Note: I apologize for not posting this chapter sooner! I have family visiting and a sister that also writes continuously so we've been sharing the same computer. But I admit reviews will encourage me to post the next chapter quicker! ;)
Enjoy!
Chapter IV - Reversing Demeanors
Nadia's repressed laughter ceases when Adam's realization is voiced. She spins around and studies the chipped mirror. A moment later she lets out a shriek when the mirror shatters instantly, startling her.
"Watch it!"
Lawrence got on his feet to get a better look. The three of them are staring back at a camera that's recording them behind clear glass.
"So that's what this is? Reality TV," Adam's voice is weeping sarcasm.
"Can you hear me in their? Huh? I'm having a blast!" he's gathering rubble from the floor and casting it at the glass. "This is the most fun I've had without lubricant," Adam throws another piece of tile and carelessly strikes Nadia in the face.
"Ouch!" Nadia slaps her hand against her eye. When she eventually removes it there is a small gash on her upper cheek. "Oh," she stares at her palm specked lightly with blood.
"Shit, I'm so sorry!" Adam covers his mouth with his fist, than starts towards her with his hands lifted. "I'm really sorry."
Nadia ignores him and turns to Lawrence, "It's fine, right?"
Lawrence tells Nadia, "Yea, you're alright. Just try to not get any dirt inside the cut; you don't want it to get infected."
"Right," she looks to her right.
Adam has his hands in his hair and he's gawking at her with a shaken appearance.
"I'm sorry," is all he says.
Nadia nods her head instead of fighting with Adam. Her eyes betray exhaustion, and in her stomach and the back of her throat she feels a groveling nausea. She's longing to give in to this game and sleep away the gruesome scene, but doesn't from the threat of the camera recording them. She sits where she stands, clearing away blood that's trickling lightly onto her pants before she hangs her head.
"That's not going to do anything," Lawrence is addressing to Adam who was bending down for debris again.
"You just want to leave it running on us?" Adam pauses.
Nadia wearily glances at Adam, "You can't stop it."
Adam looks down at her astounded.
"That's why we can't saw through these chains. It's why you won't break that glass. Every possible angle has been pre-thought out by him," Nadia sounds in awe.
Adam doesn't notice the slight sting of jealousy stirring in his chest before anger replaces it, "You sound like you admire this prick."
Lawrence chimes in and agrees with Nadia, "That's true. Adam, to overcome something you have to know what a perfect engine it is. That's how you fight disease."
"Exactly," Nadia gives Lawrence a feeble smile despite the nausea that's overcoming her quickly.
"Now the tape told us to find an X. That X has to somewhere in this room," Lawrence searches the ceiling and around the walls. "Help me find it."
Nadia peers over her shoulder, seeking for another brown drawing similar to the heart on the toilet. Adam does not help them though; he's unbelievingly gaping at Lawrence.
He can't trust Lawrence's calm mannerism in their situation. Just as much as Lawrence is sick of their behavior, Adam is growing fed up of Lawrence's calm attitude.
"How can you be the calm doctor-guy when your wife and kid are out there? He's got them, too. He could be doing anything to them right now."
Lawrence is still studying the walls; he appears to be avoiding Adam. Nadia hisses at the young man beside her to be quiet, but he ignores her and continues.
"Are you thinking about that?"
Lawrence suddenly glares towards Adam and snaps, "I am thinking about that!"
Adam backs off and drops his head with assurance. Nadia marks him with an angry disappointment and it goes noticed by Adam. He gazes in her eyes and feels ashamed. Her stare is tired, though there is something else he can't decipher. Adam feels worse when Lawrence speaks and Nadia frowns regarding the doctor.
His tone has turned from irritation to a sudden despondence, "I've been thinking about the last thing I said to my daughter."
Doctor Gordon was hunched over his laptop computer, working furiously on a paper he was writing. Though he was focused intensely, his mind was wandering to one of his students, Carla, who had made it obvious that she wanted to spend time with him, unprofessionally.
Earlier that day, Doctor Gordon found himself alone with the young woman in an empty hospital room. Carla had stayed behind after he had finished explaining medical procedures to his group of college students who left minutes ago. She had revealed her current infatuation with him and Doctor Gordon's reply was that she meet him in a backwoods motel down town. She agreed instantly.
Tonight, as Doctor Gordon finished his work, he waited for her to page him once she arrived at the motel like planned.
"Larry, sorry to bother you, but your daughter had a bad dream again," Doctor Gordon's wife was speaking to him over his laptop.
Doctor Gordon's eyes didn't leave the screen and he raised his hand to pause her, "Just a minute, Allison."
"She wants you to check her room."
"Mmhmm, just gotta finish this paragraph," Doctor Gordon is still typing.
Allison wait's a moment than turns to the little girl at her hip, "You know what, sweetie? I'll go check with you."
As they turn, Doctor Gordon finishes and slams his laptop closed and smiles, "Nope! I'm done."
He walks his daughter into her room and tucks her into bed, handing her her favorite stuffed bear. Reassuringly, he eases her nightly nerves.
"See? There's no one in your room. There's no such thing as the bad man. Now can you go to sleep, Diana?"
Diana is still scared and voices her feelings. Lawrence sighs with a smile and grabs her foot. One by one he wiggles her toes, reciting a children's riddle as she laughs. Suddenly, Carla calls him and his pager beeps.
"I hate that thing," Diana states with a frown.
