scum?" she snapped.

"That information is classified and will be revealed to you in time," the second man told her. "And if you'll remember correctly, you gave us quite a fight when we arrived to fetch you."

"...Well, excuse me, but I have been kidnapped and almost brutally murdered before in my life," April grumbled. "How was I to trust two shady looking so-called 'government agents' when they randomly approached me at the mall?"

"...It does sound a little creepy when you put it that way," the first agent murmured to the second. "We could have tried a different, more friendly approach, I suppose..."

They slowed to a stop in front of a pair of steel double doors and released April from their grasp.

"Through here awaits the one who requested your presence," said the second agent. "When you go inside, all of your questions will be answered. All right?"

"Er...Okay..." April stammered, hesitantly pushing one of the doors inward.

She stepped into a large labratory through the doors and stopped in awe. There were devices there for things she didn't dare imagine, shelves lined with gadgets and bottles of peculiar liquids, but the most curious thing of all was the man standing in front of the enormous computer that took up the space of an entire wall.

"Um, excuse me?" April spoke up timidly, "Are you the one I'm supposed to talk to?"

The man whirled around in an exaggerated spin to see her. "So, she really does exist!" he said, speaking in a marvelled tone. He approached April, walking a full circle around her, then stopped in front of her. "You're Dr. April Black?"

"I am," she confirmed, somewhat afraid to say so. "Who are you, may I ask?"

"Professor Membrane," he replied, still examining her from head to toe. "I realize you must be confused as to where you are, Dr. Black. Come, allow me to explain." He strode past April and motioned her to follow him to a small table on the far side of the lab.

"You're the one who sent for me? What is with all the secrecy here? Have I done something?" April asked.

"Not at all. You see, Dr. Black, I am a scientist," Membrane said. "This is the local insane asylum, as you might know, and I am here to conduct a study on new possibilities of the causes of lunacy, as well as a few side projects. I have a particular subject here who speaks of you often. Now, you might imagine that we have several people here who talk passionately about others, real or not, but this case has been a little different. He says that the only person who can treat his condition is you. I figure he must be a former patient of yours."

"Well, it's certainly a possibility," April admitted. "I have had patients who wound up being committed. But why not just call me to confirm this? I gather there must be more to this if you had to speak to me in person and in such clandestine circumstances."

"Yes," he admitted with a sigh. "You see, this patient is certainly insane, but the government considers him to quite possibly be our most dangerous serial killer. That is the reason for all the secrecy. He's a menace to society. We can't take any risk of him having friends on the outside who might try to help him escape here."

A lump formed in April's throat, disabling her to swallow. "A serial killer," she whispered hoarsely.

The scientist eyed her intently. "You know who I am speaking about?"

"I sure hope I don't," she choked, "but I can't help thinking that I know exactly who you are describing..."

Membrane stood up from his seat and moved to a closeby file cabinet. He jerked one of the drawers open and extracted a large folder, leafing through its contents.

"Here it is," he said, coming back to the table. He began to read aloud from the folder:

" 'I think it was sometime in the spring of 1999. Yeah, I could never forget her. She had the prettiest red hair, the color of blood. Since I didn't know her name, I started calling her Mary. You know, Bloody Mary. That's funny, isn't it? Anyway, I held onto her for a while. I don't know why. I originally planned to kill her just I'd killed everybody else, but when she woke up, I was instantly interested in her personality. You know, she bit me on the nose the first time I actually met her! I had her chained to a wall in the basement, and when I tried to check to see if she was awake yet, she totally took me for surprise!...Anyway, she offered to help me because she didn't want to see me harm any more people. I knew I was beyond salvation, but I think she might have proved me wrong somewhat. It was nice having her around. But then I started getting too attached to her for my own good, so I had two options as to what to do with her: I could have killed her, or I could have let her go. It was so strange. Since she had tried so hard to help me, I didn't think it would be proper to just slaughter her like I had the others. Finally, I was able to determine where she lived, and I went to her room to get her. I knocked her out with a little chloroform so she wouldn't know where my house was and took her home. I had to break into the house since it was locked, but I left her on the sofa and went home. I've avoided her like the plague since. I don't like the feelings I get when I'm around her. They frighten me.' "

Membrane looked up from the paper at April. "That was an interview with the patient that took place a little over a month ago. Dr. Black, we did a background check on you before approaching you about this. It was recorded that you were reported as a missing person back in May of 1999. You were gone for nearly two months before you returned home. Your parents and friends all said you refused to discuss what had happened to you and where you had been. You fit the description of the woman the patient speaks so fondly of. So allow me to ask you this next question; Are you the one he called Mary?"

