Author's Note...

For once, there's nothing important to put here.

Kaitlyn examined the rest of the room, looking for cameras in the other corners. Seeing none, she told the therapist, "You do realize that I'm not going to talk to you about anything, right?"

Elise smiled serenely. "I understand. You don't trust me quite yet. Don't worry, you will in time."

"Yeah, well that's not really it," Kaitlyn said, shaking her head from side to side. "Actually, it's more of that camera in the corner. See, someone's watching me, and until the camera comes down, I'm not gonna say anything.'"

"Why not?"

"Because he'll kill us."

"Who?" Elise asked as she continued to write notes.

Kaitlyn hugged her knees to her chest and whispered, "Him."

"Him? Could you be a bit more specific?"

Her eyes darted from the camera to the shrink a few times. "No."

"Why would he want to kill us?"

"Because…" Kaitlyn sensed something cracking inside of her as she shrieked, "You're asking too many questions!"

"Relax, Kaitlyn. Take a deep breath. No one is going to hurt you," Elise assured.

"You don't know that."

"Neither do you."

"No, you don't understand! He killed Hailey!" Kaitlyn cried. She glared at the camera. "I wonder why he hasn't murdered me yet."

"It's because no one wants to. Kaitlyn, I'm sure you're mistaken. Now, let's talk this out. I want to help you get better." Elise wrote more on her notepad.

"I want to get better, too, but I'm not talking about anything," the girl said through clenched teeth.

"You won't make any progress that way."

"Just let me go home, and I'll be fine. I'll find some therapist who doesn't have a bugged office and talk to them. Just don't make me talk in front of the camera," Kaitlyn begged.

"It's not in my power to decide if you are released or not."

"But can't you do something? Anything?" Kaitlyn asked desperately. "Like, tell your boss that I don't need to be in here anymore? I promise not to hurt me or anyone else. I'll do anything if you'll just get me out of here!"

"I'm sorry, but we can't do anything just yet."

"Well, then I guess we're both stuck." Kaitlyn crossed her arms.

"A stalemate?" Elise offered.

"Yeah, whatever that is."

"Do you want to say anything else?"

Kaitlyn glared at her for a second. "No."

"Then I'll call Shelly back. We're done for today."

"Thank goodness," was the muttered response.

After a minute, the caretaker arrived, but instead of taking her back to her room, Shelly showed Kaitlyn to the commons. The moment Kaitlyn stepped into the large room, one person sitting at the tables stood out to her. She squealed as a huge grin broke out across her face. "Ahh! T!"

Her friend, her first wanted visitor, was here. Kaitlyn suddenly felt much saner seeing Tatiana, who was wearing real clothes and acting as if the world hadn't been turned on its side. She jumped up and hugged Kaitlyn. "Katie! Girl, how are yo?"

"A lot better now that you're here! Dude, I've been cut off from society for too long; tell me what's been goin' on since I fell off the face of the earth."

"Oh, da normal. Hasn't been a real exciting week." The two sat down at an empty table.

"T, look around. Is this normal to you? I am dying for some normal right now."

Tatiana thought for a moment. "There ain't much gossip, but Dawn broke up wit Brett yesterday. Brooke claims he's gonna ask her out Monday."

"You'd think she wouldn't want to be his rebound." Kaitlyn rolled her eyes. "I never thought I'd say this again, but I miss Brooke. It's amazing what a week in this place will do to you."

"Wish I could say dat she misses yo too, but she seems a lot happier dat yo gone. She even started a rumor dat you'd been killed. But dat's just one of them, and no one really believes it, anyhow."

Kaitlyn flinched. "Ouch. I guess I deserve that one. What are the other stories going around?"

"Well, I've heard two different dyin' stories: a car crash and an accident with a wood chipper. Then der's da one dat yo moved ta Connecticut and da one where yo were abducted. Some say yo dropped out. Der was even one dat yo were in da hospital wit polio." She rolled her eyes. "Ya know, crazy stuff like dat."

"Polio?" Kaitlyn giggled. "Is that even a real disease? Seriously, where do people come up with this crap?"

