Author note: Hey Guys! I did my A level exam today and this chapter is me celebrating! Go me! You can tell me how fabulous I am down in the comments. If you can't tell, I am very excited that it is over!
Previously:
Later that night, Shawn was lying in bed still awake troubled after the whole day and the challenges it had presented him. He really liked Charlie, she was nice. She wanted to talk to him and looked genuinely interested in his responses which had never happened before. Shawn knew that Mrs Andrews and Miss Jones were just doing their jobs but Charlie was different. In a way she had just been dumped with him. She had the option to just leave is she wanted and she could go back to University. She was new at this and so was Shawn.
Suddenly Shawn heard noise outside and he sat up with nerves, clinging to the bed sheet.
Did I imagine that? Shawn thought before Ross sat up beside him with a panicked look in his face.
"I heard that too" Ross told him and they both crept to the door. Shawn attempted to open it but discovered himself to be locked on.
Shawn groaned in annoyance and stomped his feet a few time before he was hushed by Ross.
"Listen" Ross told him and Shawn pressed his ear to the door.
"It's that new woman being moved here" Shawn realised.
"Go back to sleep then Shawn" Ross told him tiredly and Shawn was only too happy to obey.
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Shawn spent the next day playing with Ross. Charlie accompanied him everywhere. At first Shawn found it rather annoying but then Shawn started to see it in a different way, it was like he had his own personal body guard which Shawn thought was rather cool. Although after a few hours of being followed, before he reached the previous conclusion, Shawn managed to escape. Being of small build, Shawn managed to slip away fairly easily. Shawn knew where he wanted to explore and Ross was with him every step of the way and he managed to slip into the room down the corridor from his own where the new arrival had been placed.
"Hello?" Shawn whispered timidly, his voice though was quivering in excitement.
"Hello" a woman greeted him and she closed the door to her wardrobe.
"I..Umm. I'm Shawn and this… is Ross" he smiled a little bit scared at the woman. The woman had dark brown hair that was curled softly and Shawn thought she looked very pretty and nice. She looked a lot like Charlie and Shawn guessed that they could be related. She frowned momentarily before responding,
"and I'm Jessica" she greeted, "Are you lost? Should you be visiting someone?"
Shawn shook his head while holding back a small smile by biting his lip.
"I'm a patient here too. I live in the room along there" he said making a pointing gesture.
Jessica looked shocked for a moment but was quick to conceal it.
"Where are your parents?" she asked concerned.
"Mummy left us and daddy left me here. He's a cop" Shawn boasted, trying to lift the mood after revealing that both his parents left him.
"Oh you poor thing" Jessica cried and rushed over to give him a hug. "I'd never leave you, your adorable" she whispered while holding his head and stroking his hair.
Shawn tensed at first but then found the gesture to be soothing, this wasn't how his dad did it and he had to say, it was nice. Shawn relaxed into her embrace and looked up at her.
"You're very pretty" he whispered and she let out a small laugh.
"Thank you,!" she joked laughing and Shawn smiled.
"SHAWN!" Charlie yelled through the door and she opened it with a slam. Shawn sat up and froze, was he in trouble?
Charlie spotted him and stopped yelling, instead of going into a huge rant of saying never run away again she calmly asked Shawn to come with her.
"I'll come see you again Jessica" Shawn promised as he left and Jessica smiled back,
"I'll visit you too"
Charlie acknowledged the relationship they seemed to have built and walked with Shawn back to his room.
"Shawn…" Charlie began and Shawn immediately avoided eye contact, not wanting to be in trouble or shouted at.
"You really scared me!" she said before embracing him in a hug. Shawn blinked shocked before slowly returning the hug.
"In a place like this Shawn, you have to be careful. You go nowhere without me. I am your own personal body guard to protect you from bad guys. And sometimes people in this place go bad and want to hurt others and it's not safe to go off on your own. Do you understand?"
Shawn nodded. "Sorry" he murmured.
"That's ok" she responded quietly.
Charlie knew that Shawn would be her patient for the long term. Being someone's carer didn't just mean she took care of him, She was also in charge of doing therapy sessions with him once a day in one of the therapy rooms that had to be done there as the rooms were recorded. Another way to track their progress. She would also weigh Shawn every couple of weeks and make sure Shawn exercised enough. Charlie knew that if she wanted this to work long term she had to become a replacement parental figure. She had to forgive Shawn and make it so when she wanted something Shawn would be kind and do it for her. Shawn arriving when he was eight allowed a lot of opportunity for this to happen as she knew that not many patients were ever released from this place. The pills helped but with old age comes forgetfulness and usually by the time they developed this mental afflictions they weren't responsible enough to take their own pills. Charlie knew that Shawn was going to be tricky. Charlie had made her first diagnosis by now and it was just a matter of trial. See what drugs worked and what didn't. Charlie knew that hearing voices was a sign of schizophrenia and some of his hallucinations were commanded and Charlie wasn't sure if he was able to resist. Charlie decided to take the smart option at the beginning and decided to slip the pills into his food and crush them in the potato or whatever it was. Shawn never commented on the taste and the results were noticed by all , especially Charlie in the therapy sessions.
