Closer to Release

A/N: Thought this was going to be a trilogy, but it turns out that I can't fit it all into three chapters. Looks like I'll be expanding on this… Anyway, here's where he is released from the hospital. Just what kind of world will he find?

Those were the only words he said. They were not cold, but simple. Frankly, it scared her to hear them. A few minutes after he spoke, Dr. Kaufmann entered, seeing that he had written, drawn, and showed his thoughts. He sat down in the corner of the room, looking directly at Alex.

"Alex, do you know why you're here?" Getting a nod for a response, he continued. "Alright. Do you know what you did wrong?" Again, he received a nod. "Good. Well, you wrote that you were punished. What did you mean?"

Alex thought for a moment, taking the top sheet off the pad, flipping it over, and writing on the back.

Mom and Dad had everything taken away when Josh died. My punishment was to lose it all too. They died, she died, Alex pointed to Judge Holloway at this point, and I was alone, until I found Elle.

"And Elle is her daughter?" Getting another nod, the doctor did the same. "Good. The dream you had taught you a lesson, did it?" Alex looked down at the piece of paper again.

It taught me that I couldn't save a kid that was already dead. It showed me the truth.

"Excellent. Then I believe your time here is done. I was hoping for this breakthrough for some time. I'll need you here for a few more days for observation, but other than that, I can authorize the hospital to release you. Do you understand?"

He nodded, causing Kaufmann to actually smile. It looked like he hadn't in a few years. As Kaufmann left the room, he motioned for paperwork to be drafted. "Go ahead and schedule the discharge for Thursday. I'll keep him here for two days, to see just how he is, and then we'll probably release him that day." He paused, while hearing the nurse outside, the one that was actually nice to Alex, confirming what he was saying. "Thank you, Lisa."

Re-entering the room briefly, Kaufmann addressed both patient and visitor. "You'll be monitored with him for the rest of your visit, and Alex, you'll remain here for two more days for observation by me personally. I think you're practically ready to be discharged. How's that sound?"

No response verbally, but Alex did nod in the positive. There was a faint look of hope on his face. He sat there, looking from him to her, then back.

Would they really let me out? All this time, all this crap, and they might let me out? What about Josh? What about Mom? They haven't come to see me… Do they care?

Lost in thought, he nearly missed Kaufmann's short conversation with Judge Holloway.

"Has his mother been coming to see him?"

"She came a few times. It's been pretty hard on her. Adam isn't making it easier. He still refuses to see his son."

"See if you can get her in here. I need to see how he reacts with her, so I can have a good idea of who to release him to."

"I'll do my best. I'll try to convince her to come tomorrow."

"Good. I just need to do this as a formality. I thin it would be easier for all parties involved if he were released to you, but maybe it will do some good to have Mr. Shepherd confronted with Alex. Then again, I don't want to start a war."

"I think you're right. He should go home to interact with his mother. She cares for him. Adam is in denial. He thinks his son is lost and a basketcase."

"Clearly, he is as sane and remorseful as a normal human being. There's nothing wrong with him."

"I know, his mother knows, and you know. Adam is simply looking for an excuse to stay separated from Alex."

"Then going home is a good option, at least for a little while, to see how his father reacts." Kaufmann left the room again. The rest of the afternoon was quiet, with a few questions and answers. Nothing major was said or written down. Alex decided to broach the subject about the confrontation in the Order's lair on a later date. Going with that thought, the closest he got was writing down that Elle had survived Curtis, because Alex had shot him.

"What was Curtis doing? What was he going to do?"

You don't want to know…

The rest of the hour was silent. Alex was feeling the tension in the air, but he was thankful that they hadn't medicated him today. His usual doctor had stayed away, perhaps at Kaufmann's request. When visiting hours ended, he felt a small wave of sadness wash over him.

It's only until tomorrow…

He raised his head, feeling her hand on his shoulder.

"Your mother will be here tomorrow."

Pressing his luck, Alex tested himself, by slowly rising to his feet. Though shaky, he slowly wrapped his arms around her, relishing the feeling of being able to hold someone again. It felt good to just be able to do something on a whim. Usually, they would have sent in a team of doctors and nurses to restrain and flood him with medicine.

