"We are telling you that we're fine!" Charlie said, getting out of his bed.

The clinic nurse just looked at him and said, "And I'm telling you-If you don't sit back down then I will call all of your parents back here."

"She wouldn't! We just got them all to leave," Evan gasped.

Ethan shook his head, "She can't! That's too extreme."

"I can and I certainly will!"

"Chaz, she sounds serious. I would sit down before you, basically, lose any chance of stepping out of this room again and bring us all down with you!" Said Ethan.

Evan looked genuinely frightened, "Yeah, Charlie, think about this. Once the parents are called back, it's all over." Charlie slowly put his hands up in surrender and sat down on his bed.

Look, I understand that you're all worried about your other friends, but you've already told the police everything you could remember. And, the sooner you guys' start relaxing, the sooner I can get you out of here." The clinic doctor said.

The boys nodded, defeated.

Though everybody tried to stay alert and awake, eventually each of them fell asleep, their respective injuries taking their toll. Logan woke up first the next morning, but saw no reason to wake the other boys. His head hurt, but other than that he felt ok. Logan's thought of letting his friend's sleep was ruined by Julian, who let out a scream in his sleep, waking everyone but himself and Reed up.

"Julian," Logan yelled. "Julian, wake the fuck up!" The whimpering boy's eyes opened and he sat up.

"I'm fine-sorry just a dream-I'm fine," Julian choked out. But even Blaine, who barely knew Julian, could see that Julian was deeply shaken.

"Jules," Logan began.

"Just stop-I don't wanna talk about it, ok?" Julian insisted. Logan opened his mouth to protest, but after seeing the terrified, pleading look on Julian's face, he stopped.

"Ok…" Logan said, lamely.

Adam barreled through the basement doors, hearing the terrified scream of his soul mate

"Julian! What happened? Did they hurt you?" Adam said, running down the stairs.

"Stay away from me!" Julian screamed, completely losing it. "Don't fucking touch me."

"Julian," Adam sounded shocked. "You don't know what you're saying. I love you…we're meant to be together. Now, come here. You're obviously scared."

Julian shook his head and scrambled backwards, into the headboard.

"Julian," Adam said. "I'm warning you. Come here!" Staying right where he was, Julian shook his head.

Adam sighed and began walking towards Julian's bed, causing Julian to jump out of it and run to the corner. Adam simply grabbed the end of the chain and quickly pulled it forward, causing Julian to wipe out and land on his back, hitting his head on the hard, tile floor. Logan yelled out in protest, but was ignored. Julian stayed conscious, but stars flashed in front of his eyes. Adam quickly took this time to pull Julian towards him, dragging across the floor. Julian tried to twist away, but Adam was much stronger than the struggling boy and quickly had him on the floor directly in front of him.

"See? That was so easy! You just have to relax," Adam spoke to Julian as though he were a toddler. Julian was trembling with worry and rage.

"How can I relax when you're here," He seethed. Just then, Reed moaned loudly.

Kurt requested again, "Please if you have any water or food to give Reed-He really needs it, Adam!"

"I told you! If Julian and I have a good day, I'll give you all food and treat all your injuries. But, if Julian and I have a bad day, one of you has to pay. And I think, today, that'll be you Blaine!"

"No Adam-it doesn't have to be Blaine! Why not me? Or how about you just take a deep breath and not hurt anybody else?" Kurt said, desperately.

"Shut up, Kurt," Blaine said. "Better me than you."

Adam completely ignored Kurt, anyway. He swiftly, like it was no big deal, pulled a gun from his pocket.

"Adam, Adam please stop this!" Julian burst out.

Adam smiled down at Julian and said, "I'm doing this for us!-So we can be happy. So, Julian, you and I are gojng out on our first date! You're gonna tell me all about yourself!"
"I don't even know you," Julian choked, on the brink of tears.

"Start talking, Julian, or I'll have to hurt poor Blaine. " Adam said, standing near Blaine, the gun trained on his head. Blaine glared up at Adam, as though daring him to try anything.

"I-I…" Julian gasped. Adam whacked Blaine across the head with the gun, causing Kurt to yell out angrily and Blaine, after screaming, to completely lose consciousness. Kurt was desperately trying to reach him.

"I'm still waiting sweetie," Adam spoke, as though he hadn't just knocked someone out.

"Julian-Julian look at me." Logan said. Julian did. "It's just like an interview, Jules."

"Just like an interview," Julian thought. "Right!"

"Uuum… uh where do you want me to start?"
Adam smiled and happily said, "Just tell me something about yourself!"
Julian, with a little more confidence after Logan's support, began, "I like sunglasses."

Adam smiled and said, "Well anyone could figure that out! Ok, ok-start from the beginning. What was your childhood like?"

Julian face paled and he desperately thought, "My friends don't even know what my childhood was like. I can't tell this psychopath! Ok, ok…interview answers."

Everyone could see Julian apply his blank mask on his face, hiding any glimpse of emotion.

"There were lots of cameras."

"Again, that's obvious. You and I are in love, Julian. I want to know things you haven't told anyone else! Like, what was your parent's divorce like?"

Julian went still and choked out, "I don't talk about that."

"Yes you do! I need to know everything about you! And I'll kill everyone who gets in the way of that," Adam said, glaring at Logan, Kurt, Blaine, and Reed.

