In and out…in and out…in…and…out….
The patient breathed shallowly in through his nose…and then out through his mouth. He was careful to keep the rhythm slow and steady; always slow and steady, never changing.
In…out….
His left arm was beginning to feel strangely heavy and numb; the feeling of old blood pooling, of muscles growing weak for want of oxygen…the limb was falling asleep.
He wanted to move, to obey his body's instinct to take his weight off the arm. He wanted it to stop hurting, goddamn it, but moving was out of the question.
In…out….
Yes, moving was much too dangerous. Even more dangerous than allowing that rhythm to change, or—heaven forbid!—opening his eyes. Because once the rhythm changed, once his muscles began to twitch, once his eyes opened, the bugs would send them the word loud and clear: "He's awake, he's awake, he's awake, he's awake…." And if THEY knew…if THEY knew…well, then he would lose before he'd even begun.
In…out….
So he lay still, cheek pressed against the cold tile floor of his awful white prison. He kept still to fool THEM. He kept still to fool their bugs. But most importantly, he kept still to buy himself time. Precious, precious time that belonged to him and him alone. Time to think, time to plan, time to form a strategy that would allow him to finally defeat the Watchers. Time.
In…out….
Faint memories danced through his mind, fleeting glimpses of faces, snatches of conversation, but he paid them no mind. These memories could not help him now; they were insignificant as wisps of smoke in fog.
In…out….
There had been a time once, not so very long ago when he would have been incapableof maintainingthis still, calm silence. A time when he had been…happy? No, happy wasn't quite the word to describe it. Content. Yes, content. He had been content.
In…out….
The rhythm was smooth and effortless as a plan slowly emerged through the haze in his brain. But still, he did not move, not even to relieve the terrible pain in his arm. When he acted, it would be fast. So fast the Watchers would not be able to stop him. So fast even the bugs wouldn't know what to do. That was the way to do things…quick and decisive.
In…out….
Now was the time to do it. He may never again have such a chance. No, never again. It was time to escape now. NOW! DO IT NOW!
In…out….
The patient leapt to his feet in one graceful motion, agile as a cat. He could feel the bugs inside him waking up, but they were slow and sluggish—they would not prevent his escape this time.
In…out…in, out….
Without a sound, he ripped at his wrists with bony fingers, pulling away flesh, seeking the warmth of the blood that flowed so close beneath the surface.
In, out, in, out….
He dug deep, tearing veins, feeling the thick, sticky liquid pour over his hands. So much of it…so very, very much.
In, out, in, out….
The bugs were awake now. He could feel them tingling inside him, readying themselves to shock, to jolt, to force him back to his hellish prison. But they were too late. He was at the door.
Inoutinoutinoutinout….
He took the polished silver knob in his hand. It was pleasingly warm to the touch. He opened the door.
Inoutinout….
He paused, halfway through, one foot in freedom, one still in his white prison, and smiled. In a calm, even voice, he stated, I win.
And with that, he stepped through the door into beautiful freedom.
Inoutin, out, in…out….
…
…
…
June 2nd. Ninth test run complete. Patient's behavior confirmed most theories (mental deterioration, psychological predisposition towards self-injury, etc.). More research would have been required to insure all actions / mannerisms corresponded to current theories, but further test runs are not possible, as patient is now deceased. As par normal, patient's records are to be carefully studied, noted, and then destroyed.
Patient 58M
Name: Katsuya Jounouchi
DOB: 1/25/87
Current age: 17
Hair: Blond
Eyes: Brown
Height: 5' 10"
Weight: 137 lbs—lost significant amount of weight during the program—final weight: 105 lbs
Family:
Father—Hiroshi Jounouchi, deceased
Mother—Umeka Kawai
Sister—Shizuka Kawai
--Was convicted as criminally insane following a sixteen month trial involving the murder of Hiroshi Jounouchi (patient's father). Recommended for program by the Domino City court of law following the trial.
Author's Notes: Well, there you have it. Last chapter. I'm a sadistic freak, I know. I will (hopefully)be posting a new chapter on Starstruck sometime in the near future now that this little monster is out of my head.
A couple of interesting (or boring?) sidenotes:
1) Originally, this wasn't meant to be fan fiction at all. However, after I wrote the first few entries, the attitude I'd given my character fit Jou so well that I couldn't resist!
2) Most of the "clues" and "hints" I dropped really weren't all that helpful. Or at least, I don't think they were. If you went purely on the hard facts I'd presented, it could have been just about anybody. Seto, Ryou, Yugi, Malilk and Jounouchi were definitely some of the more sensible picks, but there were other people that would have fit, too. Truth be told, I toyed with the idea of making the patient be Rishid (Odion). I also seriously considered Amelda (Alister). But in the end, I decided to go with Jou because (a) the patient's personality fit Jou the best, and (b) he was the one I'd originally decided to write this thing about in the first place!
And now, without further ado, I'd like to say thank you to Flame Swordswoman, shadowwaker, mandapandabug, Silently Broken, DemonAlphaWolfKidNE, TheWyldeWestWynd, Dark Magician Girl / Hikaru, enlightening, Meant2Live, silverwolf-bakura13, Karimaru, Hiro.P, crowkeeper990, and the nameless for reviewing the last chapter!