April winced, fighting back tears. "...Yes. I'm Mary," she murmured, her heart racing. "You have Johnny here? He finally was caught?"

Membrane nodded. "I wasn't sure if I should let you see him, but I admit that I am curious as to whether or not you can make progress where the other doctors have not here. Will it be okay for you to meet Mr. C again?"

"Johnny C.," she said with a hollow laugh, "He never would tell me if that was his entire last name or merely an initial. He drove me half crazy, you know. I spent weeks visiting a psychiatrist of my own after he let me go, but he was the one who drove me to this profession. Maybe it's fate that we meet again..."

"So, you'll see him?"

"...Yes. Take me to him, Professor Membrane. I would like very much to speak with him again." April stood up and waited expectantly for Membrane to show her the way to her former tormentor.

The professor looked a little apprehensive about the whole thing, but he started for the doors that April had entered the lab through, motioning for her to follow.

They walked down a long maze of corridors and chambers before coming to a stop in front of a door that stood on its own at the end of a dark hallway.

"We keep him in solitary confinement," Membrane explained. "We don't want to risk him possibly harming the other inmates. His personality is much too volitile for us to risk having him around other people."

April nodded in understanding and took a deep breath before grasping the door handle.

"You're sure you want to do this?" Membrane asked. "It's perfectly fine if you don't think you should. I don't want you to do something that you think you'll regret."

She shook her head. "No, I want this. I want him to see that, despite all he did to me, I'm okay. I want him to know that I don't let what happened back then rule over me now."

Membrane seemed to understand her logic and unlocked the door. "Go on in, then. There will be guards to ensure your safety should he try to harm you."

April released a prolonged breath and jerked open the door. The cell was covered from the ceiling to the floor with a soft pillow-like padding, causing her to stumble as she tried to cross the room. It was also rather dimly lit, which reminded her of the basement in Johnny's house all those years ago. In the corner of the room, April could make out a shadowy figure slumped on the floor, silent and unmoving.

"Johnny?" she croaked, her voice catching in her throat. "Johnny C. ...?"

"That's me," his familiar cold yet gentle voice rasped, as if it hadn't been used in ages. "Who are you?"

"...Dr. Black. I'm a psychiatrist. I've come to help you." April stepped closer to him ever so cautiously, scared that he wouldn't recognize her, terrified that he might snap and attempt to murder or maim her.

"Another psych examiner, huh? How many more of you are they going to pit against me? Do you guys get some kind of laugh out of bugging me to death? What are you going to do, interrogate me about my shitty childhood? Ask me if I was molested at a young age? Quiz me as to whether or not I tormented animals when I was little? What'll it be today, Doc?" he growled.

"I'm not here to interrogate you, Johnny," she whispered. "I was told that none of the other doctors have been able to help you, so I want to try."

"Good luck wih that," he muttered. "No one can help me. None of you have even tried. You think that my condition is incurable. Well, maybe it is, but so far all you shits have done is ask me stupid questions. Nobody really wants to help me. There's only been one, and I doubt you could even find her. And if you could, she wouldn't want to see me. I wouldn't want her to see me, not like this. Not ever, actually..."

"You mean Mary?" April asked quietly. "How do you know she'd never want to see you?"

"You've read my file," Johnny said with a sardonic laugh. "Is that a new psych trick? Talking to the nutjobs about the people that have impacted them the most? Mary wouldn't want to see me because of what I did. I imagine she's put out with me for holding her captive that long, then just dropping her like a stray dog without even saying goodbye."

"...Yeah, I'd imagine she's not happy about that. But maybe she would like very much to meet you again. Maybe seeing you would help her obtain some closure. I would imagine she spent a lot of time wondering about you, whether or not you were okay, if you'd hurt more people or stopped. I'd say those questions torment her often."

April was in front of Johnny now, but he didn't bother to look up at her. "Tell me about your Mary," she prompted gently. "What was she like? Your file said that the emotions you felt around her frightened you."

"First of all, she wasn't 'my Mary,' " Johnny scowled, "and she was a lovely person. A person, yes. It shocked me that a human could be so kind, so forgiving. And of course, my feelings for her scare me. They weaken me. I can't afford to have a soft spot for someone. That's why I let her go. I can't hurt what I don't acknowledge."

"And you think she's the only one who can help you?" April asked.

"I think she's the only one who's willing to try," he grumbled. "I made her stare death in the face, and still she never feared me. She still tried to fix me. But I'm too broken for even her to heal...Having her might make living a little more bearable, though."

"Oh, Nny," she murmured, stooping to his side. "Nny, don't say such things. These people here are trying their hardest to help you. They just don't know how or where to begin."

