Phoebe ignored the pain as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She
frowned when she saw the scattered bruises on her legs. She had no idea how
she had gotten so many bruises, and she wasn't sure she wanted to remember.
She hopped out of bed and walked over to the chair that held her clothes. She picked them up and saw that they had been washed. She didn't question how it happened as she changed back into them, she was just happy to be out of the hospital gown.
She went into the small bathroom and frowned at her reflection. She had a black eye and a split lip. She touched her lip and winced at the pain. Sighing, she walked back into the room.
Her smile brightened when she saw her sisters sleeping in chairs next to the bed. They slowly began to stir, and Prue was the first to open her eyes.
Prue panicked when she didn't see Phoebe in the bed.
"Phoebe?" She called out, alarmed.
"Phoebe?" Piper was startled awake. She saw the empty bed as well. "Phoebe!?"
"I'm right here." Phoebe said and walked over to them. Her sisters pulled her into a hug.
A noise disturbed them and they all turned to the door. Darryl was standing there, holding up a bag. The two coffees he was fighting to keep hold of didn't go unnoticed either.
"Is that... food?" Piper asked.
Darryl chuckled and walked over. He handed Prue the coffees and Piper the bag.
"Doughnuts." Piper said hungrily.
Darryl then turned to Phoebe. Before he said one word, he hugged her.
"Now, are you okay?" He asked.
"I'm fine." Phoebe said. "Except for the mysterious wounds I seem to have, but those can be taken care of."
"Where were you?" Darryl asked. "I mean, it's very unusual for a person to be missing for a year and then suddenly turn up in a parking lot."
"I was... gone for a year?" Phoebe asked, unbelieving.
"Yeah." Prue said quietly. "Three hundred sixty-five days, five hours, forty-eight minutes, and forty-five seconds."
"But who's counting?" Piper added quietly.
"I didn't know." Phoebe said. She then began to get dizzy. She put a hand to her forehead and sat on the bed.
"Are you okay?" Piper asked.
"I'm fine." Phoebe said, rubbing her temples.
"You don't look fine." Darryl said. "Should I get a nurse?"
"No, don't." Phoebe said and stood up. "See? I'm f - ine."
Phoebe's eyes rolled back and she fainted.
* * * *
Phoebe opened her eyes slowly and wondered where she was this time.
"I've been unconscious way too many times." She said groggily then tried to sit up. Unable to move, she looked at her wrists. She couldn't believe what she saw; she was strapped to the bed!
"Oh come on!" She exclaimed.
The door to her room opened and a nurse entered, followed by Prue and Piper.
"Two minutes." The nurse said. Then turned to Prue, "And no arguments when it's time for you to leave."
The nurse left, closing the door behind her. Piper and Prue walked over to Phoebe's side and smiled weakly down at her.
"Why am I like this?" Phoebe asked.
"When you fainted," Prue said and began to stroke Phoebe's hair. "You went mad. You were thrashing all over. They thought it was a seizure, but it wasn't thank God."
"Why'm I so groggy?" Phoebe asked and let her head fall onto the pillow.
"They gave you a sedative." Piper said. "To help you relax, and rest."
"But I'm *fine*." Phoebe said.
"We know you are." Prue said.
"Wait! Oh God!" Phoebe exclaimed. "I remember now! I haven't been gone for a year! You have Prue! You're the one who's been gone, who left Piper and I."
"Phoebe, no." Prue said. "*You* were gone."
"No Prue!" Phoebe said. "Shax killed you! And - and then Piper and I found out about Paige, oh God! You have to find Paige! Shax will kill her!"
"He won't be killing anyone anymore." Prue said. "I promise."
"No! We have to find Paige! NOW!" Phoebe said. "She's our half-sister! Mom had her with Sam! We *have* to find her!"
"Phoebe, who you're talking about doesn't exist." Piper said gently. "It was just a dream."
"It wasn't a dream!" Phoebe exclaimed. "I swear!"
Phoebe then began struggling against her restraints.
"I have to go save her!" She screamed. "We have to find her! If they find out she's a Halliwell, she'll be dead!"
The door burst open. The nurse and two doctors rushed into the room, one of the doctors with a needle.