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Shawn began to notice the effects of the pills and he felt confused and felt as if his world was falling apart and he went crying to Jessica. He felt as he had been abandoned.
"Shawn? Hunny, what's wrong?" she asked coming over and allowing Shawn to sit in her lap.
"He's left me!" Shawn wept, letting his tears roll down his face freely.
"Who has darling?" she cooed, stroking his hair softley.
"Ross! I haven't seen him all day!"
She looked surprised and Daniel also looked shocked. Daniel was Jessica's carer and he was sat in the room with her and watching the scene with surprise. He knew Shawn wasn't meant to be here and knew he should step outside and call for Charlie but he couldn't take his eyes off the scene. For once his patient was acting her own gender!
Jessica was twenty years old and she had been diagnosed with multiple personality disorder. Unfortunately her most dominate personality was her alter called Jess who was male. It seemed by the sheer presence of a child, Shawn, she had reverted back to Jessica to take care of him as her motherly instincts took over. Charlie knocked on the door moments later and entered quietly. Shawn was too busy sobbing his heart out to notice and Jessica was busy comforting him. David was sat there watching.
"Hey, you've got Jessica back again!" Charlie whispered to David, realising how huge this was for her and for him.
"Second time it's happened I think. Shawn is the only child here and Jessica seems to love him loads" David responded and they gave each other a look.
"It's ok Shawn" Jessica hushed with hugging him tighter.
"You know…"Daniel started and Charlie leant in to hear him whisper, "I think I would be very beneficial for these two to spend time together. Shawn really seems to relax around her and trusts her and Jessica is herself again"
Charlie nodded, "I agree"
Shawn continued to sob quietly and it took all of his strength away. And soon he fell asleep in her arms.
Jessica noticed this and held him for a few moments more before gesturing to his carer Charlie. Charlie nodded and whispered a thanks but Jessica just smiled and looked down at Shawn's cute face adoringly. Charlie scooped Shawn up in her arms and carried him to his bed. Shawn slept soundly for a few moments before stirring again,
"I'm gonna be sick" Shawn moaned and immediately Charlie helped him over to the toilet and rubbed Shawn's back as he vomited violently. Shawn moaned as Charlie wiped his mouth with a bit of toilet roll and led him back to bed.
Charlie stayed with Shawn for about twenty minutes as he rested peacefully in his bed sleeping before leaving him to sleep and locked the door so he didn't sleepwalk or decided he wanted to explore in the middle of the night.
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Shawn woke early the next morning and felt really hungry. He sat up as he felt his stomach rumble and looked down.
"I guess you're hungry" Ross commented with a smile.
"Ross!" Shawn gasped in excitement. "Where have you been?"
Ross looked down guiltily. "I didn't mean to leave you Shawn. I couldn't help it"
"You've never left me ever!" Shawn complained, "Why now?"
Ross had never left Shawn before and Shawn felt abandoned and looked his friend with a look of betrayal.
"You're friend Charlie" he spat cruel fully, "She is spiking your food and it's starting to block your vision of me"
Shawn frowned confused.
"Huh?"
"I always told you that you were special, that you have the power to see me when everyone else can't?"
"Yeah…" Shawn agreed.
"Charlie is putting something in your food that is blocking me" Ross admitted.
Shawn looked dubious at him.
"Look, don't eat it and you'll see me. The only reason you can see me now is because you threw up last night and got it all out of your system" Ross explained.
"So that's why they're not making me take pills!" Shawn realised.
"Exactly" Ross told him and Shawn immediately withdrew angry.
How dare they slip him drugs?
The door swung open minutes later and Charlie greeted him with her usual greeting.
"Morning sleepy head" she grinned and immediately she noticed something was wrong from his vacant staring at her.
"You alright? You still feel sick?" she asked in concern but Shawn just stared at her.
Charlie sighed, Shawn was in stare mode. Charlie noticed that Shawn did this sometimes. When his emotions were too much to handle or he learnt something he didn't want to believe he went into this state where he stayed silent and glared at everyone like they were the enemy. During these times, Charlie would try and draw him out of his shell but nothing ever worked, not even lollypops. They would make him grab it and hold it protectively and he would eat it while the whole time live in fear of it being stolen away from him.
"I'll get you some breakfast" she sighed as she left the room, locking it behind her.
Charlie needn't have locked the door as Shawn couldn't move. He was too busy thinking about what happened. When Charlie returned with his breakfast, his eyes flickered briefly to Ross before staring at the meal. He wasn't going to eat it. No way.
