Dia and Sara looked at each other as Benjamin asked about getting her out, both of them had a small frown on their face but didn't speak up to start with, instead it was Ari who spoke.
"We can't." Ari said softly, "Sara has tried it with us before, even when she had more power around here. We were low on staff members so she was temporarily promoted."

"It wasn't fun." Sara said, "More stress. More anger from the other... patients."
"We'll just have to wait til she gets out." Ari mentioned, "But while we wait, we can all work together on getting out of here."

Benjamin nodded and started pacing around the small room. "Right. We can't do that from here. I..." He didn't want to stay there. "I want to walk around the building and see what options there are. Stretch my legs, clear my head, and just have a look around."
He looked around to see what the others thought about it.

Sara stayed silent at Benjamins' words, Dia only gave a nod at his words.
Ari was the only one to speak up when Benjamin spoke about stretching his legs, "Did you want company?" She asked after a moment, looking to Benjamin carefully.

Sara looked towards the doorway, almost expecting someone to walk through the door and tell them off; she hoped to see Marc again today. Her mind went back to him quietly, her heartbeat started to race and her cheeks reddened.

Benjamin turned to Ari as she asked if he wanted company. He hesitated as he pondered what he wanted. "It's fine," he said as he turned to the door and grabbed the handle. "I'll go by myself."
It wasn't that he didn't enjoy their company, but there were things he wanted to think about and conversation wouldn't help. He left the room, looked both sides, and went left to just go nowhere for a bit, although he couldn't get far in any direction.

Ari looked to Benjamin as he spoke about wanting some alone time, she hesitated as she wanted to argue but she gave a small nod and allowed him to leave without another word.
"Just be safe." Dia spoke softly before Benjamin left, before she looked over to both Sara and Ari.

Sara sighed, closing her eyes slightly. "I think... I need to go look like staff again." She said, bowing her head and disappearing out the room and down the hall, going in the opposite direction with her head down as she started to think to herself.

The shadows around Benjamin seemed to darken in intensity, the sound of static crackling in his ears slightly.
The demon summoned for Benjamin watched him carefully, readying themselves for properly gripping into Benjamin when his morale was the lowest.

Ray sat in the cell, feeling the darkness bubble and scratch at the sides of her head. She was pacing her cell now, leaving the guards alone as dark thoughts started to shroud her mind.
They don't care.
Why would they care?
You're nothing.
A freak.

Benjamin shook his head when the faint crackling sound hit his hear, but he didn't think anything of it. He was lost in thought as he wandered around the building, thinking about what he had seen and heard ever since he got here. Meeting Simon first, then Ray, then learning Simon had died. The lack of windows was getting on his nerves and he went to his room so he could at least glance through the small, barred window, but the room was too small for his liking and he left again.
He was trapped here and the only way out if when his hallucinations were under control. All he had to do was lie and say he hadn't seen anything; but would they believe it?
a girl accompanied by a nurse was pulling her hair and muttering something incomprehensible.

"Oh, Benjamin," the nurse said. "It's good that I see you. You are to report to the head nurse. All mobile patients that have medication that can be taken outside the meals are to take them in her office."
Benjamin didn't reply.
"Understood?"
"Understood," Benjamin sighed. They really wanted him to take those damn pills and they made it harder to fake taking them. He rubbed his face. He wanted to leave this damned place, he couldn't even speak with his family as calls were prohibited in the first months of treatment and for troublesome patients. He closed his eyes. He missed his friends and family, and while he had made some new friends, it couldn't compare to those he had known all his life.

Surely wouldn't you think people would miss you?
Surely you know they would live a happy life without you.
The voices echoed through Rays mind, the sound of her heartbeat slowly echoing through her ears.
Surely medication will bring you a breathe of fresh air.
That way, you can live normally without worrying anyone else.

Sara sighed as she walked towards the staff room, entering it quietly as she went over to make herself some coffee. She kept her eyes away from the other staff members. She wouldn't want anyone to try to strike up a conversation with her, she worried she might panic otherwise.

Vivian came to the padded room and examined Ray for while before turning to the guards next to the door. "Bring her downstairs," she told them. "For treatment. I will visit her later today."
The last patient she had ordered to go to the basement hadn't lasted very long and it looked like Ray was in the perfect position and physically strong enough to be her next victim. She smiled to herself as she stepped away so the guards could do as they were told.

Meanwhile, Benjamin sat next to the door that would lead to the enclosed garden, resting his head against the wall. He heard his name through the intercom that he was supposed to report to the head office, but he paid no attention to it. He couldn't care less about what they wanted, they didn't care about what he wanted either.

Ray didn't even flinch at the sight of Vivian, she just stared at her almost emptily.
As the guards would approach Ray, she wouldn't fight them at all. She just let them move her.

A small bell sound echoed around Benjamin for a moment, a small ghostly butterfly fluttered onto his hand gently. It flapped it's wings quietly as it walked along his hand and arm gently.

Two nurses came to take Ray away, and the guards would follow. Vivian watched them leave, her red lips pulled in a pleased smile. She'd visit Ray after she was settled in, there were a few things she'd have to do before that.
"This way," the nurse on her right said. "We're going to a good place. You'll get better soon now. It will all be better from here on." She continued with similar sentiments as they walked to an elevator. Once inside, she pushed on the lower button that would bring them to the basement and the lift doors slowly closed.

