Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me. Apologies for the length of this chapter!

"Right. I'm going to insert the IV into your arm." The technician took a step back, and looked at Arthur, nervously. He turned to the nurse. "Does he need to be restrained?"

Tom raised an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"

"Well...sometimes these patients pull their IVs out." The technician swallowed and reached for the IV. "If he does, he could-"

"Arthur's not going to pull anything out," Tom interrupted. "If he does, he'll find himself in solitary. You do understand that, don't you?"

Arthur looked at Tom, and nodded. "I do."

Tom looked at him, piercingly. "I don't like this, I really don't. You're being too co-operative." He picked up the nutrient bag. "I'm telling you this, Ogilvie, I'll be watching you. You do realise in addition to be tube fed you'll be eating regular meals?" He smiled, noting the look of discomfort that started moving across Arthur's face. "You're the human equivalent of a Thanksgiving turkey. Get used to it."

Arthur nodded. "If you say so." He winced slightly as the IV entered his arm. The Technician looked worried. "Sorry." He adjusted the bag at the top of the pole. "OK, so this is going to be a steady drip of nutrients into your system. I'll be back to change the bag in a few hours. OK?" Arthur nodded, and the technician looked relieved. "Good. See you in a few."

"I'll be doing regular observations," Tom announced. "And, trust me Ogilvie, just to make sure you're not going to get out of bed and try and walk, that IV lead is short." He smiled. "If you try and get up, you'll pull it out of your arm, which could cause your system to go into shock. Understand?"

"Yes." Arthur leaned back against the pillows, and looked at the ceiling.

Tom nodded, satisfied, and turned to the technician. "Come on. Let's leave him."

Arthur closed his eyes.

"So, what first attracted you to Arthur?"

Ariadne blinked. Greenwood sat opposite her, his back hunched over, his eyes intense. She swallowed, knowing that anything she said could be twisted.

"I-" she broke off, and blushed. Saying anything would feel like a betrayal.

"Come on," Greenwood coaxed, his voice soft. "When did you first meet?"

She looked at the floor. The first meeting - she'd gone to the warehouse with Cobb, and seen him fiddling with the PASIV. He'd been so relaxed, so attractive. She would never have guessed he was hiding such a terrible secret. When he smiled, there'd been no evidence. Now, of course, she knew what to look for, and she could spot the tell-tale signs - the slight discolouration of his teeth, his somewhat gaunt visage. There was also the need for control, the seeming suppression of his emotions-

"When did you first meet?" Greenwood's tone was hardening. Ariadne blinked, and realised she needed to answer the question.

"At work."

"Right." Greenwood nodded. "And what was it that first attracted you to Arthur?"

She looked at the floor. Arthur had seemed so polite, such a gentleman, so intelligent. She was beginning to realise that part of her attraction had been a slightly nagging belief that a man like that would never be interested in her. She was beginning to wonder if she had based her views on Arthur on nothing but a fantasy.

"Well, he was very well-dressed," she began, hesitantly, "and his manners-"

"So, would you say you're superficial?" Greenwood cut in. Ariadne felt slightly stunned.

"No, its just, with Arthur, its the first thing you notice..." her voice trailed off, and she spotted a smile beginning to curve Greenwood's lips.

"So, your attraction to Arthur was built upon his appearance," Greenwood nodded. "But, Ariadne, that appearance was hiding something that is seen by many as utterly repulsive." He looked at Ariadne, his eyes narrowing. "You do know that bulimia is seen as disgusting? How many people would think a young man like Arthur, a man who appears to be so calm and in control, is actually gorging himself, and then vomiting it back up?"

She shuddered.

"It repulses you, doesn't it?" Greenwood continued, his voice calm and unruffled.

"No, it doesn't!" She burst out. "Arthur's sick, I can deal with that!"

"Really?" Greenwood looked at her. "So, you think you can handle it? On your own, with no support?"

Ariadne nodded, her stubborness beginning to assert itself. "Yes."