"I'm sorry…"

His voice was quiet, but it was still there. She didn't have time to see just why he apologized, because a doctor came in, announcing that visiting hours were up. Alex released her, and sat back down, feeling somewhat tired. This was the most movement he had done since being admitted to the hospital. While he watched her leave, Alex felt like just falling back and sleeping. His muscles were not tired, but he felt like his mind was at ease for the first time in the entire year or so he'd been there. When his back hit the bed, his eyelids started to get heavy. That usually happened, but this time, sleep quickly took Alex. He didn't even care that he slept through dinner. His food was brought in, and was taken out an hour later, by the nurse called Lisa. Kaufmann had changed nurses on him. The red-head was gone. She had gotten a new patient apparently. She slipped out of the room, informing Kaufmann of Alex' status.

"He's asleep. Anything you want done?"

"No. Let him sleep. It's been awhile since he's slept peacefully. I was just reading Copen's report. Looks like Alex was very sleep deprived on every incident. His reports suggest abuse of the electroshock therapy. I don't like how this is looking, Lisa."

"Was there any damage?"

"It doesn't look like there is. I'll have a scan done tomorrow before visiting hours. We'll see exactly if there was anything wrong. However, I haven't seen anything. He's just a little tentative about talking. That is understandable, since they put him in isolation, when and if he talked or showed any sign of progress. This is why his contract and position were terminated as of two hours ago. As of now, I am his primary."

"That's probably the best thing for him right now. He needs a doctor he can trust."

"True, but will trust be enough?" Kaufmann retreated to his office, wanting to look over Alex' file in full detail. He felt concerned that the kid hadn't spoken out against what had happened, but again, the fear of communication was a major issue.

Meanwhile, Margaret was headed home, when she happened to remember that Lillian still had to be convinced to see her son. Pulling back onto Main Street, she pulled her phone out. Seeing that it was practically dead, from where she had neglected to charge it, Margaret sighed, pulling onto Craven Avenue. Seeing that Adam hadn't returned home, she saw this as a good opportunity to address Lillian about Alex. Getting out of the car, she saw that the woman she was looking for was coming out to meet her.

"How is he?"

"What?" Lillian's eyes narrowed, not in anger, but in focus. The light from the house was brighter than the ailing light of dusk.

"Alex. I know that's where you've been going."

"How?"

"Why else would you go to Silent Hill?"

"Fair enough. He's doing well." She took a second to mentally kick herself. Of course Adam had seen her leave. "He's recovered well, and is asking for you. Dr. Kaufmann suggested that he may be ready for release."

"Really?" There was surprise and almost interest in her voice now. Lillian Shepherd was no fool. She hadn't just followed Adam blindly when he had planned to drown their son. She had been keeping in communication with the doctors at the hospital, behind Adam's back. "Is it possible?"

"Very. He said he wants you to see Alex tomorrow. That way, they can monitor just how he does with an actual family member. He actually talked today."

"Excellent. Adam is working doubles tomorrow, so that will work out well. Visiting hours start just after two, right?"

"Yeah. They start around 2:30."

"Good. I know Adam never expects to see him again, but it will be a welcome change to see Alex home. It's too quiet in the house."

"I know what you mean. Even with Nora around, it's just not the same without Elle. She's making herself more and more distant. I don't know what her problem is."

"Who does with children…? We're parents. We're the last ones to know about the problems of our children. Take mine for instance."

"Very true."

Both women continued talking for a few hours, moving from the carport to the sitting room. Adam came home after awhile, and headed upstairs for a good shower. Their talk went uninterrupted, until Elle called.

"Where are you?"

"At the Shepherds'."Where are you?"

"At home, where you should be."

"What happened now?"

"Dad's back."

"Oh no… I'll be there soon." She turned to Lillian. "I'll have to cut this short. Husband."

"Understood." Lillian watched as Margaret left, feeling Adam's gaze on her from upstairs.

"Adam."

"What were you two talking about?" He slowly made his way down from upstairs, coming to stand beside her. Lillian could already tell he was acting a little off. He was usually confining himself to the bedroom or his hunting room. She turned to look at him. Adam's eyes were tired, and his entire body was relaxed. That was strange in itself.

"You know she's been seeing Alex, right?"

"Yeah…" His eyes darted around the room, looking for an interesting spot of wall. Not finding anything to distract him, he directed his gaze back to Lillian. "I see her leave almost every day. Thought about going myself a time or two…"

"Really?" They moved from in front of the window to the sofa. He sat down, feeling like it could swallow him whole and he wouldn't care. "That's interesting."