Slowly, he lifted his head and stared forward, his eyes unfocused and blank. "Nny...No one's called me that for ages. How do you know about-"

He cut himself short when he finally saw her. He stared at her, mouth agape, stunned to see her there before him. "M...Mary..." he stammered, the words tumbling out of his mouth in a pathetic whisper.

Her lips turned up in a sad smile at him. "Hello, Johnny."

"They found you? But how...?"

"I don't know, but I came to help as soon as I heard."

April looked him over, frowning at the sight of the straitjacket he'd been forced to wear. "You shouldn't be in here. You aren't meant to be caged any more than I am."

"Heh, no matter. At least I'm away from most of the fucktards out there." He squirmed around in the jacket and laid flat on the floor. "I can't believe they actually when looking for you. If I talked about a cherry Brain Freezy the way I talked about you, do you think they'd bring me one? I have been craving them a lot lately, as I am currently unable to leave and get one for myself."

April felt the knot form again in her throat, choking her, as she gazed at him. He looked twice as pale as he was since they had last met, and appeared to be even thinner than he once was as well. He looked downright sickly, with pasty skin and unkept hair.

She held back the strangest urge to cry for him and reached out to touch his cheek. "You don't look well, Johnny. You look ill."

"Ill?" he repeated with an amused laugh. "Of course, I am! I'm in the looney bin, Mary! Of course, I'm sick! Silly girl."

April winced. It hurt her to see Johnny this way. She didn't want him to be in this prison. She didn't want him to be contained. He needed to be, he should be, but she didn't want it. Why didn't it make her happy to see the man who had nearly ruined her life trapped this way? She knew it ought to feel good to see he'd gotten what he long had coming to him. She was certain that it should overjoy her to know that this maniac was locked up away from the world, where he could no longer harm anyone.

"Johnny, it's not a joke. You've done horrible things, some of which not even the most morbid minds have never dreamed. Please, won't you at least try to cooperate? Didn't you tell me you wanted someone to fix you? Here's your chance." April moved closer to him, trying to see his face. She wanted to know what he was thinking, what he was feeling.

"Do I not scare you, Mary?" he asked softly. "How is it that you can be so kind to me even after what I did to you?"

"But you didn't exactly do that much, remember?" she pointed out. "You said so yourself all those years ago that all the pain I endured was self inflicted. All you were responsible for was trapping me in your basement. And how can I fear someone that I feel such pain for?"

"You feel pain for me?" Johnny almost laughed. "Mary, Mary, Mary. Don't say such things to me. What you feel is the emotion society has brainwashed you into feeling. Beneath all of that crap that's been beaten into your pretty head, you know you hate me. You know you're glad to see me this way. If you didn't, you'd be as crazy as I am."

"Then I must be insane!" she cried, tears forming in her eyes. "I must be as crazy as you, because I do feel pain for you. It does upset me to see you this way. I don't like it, Johnny. I don't like it at all!"

She wiped her face, smearing makeup all over her eyes. The black pigment from her eyeliner and mascara painted dark circles beneath them, making them look sunken and crazed.

Johnny smiled wryly at her and shook his head. "Maybe you are," he murmured. "Maybe you should be down here with me on this floor, confined in one of these fucking annoying jackets and all. Maybe you are as nuts as I am. Besides, a cellmate would be nice. It gets terribly lonely in here, you know. I miss having intelligent conversations with other people, or just having conversations at all."

April was still crying quietly, but she managed to smile at him through her tears. She laid down beside him, leveling her gaze with his.

"What's wrong with me, Nny?" she whispered. "You're right, I should hate you. I should be glad see to you here...But I'm not. Maybe you won't believe this, but I've found myself actually missing those times I spent at your house, talking with you..."

He laughed. "What isn't wrong with you, Mary?"

She frowned. "That's not funny. I'm serious."

Johnny's smile faded. "Jeez, I was just trying to get you to laugh, but if you're gonna be all stoic like that, then forget it."

April huffed in irritation and sat up. "I came to see you, Nny, because I was happy to learn you were all right. I wasn't particularly thrilled that you were still killing people, but it didn't surprise me. I want to pick up where we left off all those years ago. I got a degree in psychology because of you. I've talked to a lot of patients during this time, and I've gotten some experience under my belt. I think I can save you now, but only if you'll let me."

"Save me?" he snickered. "Mary, if there's one thing you ought to know, it's that I'm far beyond redemption. Don't waste your time trying to do such an impossible thing."

"It's impossible only if you want it to be, Johnny," she said. "If you want to be saved and are willing to let me help, then it's no more impossible than man's ability to breathe. Just work with me, let me help you, and you can get out of here before you know it."

