Solitary Confinement

Chapter 11 : Cut

Chapter 11

Later...

Rocky POV

"Have you seen Riker?" I asked Ross.

"No. Why?"

"He was in my room a little while ago, but now I can't find him."

"Oh... I can help you look."

"Thanks."

We split up to go look for our brother. I was checking the bathrooms, thinking maybe that was where he was.

"Rocky!" Ross called.

I ran upstairs. Ross was standing in the doorway of mine and Riker's closet. 

"Oh my god. Riker, you can't be doing that!" I said, kneeling down on the floor next to him.

He was shaking and crying. And he'd made cuts on his wrists.

"Ross, go get me some paper towels," I said, taking the razor from Riker.

Ross ran out of the room.

"Riker, what happened?" I asked, looking at him.

He wouldn't look me in the eyes. He stared at the floor.

"Riker. Answer me."

"I-it said if I d-didn't do it, I-I'd get k-killed."

"Who said that?"

"T-the voice."

"What voice?"

"In m-my head."

"Oh my god... Riker, you need help."

"N-no! D-don't tell! I c-can't go b-back there!" He screamed.

"Shhh! Stop screaming. Calm down. I think maybe you just need to go to the doctor's. I'm not saying you need to go back to the mental place."

"P-please don't l-let m-me go b-back!"

"I won't, ok? I won't. I promise, Riker."

I put my arm around him, and pulled him closer to me. And I realized how skinny he was. I knew stress could make you lose weight, but he wasn't gone very long. He must be very stressed out.

Ross came back with the damp paper towels. I sent him off to get the first aid kit from the bathroom while I cleaned Riker's wrists off.

"Riker, I need you to not listen to the voice, ok?"

"But it yells at me if I don't."

"Riker."

I made him look at me.

"Please. I don't want anything to happen to you."

I took the bandages from Ross, and fixed up Riker's wrists. 

"Riker."

He looked up at me, but I could tell he was ashamed.

"You need to stop hurting yourself, ok? Stop listening to the voice. It's lying. If it tells you something, you need to tell one of us, ok? I don't want anything to happen to you. I'm going to help you get better, ok? All of this is happening because of that stupid mental place. They did more bad than they did good. Yeah, you're not so angry, but this is even worse than that."

"I'm sorry..."

"It's ok. Riker, you just can't do this again. And we need to tell mom."

"No! Rocky, please don't!"