TRIGGER WARNING - Mentions of abuse in this chapter, suicidal thoughts and self harm. Read with caution.

we're all in the same game;

just different levels.

dealing with the same hell;

just different devils.

"If I have to hear this, one more time - !"

Maka heard another slap and her Mama cried. She hid under her bed. Mummy and Daddy always fought like this. It will be over soon.

"Maka is a child, Spirit!" Mama's voice was breathless and pained. It was like she was breaking. "I don't need my baby walking in on her father being an absolute slut! What will she think of us when she's older? Do you ever think of that?"

Maka heard her Papa snort drunkenly.

"Oh yeah Kam, like we really need to be worrying about that right now. She's five years old, you idiot. She doesn't even know her ABC's."

Maka listened as her Mama released a short laugh as disbelief, her voice was laced with sarcasm as she responded.

"She's seven, you drunken fool! You don't even know your own daughter's - Spirit, don't!"

The tiny girl whimpered as her Mama's voice grew louder and louder with each word. She pressed her small hands over her ears. Maka heard more angry remarks before a door slammed. Then the sound of heavy, unsteady footsteps outside of her room made her nervous.

"Maka? You in there? You're not hiding are you, baby?"

Papa stumbled into the room and she shuffled out from under the bed. She didn't want to see his reaction to finding her hiding. She knew that wouldn't be good.

"Ah, there's my pumpkin!" He wrapped unsteady arms around her and pressed his lips to her cheek. His breath smelled bitter and icky. She scrunched up her nose.

"You don't hate Daddy, do you?" he slurred. "I don't make you sad or scared, right? You love Daddy."

Feebly, Maka agreed as he picked her up.

Papa stroked her hair with heavy hands. That must've been too much for his alcohol filled brain since he suddenly dropped her.

"Ouch!"

Maka heard a crack as pain exploded through her arm. She landed unevenly, causing her wrist to bend oddly under her small body. Tears began to prick in her eyes as her wrist pulsed with a pain that made its way all the way up her arm.

"Oh, for fucks sake!" Papa bellowed as he stepped over the tiny girl's form. He knocked her back to the ground when she tried to stand.

"I did fuck all, so don't go crying to your damn mother!" Daddy snapped at her, his voice still unsteady. Maka didn't go crying to her Mama. She knew that Mama had already stormed from the house after her and Daddy's argument. It always confused her that how most of her Mama's frustrations with Daddy is that he is always too drunk to take care of their daughter.

And yet, after these arguments, she always left Maka alone with him. And most of the time, he was so drunk he became careless enough to start hurting her. Always accidental of course.

For now.

"You can stay in your room for the rest of the night," Papa went on, ignoring his daughter's pained whimpers.

"B-but Daddy - my wrist is - "

"I didn't do anything!" Papa roared once more before slamming the door shut.

Papa scared her. But that's not what scared her the most. What frightened Maka the most wasn't the pain. That hurt, but she was used to it. What scared her the most was that her Papa didn't care about hurting his little girl - and she knew that one day in the future when her Papa hurt her again,

It would not be by accident.

The sound of screaming yanked Maka from her dream.

Not just any screaming. It was pure, blood curdling cries of terror but in an unmistakably masculine voice. She had only known that voice for a few days but she knew exactly who it was. There wasn't a doubt.

It was Soul.

Maka didn't even think about it. She jumped out of bed and ran for the door, shaking off her own nightmare. Usually once she broke free from one of her own dreams she would spend the rest of the night awake. But she was so shocked with this distraction that the terror didn't come.

She didn't knock when she reached Soul's door. None of the patient's doors had any locks on them and there was no way to lock them from the inside either so she could enter easily. There were staff in the hallway, probably to make sure that no one was sneaking around, but they were too slow to stop her. If they even tried that is.

Maka swung open his door to see his room was pretty much identical to her own, except that his bed was next to the window. Soul was thrashing violently on his bed. Maka paused in shock as she took in the scene before making her way forward, her steps cautious. His cries didn't grow any quieter.

His screaming only intensified when she rested a hand on his damp forehead and shushed him. The blonde crouched on her knees beside the bed, panic rising in her throat when he shouted. Soul's breathing only quickened in fear of her presence it seemed and he started to lash out. He caught her shoulder with his fist but she caught it before it could make contact again and pinned it to his side. She awkwardly stroked him damp hair from his face and his screams eventually decreased to whimpers. He clutched Maka's hand so tight that it ached. It was then he started to become aware of his surroundings, but wherever he was in his mind, it definitely wasn't with her.

