Mr. Good Bad Guy

31 - That Makes Me Crazy

"We've started her on the medication to help her with the hallucinations. We were going to wait, but she kept saying someone came into her room. The nurses claim no one came in after you left. It's best if we let her rest so as to not overstimulate her mind."

"I understand. I'll keep my distance then. Is there anything else I can do for her?"

"As of right now, we're looking into similar cases. If there's anything else you're worried about, just ask for me. We'll try to help her as best we can."

"Thank you, Doctor. I appreciate it."

Everything seemed to fall silent as I stared up at the ceiling. Of course Axel was worried about me. He was going to worry some more when I told him that the man had really been here. It didn't matter if I was hallucinating or not. He knew something and having no knowledge of signing an NDA piqued my interest. What did I do before I ended up here? Where did they take me after they convinced me to come down off the roof?

I glanced over at the clock on the wall. I had been awake for almost ten hours since the incident. My chest hurt and my throat felt raw. I was hungry, but didn't trust my body to keep anything down. I closed my eyes, trying to remember something, anything about the man.

Something told me that he wasn't just some random guy off the street. He was important, or at least he thought he was. But why would he come to see me? And who did he mean when he said they were always watching? What had I done to deserve this kind of attention?

I shifted uncomfortably in my bed, trying to find a position that wouldn't hurt my aching muscles. The more I thought about it, the more convinced I was that the man wasn't just a figment of my imagination. There was something about the way he looked at me, like he knew me, or at least recognized something. It made me feel both unsettled and curious.

"Irene Sinclair?"

My eyes snapped open at the sound of the familiar voice. Captain West was standing at my bedside, his expression a mix of concern and uncertainty. I couldn't help but feel a pang of relief wash over me. He was real.

"Captain West? What are you doing here?" I croaked.

"I didn't trust anyone else to take your statement," he said.

"I don't have much to say. I don't know what's real and what's not."

"...Anything helps. We found you in your nightwear on the side of the road. No car. No shoes. Are you sure your boyfriend isn't involved?"

"Axel would never do anything to hurt me. He was asleep when I went to the roof. So was my roommate." I sighed. "All I remember is following some guy, because somehow he convinced me to go with him. I can't tell you if he threatened me or not. I don't remember what he looks like."

Captain West leaned forward, his expression intent. "Do you think you could try to remember anything about this man? Anything at all?"

I closed my eyes, trying to summon up a memory from that night and when I saw him in my room.

"He was tall. Average height? He wore a hood that covered his face. His voice was calming. It was...weird."

Captain West hummed thoughtfully. "Anything else? Anything that might help us find this man?"

I hesitated for a moment, feeling a chill run down my spine. "No. He came to visit me earlier, but everyone keeps saying I was alone after Axel left my room."

"I'm sorry you're going through this. I'll make sure to look into it further. In the meantime, just focus on getting better. The staff here will take good care of you."