The man who came to visit Hanna was very cordial and polite, but I was wary of his bruised face and sharp, shifty eyes. He had a very nervous manner, it seemed, especially in the ward's atmosphere. His name was Lamont Toucey, and he claimed to be in the delivery business.

"Lamont!" Hanna cried, bounding over to his friend. "How did you know I was here?"

The dark haired man only raised a thick eyebrow at him, and Hanna laughed as he hit himself in the head.

"Duh, of course you'd be the first one to find out. Stupid. Anyway, what's going on? How is everybody? That bandaid's new, did you and Worth go at it again? Man, you guys fight too much, seriously."

Hanna talked at him a mile a minute, but Mr. Toucey didn't appear to have any trouble keeping up. They must have known each other for a while. I myself was still having issue with Hanna's motormouth in group sessions.

"Worth isn't happy about this, you know."

"Yeah, I figured he wouldn't be, but there's not much to be done about it."

"There has to be something. Any day now, they could find out about your chest, and then who knows what'll happen to you? I don't trust these people."

Chest. Hanna's chest. So there was something wrong, and something serious. Something worth hiding, and for his safety apparently.

"It's ok, Lamont. Dr. Hewney's all right, he's taking good care of me. And he knows about my magic, man. He's doing everything he can to help."

"Is…is that safe? Shit, Hanna, you can't just trust anybody with this stuff!"

"No, it's cool! He's a good guy, I can tell."

"Good guy or not, I still want to get you out of here. We can hide you."

Hanna sighed. I could see the thought cross his mind, and he was silent for a long moment as he considered his options. I felt like an eavesdropper, and quite uncomfortably so. All the visits were to be monitored, for obvious reasons, but it just felt wrong now. It felt wrong to hear them hint at secrets and mention lawbreaking. There was a severe conflict of interest. While I wished to do everything legally, and keep my job for goodness sake, I thought to myself that there was no way I'd try to stop the man from taking Hanna away from here. Only if he'd be happy, though, and safe. As close to happy as one could be in hiding, at least, and there was the problem Hanna seemed to be having.

"I can't do it, 'Monty. I just…can't. I can't hide and stay away from everything and everyone. I'm not like Worth. I don't think I could handle it. Besides…" A look of fierce determination bled into his eyes. "I won't go on and let people think I killed Galahad."

Lamont's brows creased, but he pursed his lips and nodded. "When the case comes up, we'll be there. We'll blow the paranormal cap wide open if that's what it takes to prove you're innocent. Conrad wants to help, too. Can you believe he offered himself as evidence?"

"Connie? No way!"

"He did. I can get him here for the hearing, too. My windows are shaded enough, yanno, for uh…certain 'cargo'."

Hanna smirked at him. "Ooh…?

"Eheh…anyway. I can pull some strings and make it a private case. No civilian spectators, no open court. I'll tell them the evidence is dangerous knowledge to the public or something. We'll make this happen, Hanna. We'll get you out of here."

Hanna only smiled at that, before promptly changing the subject.

They talked a while longer, and Hanna was a bundle of energy and excitement throughout the visit. By the end of it, I noticed a certain strain in Hanna, a subtle hitch in his behavior. I realized the whole mood of the meeting had been a show. I had a feeling Lamont noticed it better than I did.

"Take care of him," Lamont said to me, as he left, pointing an accusatory finger my way. "That kid's something special, and he's got so much shit inside him right now. And he's…he's just never gonna be the same now that the dead guy's gone. Even if we get him out…Well. Anyway. Heh. I should be going. Good night, Doctor."

Hanna was on his cot when I went back to him after escorting Lamont outside. He was deflated and worn-out. Too much pretending, I guessed. He looked at me and said he was tired. I told him it was just about time for lights out anyhow, even though it wasn't. We said good night and I left him there in his dark room, standing outside waiting to see if he'd start to cry. He did, and this time, it was so much worse, so much harder. He screamed this time, pounded his fist into the mattress, the wall. He pulled at his hair and curled into a ball under the sheets, still sobbing loudly. I ground my teeth together, using every ounce of will I possessed to keep from entering and comforting him. He didn't need comfort right now. I didn't understand his mind completely, but I knew that much. He needed to vent. He needed to cry. All the stress and sadness he felt was caged up inside, only let out in sporadic bursts at night; it wasn't enough. I wondered if it would ever be enough.

Lamont's words haunted me that night, in my own bed. What would happen when they got him out, if they could? Hanna wouldn't be the same, he was right. I hoped and prayed that, someday, despite all of this, Hanna would smile genuinely again, not forced or pretend or strained, shadowed by love of one long dead.

Oh my goooooood. This was a hard chapter because I had no time to write it. XD

Sorry Lamont didn't get much spotlight. He should later, when I get the case started, along with others. It'll be great fun, let's hope I get to it! No, really, it's not gonna be much fun. This fic is so not fun. Y'all that like it are such masochists, man. Or sadists, depending on whose depression you like more. XD But uh. Yeah. Good times.

I need more days off. PFFT.