A/N: Hey, just a quick update. I figured I'd update now because school is tomorrow and after that I'll be so busy with that and work and yeah. This isn't much, and don't mind any spelling mistakes. lol.
The part with the shrink I found out about by reading up on the internet how they well.. "test" to see what's wrong, like... yeah... just read and see... I don't really have time to explain it here:P lmfao, but I hope that it's right. Anyways, sorry that this is short, but I didn't have too much time!
Chapter 17 - Flashbacks
"Hello, Greg. I'm glad to see you've decided to come back."
Greg had heard that same phrase at least ten times from Mr. Shultz since he had returned to the sessions. But Mr. Shultz was wrong, Greg hadn't decided to come back to the sessions. He didn't have a choice. Catherine had made that call, and they took him away. So now he had to stay at the psychiatric hospital until he was deemed 'suitable to be on his own'.
The weeks began to pass by, and Greg was slowly making progress. They still hadn't gotten him to talk about the nightmares in depth like they psychiatrists had hoped, but it was still good that Greg was slowly opening up. They no longer felt like he might be a threat to himself, but they decided against releasing him.
The upcoming session would be a tough one, and they didn't want to allow him to return home, only to have him get worse, and ruin all of the progress that had been made.
Over the past couple of weeks, the psychiatrists had been monitoring Greg's reaction to certain stimuli-- relating to the event that had occurred. By measuring his reaction, they could either confirm or deny their suspicions.
"Today's the day," Mr. Shultz said quietly to himself while he waited for Greg to be brought in. He knew that it was the day it was time to measure Greg's reaction to talking in depth about the nightmares.
He was unsure of what was going to happen, because of the chaos that had ensued the last time this was attempted. However, he knew that Greg was definitely making immense progress in opening up to talking, and that it was a good time to start talking about the nightmares.
When Greg was brought in, his face was still painted with an uneasy expression. He knew what was going to happen today as well. He'd been told in the last session. He knew that he would have to think about the nightmares again, he knew he was going to have to talk about them.
He hadn't experienced the nightmares as much as he used to, due to the medication he was being given. Most nights, he wouldn't dream at all-- or at least he wouldn't remember any of the dreams. Still, the nightmares had left an imprint on his mind, and no matter how much he wanted it to just fade away, it was still there.
The session began, just as the others. Mr. Shultz would start with small talk, asking Greg how he was feeling, if he'd been getting lots of sleep. The questions that he always asked to open a session.
And then it was time.
"Greg. I want you to close your eyes, and then take a few slow, deep breaths," Mr Shultz began.
Greg did as he was told.
"Keep your eyes closed and continue with that breathing, and then slowly, I want you to start visualizing the cage. Only the cage. Just visualize everything about the cage. And once you're ready, start describing it to me."
Greg bit his lip and continued with the slow breathing. He waited a few seconds before he started to describe the cage.
"It was small... but... not to small."
"Describe it using the present tense."
Greg wasn't sure why, but he repeated himself, this time, using the present tense. Once he was done describing the cage, Mr. Shultz had him move on to describing more of his surroundings. The more in depth Greg got with his descriptions, the more uneasy he became, until finally, it was time to talk about Nick.
Greg's eyes started closing tightly. The more images from the nightmare were in his mind, the tighter he tried to close his eyes.
"Greg, what happens when Nick comes in?" Mr. Shultz asked again, when Greg hadn't given a response.
"Help! I'm in here! Please! Please get me out of here Nick!" Greg screamed, despite his raspy voice.
Nick acted as if he didn't even hear him. He searched around the room, probably looking for evidence, but said nothing. Greg then heard someone else come into the room-- Sara. He screamed out hoping that she'd hear him, but his voice was starting to give out.
"Who's making that sound?" Sara asked Nick.
Greg continued to call out, hoping they'd come over and help him.
"It's nothing," Nick replied in a cold, bitter tone as he got her to leave the room.
"Nick! Please! Please get me out of here!" Greg tried to get his friend's attention.
Finally, Nick acknowledged Greg's desperate pleas and walked over to the cage.
"Nick, thank you. Please get me out of here. There's a key over on the table I think."
Nick just stared at him for a moment, and then a sinister smile came upon his face.
Mr. Shultz could tell that the nightmare was running through Greg's head once again. And his reaction was just as predicted. He didn't want to talk about it, and he didn't want the images in his mind.
Greg's eyes closed tighter and his knuckles were turning white from the tight grip he had on the arms of the chair he was sitting in.
"How does it feel to be trapped?"
"How does it feel to be trapped?"
"How does it feel to be trapped?"
The line repeated over and over in Greg's mind. Accompanied by flashes of Nick and Ray Danniels' faces.
"Greg?" Mr. Shultz asked, judging by the distressed look on Greg's face that something was wrong.
"I'll never have to think about what happened to me ever again."
"How does it feel to be trapped?"
Greg released his grip from the arms of the chair and placed his hands over his ears, trying to block out the sound of Nick and Ray Danniels' voices.
"Greg? All right, open your eyes," Mr. Shultz told him.
After a few more moments of the sounds and images swirling inside of his head, Greg finally decided that he had enough.
"Stop it! Just stop!" he screamed as his eyes opened.