I haven't been getting a lot of reviews...Maybe i don't have a lot of readers. Oh well. -- oh, and if you see any spelling misstakes, sorry about that. But i'm dyslexic (i hope i spelled that right.) so, don't complain. At least you get to read the story.
thank you to one reviewer!
Chapter 4: Back into the ward.
Last time...
Emiko, hearing Dark scream, could only think of the worst.
"Dad, call the perametics from the ward! I have to go help Dark." She said as she ran up the stairs.
She opened the door to Dark's room, and saw Dark. Unconcious. Pale as a ghost. His arm was covered in blood. So was his shirt, and his hand. //his hand! The letter opener! Oh my god! He practicaly sliced his arm to pieces...So far as i can tell// She thought.
She walked over to Dark, to wake him up.
"Dark. Wake up. DARK. DARK. DAAAARRRK!"
No answer. No signs of waking up. She started to shake his shoulders.
His eyes opened. But he wasn't totally with her. He was looking at her. But he was somewere else. Somewere that he was being drawn to. Emiko did not want this. If she lost him to this place, he would be lost for good.
"Stay with me, Dark. Stay with me. Come on, stay with me." She held his face, so she could look him in the eye. But he wasn't seeing her. His face was getting paler by the minute. His eyes were glazed over. His mouth was half open.
His eyes started to close.
"Dark! Say with me, please! DARK STAY WITH ME!" She pleaded. She brushed her hand against his face. Trying to get him to respond. A tear ran down her face, and onto him. But still no response.
Emiko heard footsteps coming up the stairs. It was the paramedics.
"You can go see him now." Dr. Ono said as he led Emiko to the west end of the corridor.
"He's in room fifeteen. We have a new system of how we can tell if they are ready to go home. It's a five level program. He start's at level zero. Were he cannot go to group, has food brought to him, sees me every morning, and so on. Then level one, were he goes to group, and see's me in group. Then level two which is like level one. Level three is were he can go home for the weekends and holidays. Level four, he can go out on trips, like the movies, and so forth. Level five is were we give him more independence and see what he does with that. then depending on the results, he can go home for good."
"How's his arm?" Emiko asked.
"Pretty good. He can't really move his hand without extreme pain because he cut mostly everything in his arm. Ah, here we are." He held the door open for Emiko.
She walked over to the bed were he was sleeping, and knelt down next to him.
She slowely brushed her hand against his cheek. His eyes slowely opened, and he tried to get up. He put wight on his left arm, and winced at the unbearable pain. Emiko had to help him sit up.
"Hey Dark. How are you?" Emiko asked.
"Where...Am I?!" Were the first words out of his mouth.
"You're somewhere safe, Dark. I have to go pick up Dai from school, I'll see you later. Bye." She tapped his shoulder, and left.
Dark watched Emiko leave before going back to sleep for afew hours.
At around six oclock, a staff member knocked on the door.
"Dark, it's time for dinner." She said.
Dark got up, and walked over to the door. The girl was about twenty or so. She had two-toned hair that was blond on top, and black on the botom. She was wearing the outfit that all the regular maitnence staff wore. Black color shirt, black pants, and sneakers.
Her name plate said: Hana Kotoro.
"I'm not hungry."
"Well..." Hana said, bitting her lower lip thoughtfully, "I would like you to try it. You have to take your medicine. So...I want you to eat. Please."
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"I'll be your best friend." Hana tried.
"What is it?"
"Um...I think it's ramen." Studying Dark's face of discust at what it looks like, she added, " Don't worry. It's not poison...See?" She took out a piece of mushroom and ate it.
"I'm still not eating it. And I'm not taking any medicine." Dark said.
"Will you at least have some water?" She said. Dark shook his head." Or eat breakfast?"
Again, Dark shook his head no. He could tell that she was new hear. So she would be easy to control.
"Well... You still have to take your medicine. So, we can take it three ways...A) pill form. B) liquid form. Or C) You could refuse, and i could inject it into you." Kotoro-san said.
"How about D) I don't take it at all."
"No, sorry. You have to take it."
