Josh had been scolded a lot. The incident could have been easily avoided, and now he was sure he understood the extent of consequences that would happen if he touched Tyler. He hadn't been seriously hurt, just a few bruises around his throat, on his head, and on his back. If he were in a normal mindset, he would have changed primary patients. Or quit, change his name, and move to Mexico. But Joshua Dun was not raised a quitter, no. He shook it off, got a coffee, (Went home and called his mom,) then marched straight there the next morning.
He walked to Tyler's lone room in Ward B, confident and trying to seem stoic. However, as soon as he saw the other boy in the cell, his heart broke. Tyler sat with his back pressed against the wall, and a sterile white straightjacket holding his arms in place. His honey brown eyes were staring down at the floor. Josh couldn't help but compare his expression to that of a sad puppy. He cleared his throat while studying Tyler, but he didn't even look up.
"I'm sorry," Josh told him quietly. It was then when he realized it was his fault. He went against the only instructions he was given. Three times. "I didn't mean fo-"
"The sky is empty." Tyler spoke suddenly, voice a bit more audible than usual. "I'm screaming to an empty sky." Josh was taken aback and tilted his head.
"What?"
"I'm pleading, please, oh please. On my knees repeatedly asking why it's got to be like this. Is this living free?" Tyler was mostly talking to himself. Saying his thoughts aloud made him better understand them. "I'm praying to an empty sky. Or maybe I just don't deserve the help I ask for."
Josh pondered over his words, piecing them together rather easily. He didn't know what to say. Not at all.
"I'm a puppet," Tyler continued. "Don't they tell us we're free? No way that's me. One half of my heart is free. The half that lets me say what I want. Only occasionally too. Isn't that sad?" He took a sharp inhale. "My freedom of movement is gone. I can't go home, I can't even call my mom. Not that I'd want to at this point." Not even giving Josh a chance to respond, he continued rambling. "I can't even shower on my own. It's demeaning. Can you wash me? Can you drown me?" He was pained, it was obvious. "Please?"
"Calm down, Tyler..." Josh told him finally. "I'm coming in, okay?" With that, he used his key to unlatch the room-which was actually more like a prison cell, in Josh's opinion. He cautiously stepped inside. Why was he scared? Tyler was bound in a straightjacket. He reminded himself of that fact and relaxed, kneeling down to the ground to appear less intimidating. "It's only temporary, I know."
"Everything is temporary." Tyler snapped back. "But some things last longer than others."
"I see..." He sighed and examined Tyler. "Are you hungry? Anything I can do for you?" He kindly asked. The other boy shook his head in a dismal way.
"No." He answered simply. "I'm tired. I'm hurt. And Blurryface wants me dead."
Josh was alarmed by the new information. He knew he had to tell the doctor what he had heard Tyler say, but he wanted to comfort him for now. "Tyler," He started slowly. "You don't really think he wants you dead, do you?"
"He does, I'm sure of it." His voice was softer now. Josh walked out of the room, closing and locking the door behind him.
"I'm going to have them take that straightjacket off of you, okay?"
Tyler seemed to light up at that. "Thank you, Josh." It was then that his face contorted into a scowl. "Now I can strangle you with both of my hands!" He cackled for only a moment before slumping down once again. "Shh...Stop that." He whispered, closing his eyes with an exhale. Josh took that as a sign of aggression. He took immediate action and exited the room to get the doctor.
Josh told Dr. Similia that Tyler was quite obviously depressed with the straightjacket on. After a bit of persuading, he sent out two nurses along with Josh to remove the jacket. The other nurses were burly men that were to hold Tyler by his shoulders while Josh unzipped it. He felt that it was unnecessary, but the doctor insisted. Soon, they headed to ward B, and the two tough looking men entered first. Tyler stood up, a bit afraid, not knowing what they were going to do. He found himself receding into a corner.
"Hey, calm down, buddy...they're gonna hold you for a sec so I can take off that jacket." Josh cooed, trying to console him. Tyler's eyes were wide like a deer in headlights.
