Hello! Another chapter, another...thing. Yeah. Anyway...I just wanted to say a little bit about Bryan...I know he's wildly, wildly OOC, but I figure that seeing as he was the most psychologically messed-up of the Demolition Boys in the first place, this has kind of tipped him over the brink a little. Therefore, he's hysterical and frightened to horrible extremes, unlike the rest of them.

And to whomever it may concern (hah, not replying to a specific comment!) Kevin appears...soon.

"Spencer?" Spencer shot a glare in Judith's direction and looked away again. "Spencer, the results of your blood test came back." Spencer flashed her another dirty look. One day after the needle escapade and Spencer appeared to have completely not forgiven her. "Look, I'm sorry, I didn't realise you were awake! It had to be done, can't you understand?"

Spencer merely glared again. With a sigh, Judith left him alone. It had been a mistake to talk to him without the White Tigers there. Something about those four Chinese kids made the Russian team, or what of it was awake, more receptive to things they didn't seem to hold any love for. One of them being doctors in general.

They were back again, at ten on the dot, fanning out to the beds of the Demolition Boys. They always went to the same ones; as if there was some prior agreement that Bryan was Lee's and Spencer was Mariah's. Rei and Kevin had to wait patiently for Tala and Ian to wake up. Strange kids...

"Bryan?" Bryan looked up, blinking. Something about the whole situation seemed to have made him a little...distant. As if he was a few seconds behind what was happening around him. "How are you feeling?" There was a silence. Then...

"Don't know."

"There's a psychotherapist coming to see you later." Ah, there- the one thing that would make Bryan sit up and pay attention.

"No! Don't let them!"

"I said psychotherapist, not psychologist."

"There's a difference?" Bryan snarled.

"Yes." Bryan's eyes darted around before he glared at the door.

"Well I'm not going to listen."

"Why?"

"Because they -do- things to you!" Bryan burst into tears, prompting Lee to gather the Russian into his arms and hug him tightly. "Everyone hates me...everyone hates me..." He whispered, sobbing.

"That isn't true. I don't hate you."

"Yes you do!"

"How do you know what I think of you? You're not psychic!" Lee retorted, nettled.

"Yes you do...everyone does...-I- hate me! I hate everything!"

"No you don't." Bryan clutched at Lee, soaking his shirt with tears.

"You would hate me! You would if you knew what I am!"

"What are you?" Bryan shook his head, burying his face in Lee's neck. Lee cuddled him, wondering about all the things that must have happened to Bryan. Someone had obviously messed with his mind, with his self-perception and his opinion of the world at large...but...

"You would hate me! You would if you knew what I am!"

What was that supposed to mean? "Bryan...what did you mean, I would hate you if I knew what you are?"

"Make them leave me alone...please...I don't want to be me any more...I don't like me...I hate myself..." Bryan sobbed weakly. "I hate you! I hate you!" Lee wasn't quite sure if Bryan was shouting at him, or at himself...either way, he was showing how fragile he was again. His mentality seemed so delicate...on a second's whim he could decide he hated everything, and even worse was that he seemed to hate himself...

"I don't hate you." The neko-jin whispered. "I don't hate you and I never will."

"You're lying!" Bryan wailed, pushing at Lee stubbornly. "You're lying! Stop lying!"

"I'm not!"

"Yes you are...you're lying to me..." Lee held him with unusual patience as he cried himself out, letting Bryan lean against him, sniffling. "I don't want to see a psychologist...I hate them..." He snivelled. "I'm scared..."

"I know."

"No you don't!" Bryan screamed. "You don't...you don't..."

"Hey, hey...calm down..."

"I'm scared...I'm s-scared..." Lee nodded, leaning Bryan against himself and laying back, letting the Russian use him as a pillow.

"Calm down...shh...it's okay. I won't let anyone hurt you..."

After a bit more coaxing, Bryan fell asleep.

It was dark. Everything was dark. Voices- although were they voices? Whatever they were, they passed like treacle. Sometimes there was the odd word. A boy's voice. And sometimes a woman's. It was all so strange...

"Ian?" Hours later, after Bryan had reluctantly spoken a sum total of about three words to his psychotherapist, Kevin went back to check on Ian. He found him staring at the ceiling. "Ian? Are you okay?" When Ian showed no sign of hearing, Kevin waved at him. After that, he finally got a reaction. A low groan. Apparently Ian couldn't move very much. "Should I call a doctor?" Nothing. "Ian? I'm going to get the doctor, right? You'll like her, she's really nice..." He turned to leave.

"Don't go..."

"I'm just going to get the doctor."

"Can't...hear you..." Ian stirred, trying to move and finding himself incapable of it.

"Um..." Kevin hesitated, then started to speak loudly and slowly. "I'm- going- to- get- you- a- doctor."

"What?" Kevin sighed.

"Are you deaf...or..." Luckily for Kevin, Judith chose that moment to come onto the ward the Russian team were sharing. "Judith! Ian's woken up, but he can't move and he can't hear what I'm saying..." Judith came over and sat down beside Ian, smiling.

"Hello Ian." Ian just kept staring away from her, not at all aware she'd said anything. She sighed. "We still can't identify the exact make-up of the drug he gave them. He may be deaf." There was a short silence, then-

"IAN!" The sudden shout made Kevin jump, but Ian showed no reaction; his eyes were still fixed on the wall near him. The Russian only looked at Judith when she touched his arm and started to sign to him. Kevin had gathered from Bryan's display that the Demolition Boys knew sign language, so it was no surprise when Ian tried to lift his arms to sign back. They didn't seem to want to do anything though- they just lay limply at his sides as he strained to lift them. "Can't..." It was then that Kevin realised that Ian's speech was different to before. It was somehow gargled...but then again, it wasn't like the Russian could hear himself to -know- he was speaking differently...

Judith shook her head, signing something that Kevin didn't understand. Although looking at Ian's face it wasn't something good. His eyes filled with tears and the corners of his mouth jerked down. "No..." He managed to shake his head slightly, looking horrified. "No..."

"What did you say to him?"

"I told him...that he's deaf, and that at the moment we don't know if it's temporary or permanent."

"What did you tell him that for? You've only made him miserable!" And miserable he was; tears were flowing down his face and he was sniffling. Kevin watched as the Russian tried to turn away, but found his body resisting his instructions. The sobs took on a frustrated tone, and Judith sighed.

"I'll go and get James. He's better with ears than me." She left, and Ian watched her go, looking despairing. Kevin sat down beside him.

"...Well...you can't hear me, can you? Well...I," Kevin pointed at himself. "Don't," He crossed his hands in front of him. "Sign." He waved his hands around, and Ian nodded.

"Don't go..." He whispered. Kevin shook his head, pointed at himself, the floor, and then to Ian himself.

"I'm here for you. For..." He pointed. "For you." Ian nodded, closing his eyes for a couple of seconds. Then he opened them again, holding out his hand as far as he could. Without thinking about it, Kevin took hold of it. Ian shut his eyes again.

So dark...blurred voices rolled on an on. Was this hell? Was this what death was like? If it was death...then why did it feel like there was something going on outside? So strange...so strange...

Next Chapter: A most terrible thing is revealed...

Oh, and R&R please, including the 9/10 that usually don't!