Lawrence realizes that subconsciously he's been debating whether he should go through with his plans in meeting Carla at the hotel. He decides within the moment that he is going to tell her it was a mistake, and that an affair is not something he can go through with.
"Well, I have to go to work sweetheart. You know how Daddy's job is," Lawrence tells his daughter. "Now come one. Try and get some sleep now, okay?"
"You're not going to leave us, are you, daddy?" Diana asks before Lawrence leaves the room.
He walks back, sits on her bed, and tells her she never has to worry about that.
Moments later, once Diana is tucked into bed and Lawrence is about to leave, Allison follows him to the door.
"I don't know how much longer I can do this, Larry," She confronts him.
"What, What are you talking about?" Lawrence's tone sounds like he doesn't know what she means.
"How can you walk through life pretending that you're happy?" Allison is in disbelief.
"I am happy."
"That is complete bullshit. I'd rather you break down and tell me that you hated me. At least there'd be some passion in it."
Lawrence brushes off her words like they're not important and that nothing is wrong, "We can talk about this later, okay?"
Allison walks away from Lawrence when he tries to kiss her, "Just leave."
Lawrence is recalling the loving things he longed to say to Allison, but he walked out like she demanded. He also regrets not recounting Diana's favorite bedtime story as he wishes more and more he could be with his family. He looks up from where he sits now, across at Nadia and Adam who are resting beside each other.
"Would you like to see her?" he reaches into his pocket and digs out his wallet before tossing it across the room.
It hits the floor behind Adam and he crawls for the wallet, settling his back against the wall. Nadia clambers to lie against the tub, about three feet from Adam.
"She's beautiful," Adam smiles at Lawrence.
Nadia peers to her right to see Adam observing Lawrence's photos. He regards her and hands her the wallet.
"You gonna have anymore kids?" Adam sighs, talking to Lawrence.
Nadia notes a little girl with long brown hair, hugging a dog.
"We've talked about it, but uh, with our schedules, it's difficult enough to concentrate on one," Lawrence has lost his snobby air completely.
"Where's the lucky wife?" Nadia refers to the wallet with a small grin.
"There's another picture behind the one you're looking at. It's my favorite one because we're all in it together. Someone, usually me, has to hold the camera, which means I'm always missing from the photos," Lawrence exhales. "You have family?"
Adam chuckles somewhat, "Wife and kid? No."
Nadia shakes her head and digs behind a photo, retrieving a Polaroid she assumed to be of Lawrence's family.
"All I've got to come home to is an empty refrigerator and cigarette butts," Adam continues, watching Lawrence.
Nadia unfolds the photo to find a picture of a woman and a little girl tied and gagged.
"What? No love interests?" Lawrence teases Adam. "I guess we'd have to be deaf to notice your charms."
"Yea," Adam sighs to the floor, then his face crumples when he realizes Lawrence insulted him. "Hey!"
Lawrence is laughing at Adam's reaction while Adam is trying to not smile. Nadia turns the photo over and in white marker Jigsaw has written a message.
'X marks the spot. Sometimes you see more with your eyes shut,' Nadia reads.
"Hey, my charm exceeds more than what you think," Adam isn't paying attention to Nadia, but still talking to Lawrence. "Only problem is I can't find a good enough woman to keep."
Nadia folds the photo into her pocket, thankful it goes unnoticed.
"Uh, Lawrence. It's not here," she lies.
Lawrence's laugh subsides, "What?"
"This photo you were talking about, it's not here."
"Really? Are you sure?" Lawrence holds out his hand for Nadia to toss the wallet, catching it when she does. "He… He must've taken it," Lawrence is stunned.
Nadia suggests comfort and Adam considers her with a puzzled expression.
"What?" she asks, her heart rate increasing.
Adam is silent for a moment before he responds, "You don't recognize me at all?" His questions are renewed.
Nadia breathes out. She can't conclude where or how she could know him, but he's right in asking. She does recognize him, though she won't admit it. At first she assumed he looked like someone she knew, but than he said he recognized her as well. The more Nadia has been studying Adam, the more she's convinced that he's right in believing he knows her. Yet she still shakes her head and denies her recognition for reasons she can't even decipher.
"Where do you work and live? Maybe we have a mutual friend or there's a place we both visit often," Adam is determined for vindication.
"I don't think so," Nadia replies simply.
"I know you recognize me," Adam's voice is rising.
Nadia glances over at Adam who is increasing distress. She shakes her head still, a light smile playing across her face.
"Look! Lawrence is right. We've got to work together," Adam begs her for a response.
Lawrence agrees with Adam but Nadia's thoughts are elsewhere as she turns away. She's feeling very ill once more and wishes to lie down more than anything. She's beginning to feel dizzy when Adam shouts.
"You're keeping me in the dark about something!"
The statement strikes Nadia and she remembers what the back of the Polaroid said.
"Turn off the lights," she's struggling to stand up.
Lawrence's brow furrows, "What?"
"Turn them off now, please!" Nadia is still struggling to her feet when Adam stands, grabs her arm, and helps her up.
Lawrence observes Nadia's growing weakness, "Are you feeling well? You look really pale."
"Just turn off the lights for a second!" she is determined, despite her vertigo.
Lawrence stares at Nadia perplexed. He shuffles over to flip the switch and the lights are off within a moment, despite his doubt. Lawrence searches the pitch-dark for a reason as to why he listened to Nadia's demand.
"Jesus, behind you!" Adam's cry drifts out of the gloom.
There is a giant X radiating on the wall beside Lawrence.
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