"No, don't touch me..." He crouched down into the corner, genuinely looking terrified. Josh didn't know what to say, so he just let it happen. The men scooped him up a bit roughly, motioning for Josh to come in. He followed the signals and stood in front of Tyler, their gazes meeting for only a moment before he got to work with taking off the complicated straps. Just as his eyes shifted away from Tyler's worried face, he heard one of the men grunt loudly, hunching over. Shocked, he looked back up to see a wild grin replacing the innocent look. Once it registered in Josh's mind that the other nurse had been kicked right where it hurts, he stumbled back. With his semi-free arms that were still held together by the stretchy fabric, he smacked the same nurse in the face with his bound hands. The other man helped his injured friend out of the room quickly, slamming the door closed so that Tyler wouldn't escape. Now Josh was alone with a very crazed looking Tyler that was halfway out of the straightjacket.
"Hey, Joshy!" Tyler's counterpart called to the trembling nurse. He didn't like the way he was being looked at. The mental patient was standing tall, and boy, was he twitchy. He constantly shook his head, muffling a cackle. Josh felt like prey, he was currently being stalked by Blurryface, who stood near the exit, blocking his only means of escape. "Do you have any idea how gr-great it is to see you in here with me?!" He was yelling. His voice was fairly deep, booming even. He wouldn't have expected Tyler to even be able to reach that octave. Blurry was now laughing loudly, throwing his head back in amusement. He kept coming close to Josh, but he kept scrambling away, trying to get to the door. Then, his laughs turned into heavy sobs. He crashed down in a heap of tears, knees to his chest, and covering his face with his mostly free arms.
Josh trembled more than he ever had, and could hardly even open the door with his shaking hands. As soon as he was on the other side, he closed the door, closing his eyes and trying to calm his rapidly beating heart. After several seconds, he was feeling a lot better, knowing he was safe. His attention was brought back to the heart-wrenching sobs that were wracking Tyler's small frame. "Ty...Tyler?" He asked quietly.
A loud sniffle could be heard. "M-Mhm..." Any anger of nearly being attacked once again was ripped from Josh's heart. He now only felt empathy for the poor soul. He looked over at Tyler, who seemed to have calmed down also. It was then that he noticed. No one had come to his rescue. Where the hell did those nurses go then? Just as that thought passed through Josh's mind, the emergency alarm went off, and his walkie sprung to life.
"All personnel report to the day room!" A woman's voice spoke, seeming panicked. Josh brought a hand to his face and shakily stood. However, a soft voice stopped him.
"S-Stay." Tyler told him, lip quivering. "Please?"
"I can't," Josh said, keeping his tone soft. "There was an emergency."
"Fine! Go then!" He broke back down into tears and curled up into a defensive ball. With that, Josh left, albeit sadly.
Tyler was left alone, and Blurryface resurfaced. He struggled against the restraints, and finally got he final strap to slip off. He was freed. He celebrated his victory for only a moment. He listened very closely. No one was around. With a mischievous grin, he got to work. "This'll show them..."
Josh groaned when he saw the scene before him. Nurses and doctors hung out a window, trying to coax an elderly woman back in. "But I want to see my daughter! I saw her out here!" The woman said, but he could hardly see her. He attempted to help, but he got pushed back by a few doctors, telling him not to crowd around her. He obeyed and stood back, watching what was unfolding. The situation ended when a doctor called out, "I got her!" And drug the woman in by her armpits, laying her on the ground. The others quickly closed the window and made sure to lock it down harder. Relieved that things calmed down, Josh started back down the hall to see Tyler. He wanted to apologize for leaving him.
The dimly lit corridor was already enough to make his stomach uneasy, but the sound he heard forced his heart into his throat. It was the sound of something banging against a wall, and loud choking. After nearly falling over in fear, he took off as fast as he could and slammed open the barred doors, not even bothering to properly shut it behind him. Before he could even comprehend what was happening before his eyes, he stumbled forward and desperately grabbed Tyler by his flailing legs, which managed to kick him in the face a few times, but that didn't bother Josh at that moment. After a very pale Tyler was splayed out on the ground, gasping for breath, Josh took in what he had witnessed. He had been hanging by the straightjacket that once bound his arms.
