Paramount ✹ Septicgab

6

I was caught. I figured as much, but it was frustrating to watch my friends run and make it, and I was the one to get caught. I did tell them to run... after all, I just got here the night before. After being forced back into my room, I had a mandatory meeting with the resident psychologist, Dr. Tsu. As soon as she walked in, my eyes widened as I could've sworn I recognised her.

"You... You're not the psych I met with this morning..." I said, looking at the young woman across from me. "Who the -" She suddenly covered my mouth with her hand.

"You're gonna listen.... and you're gonna listen closely.." She said in a hushed tone. "The doctor.... Dr. Tsu.... doesn't exist... well, at least not this Dr. Tsu..." I was visibly confused. "When I heard the story on the news... I had to come here.." She slowly pulled up her sleeve, showing a scar from a deep cut across her forearm. "I was told it was... All in my imagination... but Thomas, it's real. Yharnam is real..." My eyes widened as I backed away. "I was there... before you and everyone else."

"How... Why.."

"You... do recognise me... don't you?" She asked.

"Oh my god...." I remembered her. "Rae." She nodded. "You were there... too?" She nodded again. "How.. when?"

"About three years ago," Rae sighed. "I... I didn't make it too far... but I saw a couple of the patients that were here. Jack was one of them... wasn't he?" I nodded. "I saw him there... I saw Mark.... and Amy.... I saw another girl.. who was trying to hurt them.. and... I.... I tried to stop her when I realised who they were. I, um... I set a fire in the woods, and I heard someone scream." She started to tear up, but wiped it away. "I'm sorry, it's just.. I've never talked about it... not after I was hospitalised. Reynolds was an absolute bitch.."

"Reynolds.. as in the former psych?" She nodded.

"Yeah.. um... the girl who managed to get her fired... did she make it out with the rest of them?"

"I think so," I offered a bittersweet smile. "So.. what happens now?"

"Well..." Rae hesitated. "I... I don't know..." Another tear rolled down her cheek. "But... now that I'm on staff.... I am able to listen in on a lot.. and.." She went silent.

"What's going on?" I asked, but she wouldn't look up from her lap. "Rae?"

She choked back more tears before speaking again. "It's not safe..." She finally said. "I'm sorry.."

_

We were on the run. The news referred to us as criminals, whereas whilst in the hospital, we were just victims. We broke out, and yet.... we left a friend behind. Sykkuno saved us. We found a place in the woods to camp out for the night that was enclosed enough to hide in.

"I hope like hell he's okay," I said as I sat down. "He saved us.."

"Seán.." Evelien laid her head on my shoulder. "He's a smart guy.. Knowing him, he's probably already on his way out.."

"Amy... what did you mean when you said to look at the new psych... and tell you who she looked like?" Marzia broke her silence.

"I... I could've sworn I saw her there..." Amy shrugged. "And... she looked kinda familiar..."

"That name, though...." Mark spoke up. "That name isn't familiar at all.."

"Unless it's fake," Amy said. "She looked like someone we should all know... even if it's just a tiny bit...."

"Evelien, did you recognise her?" I asked my beautiful fiancée.

"She looked a little familiar...." She sighed. "Like... maybe I had watched her stre-" She stopped in the middle of her words. "Rae.." We all exchanged looks, realising it was indeed Valkyrae. "Oh my god..."

"What if she's flipped?" Felix asked. "I mean... brainwashed and everything?"

"Felix is right," Ethan sighed. "We don't know what she went through before becoming the next psych there.... All of the workers had to have gone through some grueling training and mental manipulation to feel absolutely zero remorse for any of us.... especially Reynolds.."

"You think.... maybe she's not staff?" Marzia asked. We all looked at her like she had lost her mind, but then stopped to ponder that possibility. "If this many of us can escape.... how hard would it be for someone to pretend to be a doctor and get a job there?"

"Their security did suck," I chuckled. "God, I hope she's not one of them...."

"And that he remembers who she is.." Evelien finished my train of thought.

~

We decided to start a small fire to keep warm, and just enjoy the company of each other. After all, we hadn't been allowed near each other since arriving at that hospital. Evelien laid across my lap and wound up falling asleep as everyone else did. I carefully moved her so I could lay down as well, and she woke.

"Oh, shit.." I said. "I'm sorry, babe.." She smiled softly, staring into my eyes. "What?"

"Would it be... really fucked up... to say I'm glad we were there?" She asked, then chuckled at her question. "God, I sound insane."

"No, it's okay," I blushed. "Um... I mean... I would've been quite alright with meeting outside of Yharnam, but...." I paused as she smiled more. "I... I'm so glad I pushed.... cause you were not interested when we first met.." She laughed, telling me that wasn't true, which I knew. "I know... That kiss... before you ran off..." I blushed harder. "Damn..." I found myself hovering over her, and as Evelien's hands reached up to cup my cheeks, she planted another kiss upon my lips. Another 'damn.'

"When all of this... investigation shit.... is over..." She started to speak, but then decided to just lift her left hand. "Maybe?"

"Oh?" I teased. "Are you saying.... we need to.... get married?" I made her blush as I lowered myself to kiss her. She pulled away so I could give her an answer, but I lightly pushed her back down, making her giggle her adorable giggle. "You know... we're gonna end up waking them.."

"Do I care?" She grinned. "They've got the rest of their lives to sleep.... and besides...." Evelien ran her hands up my abdomen and wrapped her arms around my neck. "They all know I haven't seen my man.... in a long ass time.. so I deserve this.."