The other doctor and nurse then began pushing Piper and Prue from the room.
"No!" Prue screamed. "What are you doing to her?"
"Phoebe!" Piper screamed out.
"Paige." Phoebe whispered, then closed her eyes.
* *
Prue and Piper sat in the doctor's office. Piper was worried about Phoebe. Prue was too, but she furious that they had shooed them from the room.
When the door opened, Prue and Piper both turned to look. The doctor smiled weakly at them, then took a seat behind his desk.
"What is it?" Prue asked. "Why can't we see her?"
"Well," The doctor began. "We think that your sister is... ill."
"Ill?" Piper asked. "Ill how?"
"She's... disturbed." The doctor said. "She keeps ranting about demons who are going to kill a girl named Paige Matthews. Neither of you knows a Paige, is that correct?"
"That's right." Prue said. "We've never heard of her."
"Phoebe is insisting that she was taken by demons." The doctor continued. "She has no idea why, but they released her. She believes that the demons are doing this because she had... powers. Phoebe claims to have visions. Have you heard her speak of these visions before?"
Prue stared at her hands in her lap, then took a breath and looked into the doctor's eyes. "No. Never."
Piper looked to the floor after Prue had said that.
"We believe that Phoebe experienced some sort of trauma." The doctor said. "The bruises and scrapes on her body pretty much confirm our theory. Phoebe is trying to deal with her trauma by making up a story. She's making up this Matthews woman and demons because she needs to... well, envision someone else in the pain she's in so that it won't be so hard for her."
"What can we do?" Piper asked.
"There's nothing you can do." The doctor told them. "But, there is something the hospital can do for her."
"You can't mean..." Prue said, her voice trailing.
"I'm afraid it's the only option." The doctor said. "It wouldn't be forever. Most likely a minimum of six months. We can help her."
"What if we don't commit her?" Prue said.
"And we know she won't commit herself." Piper added.
"I'm afraid if things get that desperate, the state will have to be involved." The doctor said. "She could hurt someone."
"Phoebe would never hurt anyone." Prue said and stood up.
"Shall I set a court date then?" The doctor said as Prue and Piper were walking out.
Prue sighed and turned back to the doctor.
"No."
She hopped out of bed and walked over to the chair that held her clothes. She picked them up and saw that they had been washed. She didn't question how it happened as she changed back into them, she was just happy to be out of the hospital gown.
She went into the small bathroom and frowned at her reflection. She had a black eye and a split lip. She touched her lip and winced at the pain. Sighing, she walked back into the room.
Her smile brightened when she saw her sisters sleeping in chairs next to the bed. They slowly began to stir, and Prue was the first to open her eyes.
Prue panicked when she didn't see Phoebe in the bed.
"Phoebe?" She called out, alarmed.
"Phoebe?" Piper was startled awake. She saw the empty bed as well. "Phoebe!?"
"I'm right here." Phoebe said and walked over to them. Her sisters pulled her into a hug.
A noise disturbed them and they all turned to the door. Darryl was standing there, holding up a bag. The two coffees he was fighting to keep hold of didn't go unnoticed either.
"Is that... food?" Piper asked.
Darryl chuckled and walked over. He handed Prue the coffees and Piper the bag.
"Doughnuts." Piper said hungrily.
Darryl then turned to Phoebe. Before he said one word, he hugged her.
"Now, are you okay?" He asked.
"I'm fine." Phoebe said. "Except for the mysterious wounds I seem to have, but those can be taken care of."
"Where were you?" Darryl asked. "I mean, it's very unusual for a person to be missing for a year and then suddenly turn up in a parking lot."
"I was... gone for a year?" Phoebe asked, unbelieving.
"Yeah." Prue said quietly. "Three hundred sixty-five days, five hours, forty-eight minutes, and forty-five seconds."
"But who's counting?" Piper added quietly.
"I didn't know." Phoebe said. She then began to get dizzy. She put a hand to her forehead and sat on the bed.
"Are you okay?" Piper asked.
"I'm fine." Phoebe said, rubbing her temples.
"You don't look fine." Darryl said. "Should I get a nurse?"
"No, don't." Phoebe said and stood up. "See? I'm f - ine."