Tyler was coughing, hands around his throat as he struggled to breathe again. He felt pins and needles all over his body, and thought he would faint at any moment. The second that he felt able, he tore the straightjacket off of his neck and discarded it across the room, very frustrated with it. "It wasn't me, it wasn't me...I promise, it was him, he wants me dead...oh god, he does..." Tyler had begun wringing his hands together compulsively. His voice was hoarse, and he still gasped for air. Josh just watched him, still trying to get over the shock. "I was up to the ceiling, oh my god...he tried to kill me..."
"That's not until Sunday! I knew it wouldn't work. We don't get any attention around here. I did us a favor!" The frail man suddenly spat out, then sunk down and buried his face in his hands.
"I don't want this. They'll judge me. Oh no."
"You felt free for three whole seconds, didn't you? I know I did."
"No, shut up..."
Josh watched in awe as he fought with himself. Each time he switched, it was jarring. He would jerk his head and change expressions. It was scary in Josh's opinion. He backed away shakily, shutting and locking the door behind him, and straightjacket in hand. He headed straight to Dr. Simillia's office, but he still heard Blurryface's voice echoing. "This is why mom doesn't fucking love us! You little bitch! Cry all you want! This is my vessel too!"
The room Tyler sat in was stripped of everything after that point. All that remained was a mattress. Tyler hardly spoke to Josh, or well, any of the personnel. Dr. Similia eventually decided he needed more information about the, 'crazy suicidal head case', as most nurses referred to him. He called the only contact that was listed in Tyler's file. Kelly Joseph, his mother. Maybe a little reunion would be good for them, he thought. After all, it had been months since anything major happened. (Both good and bad.)
Mrs. Joseph was called up and Josh was asked to escort Tyler to Dr. Similia's office and accompany him to make sure things went well. Josh wordlessly opened up the barred door and Tyler stood up, wringing his hands. "Where are we go-going?" He asked softly. Josh was almost surprised by the voice. He hadn't heard him talk in a long time.
"Your mom is here, she wants to see you." Josh answered, cracking a faint smile. Tyler's face paled.
"No, no...I don't know about that..." He said wearily, eyes darting around a bit.
"The doctor thinks it's best for you. Come on..." Josh said thoughtfully. He wasn't sure if they still had bad feelings between them. Tyler exhaled slowly and obediently followed behind Josh. The office wasn't too far, much less awkward than their last walk together. As soon as they walked through the office door, Tyler's mother stood up with teary eyes.
"Oh, my baby Ty!" She cooed, leaning in to give him a hug. Her accent was faintly country-sounding. It seemed to be only noticeable on certain words. Tyler's doe eyes widened and he shuffled back, managing to stub his heel on the bottom of the desk and fall over backwards onto his bottom. Kelly froze, now having worried eyes.
"You can't touch him," Josh explained since the silence was thick with tension. "he'll...um, turn." Tyler shamefully hung his head and focused on the patterned carpet below while standing himself back up. He looked so frail in that moment. Maybe Josh just hadn't noticed until then. He was skinny, probably hadn't eaten the gross cafeteria food that was cheap and bought in bulk. He looked as if he would break if the wind blew the wrong way. He was sickly pale, cheeks sunken in. He looked dead, it was awful just to see. Josh looked up and saw Kelly sitting back down with her face in her hands. She must have noticed too.
"Mama," Came a short, wavering voice. But he couldn't finish whatever thought was going through his mind, because his mother was now audibly crying. Dr. Similia put a caring hand on her back and let out a breath through his teeth.
"Sit." He told Tyler. If it weren't for the current situation, he would have been angry. He wasn't a dog, he didn't have to obey commands. However, he was on the brink of what felt like a panic attack, so he surely would have done so whether he was asked to or not. He shakily planted himself in a chair adjacent to Kelly, keeping his eyes drilled down. Soon, sobs were replaced by sniffles, and Kelly finally looked up at her son, eyes red and puffy and lip quivering.