Johnny closed his eyes, thinking, and didn't respond. After a few moments, April began to wonder whether or not he had fallen asleep, but then he opened them again and stared at her.

"I haven't slept in four days, Mary," he whispered. "I'm tired, I feel sick, but I can't sleep. I have nightmares, Mary, terrible nightmares...I dream things the foulest of minds couldn't think of. I don't like it at all, you know. It makes me ill. Just a few hours before you got here, I threw up because I feel so wretched..."

April was totally taken aback by this random bit of information, but then she realized he was telling her this because he was agreeing to let her treat him. She smiled weakly and placed a comforting hand on his cheek. His skin was icy and slightly damp from the cold sweat he had broken out in. It was clear to April that Johnny really was sick, physically as well as emotionally.

"What do you dream about, Nny?" she asked gently. "What is it about the nightmares that scares you so badly that you can't sleep?"

"I dream...about walls," he murmured, "particularly that one in my house. The one I had to keep painting to contain whatever nasty creature was on the other side...I was never allowed to let it get dry. I had to keep it wet, or it would break through..."

"The wall?" April asked. "I don't remember..."

"It was before I met you," Johnny explained. "Why I got chosen with the nasty duty of maintaining it, I'll never know. But it was a terrible burden, Mary. I wasn't curious enough to let the paint dry so I could see whatever that thing was, but it did break loose at one point because I had accidentally died, you see, and wasn't around to feed it. I never saw it, which really sucked, but at least it was gone. I thought that would be the end of it. Guess I was wrong."

"You died?"

"Yes. I sort of accidentally-on-purpose shot myself...It's a long story. Actually, I'm not sure if I dreamed it all or if it really happened. Either way, I ended up losing all my hair when I woke up...The thing was gone after that, and I was left wondering if it was even there at all. Just one more thing to frighten me about sleep. I never know if I'll wake up to find everything I knew was a dream or not. It terrifies me."

April watched him with sorrow as he was struggling that very moment to stay awake. "You need to sleep, Johnny. It might be part of the reason why you're sick. If you get some sleep, not only will your body feel better, but your mind might as well. Please try to sleep."

He shook his head. "No. I never go to sleep voluntarily. I wait until I collapse from exhaustion, which I'm getting better at not doing. I'm not going to sleep, Mary. Forget it."

With a sigh, April grabbed Johnny and pulled him toward her, resting his head on her lap. "I'll be right here, Nny. I'm not going to leave you. You go to sleep, and I'll be here when you wake up."

Johnny looked uncertain of her, his eyes wide with doubt. His body was tense and refused to relax. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead, and he shivered from a sudden chill.

"...No," he said at long last, "I am not going to sleep. You can't make me."

April hid a smile, smitten with his childlike attitude. She stroked Johnny's hair affectionately. "All right, fine. I can't make you, you're right. But I can help you along."

Johnny shook his head as she continued to run her fingers soothingly through his hair. "Stop it, Mary! I don't want to sleep! Cut it out!"

April ignored his demands and kept trying to put him to sleep. She knew if he could get some rest, he would feel much better.

His lack of sleep could be a contributing factor to his insanity. The paranoia, irritability, and weak immune system are all effects of sleep deprivation. If I could observe him after a good sleep, I'll be able to determine how much of this mental condition is him and how much is a result of this ridiculous insomnia, she thought.

She looked down at Johnny to find that he had drifted off to sleep. A weak smile turned upon her mouth.

Asleep, Johnny looked gentle, as though he could never hurt even a fly. It made April wonder if he really did enjoy doing the things he used to, or if he did it because it was what his current mentality dictated for him to do. He looked sweet, innocent, and helpless, like a child.

Really, that's all he is, April told herself, He's a child on the inside. So brutal, yet so sweet. If he were any other man, that would be just disturbing, but...I can't deny that he is adorable...

Just then, the door to the cell opened, and Professor Membrane stepped inside.

"You got him to sleep," he marvelled. "The doctors here usually have to restrain and inject him with drugs just to get him to relax, and he just fell out on your lap. I must say, I'm shocked."

April frowned at the professor disapprovingly. "He might be sick, and he might be the country's most dangerous killer, but he is still a human being like anyone else. He just needs someone to be near him and understand him. He needs companionship, not drugs. He needs someone to be with him, to give him attention, to tell him everything is going to be okay. I'm not saying I can cure him on those things alone, but I can guarentee that if you allow me to stay with him like this, you'll see a lot of improvement in him. I can tell he wants to get better, Professor, but he needs guidance. I can give that to him."

