Another long chapter. I'm trying to shorten them! Really I am! Thank you to everyone who sent reviews and thank you for your patience for this chapter.

Possession – Chapter 7

My hands gripped into tight fists and pulled at the straps restraining them. As the memory of my dream came back to me in full force my stomach heaved. If there was anything in it I would have puked it all over myself.

"Hey Lyserg? Are you still with me kid?" Benny's attempts to draw my attention back to him finally succeeded and I looked over to face him. I summoned up the courage to look him in the eye only to find he couldn't look into mine.

Oh yes that's right they "examined" me. If my dream bruises became reality I could just guess what that dream would look like? Judging by his description of how they found me, I probably looked like I was a victim of sexual assault.

"It's okay Benny, I remember now." And watched as his shoulders hunched just a little bit deeper. Of course, Benny was a cop and he would consider it his duty to help me, but he must know that there was nothing he could do in these circumstances. It wasn't going to be like a TV show where he could just hunt down the creep and pound him into the pavement. "You can't help here. You should go home." I told him bluntly. More than anything I wanted him gone and away from me. It was obvious that helping me through this was taking its toll on him.

At my words he did look me in the eye and rather than look relieved, he seemed more worried. Quickly he leaned over me and started talking in a low hushed tone. "I can't! This doctor they put you with… well the way they found you…" he kept halting his words as if trying to figure out how to explain himself.

"I'm guessing it looked as if I was raped." I didn't want to, but I helped push him along so he could spit out the rest of the statement.

He winced at the term but quickly shook his head clear of it. "That's just it kid, they don't think that. They think you- "

Whatever they thought was interrupted by the arrival of a man that looked like the stereotypical college professor complete with a turtleneck and tweed jacket with elbow patches.

"Good morning Mr. Diethyl. Awake I see." He greeted me with a false smile. "I'm Dr. Taylor. How are you feeling?"

"Is there some reason I'm tied to the bed?" I asked forgoing the pleasantries. Maybe it was Benny's almost warning or the fake smile, but I disliked him instantly.

The illusion of the fake smile never faltered just shifted into a more business tone. "They're there for your protection. You were very distressed when we brought you in and we were worried about you." He explained. Although his mouth stopped moving, for some reason I could clearly hear him say, "We wouldn't want you hurting yourself again."

Giving my head a shake I asked "I'm sorry, what was that again?"

"They're there for your protection." He answered very concisely like I was an idiot. Oh yeah this guy was really getting on my nerves quickly. Mind you there wasn't that little extra bit about me hurting myself this time.

"If they are bothering you, I'm sure we can get somebody in here to remove them soon." He turned to Benny and said "If it's alright with both of you I want to ask Lyserg a few questions." It wasn't really a question. More like a round about order for my friend to leave.

"I'll be just outside if you need me." He told me before reluctantly leaving.

Once the door was shut my doctor turned back to me "Now then, can you tell me if you know why you're here?" he asked.

I leveled a long look at him unsure of what I wanted to tell him. There was no way in hell I was going to say I was seduced by the ghost of my parents' murderer. No one is that stupid.

"I had a nightmare and I overreacted." I answered carefully.

His eyebrows raised in polite surprise "A nightmare? Really? Can you tell me about this nightmare?" he asked, but again I heard extra words coming out of him from a closed mouth. "Dissociation technique. Not unheard of to blame destructive behavior on a sleep disorder."

What the hell was happening? Only one person I knew could pick thoughts out of someone's mind. As much as I REALLY didn't want to speak to him, I had to know if he was causing this new development.

Hao! I barked.

Hmmm? Awake are we now… lover? He asked amused. I cringed at the title. I knew he didn't mean it as any form of endearment just another way to upset me more. Although I remembered now, my mind still wasn't ready to think about what happened with Hao so I quickly slammed the door shut on any response to his barb.

Did you do this? I asked not bothering to explain what I meant. I knew full well he was cleaver enough to understand me without wasting useless words.

He made a surprised sound. If I knew seducing you would move me closer to my goal I would have done it ages ago. He said speculatively. It took me a moment to understand what he meant by goal and then I was alarmed to realize he meant taking over my body. Now that my attention was focused inward I could feel more of him in me. His power, weak as it still was, was meshing with mine. Don't think about it! I yelled at myself trying desperately to ignore the reason it was stronger.

I looked over at the doctor who was still patiently waiting for me to answer his question. What was it about again? Oh right, my dream. "I had a dream about the guy who killed my parents."

Sure enough, the man's mind kicked in to an internal dialogue. Parents' killer? The file said they died in a fire on his birthday while he was out. The source of the fire was unknown. Perhaps his behavior began even then.

Inside my head Hao gave the mental equivalent of narrowing his eyes and tilting his head. He thinks you imagined it he said speculatively and his tone suggested he wasn't sure whether he was amused or insulted

The thoughts from Dr. Taylor kept going on through Hao's speculation. I'll need to investigate further to see if there were any indications of abuse. Wonder if he was ever a suspect for starting that fire.

My heart almost stopped in my chest and it felt like icy fingers were gripping my throat. I was too shocked to be able to let the rage I wanted to feel out. He thought that I had killed my own parents.

"You think I just imagined Hao." I blurted out to him completely ignoring the danger of confronting a man who had me strapped to a bed.

