Sanitarium - Asylum Finale {Completed}

11. Shock Therapy

"They all cheat at cards, the checkers are lost, my cellmate's a killer, they make me do push-ups in drag. But nobody cares if you're losing yourself... Am I losing myself?! Well, I miss my mom. Will they give me the chair, or lethal injection, or swing from a rope if you dare? Oh, nobody knows all the trouble I've seen!" --- You Know What They Do To Guys Like Us In Prison

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Shock Therapy

Party's P.O.V.

Paranoia's screams reverberate around the room, making my ears ring. I'm still on the floor and can't get to her before she collapses onto the carpet that doesn't serve as much of a cushion. "Paranoia!" I gasp, rushing toward her at the same instant as Ghoul and Jet. They're on their feet and closer to her body, but I'm more desperate to get to her, leading me to reaching her first.

Her body is limp in my arms as I pull her into my lap. Too many times, I think to myself. I've been in this position too many times. I can't do it anymore.

"What the hell just happened?" Ghoul asks in a hushed voice. I feel like we've been asking that question too many times as of late. "She just...fell."

Jet crouches down beside me. I'm suddenly reminded of being in this exact same situation after the bomb blew and she was unconscious. Jet wanted to help and I almost wouldn't let him touch her... But I'm more than willing to pass her over now. I just want her better. I want her back to normal. "It was the memories," Jet says in his doctor voice. "Kobra mentioned it was how to break her out of whatever influence she's under. I didn't realize it would be this painful for her."

"No shit," Ghoul replies, sitting down on my other side. "What do we do now?"

The elevator door slides open before I can come up with an acceptable answer. "Party Poison," Vengeance Fire croaks, stumbling out of the elevator with one hand pressed to his abdomen.

Immediately, I'm on my feet. Paranoia would have fallen off my lap had she not been in Jet's arms. "What the hell are you doing out of bed?" I snap. "You're still wounded!"

"Better off than most," he answers darkly, leaning one shoulder against the wall to support himself. He coughs a bit. I see a speck of red on his hand before he hastily wipes it away. His brown eyes leave my face and narrow in Paranoia's direction. Instinctively, I take a small step closer to her, putting myself between the two of them. "What happened to her?" Vengeance asks, not looking away from her pained face.

Ghoul stands beside me, creating a mostly-effective two-man shield. "We're healing her," he says coolly. His normally dark eyes seem even darker in the shadows of his face. "What exactly do you want?" His tone is demanding.

Vengeance doesn't flinch. "I want her taken care of."

"We are - "

"No." He cuts Ghoul off before he can say more. "I want her gone. Dead. The rest of the city wants the same."

A growl escapes my throat before I even notice it. "You're not going to touch her," I say with a firm voice. "We are fixing her. She's under the influence of some drug Korse gave her. She didn't intend to do anything wrong."

Vengeance looks murderous. "She slaughtered our Killjoys! This cannot go unpunished!"

"We're not killing her." Ghoul nods in agreement and clenches his fists. My gaze is deadly as I stare him down. I know I have superiority over him. Everyone knows it. It comes with being the leader of the Fabulous Killjoys. "And, so long as I'm alive, you will never lay a hand on her."

Vengeance lifts his chin a little before coughing into his elbow. "It's not your decision, Party. This city is a democracy now, or have you forgotten?" My face pales a little. If they vote to kill her...