"What is?" He sat up a little straighter, to meet her gaze again. It was strange for them to be in the same room anymore, let alone have a conversation. Since Alex had been sent away and Joshua had been sacrificed, Adam had retreated into himself. He would stay late at work, go directly to bed when he got home, and leave early the next day. Even on weekends, he'd find something to occupy his time. "That I want to see my son?"

"No." She placed her hand atop his, which had become a rarity as well. "We were just talking about the possibility of Alex being released."

"What?" The look on his face was priceless. It looked like someone had taken his entire pot of coffee and dumped it on him. His eyes were wide open, and his muscles no longer relaxed. "Is this a joke?"

"No. He has improved." Knowing that this had piqued his curiosity, Lillian sat back, letting Adam steer the conversation. He thought for a few seconds, before speaking again.

"How much has he improved? I mean, is he moving, talking, grunting, what?" There was something akin to excitement in his voice now as well.

"According to Margaret, he's talking and moving now. Not much, but-"

"Still, that's better than the last time I went to see him. He wouldn't even look at me." Adam took a minute to consider something. "It was like they had him so drugged up that he wouldn't have known I was there anyway."

"That's another thing. He's switched doctors. The chief of medicine has taken over. Dr. Kaufmann has suspended his medication for the time being. He doesn't think Alex needs to be doped up anymore. They had the straight jacket off today as well."

"How'd he do?"

"Good. He wrote things down, he talked, and Kaufmann wants me to see him tomorrow. Do you want to go?"

"I've got work…" It wasn't an excuse, but a fact. He did have double shifts tomorrow, but he thought about it. "When are you going?"

"Probably around 2:30. Why?"

"I could take a late lunch and make it long." His tone was hopeful, as if waiting for her approval. He got it.

"Good."

"Good?"

"Yes. I want you to go. It may be good for you to see him on a good day. They were talking about releasing him on Thursday."

"Thursday, really? That seems soon."

"He's made such a drastic recovery. It really looks good for a change."

The two talked for what seemed like another hour, and both finally retired to the bedroom. Lying there, Adam felt like things were slowly going right. He and Lillian fell into a peaceful sleep that night.

Alex' dreams were full of car rides, walking through his house, and even chasing Elle after stealing her car keys. It was rather pleasant to have no rust or blood in his dreams for once. Waking up from the sound of a car horn in his dream, Alex saw that it was ten o'clock. Realizing he was no longer restrained, he sat up, yawning. The window was still decently clean, allowing for the late morning sun to come in. Testing his boundaries, he slowly stood up, and it felt good to stretch. Having not done that in awhile, Alex felt some of his muscles catch, and he had to slightly jerk them loose. He saw the chair near the window, and made his way toward it. Sitting down, he felt the sun begin to warm him.

Hearing someone moving around, Lisa, the nurse, alerted Dr. Kaufmann. He looked through the window to Alex' room, and saw him sitting in the sun. A slight smile tugged at the stern doctor's lips, as he opened the door. "Good morning, Alex. I see you're up and about today."

Alex looked at him, seeing the slight smile on his face, and relaxed. Kaufmann moved further into the room, observing Alex as he continued to look out the window.

"Alex, I need to ask you some questions. Would that be alright?" Getting a nod for an answer, Kaufmann continued. "Alright. Firstly, how do you feel about being out of the straight jacket?" Thinking back to what he had read in Alex' file, he spoke again. "It's alright to talk. I'm not going to lock you up because you speak aloud. If you just don't feel like talking, here's a pen and paper."

Alex thought about this. While the doctor waited, he ran scenarios in his head. I need to talk. They are being patient and shit, so I need to talk. What if this guy is just jerking me around? What if I am put back in isolation? Does that mean I won't see my mom today? Damn… Seeing the patient look on his observer's face, Alex decided to try to talk. He didn't want the guy to feel disappointed if he didn't speak, but he didn't want to get locked up, either.

"Good."

There, he had said it. That one word, and though it was quiet and a little raspy, it had been heard. Kaufmann looked up. "So you feel good about it? Are you angry, or do you get angered easily?"

"No."

"Can you explain why? Your previous doctor noted that light upset you, because you could see where you were. Is that true?"

"No. Don't have anything to be angry about." It was barely over a whisper now. His voice wasn't lasting too long because he hadn't used it in about six months. During his tormenting nightmares, he'd scream and lash out, but afterwards, when he was awake during the day, he was fine. Eventually, the nightmares ended, and he had been silent ever since.