Now his expression changed. I didn't need to read his mind to tell the clear 'Uh oh' on his face. "I didn't say that. It does us no good for you to jump to such conclusions."

"You didn't need to say it!" I yelled and jerked my wrists in the straps holding me. "Get me out of this. Now!" I ordered. There was no way I was staying one second longer.

"I'm sorry Mr. Diethyl but as your doctor I can't do that yet." He said while trying to discretely move over to the call button by the bed. "Not until I know for certain you're going to be -urgh!"

A spectral arm sprang from my body and gripped the doctor's hand. I winced at the quick cracking sound that I knew had to be a few of is bones, but the sound was quickly drowned out by the doctor's screams anyway.

"You are not in a position to tell me what to do little man." Hao whispered darkly.

I don't think I'll ever know how Hao did it, but one moment the doctor was yelling in pain, and he stopped while looking at his broken hand as if seeing it for the first time. A shiver went down my spine when I saw his eyes track up the spectral wrist and the arm that I knew was extended from my body. When Hao sat up from my chest the doctor looked like he was going to start screaming again, but Hao changed his grip to the man's neck.

Some time during all the yelling Benny had arrived but I'd failed to notice it until he was trying to undo my bonds. Even then I was deaf to his need for an explanation. I had more serious problems.

"It's a shame that you think the spirit world is imaginary, because your about to be joining it." Hao threatened A few orderlies having heard the commotion stormed in but when they saw me still lying in my bed with the doctor immobilized by some unseen force they seemed unsure of what to do.

"Hao don't'!" I yelled. At this point the orderlies must have thought Benny was who I was yelling at and that he was taking me against my will, because they grabbed and stopped him from undoing anymore straps.

The ghost that I helped create looked at me with disdain. "Don't tell me you're going to try to defend him. He thinks you killed your parents. He even thinks you hurt yourself and blamed it on me."

Alright, I admit I couldn't stand the man but I couldn't let Hao do this. "I can't let you do this."

"Morality? Please Lyserg; we both know what really lurks under that pretty boy face."

I grit my teeth and tried not to scream in frustration. If I didn't say something quick the doctor who was starting to blubber incoherently was going to die.

Sighing in defeat I did the only thing I could think of. "You're right Hao." I don't know who was more surprised I actually said those words, him or me. "What I did to you was wrong regardless of the reasons and I have to live with that burden for the rest of my life. Your death didn't bring closure or peace. It certainly didn't bring my parents back. It may have saved the human race, but we both know that wasn't the reason I helped defeat you."

With one hand free I was able to free my other hand and legs so I could sit up in the bed. I was a little surprised to find that the wall at the foot of my bed had a two way observation mirror. I looked at the back and forth between the reflection of Hao and the reflection of the man he still held. "He may be a jerk, but I can't let you kill him."

"Well, well so you do believe all of that self righteous crap you keep spewing about. Do you really think you can stop me?" he asked while tightening his grip.

"Hao don't." I said then added, "Please." I had no idea how I would stop him and he knew it.

The apparition in the mirror gave me one of his dark grins "Alright," he conceded then turned to the doctor whose eyes were fixed on the reflection in the mirror. "You get to live for another day little man. I'll even leave you a little gift."

Scores of spirits flooded the room heading and swarmed the doctor all vying for his attention. Cradling his injured hand he used the other to try and wave them away like insects. "Since you're so determined to butt into other people's business and help, I've found you some new patients." Hao announced.

I winced at the hoard of spirits with unresolved issues that were clamoring to get at the now very scared doctor. A hospital would have scores of troubled spirits.

"No! Get away from me! Leave me alone!" The orderlies who were still in the room finally realized that something was not right with the doctor and one of them tried to help him out of the room. The man shrieked when the orderly touched him and started flailing madly. Taking pity on the man I mentioned that I thought he broke his hand.

Eventually they called in someone else who had to carry him out screaming while they tried re-strapping me to the bed.

No I don't think so.

"Morphine!" I called knowing she would have to be near. She appeared almost instantly and got me the hell out of there by shoving everyone who got in my way to the walls. Benny followed silently behind.

I let him drive me home ignoring the odd looks everyone gave me as I walked through the parking lot wearing one of those flimsy hospital gowns. After all that had happened I was too numb to care.

I had the feeling that I'd permanently scarred my oldest friend not to mention that doctor and oddly enough I couldn't bring myself to care anymore. It's true what they say. The body and mind can only take so much in before it just shuts down. That was where I was right now. Numb. Unable to care anymore about anything.

Maybe it would be better if I just left.

Pulling up to my home I noticed Benny didn't get out. He just handed over his spare key. "I'm leaving." I told him.

"I know. You take care of yourself okay?" he wouldn't even look at me.

"Bye Benny." I said slipping out and up to my door.

When I walked into my house I immediately picked up the burnt smell that was probably still lingering in my room. I groaned when I realized most of my clothes probably didn't survive the little episode after my dream. I shuddered involuntarily still trying to block out that night.

Trudging upstairs, I was able to scrounge around and found something to wear in the mess that was my dresser. I gathered any other usable clothes together and dumped them into a bag. I moved into the kitchen to see if there was any food I could pack but froze the instant I passed the foyer. It was packed full of people who weren't there a few minutes ago.

"Hey Lyserg!" Yoh said in his usual happy carefree tone.