"How many?"
"Um...One pain medicine dose. One extra strong sleeping dose. Because Niwa-san said that you have iregular sleeping patterns. And two anti-depressents. And three anxiety doses."
//that's seven shots, or pills, or...whatevers. No way. Although my arm is killing me. But no. I already made a decision.//Dark thought. Then he shook his 'no'.
"Come on, Dark. Please?"
"No."
"Pleeeaaase?"
"NO."
"Look, you have to take some of the medicine. But since you wont eat i don't know what the results will be. So you're free for today." She said as she walked away. She stopped and added, "Oh, you're seeing Dr. Ono tomarrow morning. 'Kay, bye."
That night he had a dream. It was about two children. In old-fassioned american clothes. One was a six year old girl. She had a braid in her hair that went across the top of her head in an angelic style. she wore an old fationed dress, with long sleeves, collor with red trims, and dress shoes.
The boy had a shirt on that was from one of the good rags that the peasents wore in mid-evil england, and really old short pants. He also had dressy shoes. His hair sort of looked like Satoshi's, but it was brown. his face had freckles along his nose in a wing span formation.
This was all in black-and-white. Their faces were pale, their clothes were white, and black. But mostly white. Like in those old photos.
They were in Dark's current room, sitting on the foot of his bed, and laughing. Just, laughing.
The next morning...
Light streamed into the small white room though the old barred window the next morning. Dark was half awake by seven, and awake an dressed by eight. He couldn't really use his left hand (or arm) to do much (without terrible pain), so he had to do every thing with his right hand (or arm). When he remembered his dream, he looked cautiosly at his bed. They were there. They waved good-bye and vanished. He could still hear their laughter. Then, they vanished. //I bet i just...imagened that. I must be really bored./// Dark thought.
At around eight thirty, Hana knocked on the door. "Dark, It's time for breakfast." she said.
"I'm not hungry."
"Please, Dark. Let's not go throught this again. Eat. Please. Or else i will force it into you."
"If I eat, i will still not take any ANYTHING."
"Please, Dark? PLEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAASE?"
"NO! Now...LET ME OUT!" Dark screamed as he shook the door with his right hand.
Hana put down the tray of food, and opened the door. "Calm down. It's okay. You're alright." she took Dark's right arm, and led him twards Dr Ono's office. With much effort. Dark was pulling away from her.
In the office...
Kotoro-san motioned for Dark to enter the office. Dark didn't move. He just stared at the floor to the right of the desk, and to the left of the chairs. He saw those kids again. they were sitting on the floor playing slide. They turned their heads to look at Dark, and started to smile. They waved for him to come in.
Dark just stared.
Dr. Ono, noticing that Dark was apparently seeing something they weren't , got up, and walke over to Dark.
"What do you see?" Dr. Ono asked.
The kids laughed, waved good-bye, and vanished into the air.
"Dark, what do you see?" He asked again.
Dark looked him in the eye then walked past him, and sat in the chair farthest into the room. He stared out the window, and into the early summer day.
Dr. Ono walked into the room, and closed the door behind him as Hana left. He sat at his desk, and crossed his hands, as he looked at Dark.
"So, Dark-san, how are you?" He asked.
Dark continued to look out the window. With no reply, Dr. Ono cleared his throat, then said, "You know Dark, you can't get better, until we talk about the things that are bothering you."
Dark turned to face Dr. Ono. His eyes flashed anger, then his face blankened again. Dr. Ono picked up on this. "I know you don't like talking about what's bothering you. So let's change that. What did you see that i didn't?"
"Nothing."
"Was it nothing? or something?" He asked.
"I said, IT WAS NOTHING!" Dark grabbed a book on the stand next to his chair and threw it at Dr. Ono.
He had been expecting this. Ono blocked it with his hand.
"Dark, you seem to be peaceful by nature. But you have lately have been having major mood swings. Can you tell me any thing about this?"
Dark resumed his position, and stared out the window again.
"You know, you really scared Emiko when you tried to kill yourself. What made you try that?" Dr. Ono suddenly regretted that. He had gone over the fragile line with Dark. He should of picked up on the clues that Dark was giving.
