With no Alexis to warn us, Lawrence and I stayed in our weird little cuddle all night. We were woken by Dext-I mean Pendleton.

"Do you have any idea how frantic you made everyone by disappearing? This isn't a day care, Faulkner! And Dr. Gordon, I am certainly surprised that you allowed him to stay here!" Ugh, now I am on the floor with a headache. Thank you so much, doctor. Lawrence tries to defend me.

"Right now in this stage of coping his mind is close to a child's. He needs a comfort object and I sure didn't tell him to pick me nor would I deny him. We are trying to help him, Monica." Thanks, Larry, but I'm still in pain here.

"You're not a psychologist! He is my patient and he needs to stay in his room!" Just shut up, both of you. Especially the redhead.

"You aren't one either. And I couldn't just send him back to his room when it about sent him into a panic attack just to get through the hall." Really. Both of you. I'm starting to get a migraine.

"He is NOT your patient, Gordon!"

"Can we all just shut up? Please?" I mutter, unheard by the quarrelling doctors. I feel a jerk on my arm as Pendleton yanks me to my feet.

"We're going now," she says, "I'll be locking your door at night from now on, do you understand?" I grimace and look back at Lawrence who only shakes his head sadly.

"Yes, ma'am," I mumble submissively.

"Good. Now move." I am practically dragged back to my room where the door is slammed shut and locked behind me. I hear Pendleton's heels angrily clicking away down the hall.

"Oh my god, Adam, I'm so sorry!"

"Huh?" Before I can turn to look, I am suddenly being hugged by someone whose blonde hair is about a centimeter away from being inside my mouth. "Alexis?"

"I knew I shouldn't have left you yesterday!" she says, "They're not gonna let you leave this room without me and they're definitely not gonna let you see Lawrence anymore. Not even in daytime."

"Guess I'm screwed then, huh?" I respond dully, "Goodbye discharge, just bring me upstairs now while you're thinking of it." Alexis pulls back and glares at me.

"Don't give me that attitude. You'll be fine. I'm not a genius at therapy but I can help you get through the next two days. You'll be out of here in no time." I smile wryly.

"I'm sorry, Alexis, but you're wrong this time. I've already had relapses."

"That doesn't mean you can't heal yourself. What do you say I take you to the hospital library? They won't bother you there." I think on it for a moment. Maybe in there I can feel some sort of escape from the paranoia. I agree to go.

"Uh-uh," Alexis says as I try to leave, "Eat first." Oh right, food. I haven't really been feeling the effects of hunger lately...

.

This place gives me the creeps. First of all it's about as cramped as a goddamn closet and second, Alexis left me in here ALONE. Is that really such a good idea with my issues? I release a sigh as I sit near the back wall. Oh well, I think, Might as well try to get used to being alone again. Not like it'll help. A book about pets catches my eye.

"Maybe I should consider getting a dog..." I mutter pulling it off the shelf. If I ever get out of here. Not really paying attention to the book, I sort of space out, thinking about what I really don't want to: the bathroom. I remember everything up till my passing out when I was rescued...every pathetic sob, every thought, every time I curled up on my side in bouts of wrenching pain from the hunger and slowly spreading infection. And I remember waking up in a fog in the hospital, wondering if I was really alive or if I was stuck in some kind of weird Purgatory. I remember seeing doctors milling around all the time and an attendant by my side...They alternated at first before Alexis became the permanent one. She was the nicest, as I recall. But everything was still hazy...unfocused...until that conversation with the detective a couple days ago. But...Now that I'm thinking about it, I remember a middle ground. Between the light filling the bathroom and waking up in the hospital...It's like a video tape in my head how easily I can see it.

.

Numb...I open my eyes but need to squint at the bright lights flashing over me. I can feel myself moving...a gurney? I'm so tired. Everything's blurry. I can hear people talking, talking loudly, yelling around me. Occasionally an arm will reach out over me but I can't see whose it is or what they're reaching for. Numb...then pain. Stabbing, burning, excruciating pain shoots down my right arm from my shoulder. I can hear a strangled mewl of agony...my voice? The voices become more urgent, louder, faster. I can pick out a few words now.

"He's conscious! We gotta move!" Are they talking about me? Why would they talk about me? I'm dead, aren't I? But if I'm dead, why does it hurt? Another cry escapes my dry, itching throat. It hurts so bad...Then suddenly relief. Liquid bliss filling my veins, making me sleepy.

"Hang in there, guy," a voice tells me before everything turns black again. Hang in there...I'm alive?

.

"Whoa!" I snap myself out of the memory, nearly dropping the book in my hands. My eyes are wide, heart racing. What the hell was that?! Did I just have another flashback? But I remember it this time. I shelve the book with shaking hands and stand. This is too weird. I need to get out of here. But as I am but three steps from the door I hear a thump in the ceiling and freeze. A disgustingly liquid feeling chill trickles down the back of my neck and over my spine. Chin trembling, I force myself to turn around. I feel my heart stop beating. There, looking down from a shifted ceiling tile, is the black maned pig face I still have nightmares about...the pig face of Jigsaw. Fear's icy hands are around my throat and beginning to squeeze. No...I can't breathe. The pig face seems to smirk at my terror and black gloved hands slowly reach out to grab onto the edges of the hole. Run. I turn and bolt for the door, not getting out fast enough. I slam it shut behind me, falling back onto the opposite wall, hyperventilating. Alexis is by my side in an instant, her hands gripping my upper arms securely.

"Adam? Adam, what happened? Are you okay?" I stare at the door behind her, expecting to see the dark silhouette of Jigsaw in the rippled glass but finding nothing. My movements made jerky with panic, I bring my arms up defensively and try to pull out of her grip.

"He's in there," I gasp, "I saw him. He's in the ceiling!" A nurse who happens to be walking by notices the situation and asks if she can help.

"Yeah, we need to see if someone is in the ceiling in the library," Alexis replies, "Maybe for something electrical?" The nurse nods and goes to check the room. I stare at Alexis in disbelief.

"I know what I saw," I insist. She shrugs.

"I believe you," she says, "But in your state I have to be at least one percent skeptical in case you made a panic-induced mistake." The nurse pokes her head out of the room.

"There's nobody in here," she tells us with a smile, "The ceiling tiles aren't even moved." My stomach drops.

"Are you sure?" Alexis asks. The nurse nods and goes on her way.

"Go see for yourself." Alexis nudges me onward. We go back into the library only to find that the nurse was right. I feel the familiar itch at the back of my eyes in pure confusion.

"He was here..." I whisper, "I know he was here..." Alexis touches my arm reassuringly.
"I think it's time we went back to your floor," she says kindly, "You'll be fine, okay?" How can you be so sure...

.


A/N: Hey, all! I'm back! Sorry this chapter took so long. I had been working on it little by little, I promise. Finally some more flashbacks. And oh noes! No more visits to Lawrence! How will Adam cope? And did he really see Jigsaw in the ceiling or is he going crazy? Guess what? I'm not gonna tell you! LOL! Sorry. No, I WILL eventually tell you, just not yet. I'm looking forward to your reads and reviews! Thanks for keeping this going, guys!