The Evil Within-The Final Showdown

An Unexpected Visit

"P-prefrontal lobotomy?" I questioned, the shaking locating itself to my hands.

"Yes," Dr. Avers smiled, thinly. "I think this is exactly what you need. The last effective treatment we can use."

I bit my lip, choosing my words carefully. "Isn't a lobotomy an outdated practice? It sounds rather archaic."

"Oh, goodness no!" Dr. Avers laughed. "Silly boy! They are still widely practiced today."

I started trembling, my lip quivering. From my knowledge, lobotomies were almost completely abandoned. This hospital seemed to have a history of implementing dangerous treatments and this was no exception. What would become of me? Would I be completely dependent on others? Would I be in a vegetative state? Stories of lobotomies gone wrong rushed through my head from my time studying neuroanatomy in college. I quit the course to pursue forensics after losing interest but those stories I heard had never left me. My chest felt tight and I was having trouble breathing.

"I have it booked at 10am on Wednesday," Dr. Avers either didn't seem to notice or purposely ignored my panicked state. "So, the day after tomorrow. How does that sound?"

I didn't answer the doctor's question. I gripped the edge of his desk, digging my fingernails so hard into the wood that it left marks. I was beginning to feel lightheaded and the room kept shifting in and out of focus.

"I'll take that as a yes," Dr. Avers continued his cheerful demeanour, writing more notes.

As soon as he had finished his sentence, I stood up, knocking the chair to the ground in the process.

"Is everything okay, Sebastian?" Dr. Avers asked, looking puzzled.

"You can't do this," I managed to say despite my tightening chest. "I refuse."

"I'm afraid this is not some offer you can turn down," Dr. Avers spoke firmly. "You have no say in the matter."

"This concerns me!" I raised my voice. "How could I have no say?! Since when do hospitals carry out lobotomies in the 21st century?!"

I was becoming hysterical but I didn't care. I wouldn't let this man ruin the little I had left in my life. I was calculating whether to sprint from the room or attack the man.

"Sebastian, listen to me carefully," Dr. Avers remained eerily calm. "You have garnered a habit of being uncooperative and refusing our treatments. What you fail to notice is that we are trying to help you. We can't help you if you try to fight. You're not a very smart man, are you, Sebastian? You're impulsive and stubborn and I'm afraid such behaviour has to be punished. I didn't want to have to authorise a lobotomy but you leave me with no choice."

I was becoming infuriated with this man. "You are trying to kill me! The only reason you would call for such a thing is to control me! I refuse to be controlled! I am not your puppet like you say! I'm a human being! How sick in the head are you?!"

"Sebastian, you are becoming hysterical," Dr. Avers stood up, slowly. "If you continue this instability, I'm afraid we will be forced to sedate you."

"Don't avoid the issue!" I only screamed more. "I'm not crazy! Why don't you just believe my story?! Experiment with the STEM system? It will prove my point."

"We don't need to do that," Dr. Avers went to the door of his office and opened it. "We know it was an elaborate hoax done by Rueben. The man showed little to no potential."

"How stupid are you?!" I yelled, starting to cry again. "Don't do this! I'm not crazy!"

I wasn't making a very good case of myself by exhibiting my hysterical behaviour. Dr. Avers was clearly not convinced as he gestured for the guards outside the door to enter. The guards went straight towards me, wordlessly. I screamed and struggled as they wrestled me to the ground. I screamed obscenities at Dr. Avers as I kicked at the two guards. One of them tried to get a syringe in my arm to sedate me. I viciously attacked him, punching him in the jaw. I wrested myself free from the grip of the other one, trying to scramble to a standing position. This was my chance to escape. Free myself from the hospital entirely. Unfortunately, the guard I had punched had recovered and dragged me back to the ground. It was futile. I resorted back to insulting Dr. Avers, becoming easily overpowered by the guards. The first one pinned my arms to the floor as the other one finally got the syringe into my arm. My shouting trailed off into slurred whimpering as the guards finally got off me. As my vision began to fade to black, Dr. Avers strolled up to me, standing over me.

"You foolish boy, Sebastian," Dr. Avers spoke quietly. "You will never leave this place."

I awoke in my darkened room. My head throbbed from the sedative and movement seemed to be impossible. I was laying on my steel bed, trying to allow my eyes to adjust to the darkness. It took several minutes to process what had just happened. I attempted to stand up and continue my escape but movement still seemed to be restricted. My foggy head finally registered that I had been restrained to the bed with leather straps. Of course they had restrained me. They knew I would attempt to escape again. I tried to free myself from my straps but after several fruitless minutes, I knew it was hopeless. I finally settled down, glaring at the ceiling.

"What? No hallucinations?" I spoke roughly to the ceiling.

My voice had become hoarse from my screaming. I continued looking at the ceiling, expecting a variety of horrors to begin their assault on me. It seemed the hallucinations didn't feel like visiting today though. I was alone. I had almost hoped they would so as not to feel so lonely. But maybe it was best I was on my own. I decided I didn't even crave human company. People always brought bad news. The door to my room creaked open, the bright light from outside hurting my eyes.

"Please, not now, Steven," I said, shutting my eyes. "I'm not in the mood."

"Would you at least talk to me?" a familiar female voice answered.

I shakily opened my eyes and turned to the owner of the voice. My eyes widened in a mix of surprise and terror. Juli Kidman stood next to me. I began to struggle against my restraints. The sudden thought that she may have been sent to kill me propelled my desire to escape.

"Sebastian, stop," Kidman placed a hand on my arm. "Relax. I'm not going to hurt you."

I decided to trust her and I finally stopped my struggling. However, my eyes remained trained on her warily.

"Eric, please remove the restraints," Kidman spoke to the guard that seemed to materialise in the doorway. I swear they could teleport. "They are not necessary."

"Detective, that is against the rules," the guard incorrectly addressed her as 'detective'. She certainly was not a detective. "I could get into trouble."

"I said, remove them," Kidman's voice took on a cold tone, her eyes narrowing.

Eric nodded and with a wary look around him, he entered the room and undid the restraints.

"Leave us," Kidman ordered.

Eric seemed unsure at first but finally with a nod, he left the room, shutting the door. I carefully stood up unsteadily and folded my arms.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, showing my displeasure to see her.

"Hello to you too," Kidman smiled. "Haven't changed a bit since the last time I saw you. In attitude at least."

Her eyes swept over my uniform and bare feet. I felt uncomfortable under her scrutinising eyes but didn't make a reaction. "I could say the same thing about you."

"However, I didn't expect to find you back here," she remarked, a spark of pity in her eyes.

"That makes two of us," I admitted.

"Why did you tell them, Sebastian?" Kidman asked, slightly shaking her head. "You knew they wouldn't believe you."

I shrugged my shoulders and cast my eyes to the floor. "I don't know, to be honest. I don't know what it would accomplish. Ruvik is gone anyway."

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Kidman freeze before shifting uncomfortably.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned his name," I apologised, looking up.

I didn't know why I apologised to her. She did kill Joseph after all. But I guess since the mere mention of Ruvik was enough to spark an onslaught of nightmares and visions within me, it wasn't fair to inflict it on another regardless of what they had done to me.

"Sebastian......" Kidman trailed off before taking a deep breath. "Ruvik got out."