"OK. How about we try something." Greenwood's face was inscrutable. "How about you go into Arthur's dreams, and see exactly how he feels at the moment?"

She swallowed. "I-"

"Listen, Ariadne," Greenwood said, his voice calm. "You were prepared to try an inception on Arthur, under Cobb, so why not just go into his mind, and see how he feels at the moment?"

The Architect bit her lip. "It seems invasive." She looked at Greenwood. "You're asking me to-"

"I'm only asking you to do exactly what you've already done," the psychaitrist responded, his tone hard. "You were party to incepting him. Thats why he's in such a mess. By going into his mind, you'll discover exactly what he's trying to keep hidden."

Ariadne swallowed. An idea was beginning to form in her mind. She nodded. "OK, I'll do it."

"Good," Greenwood smiled. "Come on."

As she entered Arthur's room, Ariadne felt her heart sink. He was hooked up to an IV, but seemed so docile, so accepting of the situation. She took a step forward.

"Arthur?" she whispered. He stirred slightly.

"He's asleep," Greenwood commented. "He's going to be under sedation. He has to be. We can't run the risk of him trying to leave."

"He won't," she responded, her dislike and distrust of Greenwood flaring up. "He wants to get better."

"Well, he's certainly being very co-operative," Greenwood nodded.

She swallowed. "Where's the PASIV?"

Greenwood moved towards a door, towards the far side of the room. After a few minutes, the door was unlocked, and he pulled out the sleek metal case. He handed it to her.

"Here you go." He checked his watch. "I'm giving you fifteen minutes. How long is that in the dream?"

"Three hours."

"See what you can find in that time."

She nodded, and opening the case, pulled out the two IV leads. She carefully lifted Arthur's pale arm, and plugged one in. Taking the other lead, she attached it to her own arm. Leaning back in the seat, she reached over, and pressed the centre button for the PASIV.

She blinked. She was standing in a hallway. As she walked forward, she realised with a jolt that it was a family home. And suddenly, she knew exactly whose home she was standing in.

"Arthur!" she heard an authorative voice. "Dinner!"

She swallowed, and realised she needed to step back into the shadows. As she did so, Arthur - a much younger Arthur appeared. She blinked - as a teenager, he was strikingly attractive, with short fringed dark hair, and the same large dark eyes. She noticed that he was slightly built. As he took his place, she also noticed that he seemed to have no problem with food, happily accepting the portion of meatloaf his mother offered.

"You shouldn't be here."

She turned round, and her eyes widened. Arthur - only the adult Arthur - was standing behind her. She swallowed.

"I'm sorry," she said, "but these dreams..." his eyes narrowed, and her jaw dropped.

"These aren't dreams, these are memories." She looked at him. "That doctor, Greenwood - I've come into your memories!"

He nodded. "You have. See us all, happy families." He looked at her. "Just listen."

She nodded, and tilted her head. The dinner conversation was fixated on the general mundanity of the family life, but suddenly, a comment cut across the table, and she blinked.

"Arthur! Don't eat so fast! Do you want to get fat again?"

She looked at him. He shrugged, watching his sixteen year old self, who recoiled, and pulled back.

"Thanks Mom," the adult Arthur muttered. He reached his hand out to Ariadne. "Come on."

Nodding, she slid her hand into his, feeling his fingers wrap around hers. They began to leave the hallway, to the elevator. As he pulled open the sliding screen door, Arthur was silent.

"So, do you think you-"

"Just watch," he replied. As the elevator went up another floor, she blinked. The warehouse. Eames was sitting with Cobb, and a lanky, somewhat greasy individual who Ariadne had never seen before.

"Nash," Arthur muttered under his breath.

"So, have you seen Arthur?" Cobb asked, looking up.

"No," Eames replied shortly.

"I have," Nash volunteered. "Last time I saw him, he said he was going to get food."

Eames snorted. "Does he ever eat? He's so bloody thin."