Membrane crossed his arms thoughtfully for a moment or two before finally turning his attention back to her. "I have to say, he's taken quite a shine to you, Dr. Black, but your procedure seems very unprofessional. You say you can treat him through companionship and understanding, and it just may work, but won't that mean that he will develop a heavy dependence on you? You can't keep doing this forever. You'll have to find a way to put some distance between you two."

She shook her head. "No, Professor, that's why this treatment is perfect for him. He will more than likely form some kind of deep bond with me, and I'm okay with that. You see, there's a peculiar mutual feeling between Johnny and me. We need each other in order to function properly. When I was a hostage in his house, this bond between us was born. Since we've been seperated, the two of us have never been the same. Now that we're reunited, we're whole once more, and we can fix one another. Do you understand?"

Membrane laughed. "I do understand. That peculiar mutual feeling you speak of is what most people call 'love,' Dr. Black."

April's eyes widened with shock at the scientist's blatant explanation. "Don't be ridiculous! It's hardly love, Professor. It's just a...bond. There's nothing romantic about it."

"Romantic?" Membrane chuckled, "My girl, who ever said your relationship was romantic? There are many other kinds of love that do not involve romance. You should know that."

April blushed a deep scarlet, realizing she had jumped the gun and blurted out something she shouldn't have. She swallowed the lump in her throat and laughed nervously. "O-Of course, I knew that. I just meant...Um..."

He laughed again at her, amused by her flustered attempts to cover for her slip of the tongue. "You remind me very much of my son, Dr. Black, getting ahead of yourself in things only to end up hurting your own ego. But your secret is safe with me...Though I can't help but be a little concerned about your taste..." He glanced at Johnny.

April stroked the sleeping man's hair, admiring him silently. "You know, Professor, had life treated Johnny a little more kindly, he wouldn't be here right now. He would be living somewhere else, maybe happily married and starting a family. He never expressed an interest in having children of his own, but I remember him talking very fondly about a little boy who lived next door to his house quite often. I think he likes kids. I think he wants to have a life like that. He's just tired of people always hurting him. Seems like he couldn't keep friends because they kept doing him wrong."

"...You think that's what caused his mental condition to deteriorate into what it has become now?" Membrane asked, raising a disbelieving eyebrow.

She shook her head. "Not at all. I believe it didn't help, but his mind was probably very weak to begin with. I don't know a lot about what his life was like before I met him, but I do think something awful happened to him a long time ago. He doesn't remember a lot about his childhood, which leads me to wonder if he possibly had a traumatic experience when he was young. Insanity rarely comes from nowhere, Professor. People usually have a rational reason for the loss of their minds, like a bad early life or witnessing an unspeakable horror. There are literally hundreds of things I could guess happened to this man, but he seems so angry with people in general. He's just one of those guys who can't get a break in life, and he couldn't take it. Instead of becoming introverted and awkward, he reacted to the bad treatment violently."

Membrane nodded in understanding before releasing a prolonged breath and changing the subject. "Well, at any rate, Dr. Black, you do realize that you cannot stay here in this cell with him, don't you?"

"He'll be terribly upset if he wakes up and sees I'm gone, Professor," April told him with a sly grin. "You wouldn't want that to happen, would you?"

Membrane was taken aback for a moment, surprised by her reply. "...For a psychiatrist, Dr. Black, I have to say you are rather...unethical. Do forgive me for being so blunt."

She giggled mischievously. "I know, I don't fit the stereotype for your typical psych doctor, but I went into this profession for only one reason." Her gaze fell once again to Johnny.

"After meeting him, I was never the same person I was before. I realized that he wasn't the only one in the world who had such problems, and it made me want to help everyone I could. That's why I went to school and got a degree for this line of work. Originally, I was going to be a nurse, but your priorities change after an experience like that which Nny had given me...I also hoped I would see him again one day. If he was still as sick as he was when we last met, then I wanted to be able to give him some real help. I thank you for giving me such an oppertunity, Professor."

"Well...You're welcome, Dr. Black," Membrane stammered. "If you insist on staying the remainder of the night here in this cell, then I'll leave you now. There are still guards outside if anything should go awry. I trust you and your treatment, however strange it might be. I wish you luck, Doctor."

With that, the professor stepped again out of the padded chamber, leaving April alone with Johnny once more.

She sighed with relief and looked down at the slumbering man on her lap. The peaceful look on Johnny's face remained, but he looked terribly uncomfortable in his straightjacket. April wished she could loosen the straps at least, to allow him a little more comfort, but she was pushing her luck as it was by staying in the isolation cell with him.

She leaned back against the wall behind her and nestled her head on the padding. "Good night...Johnny..." she murmured before drifting off to sleep.