Charlie sighed and resorted to trying to spoon feed him.
"Come on Shawn, you've gotta eat something"
Shawn stared at her and briefly shook his head while folding his arms.
Charlie then realised that Shawn hadn't retreated as far back as she thought. He was still aware of his surroundings. Charlie wasn't sure what to do and so decided to leave his cereal on the surface next to his bed and she slipped out of the room again, once again locking it behind her thinking that when Shawn got hungry enough he would eat.
Shawn glanced at the food sparingly. He was really hungry.
"Don't eat it Shawn" Ross warned.
"I'm hungry" Shawn moaned quietly to himself.
"It's up to you Shawn. But if you continue eating, you'll never see me again"
Shawn gasped and immediately discarded the thought of eating.
"I won't!" Shawn promised. "You'll stay with me forever! You're my best friend. I won't let them give me any pills"
Ross smiled and gave him a hug. "Thanks Shawn. I don't know what I would do without you. You're my best and only friend"
Shawn smiled sadly as he realised that was true. Shawn was special and he knew it. Shawn knew he had the power to see Ross and what would he do without him? If he let these people take away his gift, Ross would be all alone just like he was. Shawn knew how terrible abandonment was and swore not to let them take his sight. He didn't want to abandon Ross and he would make sure.
"You're my best friend too" Shawn smiled.
They paused for a moment in silence and Shawn examined the cereal searching for a pill.
"I can't see a pill" he remarked to Ross who was quick to explain his own theory.
"I reckon they crushed it, or dissolved it in the milk. Be carefully what you drink too. They could slip it in there"
Shawn nodded, seeing the truth in his statement. Ross had never lied to him before and was usually right. Shawn had doubted him for a moment when he declared that his dad tried to kill him but he hadn't visited him yet and it had been a few days already.
"What should I do with it?" Shawn asked Ross. He couldn't just leave it there. Could he? They might force him to eat it.
Ross seemed to see his point and scratched his head , thinking. Ross walked over to the window and attempted to open it.
"The windows won't open" Ross remarked. "Maybe you should just put it in the wardrobe?"
Shawn grinned, that would work. He listened quiet fully for a few seconds before deciding it was safe to move. He then poured his cereal into the bottom of the wardrobe. The base was wooden and was much like the bottom of a shower without the plug. Shawn knew that it wouldn't soak through and ruin the floor for a while at least and Shawn shut the door triumphant.
Shawn entertained himself by talking to Ross all morning and Charlie was watching the monitor with the camera footage from her office. It was required that all rooms were fit with a camera. It wasn't the best quality picture but the sound was clear.
Charlie watched as he poured his cereal away with disappointment and annoyance. It looked like he had finally figure it out. To be honest, she thought it would have taken longer. Charlie peered at the screen again and zoomed in on Shawn's pixelated face. He was talking to someone and so she turned on the sound.
Charlie sighed that meant Ross was back.
She listened to their conversation briefly before Shawn started screaming. She jumped and studied the screen, what was Shawn screaming about.
"SNAKE!" Shawn yelled as he thumped on the door. Tears were beginning to stream down his face and he turned his back towards the door in fear.
Charlie took off running. She arrived at his room not two minutes later and opened the door for him and Shawn ran out and hid behind her.
She closed the door after and picked Shawn up giving him a huge hug.
"It's ok darling" she reassured him as she carried him back to her office. Therapy room one. It multiroled as her office as that was where she kept all the files and things needed to treat Shawn and the room had a sofa in the corner.
She set Shawn down on the sofa but he wouldn't let go. He was still upset and was clinging to her desperately. Ross was sat next to him, trying to comfort and reassure him but Shawn wasn't aware.
Five minutes later, Shawn was calm.
"What happened Shawn? Did you see a snake?"
Shawn nodded tearfully.
"Miss Jones explained to you that you get hallucinations sometimes didn't she, things that aren't really there?"
Shawn looked wide eyed at her and nodded.
"Is what the snake was?" Shawn sobbed and Charlie nodded.
"It wasn't real. Ok?"
"Ok" Shawn sobbed.
"It's ok Shawn" Ross comforted him.
Shawn tried to pull himself together and wiped the tears from his eyes and Charlie grabbed him a tissue off of her desk.
Shawn took is solemnly as he wiped his eyes clear of tears.
"Is there anything you want to tell me?" she asked quietly.
Shawn looked up at her but was distracted by Ross.
"She knows" he realised and Shawn's eyes widened.
"You're poisoning my food!" Shawn accused her and he was really surprised when she didn't try to deny it.
Instead she took a deep breath and began to explain.
"Every person here is like a patient in a hospital. And everybody needs to take pills to get better. I put them in your food so you didn't have to try and swallow them. I also didn't want you to know you were taking them because I wanted to know if you feel the difference." She explained.
