5.
~ "I'm glad you can see her on a good day, Cobb." Arthur whispered as he and the Extractor were standing outside on the balcony. They could see Eames and Ariadne looking through her water colors in the living room.
The former Architect had been looking very pale and thin the past few days. Her once brilliant eyes had lost some of their sparkle and were marred by dark circles. Even her hair was now lanky and lifeless.
"She's been having the nightmares every night. Always the same. Always running through a forest at night, hands grabbing her." Arthur said.
His own appearance, had suffered just as greatly as hers. His face was unshaven and his eyes were rimed with dark circles that matched Ariadne's. His once immaculate clothing was wrinkled and worn from the Point Man snatching sleep however and whenever her could.
"Arthur, you look terrible, when was the last time you slept?" Cobb asked.
"Been a while since I've been able to sleep all night. Erma helps, but Ariadne sleeps only a few hours and then wakes up screaming." Arthur explained.
"You think Erma might be right?" Cobb asked uncomfortably. "About Ariadne dieing?"
"Look at her, Cobb." Arthur said casting his weary eyes on the once bright and vivacious young woman.
These days, she never seemed to be able to eat. Her mind seemed revolted by the very notion of food. Erma begged, bribed and even threatened to get her to eat more then a few bites, but all to no avail. The former Architect could not even be roused to paint her water colors of a dark forest or a red boat.
Instead, she spent her time sleeping, only for a few hours, always waking up screaming.
"We can't get her to eat. Erma suggested a feeding tube." Arthur said gravely.
"Arthur, maybe the time has come to put her in a facility. You did your best. You've been devoting yourself full time to her total care. She's not getting better." Cobb said as gently as he could.
"Cobb, a home can't help her. She's slipping away in her mind. I can tell. She won't even talk anymore." Arthur said. Trying to quell the rising sense of panic he was feeling. "Her mind is going, that's whats killing her."
"I know what you want to do, Arthur." Cobb said as the Extractor glanced over at Eames.
The Forger looked sad as he tried to get Ariadne to talk to him. All his efforts seemingly futile.
"It can't be done. It shouldn't be done." Cobb said sadly.
"We once said the same thing about Inception." Arthur reminded him. "It's the only way. We can go into her mind, bring her back. The trees, the row boat, they have to mean something, Cobb. She could be using them to describe Limbo. The longer we leave her like this, the less chance we have of getting her back."
"Arthur, she may already be lost." Cobb said. "It's too dangerous."
"I'm not asking you an Eames to go in. I just need the PASIV and the compound we used before." Arthur said not taking his eyes of Ariadne. He took in her sickly complexion, her dead eyes as she stared at the wall.
"What if you get lost down there with her?" Cobb asked. "We can't risk losing both of you."
"If Mal was lost in Limbo, would you try anything to get her back?" Arthur asked.
"I did get her back, we saw how well that turned out." Cobb said harshly. "Arthur, she can't come back."
"We have to try, Cobb. We don't have much time." Arthur said focusing on Ariadne.
~ Erma was given the night off. The older lady looking suspicious of the three men around the helpless and confused young woman.
"Ariadne." Arthur said handing her a glass of milk as she pulled the covers over her. "I want you to drink this, it will help you to sleep.
She was shaking her head and looking frightened of drinking anything.
"Yes, we need to drink this." He said smoothing back her tired, limp hair. "Then, we can dream together again." He promised. His voice was gentle yet tired.
It took a great deal of coaxing to get her to finish the glass of milk he had laced with the sleeping additive. She was quickly sedated as Cobb hooked them both up to the PASIV.
"Your crazy you know. What do you want me to do if you get lost in there?" Cobb asked.
"I've left instructions with my lawyers." Arthur said as he mentally prepared to fall into Ariadne's dream. "They will take care of everything."
"Alright." Cobb said respecting the Point Man's decision. "Good luck, Arthur."