"She's... a difficult one. I have a feeling she'll be here again."

Eyes weary and sore, he looks around the room. Dazed and confused he sees only brightness with dark fuzz bleeding in. The weight of his eye lashes and lids become too great and his mind fell away.

"Why is she doing this? Why is she doing this to herself, to our family? It just doesn't make sense! Why does she want this family torn apart?"

His head spun with hurt as he tried to open his eyes. The tears that hid behind that voice in the room stirred anger and sadness. He pulled his arms to move, but something forced them to stay. His head rolled in frustration; he didn't know what to do. His eyes finally settled closed.

"Gracie, c'mon Gracie, wake up."

He finally opened his eyes, slowly. They fluttered in the bright lights, and focused on a familiar face. He wanted to stretch his arms up, allow the muscles to move.

"Adam..." his voice had rasped. The other in the room held a silence, only watching as the first struggled against his restraints. "My name... Is Adam," He said stronger, sharper. He shot a look into the eyes of which he could now identify, "Dad." The man leaned back in his chair and sighed.

"Now, now honey. Your name is Gracie." He said his disbelief apparent in his voice. His son lay in the bed, still disoriented and confused. His heart began to ship into splintered bits as he watched one of the few people he truly loved in such pain. "I have to go soon Gracie, but the doctor will be in soon and your treatment will continue." He said standing up. At that moment, he leaned to his son to press a small kiss on his forehead. "Gracie, just do what they say. You can get out of here if you do."

And he was alone again. He heard the steady squeal as the door opened. He didn't allow his curiosity to force his gaze to the entry, but focused forward.

"Come now, love. When someone enters a room, you must acknowledge them. It's the only lady like thing to do." At this the patient finally turned to the intruder, he found that doctor. Anger swelled in his chest, as he wished to leap at the man with a sickeningly sweet smile on his face. He roared in his chest, a small growl emitting from his lips.

"What do you want?" he said, bitterness was forcing barren teeth into the words. The doctor made a soft ticking sound with his tongue, waggling his finger as he headed closer to the hospital bed.

"Now, now Gracie, you should really be more polite." He said in a knowing, condescending, ultimately aggravating voice. Adam lay in his bed, holding in his anger and breath. He wanted this joke of a doctor out of his room, out of his site. "Time to go back to your regular room, Gracie." He said slowly and Adam wished to punch him. The restraints were undone and left limply on the plastic frame. Although anger was coursing through the patients very being, he held it in so he would not be forced back here. The doctor began yammering, on and on he went, as the other shut his words out. The occasional 'proper', 'girl', 'lady', and 'trouble' leaked through a few times as they walked through the long, empty halls. Finally, they had reached the section of the hospital that held a sign reading 'Psychological Treatment Ward'. The doctor led Adam through a few more halls and unlocked the door to his room. Adam walked into his room quickly, and allowed the door to be closed swiftly behind him. He looked around the room, crisp white staring blankly back at him, with the odd pink or girly frill interrupting the egg shell colour. He went to his bed, of course covered in pink sheets and pillows. He rolled his eyes in exasperation and weariness. He leaned back, throwing some of the fuzzy, frilly pillows off the bed, when his roommate entered the room. She walked in from the bathroom, brushing her hospital gown off, when she looked up to see him. Her deeply blue eyes lit up with such a spark, he couldn't stop the smile that drew across his mouth. She went to him quickly, leaning over him and hugging him tightly. He returned the gesture with as much enthusiasm as he could manage in his current state.

"Welcome back, Adam!" she exclaimed. The other smiled at her words. He treasured whenever someone in this prison would call him by his real name. He pulled back slightly, to look at her face with a grin.

"Good to be back, Clare." He said, his nose crinkling as his smile grew. She smiled back at him with a soft line forming the curve of her mouth.

"God visited me again, and he told me you would be back today. Again, he speaks and brings me happiness!" She said to him, lifting her hands slightly as to feel his presence with her. That's why she was in here. It was fine to believe in God and all that, but having him come to her and physically be in front of her was what the doctors called delusions. Clare was either completely accepting of people believing she was crazy, or she was completely unaware of what was going on around her. Adam sometimes mused that it was both.

"That's great Clare Bear," he said taking a look at the digital clock bolted into the wall, "I think it's time for the afternoon feeding," he said to her with a deflating sigh.

So, I would really like to know what you guys think. I'm not quite sure of this story, and I would really like your input.

~ Stew G.