Always and Forever

Ana, Tas or Anastasia?

Chapter 30: Ana, Tas or Anastasia?

"I'm really happy you came again." He rested his head on the side wall and smiled.

"I didn't come for you Nathan." I said through a cold front.

"I know. But I also know that somewhere deep down you did come to check up on me. To see how I'm doing." His words sounded confident but his voice was hopeful.

I didn't say anything.

"It's okay Tas,"

Tas. He called me Tas. Not Ana.

"They've been telling me I'm getting better and that I've shown a lot of improvement already." His smile grew but sadness remained in his eyes.

Improvement, so soon?

"Really?" I ask, and somewhere inside I may have been happy.

Happy that Nathan can get his life back.

"Yeah. They tell me it every time before they inject me with my medicine."

I shut my eyes closed tight when I realised the situation at hand.

They lie to him. Feed him hope. Non existent hope.

"That's great Nathan." I say faking a small smile.

"But he still hasn't gone, Ana." His mood changes.

Ana.

"The voice?" I question.

He slightly nods.

"It will. Eventually." I say reassuring him but he shakes his head.

"It will Nathan. Know why? Because that voice is you. And the only person that can mute it is you. You don't have to listen to it but somewhere inside you, you think you do and you haven't let go. And until you don't learn to let go. It won't go.".

He shuts his eyes closed and forces himself to nod.

"Nathan, how long are in this room for on a daily?" I ask out of curiosity.

"Long. We get out in the morning and eat and stuff, then they give us medicine. And then we come back into our rooms." He explains.

"Medicine? I don't get it. You have a phycological problem, how is medicine going to fix that?" I say hoping he was stable enough to understand.

"I don't know. But after I take it, I feel calm. It helps. With that I don't know but it helps.".

"Just hang in there." I say and he nods.

I get up ready to leave.

"Bye Tas." He whispers.

I give him a smile and walk away.

I'm glad Hunter and Dylan stayed in the car today.

I call for the elevator and can't help looking back one more time. But as I do. I notice Nathan isn't there.

I shrug off his absence and enter the elevator to the ground floor where Dylan awaits me.

As soon as the door open he stood in front holding a whiteboard.

It read,

So how was it? Is your friend better now?

I inhale and hold his hand leading us to the waiting area.

"He's adjusting." I say as Dylan nods.

"How was your day?" I question him.

He simply shrugs, "Dylan? Can I ask you something?" I say.