Dark got up and walked over to Ono's desk. He grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, and slammed him agianst the wall. Pushin the side of his arm against Dr. Ono's neck. Forcing him to a little off the ground. since Dark was taller than Ono. Still choking him at the same time.
Dark didn't notice the alarms going off in the hall. Dr. Ono had hit a secret alarm button when he was slammed against the wall. Footsteps came up the hall. Dark heard them, and pushed harder. watching Ono turn blue-ish with mixed feelings. He was mad. He felt a tear roll down his face though. this made him more mad, so he pushed harder.
Just as the restraint team came through the door. It was two staff members. One strongly-built women, and one of your average joes. They rushed over and pulled Dark away from Dr. Ono. who took huge gasps of air.
The women grabbed Dark's right arm and shoulder. And the man took his left. Dark yelled out in pain. Dr. Ono said, "Don't touch his left arm. He damaged that."
The man said, "Sorry. Can't. He might go after you again. But, don't worry, we'll give him extra meds at med roll. Did he have breakfast today?"
Dr. Ono shook his head 'no'.
they started to move Dark out of the room. He struggled as much as he could but every so often the man squeezed Dark's arm. To keep him in control. But once they were out in the hallway, Dark faught back.
The next squeeze that the man gave Dark, he back-kicked the man in the stomach. The man let go of Dark's arm, Dark yanked his other arm out of the woman's grasp, and he kept on walking.
Not twards his room, but twards the med vault. The woman noticed were he was headed, and followed. "Dark, please come back here. You have to go back to your room." She said.
"I'll be right back." He said as he started into a run.
When he reached the vault, it wasn't that hard to get it open. Only a fifteen number code. He got it done in about five minutes.
He glanced around before going in.
There were hundreds upon hundreds of meds.
Dark walked over to were the pain medicines were. Next he walked over to the sleeping meds. He walked over to the strongest doses, and took four. //Let's see if a trip to the hospital from an overdose will get me out of this nuthouse.// Dark thought.
He hid the meds in the hidden pockets in his combat boots. Then he heard footsteps coming from down the halls. He ran out of there, and closed the door behind him.
He was halfway back to his room when that strongly-built woman ran up to him.
"Where have you been?" She demanded. "You were supposed to be in your room. We were about to appoint you level one. but, i guess that will have to wait." Dark scowled. Then said, "I was only going for a walk. I'm so bored in my room all day. sometimes...I just...loose control." He tried to put on an guilty-innocent face. Apperatly he succeeded because the woman then added, "We'll just call what just happened a mistake, okay?"
He nodded, and they walked over to Dark's room. The woman motioned for Dark to go in.
When Dark was in, the woman said, " Tomarrow, you will begin level one. You will eat breakfast in the cafeteria, and you will have group after that. That's tomarrow. But today, we will be checking up on you every fifteen minutes or so. I'll be back later. Bye."
She left before Dark had a time to ask if that ment that they would check up on him at night.
//So...Every fifteen minutes they check up on me. But if i have the rest of the day, and if i behave good...They should stop by nightfall. or, i could make it look like i'm good untill tomarrow afternoon.//
Dark walked over to his bed, and sat down. Then he heard laughter. The two children were back. The were on the opposite wall of the bed. They were sitting, and looking at Dark. They waved.
"Go away!" He yelled at them. They shook their heads 'no', and laughed. "SHUT THE FUCK UP! GO TO HELL!" Dark yelled again. Footsteps came down the hall. The children waved 'goodbye', and left.
Dr. Ono walked up to the door. "Are you okay, Dark? Who were you yelling at?"
"How could you not see them?! Hear them?!" Dark screamed desperatly.
"Dark, the drugs that you used to take make you have moments of schyzophrenia. You're okay, alright?"
"NO I'M NOT! I'm NOT CRAZY!" Dark yelled.
"then why are you here, in this loony-bin?" a kid yelled from down the hall.
"because i was forced into this goddamn place!" Dark yelled back.