"Good. Now, how do you feel about your father? I know he's come to see you before, and you didn't respond. Any thoughts?"

Deciding to preserve his voice, Alex took the offered pen and paper, starting to write something down; I didn't know he was here. When did he come? I don't remember.

"He came a few months ago. This was when you were still on high levels of medication. Perhaps that had something to do with it. Also, you would have horrid and vivid delusions. Do you remember that?"

It told the truth. He paused, seeing the questioning look on Kaufmann's face. Deciding to elaborate, he continued writing. I learned the truth about my brother that way. It was like a long nightmare that wouldn't let me wake up until it was over.

"I see. So it was a dream that wouldn't let up until you saw the end, being what happened to your brother, Joshua Shepherd?" Receiving a nod, he continued. "Well, there is a possibility that your father will want to come and see you after your mother does. Do you have a problem with that?"

Alex thought about this for a few minutes. All the bitter memories of his father surged forward, reminding him of how cold the man had been. Remembering the dream, Alex took a few minutes to consider his father's position. "I had to make sure my son never loved me… I was only trying to make things easier for him… and for me… These words ran through his head, and in a way, Alex could understand. There was still something of a question, as to his father's real motive, though.

I want to see him…. I think.

"Good. That shows that you are ready to start to heal. Before they come, I'll need to run a scan on you to see if there is any lasting brain damage from the electroshock therapy. It won't hurt, and there will be no medication involved." He said this so that Alex wouldn't flip out at the thought of more medication. Alex looked like he was thinking, but then nodded. "Good. It will be over before you know it. Care to walk?"

Seeing Alex slowly rise from the chair, he opened the door, motioning for him to go into the hallway. Knowing that the walk would deplete what energy Alex had left, Kaufmann arranged for a wheelchair to be left outside the exam room. Lisa complied, flashing an encouraging smile Alex' way. He returned it with one that was a bit weak, but it was there. Once in the exam room, Alex was asked to lie back, while some sort of helmet was placed on his head. Immediately thinking back to the helmet used in the electroshock therapy, he gave Lisa a worried look. Having read over his file herself per Kaufmann's request, she spoke.

"It's not what you think. We won't do anything that will be painful. This is just the helmet that you'll wear during the scan. No pain, I promise."

Her voice was reassuring. Normally, he was lying back, looking at the light above him, four LED bulbs just glaring down at him, but now he was sitting up, looking at the open door, and Dr. Kaufmann came in.

"Are you ready?" Getting a nod, he started to explain. "Alright. What will happen is this helmet will help us to scan your brain, so that we can detect any signs of brain damage. I'm sure, even with the slightest bit, you'll be released. How's that sound?"

"Good."

As he sat there, Kaufmann motioned for the test to begin. When a switch was pulled, Alex heard a high-pitched sound, like a dog whistle, but at a lower frequency. It lasted a few minutes, and then they removed the helmet. "Alright. That was it."

"Doctor, I'll get him cleaned up, and have a decent meal brought up."

"Excellent. I'll be in my office for a few minutes, and then I'll have the results by the time he's ready. Don't worry; if there is anything, it should be minimal."

Alex nodded as he was being led to the wheelchair. Once seated, he was wheeled to the showers. Getting to a decent-sized one, Lisa locked the wheelchair into place, so that when he tried to get up, he wouldn't have it rolling away. "I'll get you a spare set of clothes. Those look like they've been there awhile. They'll be hanging here. Are you okay to do this by yourself?"

"Should be." Deciding to speak a little, he pulled himself out of the wheelchair. She nodded and left, giving him privacy.

Gripping the entryway to the shower, Alex made it to the wall, pulling off the shirt the hospital had him in. Upon doing so, he felt slight pain. Looking down at his bare chest, he saw what looked like blackened skin. It was too odd to be a bruise, but it hurt nonetheless. He made a mental note to be careful. Looking over the rest of his upper body, he saw more blackened skin. This puzzled him, but Alex knew that he needed to get a move on. Easily dropping the oversized pants, he saw some of the same black skin on his lower extremities. After kicking off the shoes and socks he was wearing, along with his boxers, he stepped into the shower. Pulling the curtain closed, Alex slowly cut the water on, and adjusted it. At first, it was freezing, but eventually, the temperature climbed, getting to a pleasant hot. Seeing a generic bottle of body wash, Alex took it, leaning against the wall for support, and put about five quarters' worth into his hand. Slowly going over his body, he felt as though he were shedding a layer of skin. The dried sweat, everyday dust, and otherwise filthy elements rolled off him, except for the dark colored patches. He figured that they must be burns or bruises.

