The hallway was silent when Amee moved about this wing of the hospital. Again, the walls were painted beige, with the exception of coloring pages, all representing… no way. They were of the Fellowship of the Ring. And in the centermost part of this end of the floor was Frodo Baggins in a sleep state. The One Ring glowing yellow and gold, but also cupped in his hands. She gasped, turning aside her gaze from the picture. No. It couldn't be. It couldn't be…

"Excuse me," said one of the patients. Amee met the gaze of a fair, rugged face, draped in a blue gown with blue pants. "Halbarad's my name. Welcome to the hospital."

"You're Halbarad? Where are we?" Amee was confused. She was dreaming, wasn't she? Why were…

"Patients get sent here when they want to stay home, instead of exploring Tol Eressëa and all its glory. No one comes here without permission and no one leaves this place until they've confessed their feelings. The truth."

"What truth?" Amee asked, curious. "What do I need to confess?"

"You need to move," said one of the nurses, wearing white clothes.

"I'm sorry," Halbarad said, admitting truthfully. He turned to Amee, telling her, promptly, "Get out of here. Confess your feelings to Frodo. It's the only way out." He stopped shouting the second the nurse led him back to his room. Amee saw him glance back at her, concern smeared across his face. Would she see him again? She wondered that, but then who was the tall, curly haired man leaning against the wall, dressed in a blue gown, blue pants and enormous white socks.

No. It couldn't be.

"Frodo?" Amee asked, curiously. She didn't waste a second to greet him, only he looked at her with a heated temperament. She stopped. What had she done? He just moved away, back to his room in silence. "It is Frodo." She whispered to herself.

"Who?" asked a nurse, confused.

"Frodo Baggins is here, isn't he?" she asked, hoping for the right answer.

"Aye. That is him," the nurse said, leading her away. "Come on. Let's go back to your room." Amee insisted on telling her everything about Frodo. It was too late. The second the nurse brought her back to bed, she walked away, leaving her in silence. She knew what she was talking about. Why wasn't she allowed to speak about Frodo? This was what she had asked for? Now she remembered home. But still, she missed Tol Eressëa. She wished she was there again. But when she opened her eyes, she was still in the same room. The same plain room.

How am I to get out of here? She thought in a well-mannered way. She wasn't crazy. She couldn't be. Frodo was here. She just needed to talk with him. Set things right. Why then was she starting to forget?

The group room at the end of the hallway was draped in carpeted walls and floors, in the designs of flowers, purple and blue. There was one window looking out to the west and a chalkboard resting against the wall on the other end. Chairs and couches, cushioned in the deepest red color, rested against the walls and underneath the window. It was a spacious room, but not enough to leave oneself feeling claustrophobic. It was a peaceful room, and yet claustrophobic still came to play here.

This was where Amee sat with the other patients, all of whom reminded her of those inhabitants from Middle-earth. Including the elves, but they were all the counselors, nurses, doctors and whatnot was in the hospital. Surrounding Amee were hobbits, men and dwarves. There weren't any wizards, or so Amee noticed. Maybe they were counselors, too, or something else. She didn't know. Now she really was going mad. She needed to snap out of this.

Look around…

The voices were back. She thought they had gone.

Take him. Take him now.

Frodo is here. Take him.

"No," Amee whispered, shushing the voices before something dangerous happened to her and to others.

"Amee," said the elf nurse with her pointed ears and dark hair. "Do you have something you'd like to say?"

Amee's gaze met Frodo's. He was staring at her, curious about her. Did he know where they were? Maybe she should ask a question herself.

"When can I leave?" Amee asked, curious. "Leave this hospital, I mean."

"Only when the doctor has released you," said the elf nurse. "And I'm afraid Gandalf the White won't permit it."

"Gandalf is my doctor?" Amee asked, astonishment seeping through her. "Gandalf's here."

Frodo grinned, speaking for the first time. "Wouldn't we all like to believe we've come here for a reason?" Amee glanced at him, as though she had seen a ghost. Frodo continued to speak, "Not all of us want to be here. And yet we are, for a reason. Taking control of voices is one thing. Learning how to become friends is another matter entirely." His smiled wiped away. "That's all I have to say on this matter."

"Oh," Amee said, lowering her head. She hadn't expected Frodo to say those words to her. She felt less in control than ever.

"That and we have to learn to accept our voices," the elf nurse said, returning to the chalkboard. "Accepting voices and learning to cope with them is something you will all need to work on." She plopped down on a chair. "And that's the end of our session. Until tomorrow, you're dismissed."

Amee watched absentmindedly as all the patients filed out of the room. She glanced over at Frodo, who watched her in return. She remembered now. She had spoken so innocently and so quickly about her feelings towards him. Were they true? She didn't know. She was more mature than this. She scooted out of the group room, hearing Frodo's voice in the background.

"Amee, wait!" Frodo stood a few inches away from her, but enough to where they were in earshot. "You remember me, don't you? We were in Tol Eressëa together." Amee stopped, stunned. How did he know? "Ah. So, you do remember."

"How are you here?" Amee asked, turning her gaze to the nurses and doctors. They didn't move. They just stared. Wait. Weren't they supposed to stop her and Frodo from talking, let alone touching? Wait. She gazed at her hand. Frodo held onto it… and no one was stopping them. This wasn't right, was it? She was missing something. Quickly, she moved her hand away from his. "That's not how it works in a hospital, Frodo. It's individual. Not…"

The kiss was so quick. Amee wanted to slap him so badly for this. This wasn't proper. She pushed away, determined to head into the activity room before anything further was said or done. She was surprised to see Frodo following her.

