Sanity: The Saw Chronicles [C]

Chapter 47 | Frigid

It's been three days and you can bet your ass I haven't left this goddamn room. Ricky pried me out for about twenty minutes yesterday to go get lunch but that's about it. Even then, I only agreed to it because Balz came and sat in the room while we were gone. I was terrified to leave Kuza alone. He did fine for those twenty minutes I was away but that could've been just luck.

They've taken him off the vent because he can breathe on his own now. He's still not talking. The doctors told us he should eventually but they refuse to give us an actual timeline. His recovery could take six months to a year, provided he doesn't relapse. Because he can't talk, I still have no idea if he remembers me. For all I know he could think I'm just someone taking care of him.

My head popped up when I heard heels walking towards the door. Ryan-Ashley stopped in the doorway, sighing when she saw he was asleep. She softly said, "Ryan's running physicals on everyone today. It's your turn. It only takes about an hour. I'll stay here while you go."

"Why'd he suddenly decide to finally do them?" I asked as I stood up.

"Last night, Angelo couldn't sleep. So, he got up and went to the kitchen to get some tea. Then Chris woke up screaming. It woke up the rest of us. It took Ange two hours to get him to calm down and go back to sleep. I guess Ryan took it as some kind of... I don't know, but he suddenly was adamant that he get those tests done."

"I know why." I replied, "Please, do not leave this room. Even for a second. You can't let him be alone."

"I understand." She responded and sat down where I just was.

I released a trapped breath, "Thank you. I'll try to get back as soon as I can. Is Ryan in his lab?"

"Yep." She said.

Gee, this'll be so much fun. Could you hear the sarcasm in my voice? See, Ryan-Ashley might simply call it a physical but I know better than that. Ryan's going to push out limits. That's what his intent was when he originally began plans to do these tests. A lot of shit got in the way though. Eventually, the exact thing that got in our way became the reasons we had to get it done.

This thing had never touched Chris before. I knew the second Ryan-Ashley told me what happened, he had one of those horrific nightmares. It waits until you're alone to attack you. It's pissed it can't get to Kuza, so it has to move on to a different victim. That, or it plans to destroy all of us like it did him. It's crossed Kuza's name off it's list and I guess Chris is in it's crosshairs now.

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As I walked into the lab, I found myself instantly having to dodge a ninja star flying my way. I watched it hit the wall behind me, then looked forward at Ryan, "What the fuck?!"

"Testing your alertness." He replied blandly.

I glared at him like the fucking mad man he was, "And what if I wasn't that alert today and it sliced through my neck?"

"Well, it didn't. So, we don't have to worry about that."

"And people call me the psychopath." I muttered, earning a laugh from the others. I'm so used to seeing Angelo clung to Chris that to see the opposite was somewhat unsettling. It gave gravity to this situation. I walked over to where the two of them were leaned against the wall. "Ryan-Ashley told me what happened. Let me guess; Your nightmare was either about you ending up dead or finding Angelo dead?"

His voice was so docile compared to how he normally is. "How do you know that?"

"If Mike was left alone when he was sleeping, he would have nightmares that he died, or that I was killed, or that he killed me. I had two nightmares myself. One where I committed suicide, and another where I found Mike dead. They only ever happen when you're... alone..." I trailed off, turning back around, "Ryan?"