Tatiana studied her face for a second, trying to discern if she was joking. "Wait, yo serious? Dude, of course it's a disease!"

Kaitlyn shrugged. "Whatever. I never paid attention in health class anyhow. Tell me something funny from this week."

Tatiana stared into space as she thought of a story. "Here's one, but it's more weird than funny. I went shoppin' wit my mom at Discount Fashion or whatever and went lookin' in da Petites section 'cause dey didn't have Juniors. I walked through all da aisles and finally found a shirt dat I liked in Small, even though I usually wear Medium. I tried it on, an' it looked awesome--purple, kinda loose and flowy. I bought it an' went home. I pulled it out of da shoppin' bag an' looked at da tags, an' it said, 'Maternity--Small.' I jes about died laughin' 'cause it looked like it had fit me, but apparently, I had walked into da maternity section. I told Mom, an' then she laughed a lot, too. I almost wore it today, actually."

Kaitlyn sniggered. "You bought a pregnant shirt? How did you not notice when you were trying it on?"

"Like I said, dat was da style; it was s'posed ta be loose. If it's really dat horrible dat I own it, how 'bout you take it? Purple's yo favorite color, anyhow, an' da reason I tried it on was 'cause it reminded me of yo," she said before joking, "Besides, it's maternity."

Her friend didn't find it funny. "Dude, please don't start on that. It's not cool."

"Hey, sorry. I was hoping that wasn't such a touchy subject anymore."

"I'm pretty sure it always will be. Look around, T. Does Belle Reve seem like a place that's been helping me? It's just a bunch of psychos running around, and I can't talk to the therapists."

"Yuck. When yo gettin' outta here, anyhow?"

Kaitlyn frowned at the table. "I don't know."

"Dude, you need to get back ta Smallville soon. School is so boring witout yo."

"If you come up with an idea to break me out, go for it."

"I'll try. An' I forgot; Chlo' says hey."

Kaitlyn was surprised. "You talked to Chloe? I thought your cliques didn't mix."

"Well, you broke da rule first, an' I decided dat if you talked ta her, den she probably wasn't dat bad. Turns out she's been real nice and says sorry dat she couldn't make it here, but she had some stuff ta do."

"Oh, it's okay. Are you guys talking a lot?"

"Yeah, actually."

"When did that start?"

Tatiana avoided eye contact. "Well, it kinda started when she asked me where yo were."

Kaitlyn sat up a bit straighter. "And what did you tell her?" Did Chloe know that she had been locked away and labeled as crazy?

Tatiana shrugged. "Da truth. I said yo were here."

"Great, now I'll be on the front page of the next issue of the Torch," Kaitlyn groaned.

"Relax, Kate, she's not tellin' anyone. Well, 'cept—" Tatiana caught herself from saying something.

"Except? Except what? I don't like the sound of that." She didn't want anyone knowing that she was a patient at a mental institution. "If word gets around that I was in here, no one at school will talk to me.

"Relax, she didn't tell anyone at school. And we only did it 'cause it was absolutely necessary."

"What was so important?"

"You were gonna die, Kate. Scientists were gonna shoot yo up wit 'nough lead ta kill yo."

"That never happened. Though I was going to Summerholt to be cured."

"Kate, da drug they were gonna use wasn't gonna cure yo. Did yo end up goin' there?"

"Yeah, but they said the drug wasn't ready yet."

"Good. That means Lex did his job." Tatiana relaxed in her chair.

"LEX?" Kaitlyn shot out of her chair. "As in Lex Luthor? You guys told him?" How could they? She had put up with enough of that man and his mocking half-smile yesterday. There was no way he had saved her.

"He was da only one who could stop them!"

"And you couldn't have just asked my parents to work this out?"

"Believe me; we tried dat first. Yo mom couldn't stop it, but we weren't just gonna sit back and let yo die."

"You really expect me to believe that a Luthor saved my life? Not a chance!"

"Yo can believe whatever yo want, Kate, but dat don't change da truth. Look around; you're in a sanitarium. Maybe sometimes, what you think ain't real."

"He's still a Luthor." It wasn't possible for that antagonistic cue ball to help her. Or was what he had said yesterday true? Maybe he was different from his father, and he really wanted to help her. Yeah, right.

