A/N: Hey! Thanks again to everyone who's been reading and reviewing. Anyway, forget the old summery. It's still a teen fic, but some things have changed. I'm taking the plot in a different direction, and I hope you still like it!

Please enjoy and please review.

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Just as she had been told, the security on Piper had tightened. She was never alone: an orderly, nurse, or escort was always with her, no matter what she did or where she went. Even when she showered, an orderly was overlooking her (they weren't always female, either). When she slept at night, someone stood watch at her door and came to her bedside every two hours to check she hadn't cut herself, which ensured that when she awoke the next morning, she was exhausted.

Julia had stopped speaking to Piper (to which Piper was almost grateful) because she blamed Piper for the fact that she could no longer sneak around at night.

Piper eve had trouble seeing Paige anymore because the staff (Maryanne Saunders, Mrs. Diaz, and Grams who, though not a staff member, also had a say in what was going on) felt Paige, as a cutter, was a bad influence on Piper. They couldn't sneak off and see each other, so they contended to seeing each other in the rec room and the cafeteria for meals.

"I can't believe how strict they've gotten, just because you cut once out of revenge."

"It wasn't revenge," Piper snapped at Paige.

It was a Friday afternoon and the two were sitting on the couch by the window in the rec room.

Paige held her hands up in defense. "Sor-ry. You know what I mean."

Piper nodded. "I don't even know why I really did it. It wasn't just because I was mad that they wouldn't release me early. It was something else and I don't know what."

"The rush of doing it?" Paige suggested.

Piper shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't want to. But in the heat of the moment, I guess I just lost myself. I can't let it happen again or I'll never get out of here. I have five more months and It'll become double that if I cut again," she replied, running her fingers over the white gauze on her wrists.

"Well, I haven't stopped. I tried but I can't. It's impossible. I need to do it or I crack up," Paige replied nonchalantly.

Piper blanched. "You've already cracked, Paige, especially if you think that way."

Paige glowered at her friend. "Look who's talking. You cut again and you don't even know why."

"Not completely. But kind of," Piper argued.

"Still," Paige remarked. "You don't completely know why you did it, which is just as cracked up as actually doing it."

"I was pissed at the doctors and grams for making me stay here," Piper said, trying to defend herself. But everything Paige said made sense.

Paige eyed her, knowing quite well that she had Piper backed into a corner.

Piper looked away angrily.

"Piper."

Piper looked up. One of the orderlies who often escorted her around was standing in front of her.

"Yeah?"

The orderly nodded for him to follow. "Mrs. Saunders would like to see you," he said gruffly.

Piper nodded and stood. She bade goodbye to Paige and headed off with the orderly. But he wasn't heading for Maryanne Saunders' office.

"Where are we going?" Piper asked as they descended a staircase at the end of the hall.

He didn't answer her. He kept walking.

Pipers shivered, worry creasing her face.

"Maybe we should go the other way," she said, stopping to turn around and leave quickly.

But the orderly's hand clamped on her wrist and dragged her downward.

"HELP!" Piper cried, struggling, fear gripping her. Why did he want to hurt her? What had she done to him?

The orderly pulled her roughly forward, yanking so hard and suddenly letting go; she screamed and went tumbling down the last two flights of steps, landing in a heap on the floor. She'd definitely broken a rib or two, maybe an ankle. And she had blood dripping from a cut on her forehead and could taste blood in her mouth.

The orderly advanced on her.

"Help!" Piper cried, but her scream was weaker now.

The orderly grabbed her by the throat and threw her against the wall, gripping so tightly, she thought her eyes would pop out.

"This should shut you up, you stupid little witch," the orderly snarled.

Piper choked and made incomprehensible sounds, struggling but her struggling becoming less and less. Stars danced in front of her eyes. It began to go black.

The orderly pulled out a sharp knife. Piper hissed and tried to fight but couldn't. He grabbed her arms and pinned them above her head, then took the knife and made deep slash wounds from the tip of her left wrist to the end of her right wrist (above the cuts already hidden by the gauze), then let her go. She crumbled at his feet.

He dropped the knife beside her, looked around, and left.

Piper, mean while, blacked out.

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When Piper opened her eyes, it was unusually bright. The light blinded her.

Was this death?

"Piper."

Piper jerked her head in the direction of the voice – but it hurt. She blinked several times and Grams came into view, along with Mrs. Diaz and Mrs. Saunders.

"Whas going on?" Piper slurred.

"Piper, you were attacked," Mrs. Diaz said softly. "Someone beat you up and used a knife to cut you."

Piper swallowed, but her throat was dry and hurt.

"From what we can tell, the attacker threw you down some steps, strangled you, and then slashed you. We're not sure who did it, though. We were hoping you'd remember," Maryanne Saunders added.

Piper's eyes drooped, then opened. They locked on Mrs. Saunders. "An orderly – he said you needed to see me. He took me down the steps and did-did exactly what you said he did,"

"I never sent an orderly to get you," Mrs. Saunders replied, frowning. "Did you see his name tag?"

"Brian," Piper replied.

"That's impossible," Maryanne Saunders said curtly. "Only one Brian has ever worked here and he died ten years ago."

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Later in the night, Piper awoke to a shadow looming over her. She opened her mouth to scream, but a hand covered her mouth. She panicked and used her nails to try and slash at her attacker.

"Shh! Piper, it's me, Paige," the attacker whispered, removing their hand.

"Paige? How'd you get in here? I have guards outside my door."

"You'd never believe me," she replied. "So how are you?"

"Fine." Piper paused. "Mrs. Diaz said that it was you who went and got someone to find me."

Paige nodded. "Yeah. I had a bad feeling about that guy from the beginning. Then when I saw he wasn't taking to Saunders' office, I ran for the nurse's station and told them. They didn't believe me at first, thought I was just talking like the crazy chic I am. That's why they didn't get to you sooner. Saunders' completely cursed them out because of it. If that nurse had believed me sooner, they would have gotten to you quicker and seen who your attacker was."

Piper nodded. "Thanks. I would have bled to death if it hadn't been for you."

Paige smiled. "No problem."

"I better go," Paige added. "Before we get caught."

"How did you get in here, anyway? There's a guard at my door," Piper repeated.

Paige smirked.