Michael woke to the artificial lights in his cell being turned on. He remained in bed however, still not wanting to move any muscle at all. He felt sore from the treatment he had received two days prior. Still suffering from a slight headache from the electroshock treatment, he rubbed his hands over his face. The movement reminded him, that his lower abdomen was far worse. He vowed to himself over and over again, that he would gut the warden and his fat nurse buddy for what they did to him, when he was still under the influence of the drugs. He would cut their obese bellies open and strangle them with their own guts as soon as he got the opportunity too. And somehow he had the feeling that this would be soon. The voices in his head told him so, told him over and over that his time to return home was soon to come. He was 18 now. For 12 years he had been in this very same cell, day in and day out and only his voices to keep him company. Kept his anger alive over all those years and often added more fuel to his inner fire. But as for the last weeks, they had become louder and more confident. He would get out of here soon, would get home and then his reign of terror would begin. For a moment pictures of a young teenage girl flashed before his inner eye, her eyes wide with pain and terror. And he saw his own, small arm with the big knife clenched in his child-sized fist come crashing down on her again and again until her abdomen was literally shredded. For a tiny moment he felt remorse. It had been his sister after all, but that moment went by as the voices in his head scolded him for those feelings. Told him again, how they treated him and that they deserved it. And he remembered the pain that shot through his left wrist and seemed to consume him until the deed was done. There had been a light red mark back then. A mark that had grown darker with each year and now looked like a poorly scribbled edgy P.

His train of thoughts was disrupted as the tray slot was ripped open and his food was placed on it. He didn't feel hungry or like getting up at all, but he knew, if he wouldn't eat again, they would force feed him, like they had done so often. Stiffly he sat up and walked over to the door. Like a good docile pet, he took the tray and gulped the food down. Soon the medicaments would follow, but as they finally came, he was in for a surprise. Outside was a new staff member. She was too short to be seen through the peephole, so Michael was only able to make out a small portion of her body through the tray slot.

"Good morning Mr. Myers. Beautiful day isn't it?"

He heard the soft voice of a woman. A woman, that could hardly be any older than he was himself. She wouldn't last long here, not like this. She would whether quit or turn into the heartless nurses who roamed the corridors. Or maybe get his next victim, his next outlet of bottled up anger, though he had to admit that his curiosity was awoken by her lightly spoken words.

The weeks passed and he learned that she had been transferred here from somewhere in Ohio and that she was the same age he was, though he never managed to catch a glimpse of her. The older staff made sure to bring him to his therapies in the old rough manner he so was used too.

And then he was stirred out of his daze by a commotion on the hallway.

"Campbell, what are you doing with those handcuffs?"

The head-nurse barked, as the young nurse walked down the hallway. Campbell turned.

"I'm taking a patient out in the yard."

She replied in her light tone. The head-nurse Linz frowned.

"Which one, they are all in the lounge?"

By now she had gained the attention of an older orderly. The young nurse looked down at the cuffs she held in hand.

"The one in cell 237. It is such a beautiful warm day and he never seemed to have any social time."

The head-nurse pushed her glassed back up the bridge of her nose with an angry motion.

"And he wont get any. He is dangerous. Get you pretty little ass back in here. The kitchen needs to be cleaned."

Nurse Campbell took a deep breath in.

"I will clean the kitchen after his hour of fresh air."

The look on the head-nurses face grew cold and she was about to say something.

"The doctor has written in his chart, that he is to be taken out in handcuffs if he seems docile enough to do so. Besides every patient has a right for at least one hour a day out of his cell. That is the law and I will not break it."

The head-nurse was about to say something but the orderly put his hand on her shoulder.

"Let her. She will find out soon enough what kind of a patient that kiddo is."

The head-nurse smiled turning back to the young nurse.

"Don't come crying to us if he lashed out. And don't expect to get any help from us. You've been warned and now you are on your own."

Campbell only nodded before making her way down the hallway, finally reaching the door with the number 237 written on it. She took a deep breath and opened the tray slot.

"Hello Mr. Myers. Would you like to have a little fresh air?"

Michael for the first time didn't know what to think. He had heard every word they had spoken and he knew that she had been told gruesome stories about him. Well, he had done gruesome things to inmates and staff alike, if they had been foolish enough to come too close or trigger his rage. But never before had someone actually fought for his rights. A moment he listened to his voices but they were unusually silent. Slowly he rose and held his hands out through the door, waiting for the metal cuffs to bit his flesh with their cold jaws, but to his surprise she put them on almost gently. Tight enough he couldn't slip through but not too tight either. He stepped back from the door as it was expected from him and the door opened finally revealing the newest addition to the staff. He was surprised to say the least. She was small, only reaching up to his shoulders, had long brown hair and big blue eyes, all in all she was rather easy on the eyes compared with the rest of the staff who all crossed the 40's mark. He waited for her to grab him roughly to pull him out, but she only smiled and stepped back from the door.

