Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me. Nor does 50/50.

"Adam, Adam." He froze. Arthur's voice was ringing in the air, a taunting sound that caused him to shiver. "Adam, why are you running away from me? We were only getting started."

Adam swallowed. "I don't have to listen to this."

"Listen to what? Listen to the truth? The truth that Ariadne will never care for you as she cares for me?"

Adam began to run, heading down the corridors of his bland, uniform workplace. He sought refuge, and blinking, headed into a kitchenette. Swallowing, he leaned against the wall, fearful of the rising bile in his throat. Feeling a wave of nausea grip him, he leaned over, and vomited in the sink.

"See?" Arthur appeared, smirking. "You can't even stand up on your own! Poor Adam," he said, his voice tinged with spite. "Here, let me get you some water, some tissues. This is what you need, a nursemaid, not a girlfriend."

Adam choked, rubbed his mouth with the back of his hand, and looked at him. "And what makes you think Ariadne wants some posing macho man for a boyfriend?"

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "You're delusional. I'm healthy. You're not."

Arthur blinked, and found himself spinning. Catching the side of the desk, he began to stand up. It was a modern office, he realised. Most likely Adam's. Swallowing, he began to walk, hoping to find Adam.

As he moved down through the cubicles, he heard a voice.

Shocked, his eyes began to widen, and he began to move more quietly. Taking a turn, he walked down a corridor, and approached a kitchenette.

Swallowing, he listened.

"I can recover," Adam countered. "I have cancer, I have a 50/50 chance of recovery-"

"Yeah, if you were a casino game, you'd have the best odds," Arthur said, cruelly parroting Kyle. He smiled. "Its still only a chance. But, you've let your friend, and your therapist, and your mother smother you from seeing the truth. You're not going to survive. You're going to die, and then-"

Suddenly, a shot rang out, causing the projection to gasp with shock. Before Adam's astonished eyes, he began to collapse to his knees, then falling onto the floor. Adam blinked, suddenly noticing the bullet wound in the middle of the projection's back, and Arthur standing behind him, holding a gun.

"Are you-" Adam shook his head, feeling confused, and frightened. "No, don't tell me," he muttered, and began to move to push past him. Arthur reached out, and steadfastly grasped his arm.

"Adam." Arthur's voice was gentle. "Adam. Its Arthur. The real one," he added.

Adam narrowed his eyes. "How do I know its you?"

"Because, I think you should come back with me. Come back to reality, and see Ariadne." Arthur's tone was insistent, and to support his words, laid a steadying, comforting hand on Adam's arm. "You can survive this."

Adam's lip curled. "No-one has the guts to really say it. Except you. Except..." his eyes swept over the other man - "it wasn't you."

"Say what?" Arthur frowned as he carefully placed his gun back into its holster.

"The truth. That I'm dying. Which is fine, because you're going to die." He faced the Point Man, his eyes narrowing. "Its just...you're going to die a long time after I am."

"You believe that?" Arthur faced him. "You really going to give up? When I saw you and Ariadne together, it was a shock. But then...maybe you can give her what I can't."

"Which is what?" Adam whispered.

"A normal life. A life with someone who isn't a major criminal to a lot of people." Arthur looked at his feet. "Do you remember when I gave you a lift, outside of the hospital? And we talked - properly? I pointed out to you that I couldn't give Ariadne a stable life. And that you'd achieved in two months, what had taken me a year. Her going on a date with you." He shook his head. "If its a contest, I lost."

Adam rubbed his face. "But, that-" his voice faltered, looking at the projection on the floor. Arthur frowned.

"Just a projection. Your thoughts, coming out of how you see me. That's all. But we've talked, and you know that you can get through this."

Adam smiled faintly. "You sound like my therapist."

"Well, you've got two choices. You either come back, or you stay here."

Adam swallowed. "I need to come back. I need to talk to her."

Arthur nodded. "Good. Come with me."

Eames swallowed, and leaned over Adam. Adam's mother was sitting slightly frozen on a chair.

"Hope this works," the Forger muttered. Leaning over, he plugged the IV back in.

Ariadne held her breath. Holding Arthur's head in her lap, she felt as though she were playing the role of the devoted girlfriend. Suddenly, his eyes began to blink, and he started to sit up. He coughed. "Oh, boy." He looked round. "Where's-"

A slight scuffling noise was heard, and Adam stepped out of the bushes. His hair was mussed, but he smiled as he saw Ariadne. "I'm-" he stopped, and she shyly offered her hand.

"I know," she whispered.

Adam turned to Arthur. "Thank yo-" he began, but suddenly his face contorted in pain. Arthur reached forward. "Hey, what is it?"

"Its my-" he choked. A wave of pain was gripping him, and he could barely stand.

Arthur rushed to support him. "Hang on," he said gently. "We're about to time out."

"Adam?"

Adam's eyes flickered open, and he found himself looking into the grey eyes of Eames. "I-" he choked. The pain he'd experienced in the dream was not lessening. Eames' face creased in concern.

"What is it?" He asked. Adam's mother, her face tightening, got up.

"Oh, God. I'm calling an ambulance."

"Mom, I-"

Before he could speak again, he passed out.

All readers appreciated, and I'd love some reviews, thank you!