"Dark, you need to calm down." Dr. Ono said. "Remember, this is a safe place."
"Yeah right. This place is REALLY safe. what with the phsycopaths, and incompitent staff members here, i feel really safe."
"Dark, would you like to come back into my office after lunch?" Ono-san asked. Dark shook his head 'no'.
"Okay. Then you need to calm down. May i come in for a moment?" Without Dark's reply, he came in.
When Dr. Ono looked Dark in the face, he noticed that it was slightly paler. //Has his wound opened?// Ono wondered.
"Dark, I'm going to give you an injection, okay?" he asked.
"With what?" Dark asked.
"This." Dr. Ono said as he injected the medicine into Dark's right arm.
"What was that?" Dark asked.
"It was a dose of two of the medicines that you were supposed to take this morning. May i look at the bandage on your left arm?"
"No."
"Please. I think that one of the wounds has opened."
"No."
"Well, then may i just look, not touch, look at the bandage?"
Dark eyed him suspicously. But turned his left arm at an angle so Ono could see the bandage. He didn't want to hold up his arm. He can't move his hand at all yet. He didn't want Dr. Ono annoying him about it.
"Your bandage it very bloody. We will have to change it before the blood drys to the stitches. Probably today." Dr. Ono said. But studying the clues to the fragile line between him and Dark, he said, "But i guess we can wait untill after group. Tomarrow. But, NO later."
"You can leave now." Dark said.
"I'll see you tomarrow in group." Dr. Ono said. He left, and Dark lied down on the bed. And fell asleep.
Every fifteen minutes for the rest of the day the staff members checked on him. Then they decided to leave him alone for the night.
The next day...
Dark woke up to the sound of Hana knocking on his door. "Good morning Dark. It's time for breakfast. Get dressed. I'll be back in five minutes to show you were the cafeteria is."
She left, and Dark got dressed.
He put on black baggy ripped jeans, a black long-sleeved shirt that was ripped at the sleeves, and his combat boots. With all of the medications still in there. Hidden in the secret pockets.
Hana came back, and they walked over to the cafeteria.
When they reached the door, Hana said, "Okay, Dark, breakfast just started, so you can get in line for the food, and find a seat. for the first level, your not aloud to sit with the girls. sorry." Dark stepped in, and hana left.
The cafeteria was full with people. Dark spotted a free table in the back, and sat down. A kid walked over to him, and sat down.
"Well, look who entered level one. What's your name?" The kid said. He looked about twelve. He had the usual sweatpants, and sweatshirt on that all of the 'under sixteen' kids wore. He had blak hair in a long bowl cut. He was slightly overweight. He had a very annoying voice.
Dark kept staring at the table.
"Hey! You listening ta me?" He asked. Dark looked up, and nodded.
"then why aren't ya' talkin'?" The kid asked.
Dark shrugged.
"A' ya' a mute?"
"No."
"Then why weren't ya' ansa'ring me?"
"Don't want to. You're annoying."
"Well tuff luck. A' ya' goin' ta' be in group ta'day?"
Dark turned his head to look at two girls his age walk by. They winked at him. He didn't reply (but kept looking them up and down). He didn't want to make friends here.
By the time breakfast was over, the medicine that Dr. Ono had injected into Dark had worn off. completely. He was back to his suicidal/depresseve self.
He was fed up with talking to this kid.
All of the people in the cafe walked out to verious places were they were needed. Dark stayed behind.
Meanwhile...before group. (five minutes before group.)
"Tsuma-san,"Dr. Ono said to Uru Tsuma, a main security keeper for the level one group, "Dark will be joining us today. But that's not what i want you to be on the alert for. He can be very, VERY dangerous when anything does not go his way, or he is even slightly upset."
"What should i be on the lookout for?" Tsuma-san asked.
"Exactly what i was getting to." Ono-san said. "First clue to trouble: he stays quiet. Second: he avoids eye contact. Third: he looks in your eyes befor looking away again. That's the final warning. After that if things don't get better for him, there's trouble."
"Okay." Uru said.