Shawn blinked up at her. At least she had admitted it and replied honestly.
"You're not going to deny it?" he asked confused and a little bit angry.
"Of course not. I said I would never lie to you Shawn and I meant it. I only want to help you Shawn."
Shawn realised the truth to that statement. She had never lied to him and Charlie was his friend.
Charlie took another deep breath; it was time to reveal all.
"Shawn, these drugs I was giving you are designed to stop the hallucinations-"
"It didn't stop me from seeing the snake!" Shawn shouted at her and she nodded her head seriously.
"That's because they wore off. You didn't eat your breakfast" she explained and Shawn thought back to his breakfast, currently going bad in his wardrobe.
"And you threw up last night" she reminded him gently.
"Those pills made Ross go away" Shawn told her, no longer angry but instead revealing what had happened.
"I gathered" she told him, remembering how he had broken down to another patient, Jessica.
"Ross is my friend. I don't want him to go away" Shawn revealed sadly.
"Oh Shawn…" Charlie sighed.
"I won't eat any pills!" he said frantically, "even if it means not eating anything. Ross has always been there for me and I won't let him down!"
Charlie didn't react and just nodded calmly.
"I'll stop putting the pills in your food Shawn. But you still have to take them and I will tell you why" she paused, "You were lonely when you were little and your mind created Ross. You know how we talked about things that aren't really there? Hallucinations? Well, Ross is a hallucination; no one else can see him."
"He IS TOO REAL!" Shawn complained folding his arms and looking at Ross before poking him.
"Hey!" Ross complained.
"See!" Shawn proved it.
"Then why did Ross disappear when you took the pills?" Charlie asked calmly.
Shawn froze before remembering what Ross had told him.
"Cos it takes away my gift of sight. I am special, I am the only one who sees him and when I take the pills it blocks my sight" Shawn explained.
"Did he tell you that?" she asked.
"He's never lied to me before?"
"I'm not going to judge whether Ross is real or not as he is obviously very real to you. But answer this; have you ever seen him eat? Drink? Walk through something? Why is it that only you can see him?"
Shawn thought for a few moments. He never had seen him eat or drink. Sometimes he appeared out of nowhere whenever he felt really lonely.
"Sometimes…" Shawn said aloud.
"He always appears when your lonely, doesn't he?" Charlie said and Shawn nodded eyes wide and scared.
"Is he here now?" Charlie asked and Shawn nodded again.
"Shawn…. Don't listen to her. I'm your friend" Ross reminded him and Shawn registered this in his mind.
"Then why don't you ever eat or drink? I always offer but you never accept. Normal people have to eat, I learnt that from Miss Pomme" Shawn moaned and Charlie realised that he was talking to Ross and took a step backwards.
"Shawn. Why do you doubt me? Does it matter if I'm real or not? I'm your friend and you promised never to abandon me"
Shawn began to panic and hyperventilate. "So you're not real?" he questioned as he walked towards him. Ross walked towards him and held out a hand and Shawn held out his. Charlie watched the whole time, holding her breathe and hoping for the breakthrough she had been wanting.
Shawn reached out with uncertainty and hated the look in Ross' eyes. He looked pained. Shawn raised his hand and it passed straight through Ross'. Shawn leapt back in shock.
"He's gone!" Shawn remarked in shock and Charlie stood up and walked towards Shawn, through the space where Ross had just been standing.
"Shawn….when you know something is a hallucination, it will vanish when you touch it because it's not really there" Charlie explained. She didn't bother to mention that it only happened in some cases but she knew that if Shan believed her, his mind would make it real enough and so if Shawn believed it would disappear, it would.
"He's left me" Shawn said and Charlie blinked.
"He's not real Shawn. He's a figment of your imagination. It's why it's so important for you to take these pills" Charlie explained.
"It doesn't matter if he's not real" Shawn told himself, "He's always been real to me"
"You mean it Shawn?" Ross asked who had suddenly appeared and stepped out from behind Charlie.
"Of course I do. You've been my best friend for years" Shawn told him.
Charlie sighed. Ross was back, that didn't take long.
Charlie smiled to herself. Although Shawn hadn't made the breakthrough she wanted, he did make a breakthrough. He now knew that Ross wasn't real however Charlie knew it was going to be hard to get him to take his pills every day. She wouldn't put them in his food anymore, she knew that it would be betraying his trust and also he would develop a phobia of eating not wanting to lose his best friend.
Charlie knew what her next step was. Shawn had mentioned in several other therapy sessions about his other best friend Gus. Shawn hadn't mentioned that Gus was here to so the chances were that Gus was a real person from his old school and all she had to do was get him here.
Author note: Thanks for reading guys! It means a lot! Loving writing this story and it is such a big distraction to my A Levels. Was happy at finishing English... but now I have my theatre studies coming up... GAH! Gotta prepare!