Stealing Perfection

Chapter 16

My mind resurfaces from the darkness, and I open my eyes. The light is gone, and then I know it. It's over. It's all over. 

Beside the bed is Ren. He stands there with a smile plastered on his face. 

"Took you long enough." He says, the smile as wide as ever. I press my fingers into the temples of my head and begin massaging. Somehow, the clothes I were wearing the day I passed out are on my body.

Instead of asking a complex question, and sending my head spinning, a simple question comes to my mind. "What time is it?" 

"Nine thirty-seven p.m." He answers. I give a little nod, and rest my arms at my sides. My thoughts wander for a bit, and I recall everything that happened previous to my passing out. 

"What day is it?" 

"Friday. You passed out Tuesday afternoon." 

Friday. I was out for almost four days. A sigh escapes my lips. 

"What happened?" I ask, my voice not rising about a whisper. The IV is no longer poked in my arm, and my mind feels clear. Clear, aside from the constant throbbing. I yawn.

"It seems your thoughts were at war with each other. Not uncommon for Schizophrenic sufferers, but it does look a little unusual because of your brain structure." 

"What's Schizophrenia?" 

He takes a breath before pausing, then answering. "Its a brain disorder. It causes you to imagine things, become delusional, and have difficulty understanding information. You were very unfortunate to become victim to other voices talking to you in your head. You recognized this as abnormal - a good sign - and tried to refuse it access to your thoughts." 

It is a lot to take in. I nod slowly, and review it again in my head, more centered around what I knew was happening. 

Somehow, the Schizophrenia started, and my thoughts began to turn haywire. I remember hallucinating Lance's hand bleeding, the hospital bed disappearing, all signs of my mind going insane. It baffles me nearly silent, until a question surfaces.

"Why was my dream a flashback, when Korla knocked me out?" Ren's lips pull into another smile, and it sends shivers up my back. 

"That's the unusual thing," his eyes turn from amused to fascinated. "You seemed to wake your thoughts up from your schizophrenia, and jolted yourself to emerge from behind. What did you imagine, if you don't mind me asking?" 

"My first day here." 

"Ah." I have never gotten a good look at Ren, but now I am sure that he is the smartest person I know. His amazement with each discovery is delightful to watch, his thoughts amused and enlightened like a child learning. It almost brings a smile to my face, watching his joy in his knowledge gain. 

"How peculiar, too. Were you somehow shocked back into awaking?" 

"I was about to be stabbed." 

"That sounds intense. And were you aware during your dream?"

"Yes." 

He is then lost in his thoughts. I watch him as his lips separate, then close back together in a fine line. His dark brown eyes squint as they stare at the wall, and they seem to remain fixed on a tiny chip of paint. 

I soon become lost in my own racing thoughts. 

Then, I gasp, and nearly let out a shriek. I sit up quickly.

"Where is my brother?!" I demand, my heart pounding. Ren turns to me with a puzzled look on his face.

"He's in the main-"