Psychotic Break-out

I'm Finally back with this chapter! Don't want to take up too much space with this but I have to get a few things sorted out.

Cerasi5 – thanks so much for reviewing and mentioning me in your story, it means a lot!

Indigo – I thank you for taking the time to point out my mistakes, but hey, I'm only human and I thought I could get away without doing research for the previous chapter, but I had always intended to do the research. One point though – I do know what an ECG is, I just phrased the sentence wrong - I should have put "Three men carrying a stretcher and pulling an ECG came running down the hall" Sorry for misunderstanding there, but as for the others, they really were my errors and I apologise if this spoiled the story for you

All Disclaimers Apply.

Chapter 6: Seduced By Madness

The flickering strip lights in the clinical Community General hallway illuminated Mark Sloan's haggard form as he paced up and down. His colleague and close friend Amanda Bentley sat slumped in an uncomfortable plastic chair with her head cradled in her arms. Both were the picture of dejection, their faces barely registering what was going on around them. They didn't speak. There was no need, they each knew what the other was thinking, or rather praying.

He has to be okay! Please let him be okay!

Minutes turned to hours as they both played the waiting game. Mark pacing, Amanda staring, until eventually she could take it no more.

"Mark, please sit down! You'll tire yourself out!" She coerced him, softly but firmly.

Mark sighed, and slowly took out a handkerchief to wipe his brow. After he had done so, he sighed again and then wearily made his way over to sit down beside Amanda.

Not only was Jesse's present situation gnawing at him like a disease, but the fact that Steve had yet to show up…It had been like he'd barely registered the fact that his friend was seriously ill. He'd reacted impassively when Mark rang to tell him of Jesse's complications, something that did not ring true for Mark. He knew his son cared deeply for Jesse, but something - guilt? Fear? – was keeping him away.

"Thinking about Steve?" Amanda asked softly, correctly interpreting Mark's brooding expression.

"Yeah" Mark sighed again, the lines on his face seeming even more defined. "I wish he was here I – I need him!"

"I know" Amanda whispered.

Just then Tom Richmond burst through the doors from the OR.

Amanda and Mark stood up immediately, fearing the worst. Mark tried to glean something, anything, from Tom's expression. But years as an experienced doctor had taught him to be removed from the emotions and the pain, and so he stood before them, his face unreadable.

"Tom?" Amanda asked.

Tom let his face relax, "He's going to be okay" he breathed out.

"Thank god" Mark whispered, the burden lifting from his shoulders. "What happened? What did he take?"

"The blood tests showed a high level of Aripiprazole in his bloodstream" Tom explained, "Thankfully it'll just work its way out of his system, his symptoms are fairly common"

"Aripiprazole? But Jesse wasn't prescribed any anti-psychotics!" Amanda exclaimed, surprised. Of all the drugs she had suspected…this had definitely taken her by surprise.

"That's right!" Mark exclaimed, "We don't use that drug here!"

"But we know where they do use it" said a voice at the other end of the corridor, "and we also know who was recently prescribed them"

"Steve!" Amanda and Mark said simultaneously. They both watched him stride down the hall, a look of disgust on his face.

"What did you find out?" Amanda questioned him before he had a chance to say anything else.

"I'll tell you everything, but first I need to know that he's okay" Steve looked desperately from his father to Amanda.

"He'll be fine" Mark smiled as he told him. The past few hours had really taken their toll, and it felt good to let a bit of the tension go.

Steve's muscles relaxed and he sank down into a chair, his energy reserves finally having given out.

"I'll, uh, just give you guys some space" Tom Richmond cut in to their small reunion.

"Oh! Tom!" Mark said apologetically, as all of them in the heat of the moment had forgotten the other man's presence. "I'm sorry! Look, thanks for all you've done for Jesse" Mark thanked him profusely.

"All in a day's work!" Tom joked, trying to lighten things up a little. "Seriously though, anytime! Oh, and Jesse's in room 255, he should wake up soon" The younger man turned and walked back down the hall, his blue scrubs disappearing around a faraway corner.

Mark turned back to his exhausted looking son. "Are you saying that Chloe Marsden was prescribed these drugs?" he cut straight to the point.

"The Institution records show that she was prescribed Aripiprazole, and we found traces of it Jesse's aspirin bottle" He answered, becoming alert. "I swear, I'll kill her!" He whispered furiously.

"But why would she give them to Jesse? She must have known they were unlikely to do him any serious harm" Amanda queried, confused.

"I think she knew alright!" Mark said darkly, his face pensive. "I think it was a warning"

* * * *

Jesse awoke to a thundering headache, and an acidic taste in his dry mouth. Have I been sick! He wondered vaguely, swallowing and reaching over to a pitcher of water beside his bed. Wait a second! He was in Community General, What the hell happened?

He sat up quickly, too quickly – he could feel a wave of nausea sweep over his stomach, and the thudding in his head increased tenfold. He moaned, and lay back down again.

