Disclaimer: I have no power over the events of the movie Labyrinth. I do, however, have power over the characters I made up and the storyline of this fanfic. Yay.
A/N: I had some trouble uploading, it wouldn't let me until today, so, sorry it's late!!
By the end of the first week, Sarah had the hospital's routine committed to memory.
Sometime around 8 am (an estimate, on her part, because there was no clock in her room) the lights in her room came on automatically and a gravelly voice informed her that her breakfast was on its way, via intercom.
Shortly after that, a smiling nurse in salmon-colored scrubs brought her a plastic tray holding a carton of milk and some disgusting goop that they tried to pass off as food. Sarah picked at it for a while before the nurse returned and bore the barely-touched plate away.
About an hour later, the voice returned to tell her that it was time for her to shower. A large, burly orderly led her down the dim hallway to the showers. He set a timer for eight minutes and warned her that if she didn't come out within ten minutes, he would have to come in and check on her. He put the timer on the sink and left her to rush through a lukewarm shower with generic shampoo and a paper-thin piece of soap.
Back in her white room, Sarah sat alone in silence until somewhere around noon (where were the clocks in this place?) when she was taken to a small cafeteria for a meal that rivaled her first in repulsiveness. Although she sat alone, Sarah was thankful for the time around the other patients. Most of the people in the lunchroom were there visiting family or suffering from something less serious, like generalized anxiety disorder or bipolar, so they avoided her. She heard whispers that she was a paranoid schizophrenic--and the only one allowed to eat in the public lunchroom. But she ignored their stares and pretended she was at school. She had never talked to people at school either. Nonetheless, even involuntary company made her feel more human.
Lunch was the last time she was let out of her room, excepting for bathroom breaks, for the rest of the day. An appropriate number of hours later, dinner was brought to her--still unappetizing, but by a different, less cheery nurse. Sarah would move the food around on her plate, but only eat a few bites before giving up on the meal.
Finally, somewhere around 11pm, her lights unceremoniously flipped off, leaving Sarah in darkness, except for the small square of silver moonlight shining on her floor through the window.
This was the worst part of her day. Alone in the shadowy room, Sarah wished for sleep. But sleep wouldn't come. Despite the ever-growing purple bruise like circles under her eyes, Sarah was afraid to sleep. If she slept, she would dream and if she dreamt, he would almost certainly be there. It was a frightening idea, that he could invade her subconscious. Sarah had been down that road before and she didn't like it.
So she spent her nights perched on the edge of her bed, staring out the window or counting the ceiling tiles. It was more like she couldn't sleep, rather than she opted not to. The blinking red light up by the ceiling, in the corner reminded her that she was being watched, but Sarah hardly cared. They already thought she was crazy, what did it matter if she added insomnia to the bill?
Sarah never felt more alone that during those hours. She desperately missed the late-night conversations she had had with Hoggle--talks she had taken for granted. Apparently she had learned nothing from the Labyrinth! Nonetheless, sometimes, she still tried to call him. He never came; he couldn't hear her without a mirror.
After four days of this routine and four sleepless nights, Sarah was sure she was loosing her mind. How could someone be expected to live like this and keep their sanity?
However, after her rushed shower, instead of being carted off directly back to her room, Sarah was informed that she had visitors. The visitors turned out to be her father and Toby (though Karen had suddenly become rather busy with work.) who were planning to spend the entire day with her. Never before had Sarah been so happy to see them and she took Toby from her father's arms and hugged him fiercely as soon as she got the chance.
"Oh, it's so good to see you!" she exclaimed.
"My Sawa!" announced Toby, snuggling close to his big sister. Sarah and her father both laughed, a sound that Sarah hadn't heard in what seemed like ages. They fell silent and Sarah decided to present her case immediately.
"Dad, can you take me home now?" she asked quietly.
Robert didn't answer, but the look in his eyes told her that the doctors had filled him in on her late-night vigils and that there was no way she could convince him to get her away from this hell-hole.
"Never mind." she said quickly. "Let's just enjoy the day." If she was going to have to stay here longer, she didn't want their visit cut short because everyone felt awkward.
They spent the entire day together, eating lunch and dinner out in the courtyard. Sarah was beginning to feel somewhat sane again and was afraid she would loose that when they left. But eventually, they had to.
"I love you, honey." her dad told her, giving her a swift kiss on the forehead. "I promise, we will come back next weekend." He hesitated. "Be good, Sarah."
"I will." she answered a little half-heartedly. " See you next week." She turned and started back into the building, but her father stopped her.
"Oh, wait! I brought you something." He produced her sketchbook, along with some pencils and a plastic sharpener. "For when you can't sleep." he explained.
"Thanks, Dad." Sarah took it, pleased. She didn't have the heart to tell him that there were no controllable lights in her room. Besides, she wanted it. She flipped through a few pages, landing on a rather good drawing she had done recently. It was a white barn owl-- him. Sarah stared at it as if in a trance for long moment in silence.
"Jare." Sarah's head jerked up. Toby was pointing at her sketch, his pride obvious. "Jare." he repeated with certainty, waiting for Sarah's approval.
"What is he talking about, Sarah?" asked her father asked. Sarah swallowed, her throat suddenly feeling very dry.
"I have no idea." she lied. Robert looked at her pale face and alarmed eyes, unconvinced, but he didn't press the issue.
"Well, we have to get going." he said seriously. "Take care, Sarah." She nodded, trying to rearrange her expression to wipe the worry from his eyes.
"Bye bye, Sawa." Toby waved his small hand and beamed at her. She returned the gesture and watched them walk to the parking lot before a nurse came and led her back to her room.
Sarah tossed the sketchbook onto the bed and started pacing the room. How had Toby known? Had the Goblin King come back? Was he trying to take Toby again? How could he? She had defeated him, damn it! He wasn't supposed to have any power over her, or her brother.
The lights shut off and Sarah stopped pacing and flung herself onto the bed. She opened the sketchbook to the picture of the owl and stared at it for a long time. If he hurt Toby in anyway, one way or another, she would kill him!
A/N: I realize the ending seemed a bit abrupt and I apologize. This chapter kind of flows into the next one, which, by the way, will be a Jareth chapter, so that is why the ending is so sudden. Please review and I'll see ya soon!