Finally satisfied, Alex stepped away from the wall, wrenching the shower's water valve, and cut the water off. He then stepped out and onto the floor. The clothes were lying on a shelf to the left of him, and he slowly started re-dressing. Pulling the pants on, he felt his arm catch a little. Not surprising because I've been still for the last months… Pulling the arm through the sleeve of the tee shirt he had just thrown over his head, he pulled the shirt down, allowing his head to go through. Having gotten the shirt and pants on, Alex sat down on the bench, slowly pulling the socks and shoes on that were left for him. Thankfully, the shoes didn't have laces, so he didn't have to fiddle with that. Pulling himself back up, he walked outside the stall, seeing Lisa leaning in the doorway.

"Good, you're finished. Think you can walk?" Getting a strong nod for an answer, she nodded I return, motioning for him to follow her. "Now you can get a decent meal and a few minutes to rest until your mother comes."

Good… That shower wore me out. I'll get to eat, rest, and eventually go home tomorrow. Didn't think going home would feel so good… Lost in thought, he didn't hear her next question.

"What do you think you can eat?" He had to really think about this. Having eaten hospital food for awhile, it had been awhile since he had eaten a decent, 'normal' meal. Feeling a little concerned about overdoing it, he came to a decision.

"Ham sandwich."

"Alright. Keeping it light, I see? Good idea. Best not to attempt anything extreme or anything. Are you in any pain? Do you have any questions or concerns?"

"Dark spots." He had to let them know about the places on his skin. If he didn't, they may not let him go, so he said it. Lisa looked at him for a second, trying to figure that out.

"Dark spots?" She watched him move his arm, and when he pulled the sleeve back on the shirt, she saw dark patches near his shoulder. "Oh my… I'll call Dr. Kaufmann. I'm sure it's nothing severe, but I'll have him make sure." They had reached his room, and she left him standing in the doorway. Alex looked around, seeing the room he had spent so much time in over the past year or so, and decided to wait on the bench outside. Don't want to stay in there all the time… Hearing Lisa calling Dr. Kaufmann at the nurse's station, he leaned back against the wall. The hospital was much nicer than in his dream. The walls weren't covered in dust, the lights worked, and there wasn't junk, gurneys, and blood all over the floor. It was a regular, normal, hospital. Hearing a door open not too far away, he turned, seeing the doctor walk out of his office. Kaufmann nodded to a passing nurse, and headed Alex' way. "I have the results of the scan. From what I can tell, there is no damage, lasting anyway, but Lisa said there was something you were unsure about."

Alex nodded, slowly rising, and pulling the sleeve back again, revealing the dark skin. He saw the look on the man's face change from curious to concern. Is it something bad? Doesn't hurt unless I really stretch the skin… From his look, it is bad…

"Is that the only place where your skin looks like that?" His tone was not angry, cold, or anything. It was as though he was absorbed in his thoughts. "Or is it all over?" Seeing Alex nod toward the latter, he sighed. "Looks like it is due to the unsafe levels and frequency of the electroshock therapy…. Are you in any pain?"

"No."

"Alright. The places should disappear within about a week or so. Just from where the current must have spread through your body, it has left some burned skin. If you're not in pain, then it must have already passed, and while you were on the medication too. That means you wouldn't feel any pain."

"And he'd be less likely to report it." Lisa said this, coming back upstairs from the lower level.

"True. Oh, and I thought I'd let you know that the man who did all this to you has been terminated and is under investigation by the authorities." Alex relaxed noticeably at this news, and he looked at the clock hanging on the wall. 12:59… Seeing his point of interest, Lisa placed a sandwich, chips, and tea onto the table I his room. "I'd bet you're starving."

A slight smile graced Alex' lips, hearing this; it was true, but it was still good to know that he could finally eat something remotely solid. His other doctor practically had him drinking his food, which would make him sick, most days. He sat down on the bed, getting the plate off the tray, and slowly but surely, went to war. The feel of solid food was something he thought he'd never have again, and it was filling, more so than the crap he'd been force-fed before. Going from sandwich to chips and back, there was a semblance e of freedom. Finally, I can eat what I please… just one more step closer to release…

A/N 2: Didn't think I'd go far with this, but it will be longer than expected. Let me kow how it's going. Thanks for all the reviews so far!