The Case of Sean McLoughlin (A Dark JSE Ego Fic)

3/1/19 - 05:03:12 PM

"How long has he been like this?"

"A while. He was seeing someone regularly, but recently it's been bad."

"Bad how?"

"He's been... he's been, um... violent?"

"How long has he been sitting like that?"

"It's... yeah, it's been almost an hour."

He shifted suddenly, and immediately the entire observation room was plunged into silence. They waited, for a moment, watching him blink almost mechanically at the blank wall. His skin was drawn and pale, his eyes glassy and red with sleep deprivation. His hands were folded on the table, shaking slightly. Sometimes he would twitch and look around the room as if looking for someone.

The doctor took a long breath, turning to Signe as he shifted his weight. "And who is he right now?"

Signe swallowed hard, everting her eyes as he twitched once again, his hands slamming against the metal table. "I'm, uh, I'm not sure. He was Chase this morning but... I'm not sure now. Has the translator come yet?"

"He's waiting outside. Do you want to do this now?"

Another attempt at a long breath. Her chest was too tight. "Yes."

The doctor nodded, turning to nod to the camera that was mounted in the corner of the ceiling. There was a soft beep from somewhere, breaking the agonizing quiet of the simple, carpeted room. After a few moments the door opened and a man walked in, offering a small smile to Signe. She couldn't find the strength to return it. Waiting for hours in this godforsaken facility had drained of her of all energy. She hadn't expected to be back here so soon.

She glanced back at Seán, now sitting motionless once again. His eyes were trained on the window, even though she knew he couldn't see her. It still felt like he could.

She smoothed down her shirt, tucking her short hair behind her ear before she followed the translator through the heavy metal door and into the small metal room. The table was at the center, the only furniture besides the chairs, one of them already being used by Seán. He turned his head slowly to watch them enter and sit down.

Then he spoke, his words rapid and quiet. A cold chill ran down Signe's spine but she forced herself to remain seated, despite how badly she wanted to leave. This was good for him.

"He didn't expect you to visit him," the translator explained quietly. Signe nodded, clearing her throat.

"I assume we're, we're talking to Henrik then," Signe said. God, she could barely talk past the tremor in her voice. Her whole body felt like an earthquake. And the silent hum of the air conditioning was nerve-wracking.

"Ja," Seán replied. A small smile touched his face, almost mechanical.

Signe nodded, glancing to the translator who just smiled comfortingly. "We, uh, we wanted to know why you were here."

Seán looked off to the window again, as if thinking. His bloodshot eyes darted, and he picked manically at his fingernails. For a moment it seemed like he had forgotten about the question.

Then he spoke, his words barely audible.

"To fix him," the translator said.

There was silence again. Deafening, absolute, crushing silence. Even the hum of the air conditioning seemed to melt away. The blood roared in Signe's ears.

"Can I talk to Seán?" Signe finally dared to ask.

Seán shook his head. "Nein." After a hesitation, he continued, but Signe couldn't recognize the words.

"He says that Seán is asleep, and that he will wake after he's had some rest," the translator explained. "He has had a long recovery since the attack."

Signe didn't know what to say. It was hard to look at him, to meet those eyes and see so much confusion. He was like a walking shell of the man she knew–He was sickly and thin, his blue veins showing through his skin like ink. The most eerie thing of all, though, was his hair–he had woken up today and brushed it neatly, parting it to the side. He had even trimmed his beard. Even the way he wore his glasses... it was like he was dressing up for some character.

Though, in a sense, that was all it was to everyone. She didn't have the heart to tell them anything more. And neither did Seán.