"We are going down into yard B."

She simply informed him and he slowly came out of his cell. No orderlies he notices, no other nurses, just that one little woman. It was almost ridiculous, but Michael decided to wait and slowly walked beside her at arm length distance down into the yard.

The sudden bright light of the sun hurt his eyes and he had to close them for a moment. He felt her small hand wrap around his elbow to steady him.

"Come, we sit down in the grass. I bet you haven't felt that in a long time."

She said. Michael cracked one eye open. There was no malice in her voice, only honest concern. He allowed her to lead him into the grass, where he sat down. She was right, he couldn't remember the last time he had been outside. He had been a little kid the last time, but since he had grown and showed his potential nobody trusted him any more. They called him a monster and perhaps they were right about that. He looked down at the grass. There was a small flower growing next to him, one with a yellow heart and white pedals around. He cocked his head lightly to the side before his gaze drifted over to the nurse. She was clearly enjoying the sun of this warm May afternoon. She didn't seem to be too concerned about him being so near to her. It would be so easy for him to strangle her, to see the light die in those beautiful light blue eyes. And with her key he would be out of here without anyone noticing. Out of reflex he tested the handcuffs, but the voices in his head whispered to him to wait. It wasn't his time yet. Besides, if he killed her, he would prove all the others right and he was not about to let them have this victory. His gaze went to the flower again, that looked so frail in the grass. Frail like that young nurse and he actually felt pity for her. She would get swallowed by those rough orderlies and the crazy patients. This was no places of a girl his age. It was then, when he realized that she was staring at him. He raised his gaze and she smiled.

"Give me your hands, I'll take those off..."

She hesitated.

"Just don't tell anyone ok?"

At this he felt a twitch in the corner of his mouth and he realised that he almost smiled. He had barely spoken a word in his entire time here, he surely wouldn't tell. Again he cocked his head, trying to figure out if she was brave or just stupid as she opened the handcuffs. Before he could retract his hands, she took hold of one with surprising strength and put it down on the grass.

"Here. Feel this and remember it. I don't know if I'm ever allowed back into that wing."

He understood. She had stood up to the head-nurse and that wouldn't go down well. He gave her a small nod, and then out of a sudden impulse he lay down on his back, just enjoying the feeling of the grass beneath him and the warm sun caressing his pale skin. He had missed it, and he remembered how he enjoyed playing outside as a kid. She let him enjoy it and just watched over him silently. Michael slowly sat up, as he heard a car enter the parking lot that was on the opposite side of the fence. Shortly after a door slammed shut and the familiar figure of his doctor walked along the path. Michael stared at him unmoving, until his doctor finally got aware of his ward sitting in the yard. Loomis stopped dead in his tracks, wide eyes mouth hanging open in disbelieve. It took the doctor a whole minute to compose himself, but when he did, his gaze turned to the nurse.

"When you are done I want to talk to you!"

He said, in a quiet almost dangerous tone. Michael could see her face pale as she swallowed and knew that she was in for trouble. It actually made him feel a little bad for the frail woman. Again his eyes darted back to the flower as he run his hands over the soft delicate pedals. He sighed, holding out his hands to have them cuffed again, his hour was over anyway. She led him back to his cell, which was all dark and damp to him now, that he had felt the sun on his skin again. She took off the cuffs through the tray slot but as she wanted to step back, his hand shot out and took hold of her wrist. He couldn't see her face, but felt that she remained surprisingly calm. He pulled her hand into his cell, pressing something into her palm before releasing her. The tray slot was closed and he was left to his cage and his voices.

...

...

"Are you crazy? He is the evil incarnated and you let him out in the yard?"

Loomis yelled at her. Mairi looked down at her hands, twisting the small daisy in her hands, she had received from Michael, while Loomis continued to scold her. Finally as the doctor was silent she looked up.

"It is his right, doctor. And it worked out fine. He had every chance to harm me, yet he did not. And I would do it again."

Something in Loomis eyes suddenly changed.

"You are right. He had every chance."

His brows furrowed together in a deep frown as he turned towards the window that looked out over the yard. A thought occurred in him.

"Dismissed."

He finally said, but just as she was about to slip through the door he held her back.

"But next time, please let the handcuffs on."

Nurse Campbell smiled and nodded.