A/N: Okay, I don't own it, blah, blah, blah- also, the scene with Niki is not meant to be a pairing- she's just being nice, alright?
Chapter 3- Remembrance
Dr. Florentine looked in through the window to his patient's room. She seemed to be calm, breathing normally, and, best of all, hadn't been talking to herself. He made a few adjustments to his chart. Recently a visiting expert, Dr. Mohinder Suresh had recommended his newly invented inhibitor to counter-balance her chemical instability in the brain, which caused a horrific case of Multiple Personality Disorder. She'd been convinced her dead sister was possessing her and making her extremely violent.
Since the operation, Miss Nicole Sanders had seemed relaxed and at peace. They'd been giving her smaller doses of the relaxant daily, and she'd reacted well.
"Hello, um- I'm here to see Niki Sanders?" Dr. Florentine heard a voice behind him. There stood two men, both with visiting ID Badges.
"Um- yes, of course. You are the ones who called earlier? Dr. Suresh's post-op people?" Dr. Florentine asked, to be sure.
"Yeah. We just need to check that her mental state is normal," Peter replied. Florentine nodded and let them in, leaving them alone with Niki. The blonde woman looked up, her eyes obviously struggling to stay open. The drugs they'd given her were very strong. She looked up at them and the corners of her mouths went up a little- she was smiling.
"You- you did a good thing… she's gone," she breathed with great effort. Peter smiled, obviously relieved.
"Good. You remember Gabriel Gray, right?" Peter asked her, and she slowly nodded. She looked at Gabriel with bloodshot eyes.
"Gabe- how are you? Is-," she broke off, swallowing, "Is ihe/i back again?" Gabe stepped back a little. He'd told this woman?
"NIki- he's not really himself. Um- well, he's- he's not from this… this version of events.." Niki looked up at Peter again, her eyes flashing with confusion.
Peter preceded to inform Niki of everything that had occurred as Gabriel swallowed hard. Her tired voice had been so friendly and her eyes so kind toward him initially. Now and then, Niki sent him nervous glances. If Sylar's super-hearing abilities were still in tact, he was sure her heart would be racing. Sylar sensed his weaker counterpart's nervousness and reveled in it, forcing images of past victims into his head, knowing it would disturb him.
iNo. That wasn't me, I didn't want that,/i Gabriel thought. He saw Charlene Andrew's bright red hair, tainted with dripping blood. Remembered the terrified looks of Mrs. Walker, as she witnessed her husband's murder, the little girl, Molly, who he'd missed- only to come back for, again, unsuccessfully. Sylar's determination and power hungry attitude toward everything and everyone he encountered. ibYou're not sorry. You never even cried…/i/b
Sylar knew, however, that Gabriel had wanted to cry. Even now, Gabriel held back tears as more faces and blood flashed before his eyes. They haunted him, courtesy of Sylar. The mastermind he'd created. Gabriel looked down at his hands. There was more blood on them than the eye would betray to him, it was invisible- guilt that had seeped through him. It stung in his veins.
Unknown to him, Peter had ceased his talking minutes ago, when Niki had croaked that something was wrong with Gabe. He knew this, of course, because he'd picked up the telepathic abilities. He walked over to his friend's form. He knew that even this Gabriel was almost like the real one. The one that belonged here.
"Gabe. Gabriel Gray, say something," Peter implored. There were tears down Gabe's face. Gabriel seemed desperate to say something, his mouth opening and closing uselessly.
Niki watched from her recovery bed, knowing exactly how Gabriel felt, even without Peter's empathic understanding. She waited, mustering all of her strength together, and sat up, putting her feet on the cold sanitarium floor. Peter quickly spun around, looking at her curiously, looking to see if it was Jessica or Niki who had control. Reassured, he walked over to Niki and helped her stand, "Careful," he warned, nurse instincts overtaking him.
She chuckled softly, "Screw it. I need to feel alive," she said, her eyes twinkling as she quoted one of her favorite teenage movies, "I've been mostly dead all day." Her eyes quickly grew sullen as she watched the tortured Gabriel fight away the memories created by his other identity. She sat on the ground next to him, for he had sunk to the ground.
"It's going to be okay, Gabe. I still have nightmares about Jessica- her killings," Niki consoled him. Gabe shook his head.
"All the blood… It- won't go away…"
Niki watched his face, his eyes wide in horror, cheeks glistening. His jaw trembled.
Gabriel closed his eyes the next instant, Sylar's insane growl taunting him. Peter grew extremely worried now, and shook his shoulders. Gabriel was pulled back into the world.
"Gabe. We need you to stay calm. You can't let Sylar win again," Peter explained to a shaken Gabriel.
"I know you're scared. I was too. I have to help you win this, Gabe. I only won because I had help," Niki's matted blonde hair swam before his eyes. She had hugged him, albeit weakly. She knew how it was.
"Thank you," Gabriel said, confidence strengthened. Niki released him and, with the help of Peter, walked back over to her bed. Gabriel quickly stood as well. He finally realized he'd been crying and without embarrassing himself even more, he wiped his cheeks with a hand.
Niki sighed and fell asleep on her pillow. Peter nodded, understanding, and turned to Gabe, "She says she's tired. And goodbye for now. We're coming back tomorrow, after your test."
Sylar had caused Gabriel a little emotional and mental chaos, something Sylar was gloating over. So what if empathic emo boy and drugged woman were helping him? He would find a way to fight them, and emerge as the victor.