Benjamin watched the butterfly on his arm. It was obviously not a real butterfly, but he had never seen anything like it. Where had it come from? And why was it here? He was so obsessed with it that he didn't notice Marc observing him from a distance.

Ray followed without struggle or words, she stared almost blankly in front of her as she was led along into the elevator. She lifted her head after a moment as the doors closed, she was about to ask where they were going but the demon was draining her will to care.

The butterfly stood on Benjamins arm quietly for a bit longer, before it fluttered its' wings and headed into the air and fluttered around for a moment before disappearing into a small sparkle.

Sara paused as she saw the names of the nurses on today, her eyes widening at the sight of Marcs' name. He was in today? She hadn't seen him?
Oh god, did the other nurses know about the night before? Would he have told them? What would they think??

No-one spoke during the elevator ride down. Once it stopped the doors opened, and the nurse led Ray down a concrete corridor and through some doors. The room they entered was bright white; there was a hospital bed with straps and a medicine cart like the ones they used in the rest of the asylum "Here is a bed, you look tired," she spoke, as she nodded to the guards that they could leave.

Benjamin watched the butterfly disappear and when he heard a gentle cough behind him he slowly faced Marc.
"You need to report to the head nurse," Marc said.
"I'm not going." Benjamin stepped back from him. "You can't make me."
"I don't want to make you, but if you don't go..."
Benjamin turned around and walked away. This was bad, if she had sent nurses to get him. The last time he had taken something, he had been so dazed he had been useless. He didn't want that again.

Ray looked to the bed silently before giving a small nod, walking over to the bed as she moved to hop up slowly. "Can I have a glass of water?" She asked quietly, she felt a bubble of darkness around her as her shadow seemed to move.

Sara had put her mug into the sink as she left the staffroom, she needed to find Marc. She scoured the main rooms with narrowed eyes.
"What are you doing?" Another nurse asked with a raised eyebrow, causing Sara to flinch and turn around with a small smile.
"I saw Marcs' name on the roster, I was wondering here he was?" She said with a grin.
The other Nurse watched her carefully before narrowing his eyes. "He's looking for Benjamin, he's missing from the head nurses call."

Oh no. Sara thought to herself, before she smiled to the other nurse and headed off towards Benjamins' room in a brisk walk.

"Of course you can, honey!" the nurse said. "Down here you can get any food and drink you like, we even have alcohol if you like to have some."
She moved to fill a glass with water and hand it to Ray. "You will need to take your medicine, okay? It's for your own good, but usually the people that get moved down here are in the final steps of their treatment, so that's good news, right?"

---

As Benjamin walked away, Marc followed him.
"Go away!" Benjamin said over his shoulder.
"Come on, you're only making it worse for yourself."
Benjamin stopped and turned. "How can I possibly make it worse for myself? Simon took everything he was supposed to and ended up dead! This isn't a healing facility, it's a prison! Open your eyes!"
"Simon went home," Marc said as patiently as he could."
"That's what they wrote in his file, but it's not true." Benjamin stepped back when Marc approached again. "But what do I know? I'm the insane one, right? I don't know what's real or not, right?" He waved his finger at Marc. "If you just wanted to look, you'd see I'm telling the truth."
Marc took in a deep breath. "We can talk about this later. You can tell me everything you want to tell me, after we went to the head nurse."
Benjamin was about to say that wouldn't happen when two members of the security team grabbed him and pushed him on the floor. "Let me go!" he tried to break free, but couldn't shake them off. "Let me go!" He locked eyes with Marc. "Please... don't let them force their drugs on me."

One of the agents pulled out a syringe with the tranquillizer he had received before. "No one is forcing anything on you, but this will help you calm down," he said as he pushed the needle in his arm.
They pulled him back on his feet when that was done. "Please help..." Benjamin pleaded again with tears in his eyes. "I'm afraid."

As they took Benjamin to the head nurse where he was supposed to be, Marc remained in place, slowly releasing the breath he hadn't noticed he held.

Ray took the glass from the nurse quietly, she looked to it as she was told about taking her medication.
Did she want to take her medication? Final stages of treatment sounded good; surely this is what the others would want from her?
"I'll take my medication." Ray said quietly, "You promise it will make me feel better?"

---

Sara only managed to round the corner as she froze up in shock as she watched the other nurses drag a drugged Benjamin away, and Marc just... standing there.
No no no no no! She thought as she ran towards where Marc was, before Benjamin was dragged off around the corner.

"Benjamin..." Sara let out in a sigh, "No, you-" She glanced over to Marc with worry and fear in her eyes, "Why did you let them do that to him?" Her voice wavered slightly, "I..." Her body shook and she dropped to her knees. "I can't help him. I can't help anyone can it?"

The nurse smiled at her. "This is a new medicine, so you may experience some side effects, but it is better catered to your needs and once those pass you will feel better," she promised. "It's likely you will feel drowsy, for instance, but if you feel anything else, be sure to tell us, okay?"