"Take it easy Jess" said a voice coming from the doorway, and an older, white haired doctor entered the room. He looked somewhat more tense than usual, but he still wore his token glittering smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Sick," He answered weakly, "Mark! What happened? What am I doing here?" All of Jesse's questions rushed out at once, and Mark strode over to his bedside, revealing behind him the figures of Steve and Amanda lurking in the doorway.

"Jesse calm down, you took an overdose and went into shock" Mark told him gently.

Jesse went white, " I only took a couple of aspirins, I- I wouldn't make that kind of mistake I -"

"Jess, it wasn't aspirin in that bottle. It was Aripiprazole" Mark interrupted gently.

"Aripiprazole? What the - Oh" It suddenly dawned on him, "Chloe!" He ran a hand through his mussed up, dirty blond hair and sighed. He looked more frail than ever now, his face showing deep anxiety and fear.

"Boy, you sure made that connection quicker than dad did!" Steve joked, trying to ease the tension of the situation.

"Steve!" Amanda scolded gently.

"If it hadn't been for Steve, you might have died" Mark continued as if he had not heard what Steve had said. At his words, Steve began to look very uncomfortable, he didn't want or need Jesse's gratitude, he'd saved Jesse's life because of the almost brotherly bond they shared, not because of some heroic act.

Jesse looked at Steve, a look of pure thankfulness settled upon his soft features. "Steve, I, uh, don't know what to say" he said, his voice filled with emotion.

"Don't say anything" Steve said softly, "Ahem" then cleared his throat, wishing desperately that this awkward moment would pass. He caught Jesse's eye, and saw him nod to show he understood.

"Yeah, so, find anything out about Chloe?" Jesse asked quickly, knowing Steve wanted to change the subject.

"No, we still don't know where she is" Mark spoke this time, staring at Jesse. "I think you should tell us what really happened yesterday when you hit your head"

"What?" The question took Jesse completely by surprise, and his drug filled brain struggled to get into gear. "What do you mean, What really happened?" Jesse spluttered incredulously, "I told you the plant – "

"Fell on your head?" Amanda finished for him, "Jesse, Chloe had to have been in your apartment to have switched your pills, why don't you tell us the truth. You didn't really expect us to swallow that crap?"

"Okay, okay" Jesse gave in, "I didn't want to tell you because, well, I wasn't sure that it actually happened. I didn't want to worry you guys, but I suppose now that this has…" He paused for a brief moment to collect his nerve and then continued. " I thought I saw something in my apartment that morning"

* * * *

Hours later - after his friends had left – Jesse Travis lay contemplatively in his hospital bed. Mark, Steve and Amanda had reacted almost typically – immediately getting themselves worked up about what he had seen, or thought he'd seen. He personally hadn't cleared things up in his own mind about what happened. His memory was drawing a curious blank, he remembered what happened all right, but he also remembered having dreams. It was this part that he found most difficult, separating dreams from reality.

One fact remained, however. Chloe had to have been in his apartment, and if she had been there then it meant that what he had seen was true, if you thought about it logically. And Jesse was thinking about it logically, but he also knew that a part of him wanted it to be nothing, a dream, and that this part of him was trying to suppress what his rationality was trying to show him.

He glanced upwards as nurse with short blond hair and glasses entered his room, he didn't recognise her, but then again that didn't really mean anything, the nurses at Community General frequently changed. There was something familiar about her, but Jesse put it down to the trauma he had suffered and the concoction of drugs that he had ingested, willingly or otherwise.

"How are we doing Doctor Travis" She asked shyly in a Southern accent.

"Better" Jesse commented, his throat sounded raspy and dry.

"Here" the nurse said, handing him a glass of water.

"Thanks" Jesse said proceeding to gulp down some much needed refreshment.

The nurse busied herself with his bed covers. "You new here?" Jesse asked her.

"Why Yes!" She laughed, "Just started this evening in fact! I just moved here from Alabama" That explains the accent! Jesse thought as he laughed along with her. Her laughter was infectious.

"This your first nursing job?" he enquired, genuinely interested. He always liked to make new staff feel welcome.

"No, uh, no. I worked for a couple of years in a mental institution" Her face darkened slightly.

"Didn't like it huh?" Jesse asked sympathetically.

"Let's just say I was glad to get away"

* * * *

Chloe Marsden left the hospital room and collapsed against the corridor wall. It had been so hard keeping up that act, that sweet Southern Belle act when all she wanted to do was wring his neck.

He anger seethed and bubbled under the surface, and she felt her face redden. Have more control over yourself! She scolded herself, It will happen all in good time.

She took one last glance at his dosing form, and ripped herself away. She had to be careful otherwise this would never work, she had to bide her time. The aim was not purely to kill him, but to give him as much pain as he had given her, and by god he would suffer.

To Be Continued…

Whew! Glad I managed to get this chapter finished. It's taken me long enough. Please review, but be understanding! I've been so so busy lately, excuses excuses I know! But I'm really not fobbing you guys off! Just bear with me;)