"One more thing. He has the will to kill. and the strength to make it happen with no weapon. He is hyper-alert, and can unlock basically anything."
They arrived at the door to the group sessions. Dr. Ono held the door open for Tsuma-san, and walked in behind her.
she sat down in her usual spot, and so did he.
"Hello." Ono said. He was answers of 'sup?' or 'hey' or 'hi'. "Today we might have a new group member, he might be a little late though." Some people groaned, some people laughed, and some people did nothing. then they resumed talking to their friends.
In the cafeteria...
Dark was sitting for about fifteen minutes, when Hana came in.
"Dark, it's time to go to group, okay?"
"I don't want to go." Dark said.
"You have to. Otherwise you will never get to level two. Come on, I'll walk with you." Hana said. She held out her hand for Dark to follow.
But Dark didn't move. He didn't say anything. (warning one).
Hana took Dark's hand, and pulled him up. She tried to get him to move, but he wouldn't budge.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------fifteen minutes later--------------------------------------------------------------
They finally reached the door to the goup. Hana stopped to look at Dark. He avoided eye contact. (warning two). "Here we are Dark." She said.
Dark yanked his hand out of her grip, and continued to look at the floor.
"Dark, this will be over in an hour and a half, okay? So let's go in." She said reasuringly. although Dark continued to stare at the floor.
Hana opened the door, and motioned for Dark to come in. He didn't move. Hana put a hand on his shoulder, and pushed him in. Following close behind.
"Everyone, this is Dark. Dark this is everyone." Dr. Ono said. Everyone said hi.
Dark said nothing, and kept his eyes on the floor.
"Please come in, Dark. There's a seat right next to me." Dr. Ono said.
Dark sat down, and kept his eyes on the table that everyone sat around.
"Okay everyone, let's tell your names again, so Dark can learn them." Tsuma-san said. "Let's start to my right."
"I'm Ai." Said one of the girls who winked at Dark in the cafeteria.
"And i'm Mitsuko." Said the other girl from the cafe.
"I'm Shiori." Said a 'under sixteen' girl.
"I'm Chinatsu." Said another 'under sixteen' girl.
"I'm Itsuko." Said another girl Dark's age.
"I'm Etsu." Said a girl about ten years old.
"Akitaka." Said the annoying boy who was talking to Dark earlier.
"Eitsuya" Said a boy who was over sixteen, but under Dark's (false) age.
"Hakuba." Said a boy Akitaka's age.
a few other people said their names, but Dark wasn't really listening anymore.
"Ikkaku."
"Jin"
"Kaita"
"Makoto"
When everyone was done telling there names, Dr. Ono said, "Dark, would you like to tell us about yourself?"
Dark didn't answer.
"I thought ya' name was fa'milia'. You're Dark Mousy. Heh. How'd ya' end up in a place like this? I thought you were famous or something. And were's ya' wings? Or are ya' a poser?" Akitaka said.
Dark looked up at Akitaka, then back down at the table.
"I bet ya' are a fake. I bet you can't even unlock anythin'. nevermind steal nothin'. I bet you just tried to do ya' self in cause you were neva' the real deal."
Dark got up, and walked over to Akitaka.
"Ha! I bet you don't have the guts ta' hurt me. But, bring it on." Akitaka said as he go up from his chair.
Akitaka made an attempt to punch Dark in the stomach. Dark grabbed Akitaka's fist with his right hand, and bent it all the way backwards. With a stomach churning series of snaps.
Akitaka screamed in pain. He knelt to the ground holding his broken wrist tightly with his other hand.
Dark watched.
Tsuma-san quickly got up, and walked over to Dark. incase he made another move.
"Tsuma-san, please take these two out into the hall to settle this problem. You know what to do."
Uru took them out into the hall.
Akita started to yell at Dark. "YOU BITCH! LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO ME! YOU DISERVE TO DIE! AND I'LL KILL YOU MYSELF!" He took a swing at Dark, who dodged it easily.
Dark tripped him, and kicked him in the head. Akitaka lied on the ground for a few seconds. Unable to move. Tsuma-san restrained Dark. Who flipped her against the wall. Unconsious.