"Amee," Frodo advanced on her fast. "You don't believe me? You don't remember?"

"I believe you're real, Frodo," Amee told him, serious. "What I have a hard time understanding is how you're here and why I need to confess my feelings to you. When I already did that the first time. Don't you see – it doesn't make sense."

"Of course, it doesn't," Frodo said, trying to help her out. "Do you want to end up stuck here? We need to figure this out, and I know less about this place than you think." He tried again, sharper this time, "I don't want to end up stuck here. We need to get out. You need to confess your feelings to me."

"Frodo, right now I'm scared, bewildered and upset," Amee said, sharply. "Do you want me to go on?"

"You have to trust me. I'm your only chance, your only way out." Frodo looked around. Even Amee knew at this point something was off. He added, serious, "The elves will only help as best they can. It's up to us to get out of here. It's always been that way." He told her, kindly, "And no, I'm really here. There's no mirror this time that brought me here. You did." He pleaded, "Please. You've got to get us both out of here."

Amee felt a few tears about ready to leave her eyes. She couldn't do this. "I don't know how to get us out of here."

"Then we're screwed," he said, sadness taking over. He added, braver now, "Until you confess your feelings to me, truly…" He slapped his hand against his hip, softly, "…then I'm afraid we're stuck here." He nodded to her in silence, walking out of the room. Amee plopped on one of the chairs. This was not what she expected, but then what could she do? She hadn't the faintest idea what to do. There was no hope, was there? She was screwed. They were screwed. And she knew it, didn't she? She knew it all along.

Great. Just what she didn't need. Now what were they to do? Who could help them now?

Morning turned to afternoon. The sun was at its peak, golden hued and toned. The sky was bright blue and partially cloudy. Amee stared at the window, hoping that in some way, past the window's grey bars that she would be leaving and returning home. Would she ever see it again? She returned her gaze to the circular table in the corner. She was inches away from it, but she sat next to the metal bookcase with its books, filled with wonder and fantasy, as well as adventure. There were heroes and villains… she looked up at the corner table.

There was Frodo, playing solitaire by himself. He looked so lonely. His sad expression showed that. Maybe she should talk to him, cheer him up… but she couldn't. He might ask her if she loved him… loved him? Is that what he was asking from her? She knew, she remembered. She never said it. She didn't need to say it then. But he did. He proclaimed his love to her. She needed to express it. How would she do that? She didn't know, nor could she…

"Gandalf will see you now, Amee," said one of the elf nurses. Amee moved without question, but looked back at Frodo. She hoped he would say something to her… anything. She moved on, hoping, just hoping this meeting would go well, if…

"Good luck," Frodo said to Amee, getting her attention.

"Come on now," the elf nurse replied, also getting Amee's attention. She listened, moving out of the activity room and down the hallway. They were getting closer and there it was. Gandalf's room, decorated in photos of the Fellowship of the Ring, the One Ring, heroes and villains. There was also a bookcase filled to the brim with pictures of Middle-earth. Was she dreaming? Surely Amee knew something was amiss. The elf nurse did not. "Gandalf, she's here."

"Excellent," Gandalf said with a warm smile. He gestured to Amee with a hand, "Come in. Come in. Yes," he waited for her to sit down and the door closed, before continuing to speak, "yes, I have heard much about you, Miss Amethyst Lily. I trust you have questions. This won't take long, or won't it?" He smiled at her. "Now, let's begin." He checked her file once, beamed a warm smile that sent shivers down Amee's spine. "Ah! You're here to confess something."

"Isn't that what everyone's here for, Mister Gandalf?" Amee asked, leaning back in the cushioned chair.

"Yes, but this is for this floor," Gandalf said, pointing to the desk. "Now tell me, why did you come here? There must be a reason Frodo is here."

"Didn't he…"

The wizard shook his head. "Frodo didn't want to be here, Miss Amee." Amee looked up, stunned. No. This couldn't be happening. Gandalf shook his head, seriousness in his eyes. "Miss Amee, you must have brought him here. He wants to leave as well as you."

"Don't I go home?" she asked, concerned. "I need to go home."

"You need to figure this out, Miss Amethyst," the wizard addressed her. "We all come here for a reason. But for you, Miss Amee, and for Frodo's sake, you had better figure out what you missed. The nurses will be in to help you out. It won't just be individual, not for your task. But Frodo has been keeping an eye on you, ever since you two started meeting. Find out the reason and you will be free. Until then, you are dismissed."

Amee stood up. She wanted to leave, but she wasn't finished yet. "Gandalf, are there villains here, too? Not just heroes?"

"Unfortunately, there are villains here." Gandalf said, gazing at her now with such mystery. "So much so that even they are here for their own missions and quests."

"And tasks," Amee answered, finishing his sentence. "Thank you, Gandalf." She admitted, realizing then what she needed to do. "I think I need to speak to Frodo now."

The wizard nodded. "Good luck, Miss Amethyst. May we meet again under better circumstances."

"I hope so. I'll see you later." Amee said, calmly. She waved a hand at the wizard, before departing from the room. "It's time I uncover the truth about this place, and get Frodo out of here." It was a promise she was willing to keep. Not just for herself, but for Frodo as well. Oh boy. What was she getting herself into?