"Ok, ok. It was fine. I barely remember it."

"Don't lie to me Julian! Couples don't lie to each other! It must have been horrible watching your parents fight over you, but not for you, just for your talent."

Julian looked up, horrified.
"I-uh-I don't know what you're talking about," he whispered, attempting to turn his face back into the blank slate he had mastered years ago. Adam raised the gun back, threatening to hit Blaine again, and Julian gasped, "Uh, ok, fine. It sucked, I guess."

"Yeah, I bet it did," Adam said creepily. "How did it make you feel?"

Julian, still choking back tears, whispered, "Horrible."
Logan was staring at his best friend, shocked. Though the two had bonded over having divorced parents, they had never dug this deep. Logan felt tears threaten to come up, but he choked them back.

"I have to be strong. For Julian. He shouldn't have to do this; it's not fair."

Adam interrupted Logan's thoughts.

"It made you feel like you weren't a person? Like you were only good for smiling in front of a camera? Like no one cared about you for you?"

Finally, the tears escaped Julian's face and his mask cracked in half. He buried his face in his hands, sobs racking his body. Logan had only seen his friend cry once before, and that was an accident where he had been kicked out of the room by Julian the second he walked in. He was shocked at Julian's break down, but he wanted nothing more than to kneel down next to his best friend and comfort him, in his own sarcastic way, the only thing that Julian would respond to.

Adam ran over to Julian, speaking soothingly, "It's ok now, Julian. Because I care about you and your feelings." Julian just continued to hide his head in his hands.

"Ok. I'll be back later with food and water. For now, let me clean Blaine's shoulder. Oh and Julian, your arm!" He grabbed the cotton and disinfecting wipes, walking over to the still unconscious Blaine. Adam peeled his shirt away from the bloody, stab wound. He went to work cleaning it. Blaine didn't wake up throughout the whole process. After it was clean, Adam wrapped clean cotton around the injury and taped it off. Then, he walked over to Julian, who was still sitting with his hands around his knees, his face hidden. As Adam reached out to touch his arm, he jerked away.

"Jules," Logan said. "You have to let him clean your arm or it could get infected and shit. Please, Jules, just stick your arm out." Julian didn't acknowledge Logan's speaking, just stuck his arm out in the general direction of Adam. Adam went to work cleaning and wrapping it. He then left the room, promising food and water later.

"Julian," Logan began. "Julian, it's ok. Trust me, we are not judging you. Adam is a douche bag, ok? Just ignore him. Pretend like you're talking to someone else, anyone else."

Julian looked up, his eyes red and puffy, and hiccupped, "Look ok. I just have to get through this however I can. So, please just leave it alone." He took a deep breath before breaking down into tears again, "How the fuck am I supposed to do this Lo?" He whispered.

"I don't know, Jules. I don't know. Just know, that I'm here for you."

Kurt chimed in from across the room, "I am too. And so is Blaine. And so is Reed, whenever he becomes responsive again."

Julian nodded. Not one of them knew how much these words meant to him. They gave him the feeling of being supported that he hadn't truly felt in many years. Julian opened his mouth to speak, but when no words came out he just crawled back into one of the beds and stared into space. Everyone knew that he had to think by himself for a little while, and left him alone.

All of the conscious boys looked up as a bag full of metal cans hit the tile floor.

"Here ya' go," Adam's voice rang down the stairs.

Julian sighed as he stood up to grab the bag. There were six cans of soup and a twelve-pack of plastic water bottles. There were also a container of plastic spoons. Julian tossed water bottles to Blaine and Logan, but looked unsure at what to do about Blaine and Reed.

Kurt spoke, "You eat first, and then you can wake them up." Julian nodded and chugged a water bottle. Kurt and Logan drank as well, awkwardly with their hands bound together. Then, each boy ate a can of cold soup, Kurt and Logan just drinking it, unable to use a spoon. After Julian had eaten, he walked over to Reed.

"Reed," he said, shaking his shoulders. Reed's eyes opened slowly.

"Hey, Reed. You need to eat, kid."

"Not hungry," Reed murmured. Julian looked at Kurt, asking what to do.

"Reed, you need to eat," Kurt said. Reed just shook his head.

"Water?" Reed croaked out.

"Yeah, of course," Julian said. He awkwardly held the bottle to Reed's lips and slowly poured the water down his throat. Reed coughed, but gratefully accepted it.

"Reed, you need to eat," Julian said, again. However, Reed just shook his head again and turned on his side, his eyes closing.

Kurt sighed, "Next time he wakes up, he has to eat." Julian nodded, then walked over to Blaine.

"Blaine," Julian said, tapping him on the shoulder. Blaine's eyes opened slowly.

"Shit, what happened?" Blaine asked, groggily.

"You were hit in the head….again." Kurt said. "And now, you need to eat."

"I'm really not hungry," Blaine said.

"C'mon Blaine. Don't be stupid." Julian said. Blaine nodded, and held out his bound hands for water. Julian handed it to him, already opened, and Blaine brought it to his mouth, drinking deeply. Julian then offered him soup. Blaine wrinkled his nose, the thought of food disgusted him at the moment, but to keep his friends happy, he took it and sipped the broth slowly.

Then, each of the boys slowly dropped off to sleep, except Julian, who sat up, staring into space. Realizing how truly fucked they all were.