Dark turned back to Akitaka who was starting to get up. He put his boot against Akitaka's thoat, and started to slowely push down.
Dr. Ono heard them screaming out in the hall, and decided to push an alarm button near the door.
Red flashing lights went off in the hall. the staff emergancy team came running over. One of the first emergancy team members saw the situation, and pulled Dark away from Akitaka, who started to cough, as he regained breath.
Dark continued to stuggle against the staff member.
"Calm down, Dark. You don't want to be put back to level zero. " He said.
"I'LL CALM DOWN AFTER HE'S DEAD!" Dark yelled.
The leader of the emergancy team stuck him with a needle.
Slowely, Dark slid to the ground. Unconsious.
an hour later...
Dark woke up in his bed, hearing footsteps coming to his door. It was light out, but not morning light. Mid-day light. so it was around lunch. probably right after lunch.
Dr. Ono walked up to Dark's room with a few other staff with him.
"Hello Dark. Remember yesterday when i said that we had to change the bandage on your arm? Well we have to do that now."
Dark go up and walked over to the door.
"Dark, may i come in?" Dr. Ono asked.
"No."
Dr. Ono sighed.
"That wasn't the right answer." One of the members said as he opened the door, and walked in with the rest of the group. there was seven people. Two nurses, four restraint team members, and Dr. Ono.
"Dark, may we see your arm, please?" Dr. Ono said.
"No."
"I promise that it wont hurt as much if you let us help." said one of the nurses.
"It already hurts anough."
"Please?" Said the other nurse.
"NO!"
One of the nurses stuck him with a needle, and he slid to the ground.
"How long will he be down?" Dr. Ono asked.
"About thirty minutes. Someone broke into the vault, and stole all of the high doses of sleeping medications, and sidates." one nurse said.
One of the nurses pulled up Dark's sleeve. Then started to unrap the bandage.
She only got an inch in, when Dark started to wake up..
"Please restrain Dark." Ono said. One restraint team member held Dark at one shoulder, another at the other, and two others held down his legs as he tried to get up.
"Let go."Dark said.
"Sorry. I can't. I just started unrapping the bandages. If you stop moving, it will be done earlier."
"LET GO."
Dark tried to get up again, but couldn't. The restraint team was to heavy.
The nurse started to unravel the bandage more. Coming to the dried blood over Dark's deepes cut. He had almost reached the bone there.
Dark tried to kick his leg. That didn't work, but he got an idea. He turned his right foot sideways, and kicked one of the restraint members out from under his feet. Then he kicked him in the side of the head.
the other person tried to hold down both of Dark's feet. Dark relaxed his legs befor kicking them up between the person's legs.
//two down. two left.//Dark thought.
He looked at the other two restraint team members. He couldn't reach them.
The nurse continued to pull off the bandage.
"STOP...! STOP...! AAAHHHG!" Dark cried out in pain.
"I'm sorry. But i have to do this. You broke a few stitches. Can you tell me what happened?" The nurse said.
"I...don't...know." Dark said through clenched teeth.
"Please tell us, Dark." Dr. Ono said.
"I...Said...I DON'T KNOW!" Dark yelled.
The nurse was on the last cut. She swiftly pulled it off.
"AAAHHHG!" Dark screamed. He clenched his teeth, and put his head back on the floor.
"Dark, you need to get the stitches repared." The first nurse said.
"No."
"Dark, we have to." The second nurse said.
"NO!"
"Actually, you don't have to tools to do that." Dr. Ono said.
"Then i'll put a new bandage on, and we'll be done for the day."
When they were done, it was already dinner time.
"There. It's over. That wasn't so bad, was it?" The first nurse said. The restraint team let up, and Dark quickly stood up. He was still hyperventalating from the pain.
"Get out..." Dark said. Fighting back tears.
They didn't move.
"GET OUT OF MY ROOM!" Dark yelled.
They left, and Dr. Ono said, "Nice job, Dark. You are now on level two." He closed the door behind him.