"Maka?" he grunted groggily - The blonde chuckled breathlessly before nodding. He opened his eyes half way. She expected a half ass comment or an insult.

But instead Soul groaned and buried his face in his pillow.

"Make them go away," he groaned into the pillow. Maka frowned and pushed him so he could breathe.

"Make who go away, Soul?" She asked quietly and leaned in, trying to hide the stiffness in her posture. He didn't seem to notice her awkwardness, but she couldn't decide if that was good or bad. She was here to be helped, not help others. Maka tried to ignore her selfish thoughts and continued to comfort the boy as he muttered nonsense before lapsing back into sleep.

Maka was unaware of the growing crowd that was forming in the doorway of Soul's room. She felt slightly disappointed as Soul fell back to sleep before answering her question. But relief swept over her more than anything else. She knew from experience that when having a nightmare, it is unlikely that you will have another once you awaken. Soul would probably sleep in peace for the rest of the night.

She took a deep breath before standing. She winced as she drew her hand up to cradle it into her chest. That would be bruised by morning.

She turned to make her way back to her room but froze when she came face to face with the group that consisted of the five others she had dined with and Miss Marie.

"Maka," Marie began in a sympathetic voice. Maka cringed and held a hand up to stop her.

"It's fine. I heard him louder since his room is right near mine and I couldn't sleep because of the racket. That was all." She tried to dismiss the subject but six pairs of eyes continued to gawk at her, preventing her from going to bed.

"Well, it's not just that," Blackstar said, stretching his arms over his head. Maka raised a brow. "Soul has night terrors nearly every other night. Almost every night some times. The only way to really snap him out of it is:"

Blackstar held up two fingers before counting off the first one.

"Sedate him before he hurts anyone," Blackstar counted off the other finger and curled his hand into a fist. "Or wait it out. Don't enter the room until the screaming stops."

"We don't really go as far as medication unless the screaming gets too much," Marie added. "But sometimes the sound would distress the other patients and so… We need to think of them as well."

The doctor trailed off, looking at Maka.

"But you calmed him down with anything," Tsubaki said quietly, her long hair falling over her shoulder as she smiled softly at the small blonde.

"Anyone else who tried to do that never left without an injury, but you…" Tsubaki trailed off the same way Marie did.

Maka raised her brows as she waited for them all to finish their damn sentences. They didn't. "So what? I'm on Soul duty now."

The five patients chuckled but Marie immediately shooed them away to escort Maka back to bed.

"Okay everyone, back to your rooms," Marie said in a firmer voice. She looked over to the ever-silent staff members leant up against the wall.

"Can I trust you to see that these children go straight back into their correct rooms?" The tallest guard nodded sharply and immediately set towards the patients as Marie whisked Maka back into her own room.

Here we go.

"Maka, you are not on Soul duty," Marie chided and she picked Maka's covers up from the ground and gestured to the bed for her to get in without making it. Maka frowned but followed the silent command. Although, she seriously could not hide her surprise when Marie threw the cover over her and then tucked them around the small blonde.

"I may not seem like it but with my job, I can read character perfectly. I know exactly what my patients need from their diagnoses, but I can find some pretty great treatments just by learning about their personality. I am aware you tried to hide yourself from me all day since you know that. You're a very bright girl." Marie sighed as she sat on Maka's bed at her side, she shrugged her shoulders before smiling.

"But it didn't work. I know exactly who you are and what you need and I'll do everything in my power to make you happy and healthy again. And from what I just saw, you gain the best pleasure from helping others." Maka made a face and Marie laughed softly.

"The pride on your face anyone could have seen. Doing that made you feel proud, didn't it?"

Marie tapped Maka's nose affectionately before she could tell her how wrong she was. It was such a motherly gesture it made Maka's stomach clench.

"You get better from helping others. And so, this place is perfect for you, since not only will you be getting help yourself, you'll be helping others too."

Maka was sure she meant well. When she looked at the older woman she saw nothing but someone who wanted to help her. It was overwhelming, and not in a good way. Maka gave her a dry smile.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night."

Marie chuckled.

"Get some sleep," she ordered. "You medicine will be given to you at 8:00 AM sharp."

"Medicine?" Maka called but Marie had already left. The young woman sighed before letting her head rest back onto the pillow. Soul's screams, so like her own, seeped from her memory like a bad dream.