Phoebe's eyes rolled back and she fainted.
* * * *
Phoebe opened her eyes slowly and wondered where she was this time.
"I've been unconscious way too many times." She said groggily then tried to sit up. Unable to move, she looked at her wrists. She couldn't believe what she saw; she was strapped to the bed!
"Oh come on!" She exclaimed.
The door to her room opened and a nurse entered, followed by Prue and Piper.
"Two minutes." The nurse said. Then turned to Prue, "And no arguments when it's time for you to leave."
The nurse left, closing the door behind her. Piper and Prue walked over to Phoebe's side and smiled weakly down at her.
"Why am I like this?" Phoebe asked.
"When you fainted," Prue said and began to stroke Phoebe's hair. "You went mad. You were thrashing all over. They thought it was a seizure, but it wasn't thank God."
"Why'm I so groggy?" Phoebe asked and let her head fall onto the pillow.
"They gave you a sedative." Piper said. "To help you relax, and rest."
"But I'm *fine*." Phoebe said.
"We know you are." Prue said.
"Wait! Oh God!" Phoebe exclaimed. "I remember now! I haven't been gone for a year! You have Prue! You're the one who's been gone, who left Piper and I."
"Phoebe, no." Prue said. "*You* were gone."
"No Prue!" Phoebe said. "Shax killed you! And - and then Piper and I found out about Paige, oh God! You have to find Paige! Shax will kill her!"
"He won't be killing anyone anymore." Prue said. "I promise."
"No! We have to find Paige! NOW!" Phoebe said. "She's our half-sister! Mom had her with Sam! We *have* to find her!"
"Phoebe, who you're talking about doesn't exist." Piper said gently. "It was just a dream."
"It wasn't a dream!" Phoebe exclaimed. "I swear!"
Phoebe then began struggling against her restraints.
"I have to go save her!" She screamed. "We have to find her! If they find out she's a Halliwell, she'll be dead!"
The door burst open. The nurse and two doctors rushed into the room, one of the doctors with a needle.
The other doctor and nurse then began pushing Piper and Prue from the room.
"No!" Prue screamed. "What are you doing to her?"
"Phoebe!" Piper screamed out.
"Paige." Phoebe whispered, then closed her eyes.
* *
Prue and Piper sat in the doctor's office. Piper was worried about Phoebe. Prue was too, but she furious that they had shooed them from the room.
When the door opened, Prue and Piper both turned to look. The doctor smiled weakly at them, then took a seat behind his desk.
"What is it?" Prue asked. "Why can't we see her?"
"Well," The doctor began. "We think that your sister is... ill."
"Ill?" Piper asked. "Ill how?"
"She's... disturbed." The doctor said. "She keeps ranting about demons who are going to kill a girl named Paige Matthews. Neither of you knows a Paige, is that correct?"
"That's right." Prue said. "We've never heard of her."
"Phoebe is insisting that she was taken by demons." The doctor continued. "She has no idea why, but they released her. She believes that the demons are doing this because she had... powers. Phoebe claims to have visions. Have you heard her speak of these visions before?"
Prue stared at her hands in her lap, then took a breath and looked into the doctor's eyes. "No. Never."
Piper looked to the floor after Prue had said that.
"We believe that Phoebe experienced some sort of trauma." The doctor said. "The bruises and scrapes on her body pretty much confirm our theory. Phoebe is trying to deal with her trauma by making up a story. She's making up this Matthews woman and demons because she needs to... well, envision someone else in the pain she's in so that it won't be so hard for her."
"What can we do?" Piper asked.
"There's nothing you can do." The doctor told them. "But, there is something the hospital can do for her."
"You can't mean..." Prue said, her voice trailing.
"I'm afraid it's the only option." The doctor said. "It wouldn't be forever. Most likely a minimum of six months. We can help her."
"What if we don't commit her?" Prue said.
"And we know she won't commit herself." Piper added.
"I'm afraid if things get that desperate, the state will have to be involved." The doctor said. "She could hurt someone."
"Phoebe would never hurt anyone." Prue said and stood up.
"Shall I set a court date then?" The doctor said as Prue and Piper were walking out.
Prue sighed and turned back to the doctor.
"No."