"Violent tendencies, unprovoked aggression, disrespect for authority, antisocial tendencies, unusual self-centeredness and narcissism. All signs point to a personality disorder, sir," Dell informed his superior. He watched the morbidly obese and decidedly unpleasant man shift in his chair and pinch the bridge of his nose in thought.

Mr. Harris grunted. "All are common aspects of human behavior. You need to be a bit more specific, Honne."

Dell cast his boss a baleful glare. "Are you saying I don't know how to do my job, sir?"

Harris huffed. Dell sensed the bull was about to charge.

"I'm saying that the girl might be ill, she might not. Were it not for her parents checking her into the hospital to check for emotional damage, she might not have even shown symptoms," Harris said.

Like hell she wouldn't. The girl was a freaking attack dog.

"So, in summary, she started going crazy when she was admitted into the hospital, not before."

"Don't twist my words. It's happened before, as a mental hospital is not exactly the most peaceful environment. Furthermore, you're not providing much help when it comes to assisting Miss Hatsune in her fragile state, which is part of your job description." Harris cast him a greasy smirk.

Dell blanched. Did Superior know about Hatsune's unwarranted hatred of her dear therapist?

"She's going to get out of here whether she likes it or not, and preferably as quick as possible. I don't need more attacks on my staff,

even though she only seems to be violent towards you. I wonder why?" Harris mused.

"She'll escape this nut house. I swear it." Dell hissed through gritted teeth.

"Good. You're dismissed."

As Dell stood to leave, Superior tossed one last parting remark at him.

"The girl will ruin our reputation. If steps are not taken to correct her behavior, be it a mental condition or not, steps will have to be taken. If you fail, your angry little ship will burn. Is that clear?"

...

"Crystal."

Dell slammed the rickety door behind him.

Miku was escorted to the barren room with the cool floor and especially uncomfortable plastic chairs for her third day of therapy at eleven o' clock, sharp. Therapy was the only definitive time of the day, Miku learned. Lunch times were always shifting, shower times were a bit blurred. But all of her fellow inmates, er, patients, knew what time their therapy session was for the day.

Miku spent approximately one hour amongst her fellow crazies before she decided they were worthless company. The ones who were 'stable' and 'docile' enough to socialize with the others usually were too drugged up to form coherent sentences. They mostly just wandered the halls in a daze, aimlessly migrating to the cafeteria when mealtimes came.

So when Miku chose to eat her first meal in the drab lunchroom, something told her it would be her last.

Maybe it was the drab gray walls or the filthy floor tiles. Maybe it was the bland food, or the shells of people drifting about the cafeteria without really settling anywhere.

Or maybe it was the weird girl who had chosen to sit with her.

The girl slapped her tray on the table with a clatter and angrily stuffed a French fry in her mouth. She was short and stick-like, with pasty skin and a mass of long thick golden hair pulled into a ponytail. Said ponytail was on the side of her head, like whoever had styled the ponytail had been too lazy to properly center it.

"Hey, I'm sitting with you today," the girl murmured as she glared across the cafeteria. Miku 's outrage flared. Who did this chick think she was, plopping down her tray and taking a seat in Miku's territory like she was so important?

"You could at least tell me your name, new friend," Miku spat. A normal person would have scooted away from Miku when they heard the venom in her voice. This girl had no such luck.

"Neru. Neru Akita."

Neru proceeded to ignore Miku for the next fifteen minutes until the teal-headed freak decided she'd had enough of group dining. As she stood up to throw her half-eaten food with the rest of the garbage, Neru lashed out and grabbed Miku's arm, causing her to jump.

"What?" she hissed.

"Please, don't leave," Neru implored, staring at Miku with weird yellow cat-eyes.

"Why? We don't even talk; we just ignore each other. You don't need me. "

"The monitors will only let me eat group lunch if it looks like I'm making an attempt at friendship with my fellow miserable cretins."

Miku sighed in a resigned fashion and sat back down. "Okay, so, why eat group lunch if you don't have any friends?"

"No one has friends in this place, dear. But they are fascinating to watch, aren't they? Like observing animals on Safari. The hopeless psych-ward-dweller in its natural habitat." A bit of awe crept into Neru's voice.

"Who's fascinating?"

"The other patients, duh."

"You do realize you count in the 'they', right? And so do I."

Neru let out a giggle that came out as more of a cackle. "No you're not. You see, my fine circus-hued friend, there are the real mental patients, aka the mindless lumps that go through the motions in this place, and then there are the people like you and I, who have emotions and a drive to live somewhere other than this box! But, before I make my escape, I like to watch the other pitiful souls without hope. It spurs me on to do something with my life once I get out of here, and it's fun to watch them run into walls."

"What distinguishes me from the mindless lumps?" Miku wondered.

"Well, for one, you made a stab at conversation, meaning that you speak and emote like a normal human being. Number two, everyone who can think knows about your little spat with the good Doctor Honne." Neru's girlish grin took on a sardonic edge.

Internal groan. Did all of the crazies really know about that?

"My point is, if you fight with a doctor or other official, it shows you've got that spark. You're not lying down and accepting your insanity yet. After all, you can't continue to fight after you have already surrendered, no?"

Miku had to admit, Neru had a point.

"So what are you asking me to do?" she asked cautiously.

"I need a friend to get my supervisors off my back, and from the looks of it, you could use an ally as well, Miss Lonesome Dove."

"I prefer the term aloof," Miku sniffed.

"Yeah, well, I don't. Catch you later, Ice Princess?" Neru said with a wink.

And just like that, she zipped off to dump her tray.

Miku needed a nap and an aspirin.