"Eames, please." Cobb's voice held a gentle warning tone to it. "Arthur just has a fast metabolism."

"No, I don't think so," Nash's voice held a smugness to it that made Ariadne's skin prickle. He looked at Cobb. "Arthur has some very inventive ways for keeping trim!"

Cobb looked at him. "Nash. Care to explain?"

With a look of disgust, Arthur hit the button in the elevator. The lift went rattling upwards. Ariadne looked at him, astonished.

"They didn't know?"

"They did, when Nash told them." Arthur's voice sounded tired, defeated. "He caught me bingeing one night, at the warehouse. I thought everyone had left."

"At the warehouse?"

"Yes. When the craving takes over, it doesn't matter where I am." He blinked. "Here we are."

Ariadne followed him as he opened the door. She heard voices, arguing.

"You have to get some help for this, Arthur!" It was a male voice. She blinked.

"Is that...Trent?" She asked, stunned.

"Yes, that's Trent." Arthur looked at her. "He figured it out. He knew. This is when he came to visit, a couple of years ago."

"That was how long before we met?"

"About a year."

The two of them listened. Voices were rising.

"Its none of your business!" She heard Arthur shouting back. "Just get out!"

"Arthur, this is-"

A door slammed. Ariadne looked at the Point Man. "And then...?"

"I didn't hear from him for a long time. No-one was more surprised than me when he turned up." Arthur looked at the Architect.

"Come on, we need to go up."

As they travelled up again, Ariadne caught her breath. They were looking into the motel unit they'd been in only a couple of days previously. She blinked. Arthur was sitting on the edge of the bed, sobbing.

"Ariadne..." the words were almost a moan. "Oh, Christ..."

She looked at him. "Arthur, you-"

His words were broken off as the ground began to shake. She shuddered, and suddenly, her eyes opened. She found herself staring into the intense light blue eyes of Greenwood.

"Well," he said softly, "come with me."

She looked at Arthur. "But I-"

"No, its rest time," the psychiatrist commanded. He looked at the petite woman. "Do I have to have you sedated?"

She gritted her teeth. Greenwood was a monstrous bully. She began to rise from the chair. "OK."

"Good. Tom, escort her." The male nurse smiled and walked over, taking her arm. "Come on sweetheart."

Greenwood turned his eyes to Arthur. The Point Man was fully awake, and he glared at the psychiatrist. "Don't you dare-"

"Oh, save it," Greenwood, said, leaning over. " She's the key to you. And that's why you're going to do what we ask. Otherwise, I might just plant a little inception in her head."

Arthur bristled. "Don't you-"

"Well, in that case, I'll tell you, since I'm assured of your co-operation." Greenwood met Arthur's eyes. "She's seen a lot, Arthur - she knows quite a bit about you. How sick you are."

Arthur shrugged. "I'm going along with this."

"Of course you are." Greenwood took a step forward. "You still won't accept your sick, will you? As far as your concerned, everyone else just niggles you, and you have a small problem with food. So, you won't notice if the only person who cares about you ceases."

"What?"

"She loves you, Arthur." Greenwood smiled again. "So, you're going to perform what I believe you call an extraction. You're going to extract all trace of you from her mind - which is what we were planning to do to you. But, why not get the master to do it himself? And as soon as you've done Ariadne, we'll be bringing in Cobb, and Eames - and they'll forget about you. You'll be alone, and the only person you'll have left will be Fischer." Greenwood looked at Arthur. "He'll pay to keep you alive, as long as your useful to him."

Arthur felt stunned. "Why are you doing this?"

"You're easy to control," Greenwood commented. "Bulimics have low self esteem, believe they can never be good enough - I'm assuring you, you're not good enough for your team."

"And if I refuse?" Arthur's could hear his voice rising. Greenwood turned, and smiled cruelly.

"If you refuse, she'll be killed." He looked at Arthur directly. "I take it you'll do it?"

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