Chapter 10: Voices

"Oi, Red! Hey! Yeah, you! Get yer fine ass over here, girl."

Rebecca moved over to their table, rolling her eyes, "Must you call me Red?"

"Yep." Caden replied, promptly, smirking.

Ray-Ray shot her a warm smile, "We missed you at lunch. What were you up to?"

She hesitated. Oh, nothing. Just passed out on my bed after having a 'nut-job extraordinaire'...

"Oh, I just... crashed out. Really tired."

"I heard Crane pulled you in again." Ky said, slowly.

She shook her head, "Yeah, but that wasn't long, only half an hour or so."

"Right." The kid paused, awkwardly, staring at her, "So... how'd it go?"

She shrugged, playing with her food, not at all hungry, "Not bad, I suppose."

"Not bad." Jumper repeated, softly, "Nothing special, then, huh."

"No. Nothing special."

Ray-Ray shook her head, disbelieving, "You're sayin' he didn't try nothin' on you in that room?"

She shook her head, "Like what?"

"Like he didn't try... didn't tryda..."

"Did he... try you out with the new medication?" Ky asked, hesitantly.

"New medication?" Rebecca thought about it, "No, I don't think so."

"Did... anything... different happen?"

"No. Nothing."

Apart from me going all schizo on the poor sod and freaking out in a corner. She completed, silently, God, I feel sorry for him. He must think I'm a complete nut-job...

"You not hungry?" Ray-Ray asked, after a short pause, nodding down at her untouched plate.

Rebecca glanced down. Just the thought of food made her feel sick. Must be the Clozapine kicking in again...

"Wells?"

She glanced up, catching the eyes of the orderly to her right. She hesitated, and then nodded, "That's me."

"Here." He said, stiffly, handing her a piece of card with writing on, "New schedule for ya."

"But I got my schedule yesterday."

"Yeah," he replied, shaking his head as if he was talking to an idiot, "And here's a new one. Don't lose it, there's a good freak."

"I beg your pardon?" she asked, raising her eyebrows, genuinely surprised.

Ray-Ray dug her in the ribs with an elbow and she flinched before frowning at her, "What -"

The girl was shaking her head, meaningfully, shooting small glances up at the orderly behind her. Rebecca frowned again, her gaze moving over the others. They all had their eyes firmly on their trays, eating, silently.

She moved her eyes back to the orderly, for the first time really looking at him. He reminded her of a bloodhound, a hunting dog, quite short, shorter even than Ky, and thickly built beneath his blue scrubs. He had dark, hooded eyes, almost as dark as hers, contrasting with his white skin. His hair was brown and short, like an army cut.

Rebecca glanced at Ray-Ray, frowning slightly, curiously, and then back to the orderly in front of her, who was still watching her with a disgusted expression on his face, "I said don't lose it. Something you didn't understand, freak?"

She raised an eyebrow again. Rebecca couldn't help but feel angry. After the complete psych-out she'd had only a few hours ago the voices still hadn't quite faded, and they were screaming in her head. Slowly, she felt the anger drowning out her fear, and, more importantly, her common sense.

"Yes, actually," she said, quietly, dangerously, feeling the most prominent voice sink into place with an almost audible click, "I don't understand your tone. I've only been here one day. Have I upset you already?"

"You got a problem with the way I speak to you, freak?"

Ray-Ray had put her hand on her knee and was now squeezing, tight enough to hurt, begging her to leave it, to drop it.

She ignored her: "You know what, I'm not a freak. I've got schizophrenia. It's an illness, not a deformity. And if you want to see what that illness consists of, then I suggest you keep talking."

He moved closer to her, leaning down, the table creaking slightly as he braced his weight on his hands either side of her, "Was that a threat, freak? You've got some fucking nerve."

Actually, inside her, Rebecca was shaking at his sudden proximity. But Rebecca wasn't in charge anymore. "Yeah. I fucking have. So why don't you just back the hell off."

"I'd shut up, Wells, before you get yourself hurt."

"You know what, bite me."

"Don't tempt me." He growled. She raised an eyebrow, and he moved one of his hands, taking her by the chin, roughly. His grip was strong, very strong. He stroked her cheek. "Pretty little freak, aren't you? Wonder how well you fuck."

