Sometimes the cure is more fearsome than the disease.

:-:-:-:

They're back. I know it. They're watching me. For what, I don't know. I don't like it. Are they waiting for me to fall asleep? Well, then, I'm not going to fall asleep.

I've not fallen asleep for long periods before, don't worry, so I know I can do it. What worries me is...

Hondura, let go of me, I tell you!

:-:-:-:

"He still hasn't fallen asleep."

"I can see that. Thank you for pointing out the obvious."

"You're welcome."

"Heh."

"Well, shall we do this?"

"Lead the way."

:-:-:-:

Ah! I told you they were here! And now they're coming in...

"Patient 89. We're here with your medicine. We want you to take it this time. Do you understand?"

I won't take it. I won't!

"Come on, this is for your health. Don't you want to live for your family?"

What family? Do I have a family? I still won't take it!

"Hmpf. Still won't talk. It's been so long..."

Tell me how long. Tell me!

"How long?"

Ahh...

"Whoa. Did you seem him calm down just then? Seems like he wants to know, too."

Yes, I do.

"Hmm... this may turn out to be to our advantage."

I won't take it!

"Are you sure? He just tensed again."

"Hai, so he did. We'll have to proceed then."

Thank Kami for my hearing. I wouldn't know what they were planning otherwise. So you want to make me go to sleep manually? With chemicals? Too bad. I'm not going. I'm not taking it!

"Right. Here we go..."

I'M NOT TAKING IT!

"AHH! I knew it, I knew this was going to happen! He's too smart for us, Doctor Uni..."

"No, he isn't."

NO! Don't make me take it! DON'T! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NOOOOOO!

"Done. It's all in the flick of the wrist, Head Doctor."

"Well, well, well, I'm impressed."

"Thank you, Head Doctor. Don't forget to be considerate today!"

"Arggh, did you have to remind me?"

"Of course. Now would you like to inject him, or shall I do the honors?"

"I'll do it. I won't get a chance otherwise."

"Quite."

(Pause)

"All done. Nice work, Doctor Uni."

"You, too. Is this the start of your being considerate?"

"It is now."

"Heh. It's a good start. Keep it up."

"After you, Doctor. Ladies first."

"I feel so flattered, Head Doctor. I'm taken."

"I wasn't looking for a date, Doctor Uni. I was merely being considerate."

"Ah. It really is strange, even after only a day and a half, to have you act considerate."

"This is just the beginning, Doctor."

:-:-:-:

No... No.. No. NO! I won't take it! I won't, you hear me?

...Oh. They're gone. Ohh...

I'm shaking. Why am I shaking? Did they give their prescriptions (ugh!) to me again?

...Kami, I hope not. I don't want to face those dreams...

:-:-:-:

"The medicine seems to be working."

"He's certainly not talking to the walls anymore."

"I don't think we should have those chains on him. It clearly agitates him."

"It would agitate me if they were off."

"Ah, yes. He would be able to do worse damage if they were off, correct?"

"First time we medicated him, Reno Takiyashi, Megami Boronu, and I, he knocked Megami unconscious and almost ran me over."

"Really? You're a big man, that must have been hard to do."

"Not for him it wasn't. Just mowed me right down."

"Wow. How old were you then?"

"...To be honest, I don't really remember. I've been dealing with this patient for so long that the years have just blurred in my head."

"Do you have his clinical records? They'll probably tell us."

"Right, right. See if there's any family in there while you're at it. I want to see if he'll accept outside visitors."

"You didn't know if he had any family? But in there, you said..."

"I was just trying to bluff him up. Turns out that wasn't a very good trump card."

"If you've been treating him for as long as you say you have, you would have known that."

"Actually no, I wouldn't. The guy didn't say anything while we were in there, and even when he was alone, all he could, or would, talk about was ask Bradius why it wouldn't let him go."

"Bradius?"

"The floor. Seems as if the whole room is in a conspiracy to keep him in. His bed's allied with the floor, though the walls seem willing to help him."

"Interesting. Does he have any affiliation with the ceiling?"

"Nope. It's neutral. I've heard him beg it to help him many times, though."

"He sounds desperate."

"Sure does. Been doing this for years, though, like I said. Got so involved in this fight that we didn't consider trying things from his point of view, until recently."

"Recently?"

"Well, Reno is on the disabled list, and Megami went to another place, saying that 89 was too much to handle. You replaced her, you know."

"I did."

"Up to Reno's injury, all three of us were so engaged, so frustrated with getting this patient to accept a simple memory restorer that we started to forget that he was human, that he may have a very good reason for refusing medication, even if it would help him get out of here. We started treating him simply as an object, an arduous goal, and as a result, we didn't look into his personal history."

"Well, now we can. Let's go."

"If you don't mind, I'll stay here. I feel like it's my duty, you know, to make up for thinking of him as less than human."

"I understand."

:-:-:-:

A/n: Four pages this time, instead of three! Five pages next? ...Let's go for it!

So what do you think of the information that you have now? I'm just writing this as I go, so feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks to Nooka, Shadow Dreamer 27, and The General of Darkness for doing just that! (Bows)

Updated 08.27.05