"People can surprise yo," Tatiana said.

"But..." Kaitlyn had no idea what to say. "Oh, whatever! You still shouldn't have told him."

"An let yo die? I don't think so. Kate, there are too many people dat would miss you. I bet even Amy would feel bad."

"Don't bring my evil cousin into this!"

"Okay, okay, fine," Tatiana surrendered. She sat in awkward silence while Kaitlyn paced back and forth to cool off.

"So," Kaitlyn said, taking a few deep breaths before sitting down, "now what?"

"I dunno."

More silence. "How's Chloe?"

"Pretty good. Busy at da Torch, missin' yo, and drinkin' five coffees a day. An' by da way, is dat normal? I always thought dat you would explode after three cups."

Kaitlyn snickered. "Explode? Really? No, girl, five is definitely possible. Five Monsters, however, would be a different story."

"I think John tried dat once. He only got ta three before getting' sick."

"Wow, that's totally a John thing to do. I miss the idiots at our school," Kaitlyn said, laughing. "Actually, I miss school."

Tatiana rolled her eyes. "You're Kate. You shouldn't be saying dat."

"I'm sure you'd be saying the same thing if you had been stuck in here for a week."

"True," she admitted. "Most of da school seems ta be missin' you in a way. Most everyone got a story of where yo went."

"Yeah, I'm guessing Brooke's story is the one with the wood chipper?"

"How'd yo know?"

"It was the most gruesome." Kaitlyn felt a pang of guilt for what she had done to the Bells. I wish I could somehow repair our friendship. Maybe if I hadn't been such an idiot back then, she would be the one visiting me in here. Or maybe I wouldn't be in here at all. Stupid life with it's stupid consequences. "So she still pretty much hates me?" She already knew the answer.

Tatiana shrugged. "Yeah. Things like dat don't jes blow over, though."

"I know," Kaitlyn moaned, dropping her head to the table. After a moment, she looked back up and said, "I just want to get out of here."

"I agree with you. Whenever it is, it won't be soon enough."

"I could ask Eric… he said he has a group that's planning to escape."

"Eric Summer? He's in here?"

"Yup. I talked to him on my first day."

"Ew. Don't anymore; he's gross. I'll try an' convince yo parents to get yo out. But promise dat if they visit, you'll act normal?"

"What's your definition of normal?"

"Not freakin' out over everything. I guess jes be the Kate dat yo were last year."

"Easier said than done," Kaitlyn scoffed.

"Just try?" Tatiana begged. "They'll be more likely ta take yo home if yo seem stable." She jerked in surprise and pulled her phone out of her pocket. "I hate dis thing when it vibrates," she muttered, glancing at the screen.

"Who's the text from?" Kaitlyn asked.

"It's my alarm. I gotta leave now ta be home by six."

"You're kidding me, right? You just got here!"

"Sorry, but Steve jes might murder me if I'm not der on time."

"Steve sucks," Kailtyn muttered.

"Yo tellin' me?"

"I know, I know. I don't have to live with him. Promise you'll come see me again soon?"

"No, you're gonna come see me. I promise we'll get yo outta here somehow."

"It better not involve Lex."

"Only as a last resort." Tatiana noticed her friend's face darkening and quickly added, "Just kidding! Jeez, Kate, don't take everything so seriously. See yo later."

"Bye." As she watched Tatiana leave, Kaitlyn contemplated how to act normal. Wasn't she doing that already? The way she had been acting a year ago wasn't normal; it was immature. Then again, maybe that's what everyone wanted: to see the old Kate. Because that was the weird thing about people, they only remembered how great the past was, not the sucky moments.

Admittedly, the past was better, but Kaitlyn couldn't go back. Her old self was a selfish brat, and she didn't want to be that girl anymore. If her parents wanted selfish Katie, that's what they would see, but only if it would convince them she was sane again. Once Kaitlyn was out of this prison, though, she wouldn't go back to being that person. She would try to make things right.

If only I knew how.

I officially hate the Heroes writers. How could they do that to Nathan!?

Anyhow, how about a review? That'd be nice.