Sinister Haven

Chapter Two

In his internal raging, John had somehow succeeded in ripping through his straight jacket, before lunging over the table, gripping The Doctor's neck in his hands tightly- color flushed into his ghostly face. John's eyes were wide with craze, the blood he had once held in his mouth and refused to swallow, spilled out onto The Doctor's face, where it trailed into his hair and tinted it cherry. "I'm tiring of listening to your shit… Scratch!"

Quickly, several guards snatched John off Doctor Scratch, dragging him across the room, opening a door he was sure he had not seen earlier, and throwing him in it before quickly shutting it and locking it. John, with his adrenaline still pumping at full strength, beat the door till his knuckles became bloody and there was only a small, but visible, dent in the metal door.

Slowly, he sank down to the floor, the blood on his hands smearing on the white panting metal door, his hand remaining clenched. When he heard faint whispers not too far away, he turned his head ever so slightly to look over his shoulder; his breath caught in his chest when he saw his friends sitting at a white table, in white chairs, trying to not look at his shaking form, but considering whether or not to address him, fearing his anger.

"John…?"

His sister's voice was soft and gentle over the scratching of the chair across the floor as she got up from it, her bare feet slapping lightly against the marble, white floor when she walked towards him; hesitantly, she bent down next to him and laid a hand ever so slightly on his shoulder, her fingers spreading and messaging the muscles there, smiling when she felt him relax under her touch. "It's going to be fine… Don't… don't listen to him, alright? He doesn't know how we feel…"

Slowly, carefully, John stood, his older sister helping him to the walk to the table, setting him down in the chair that had been empty, beside her own chair, where she sat next to him after he was safely in the chair. Jade took one of John's hands in hers, examining it precisely, biting her lip gently before she ripped off a piece of her white skirt, wrapping it around his knuckles, then she took his other hand and did the same; she smiled her goofy smile at him, her round glasses reflecting his distraught image.

Reluctantly, John looked away from his goofy beautiful sister and towards Rose and Dave, who watched the scene with poker faces, except Dave, whose mouth was twitching upward at, possibly, his own thoughts- whatever they might be. He knew it wasn't from Jade's antics- that just wasn't Dave… It never had been and it never would. Trapped in a room like the others, he'd taken the worse… He let himself be driven mad.

Rose spoke first, "How are you feeling, John? Has our time apart been treating you well?"

"What, exactly, do mean by me doing well?"

"I mean… your mental stability, I suppose…"

John thought a moment. "Well, I guess… Beside the dreams, anyhow…"

Rose tilted her head, her eyes half-lidded, and her black lips parted as she concentrated. "You still have no memories of them?"

"Not one,"

Rose rubbed her chin. "Interesting…"

John clenched his hand, flexing the tense muscles. "More like frustrating, really…"

The blonde nodded slowly, watching the movements he did with his hand carefully. "No doubt," she agreed quietly.

John suddenly sat upright, looking over his friends and forcing a smile on his lips for their sake. "Enough about me, though… How have you all been doing?"

When nobody said anything, Jade decided to speak if no one else would, "I've been doing well. I finally convinced the board of directors to let me have a small garden in my room… consisting of only one plant… Ha ha…"

John smiled lightly and nodded. "That's great… I'm sure you're relieved…?"

"Undoubtedly," She smiled her wide, goofy smile at him, Jade's eyes shining.

John for only a second, looked in Dave's direction before his eyes quickly averted and went towards Rose, who smiled a ghost of a smile. "What about you, Rose…?"

"I've been… well, John." She said softly, averting her eyes from his for a second, towards Dave, before looking back at John again. "Nothing much has happened on my part, though…"

Slowly, he nodded in understanding. Something, knowing Rose, did happen, but she just did not feel comfortable talking about it. Again, he looked towards Dave, who now looked down at the white table and smiled insanely. John feared this Dave and refused to address him unless Dave spoke to him first.

The sound of clicking made all of them tense and glance at each other. John let out a long breath and turned toward his sister, pulling her into an embrace, then reaching across the table and doing the same for Rose; he looked over at Dave hesitantly, smiling goofily when Dave held up his fist, smiling a ridiculous smile. John swiftly bumped fists with him and they all joined in quiet laughter.

Several men stood at the door for a second and examined them carefully, before three walked toward John, apprehending him first and taking him to his room, where they strapped him to his bed. The others were given the same treatment.