---

"I didn't..." Marc began, but wasn't sure how to complete that sentence. He hadn't stopped it from happening, but this was policy, wasn't it? It wasn't fun to see a patient being sedated, although, Benjamin wasn't nearly as aggressive as most patients who needed a sedative. Sure, Benjamin struggled against their restraining, but hadn't they pushed him to the ground first? Of course he'd struggle. Should he have stepped in? He wouldn't even be able to physically pull them off Benjamin.

"I didn't ask for them to come," he eventually said. "I didn't call for security. He was agited, but not aggressive in any way."

He crouched down next to Sara. "But you are helping people, aren't you?" the tried. "Isn't that why we work as nurses here?"
The moment the words left his mouth he thought back to what Benjamin had said. Patients here didn't usually have a firm grasp on reality, most were delusional in one way or the other, but Benjamin didn't seem to display the same patterns and behaviours of most patients.

---

Benjamin was dragged to the office and seated in the chair. He had trouble focusing on the words of the head nurse, but he could tell she was berating him about his medicine use and how he'd never get better. He blinked a couple of times in an attempt to focus. Why was she smiling? She asked about his breakfast and he shrugged, he couldn't recall what he had, he couldn't even recall what he had done today. Hadn't he been talking with someone? When he got handed a pill and instructed to take it, he followed the instruction and was dismissed.
The men who had brought him there escorted him out and dumped him on the couch of the common area, where he fell sideways, turned on his back and stared at the ceiling.

Ray hesitated as she took her meds from the nurse before nodding once. She moved to take it with the water quietly and moved to sit a bit better on the bed as she waited for more instructions.
Was she waiting for someone...? Some came to saw her earlier right?

---

Sara stayed down on the ground after Benjamin was pilled away. She was silent and just sort of stared off into space before Marc moved to kneel beside her.

When he mentioned about helping people, she couldn't help but grit her teeth.
"You wouldn't believe me." She said, almost sourly, "Even if I spoke against it." She moved to stand up slowly, "My Aunt has you all tried around her fingers, no one will even speak to the patients." She turned away from Marc and clenched her hands slightly, "And I'm just a patient too, remember."

"Is there anything you would like?" the nurse asked. "Something to read, or some TV perhaps, maybe some drawing paper? Or you can rest if you are tired. Just let me know if you need anything. And, of course, let me know if you experience any side effects, okay?"
She smiled at Ray as she waited to see what would happen, or if Ray needed anything.

---

Marc stared at Sara. That... was true, she was a patient here, but he still felt the need to defend himself. "I did speak to the patient I treated," he said. "Although, well, Carol was catatonic and couldn't reply. Rebecca screamed at me every time I said anything, no words, just screams, and Tim is muttering to himself all day long and doesn't reply to anything I say. Rose is actually kind and thanks me every time I give her something to eat or drink or hand her her pills and Simon was always up for a chat, but got distracted by the voices in his head a lot."

He paused, Simon was brought up by Benjamin, for some reason Benjamin was adamant he hadn't gone home. "I don't know what you want me to talk about with the patients, but during the time I worked here I heard nothing out of the ordinary."

Again, except for what Benjamin had said, who sounded a lot more level-headed than most patients. Then again, even Simon could have moments of being seemingly normal, right until he replied to someone who wasn't there. "I don't know what you want from me..." he said at the end of his explanation.

Ray hesitated for a moment, why was she drawn to the idea of drawing paper?
She hesitated and stared off into space for a moment before she looked over towards the Nurse, "Paper, maybe?" She asked, she sounded unsure about the whole thing.

---

Sara listened to Marc as she looked away from him before she breathed in slowly and sighed.
"I just want someone to believe me." She said quietly before she shook her head, "I'll let you continue on your shift. I'll just go be a patient again." Sara walked off towards her room and sighed, moving to close the door and walked to her bed to sit down.

"He wouldn't listen to me even if he knew what Benjamin and I know." Sara said to herself as she moved to put her head in her hands with her elbows on her knees. "Vivian is doing something. I know she is. Only Benjamin and the girls agree with me... Even then, Ray won't even look at us anymore."

"Of course," the nurse said and she handed her some paper and pencils. "There you go, sweety. I'll return shortly to see how you are feeling. You can tell me about everything you feel, even if it sounds mundane. It's not complaining when you tell me you have a headache or experience dizziness, okay?" She flashed a smile and then left Ray on the bed with the drawing utensils.

---

Marc watched Sara leave, feeling confused about the whole exchange. After a moment of hesitation, he walked away but the things both Benjamin and she had said kept circling through his mind. Why was Benjamin afraid? What did Sara want him to believe? Maybe... maybe he could look into Simon. Sara and Benjamin, something was going on between them, why else would Sara react so emotionally to when Benjamin was dragged away. Oh god, they weren't a couple, were they?
He stopped himself from thinking that. Focus, he told himself. Simon first, it should be easy to confirm he had gone home. With that information he could tell Benjamin there was nothing to worry about and maybe Benjamin would stop being this defiant. He nodded to himself. Since Benjamin believed Simon was dead, all he needed was to prove he wasn't and things would get better.