"Tyler, honey," She said with much faltering. "what do they mean by, 'turn'? What have you done?" She took a steadying breath before continuing. "You haven't hurt someone else, have you?" Josh could see Tyler's adam's apple bobbing in his throat. His eyes were squeezed shut. He was clearly trying not to be emotional. Josh had to look away. It must be horrible to have this conversation with your own mother.
After another round of silence filled the air, Dr. Similia slid over a document to Kelly. It held all of his information. His triggers, his thoughts that he shared, his incidents that occurred throughout his stay. It only took her one glance at the sheet and seeing the latest situation that occurred before she burst into tears again. Tyler knew what she had seen. The straightjacket incident.
"That wasn't me," He tried to clarify quietly. "It wasn't-"
"Tyler Robert Joseph! Are you seriously going to blame this on your imaginary friend?! For God's sake, you're 17 years old!" Kelly bellowed through her tears. It was difficult to understand her, but Tyler heard every word. "It was cute when you'd take a cookie and blame it on damn Blurryface, but...this is unacceptable! What happened to you?!"
Josh swore he heard the click in Tyler's brain as he switched. By then, he knew that gleam in his eye. He knew it wasn't him that was behind them. He slammed his blackened fists down on the desk enough to cause a gasp to choke out of his mother. "I'm here, and I'm real, bitches!" Blurry announced, his too-wide grin spread across his face as he bared his teeth. "You know damn well that I'm real. I thought I proved that enough when I stabbed our brother! Five times in the chest, might I add." He brought a finger up to his lips in an attempt to suppress a school-girl giggle. Josh pulled out the taser he was given since he'd been unable to defend himself several times before. However, Dr. Similia held up his hand to halt Josh.
"Mrs. Joseph, he doesn't deal well with pressure, not at all. It's a trigger." He told her, keeping a close eye on Tyler's counterpart. Kelly just watched in horror as her son writhed around in the chair, spitting out growls every now and again. Dr. Similia swiftly guided her eyes to a certain part on the document. Dissociative Identity Disorder. She swallowed thickly and looked back up. Thankfully, Tyler had switched back and was currently muttering empty apologies at no one in particular, sinking further down in the chair. "You must understand that he's not making this up. We ran tests, thorough tests."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." Kelly muttered, fanning her eyes briefly. "That wasn't fair of me to say, Tyler. I just...Your brother's not right. He's traumatized, he can't sleep."
Tyler nearly choked. Zack was alive. "He doesn't deserve to be alive!" Zack did horrible, unspeakable things. "I haven't regretted anything, whether it was me who did it or not!" He shouldn't be alive. Neither of them. "You let everything happen! You didn't do anything to s-stop it!"
"He only picked on you because you were getting all the attention! It's all you ever seeked!" Kelly retorted. "You'd...You'd hurt yourself just to get sympathy from us!"
"No I didn't! You're blowing me off again, mom! Just listen!" Tyler choked out breathlessly. "Zack would lock me up in the basement while his drug dealer came over! He'd make me steal money from dad while he was passed out-"
"Stop it right there! That's not true!" Kelly stood herself up. "The drugs were in your room, Tyler! We told the police that's why you stabbed him!"
"That bastard hid his shit in my room?!" Tyler covered his ears and squeezed his eyes shut. He was once again, on the verge of a panic attack. It was then that Blurryface resurfaced.
He stood up abruptly and aggressively leaned over towards his mom. Josh held out the taser again, and Blurry backed off. "What're you gonna do with that, Joshua? I'm too quick for you!" He sharply leaned forward at Josh, and he dropped the taser in response, afraid. Blurryface then snatched up the taser and lunged at his mom, who promptly leaped out of the way.
"Tyler, put that down!"
"When will you learn, woman!? My name's Blurryface. And I care what you think."