Paradigm

Chapter 4: Who Are You?

CHAPTER 4

"Psychotic behavior is so bizarre."

- Ducky Mallard, NCIS

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"What the hell happened to your arm?" Niall shouts, as we walk back to his room.

"Niall, calm down." However, he does anything but that. He begins shouting a few profanities and keeps questioning me about my whip mark. Guards begin to make their way towards us, but I tell them it's okay and I can handle things.

"Lux I want you to tell me right now what happened!" I take my key card out, praying that it'll open Niall's room door- and it does.

I pull him inside and shut the door. Niall takes a seat on his bed and waits for an answer.

"Niall I need you to stay calm. So when I saw that they were whipping you, I rushed inside and then stood in front of you. The two guys accidentally whipped me, but that was it," I explain, very calmly.

At first there is silence between us and I take it to think that Niall is just contemplating his thoughts and calming himself down. However, after maybe a good two seconds, he turns raged again.

"They whipped you? What kind of fucking idiots are they?! Oh my god I will kill them!" He screams again. What can I do to get Niall to calm down? If he doesn't, guards are going to come in and sedate him. As much as his temper and anger scares me right now, it also makes me wonder what's causing all of it. Why is he so angry? Why is he lashing out on a small thing?

"Niall! You need to calm down! If you don't, I swear to god the guards will come in and sedate you!" At first, he still is very raged and furious, but eventually, he calms down and takes a seat on his bed.

"Thank you. Don't worry about me, my arm is fine. You had to go through way worse, I will be okay. It's just a little blood, no big deal," I say. To be honest, the whip mark still hurts really badly but nothing I can't get over.

"Really? Then look at me and tell me that because I know you're lying," Niall challenges. How could he possible know? I'm not wincing or cringing. I'm not even complaining! You'd have to be psychic to figure out that the mark still hurts.

"How do you know?" I ask. Niall cracks a sly smile.

"I majored in psychology sweetheart. I'm not as stupid or oblivious as you think. I'm very good at 'reading people' and knowing when they're lying." He majored in psych? Like me? No! He couldn't have. No. Niall is a killer, a cold-blooded killer. There's no way he would have had time to go to college and major in psych.

"No, you couldn't have. You're a murder.. No. There's no possible way," I state.

"You know what's really funny? You're a psychologist," he takes a few steps towards me. "And yet, you still believe that I killed my family. I mean, I don't blame you. Everyone here believes it too, but I really thought that you were smarter than all those other idiots. My mistake." Believes? Is Niall implying that he did not kill his family? Because that would be false. I've seen his case and all the pictures, and they showed clear as day that Niall killed his family and then slit their throats.

"I am smarter. But the evidence is all there Niall, you can't deny physical evidence. I'm sorry that you feel like I don't believe you, but there's nothing that's making me deny the truth," I state.

"Whatever you say princess." I roll my eyes at him calling me princess, but decide to let it pass considering he's still injured and I feel bad.

The room is quiet for awhile, and I decide on leaving and letting Niall cool off and recover in peace.

"Wait, why do you believe that I committed those crimes?" He asks. I sigh, turning away from the door.

"I already told you, evidence. There were photos and people saw you and everything was enough for me to-"

"Were there fingerprints?" Niall interrupts. My eyes widen. Fingerprints. Why? Why did the thought never come across? There were no fingerprints! But that doesn't mean he still didn't commit those crimes.

"Fine, there were no fingerprints I'll give you that. But, that doesn't mean you didn't use gloves or are some mastermind serial killer." Niall's eyes sadden a bit when I accuse him of maybe being a serial killer.

"Lux please, you can't believe it too." He begs. Why not? Why is this so important to him? Why must I believe that Niall is innocent?

"And why not Niall?" I ask, exasperated. He closed his eyes and sighs. He too looks exhausted and worn out from this bantering.

"Just... Never mind. It doesn't matter anymore. I'm sorry I wasted your time, you have more important things to do," Niall finally says. My head is telling me that this is my free ticket to leave and go do my job, but every other part of me is begging me to stay. Telling me that there's more to Niall than meets the eye.

"No, this is important too. I'm not leaving, not right now at least." I don't really know what I'm doing or what I'm saying, but I know that what I want is to figure him out.

I'm not leaving, not without an answer.

+ + + +

I've spent that last week or so with Niall, trying to figure him out- and it's working. He's opened up to me more than I thought he would, which is great! I still have one more week until I conclude whether he's innocent or not. I already think he's guilty, but after spending every day with him, I might second guess myself.

"Your two weeks are almost up, do you have an answer yet?" Niall asks. We are in the cafeteria and there's no one inside, considering lunch has ended.?

"Hey, my two weeks are almost up, they're not entirely up yet." A smirk plays on my lips, causing Niall to laugh.

"Fair, fair." I check the clock on my phone, it's already three in the afternoon.

"We better get going, I have patients and you have to do whatever it is you do," I say.

"I thought I was your only patient! I am the most special!" Niall pouts. I roll my eyes at his stupidness and start walking towards the elevators.

Niall sticks his hand out for me to hold it and I decide to allow it.

As I'm about to press the up button, the doors open. I am shocked and appalled at what I see. It makes me drop Niall's hand and stay dumbfounded.

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Author's Note: Hee hee cliffhanger!! I love cliffhangers! Sorry I haven't updated in awhile, I have been busy and I was sick on Friday and I have finals and HSPT and I'm really stressed.