"Try me." She said, her voice deadly quiet, fire burning in her eyes.

He watched her for a second. Then he pulled back, releasing her, roughly. He straightened up, glancing her over, "I'll be seeing you later, freak. Count on it."

She didn't give him the satisfaction of a reply, instead giving him a look that said 'will you now...' and turning back to her tray, nonchalantly. The orderly paused, and then stormed off.

"Red," Ray-Ray whispered, weakly, "What are you doing? Do you know what you just did?"

"Probably not." She replied, offhand, swirling her fork round in her food.

"You just guaranteed yourself a late-night call from the toughest prick in Arkham." Caden said, grimly.

"Red, come on, are you suicidal?" Ky asked, looking pale.

"Not particularly. Anyway. If he wanted something he'd have taken it right now."

"Warrick always waits," Ray-Ray corrected, shaking her head, "He makes you wait. To keep you edgy."

"Why on earth would he go through so much trouble to make a schizophrenic edgy?" she scoffed, "Come on, all he's gotta do with me is shut a damned door!"

"Rebecca," Jumper said, quietly, "You've got to be careful here. This place isn't Trenton. You're going to get yourself killed."

"I'm sure I'll be fine," she replied, shaking her head, taking in a spoonful of whatever muck it was on her plate before grimacing and putting her cutlery down. She shook her head, disgustedly, "Shit. I fucking hate cafeteria food. See you guys around." She got to her feet, leaving her tray where it was, and left, unaware of the concerned eyes on her back.

"What the fuck did you do that for?"

The voice laughed, Oh, come on, Becks, have a little adventure in your life!

"You're fucking insane!"

She could imagine rolled eyes: Said the pot to the kettle, hon, said the pot to the kettle.

"At least I know it! For the love of God, the one time you decide to poke your goddamned head in is the time you're needed least! If you'd have just kept quiet that freak-hating prick would have just passed us by, but no, you've gotta open your mouth!"

Well, y'know, technically, it was you.

"Technically?" she turned round, smashing a fist into the wall, "Fuck technicality!"

Ooh, darling, you're sounding more and more like me every day...

"Shut the fuck up! You're gonna get us killed!"

I doubt he'd kill us, Becks.

"Yeah, well there are worse things then dying."

As you would know.

She froze. Her anger immediately disappeared. She shook her head, slowly, "Don't."

Don't what. Don't remind you? Don't talk about it? She could imagine the person shaking her head, disgustedly, You're pathetic. Hiding away from the past. Refusing to acknowledge what happened to you.

"How dare you judge me," she whispered, shakily, "You don't know what happened. You weren't there."

No. But you were. I know what happened to you through you.

"That is nothing to experiencing it!"

You're a coward!

"I'm not a coward. I don't remember."

You do. And you know you do.

"I don't! I don't remember! I blocked it all out, I, I don't -"

Save it. Just who the fuck d'you think you're talking to here. I... am you. I know everything you do. Everysingle detail.

She sat down, closing her eyes, "What are you saying."

I'm saying maybe you should be negotiating. You want peace and quiet? You want to keep your perfect little ignorance? 'Cause if you do then you better start listening to what I say for once.

"You're just... a voice. You're some sick part of my subconscious, just a fragmented segment. You're nothing!"

Oh, but I'm not. Not if I've got that power over you, Becks. You start being a little nicer to me, and, I promise, I'll never say a word of what happened that day. That day back in your house. New Year's Eve. When -

"Stop." She interrupted, sharply.

Oh, you don't want to know? Don't want to hear it? Because I know it all, Becks. I know every detail.

"Stop it."

I know how they got into your house.

"Stop."

I know how you helped them.

"Stop."

How you tried to protect him, how they kept him busy, how they kept you busy, and then, when they were done, how they went back downstairs and -

"Please!" she said, quickly, tears threatening, "Don't."

There was a long pause.

Okay. The voice said, finally, Okay. Alright, Rebecca. I've stopped.

"What... do you want," she managed, shaking her head, covering her eyes with her palms, "What do you want."

I want a bit more freedom. I want a bit more space. A bit more influence. I want you to listen to me every once in a while.

"Okay. Alright."

And one more thing.

"What."

She paused. I want a name.