In Your Head

Chapter 8

Alana was pacing back and forth, running her slender fingers through her hair. The sound of her heels clicking on the floor was starting to irritate Will.

They had rushed over to the Hospital, where the nurse assigned to deliver Grace's meds met them in the lobby.

She had informed them that when she had gone to Grace's room, there was no one there and the window had been unlocked. Alana had cursed herself for not having bars put in on the top floor windows, but the nurse had assured her that most people wouldn't dare escape through the window. The fall was far too great.

They were in Alana's office, and Alana had been making frantic calls to the FBI and surrounding police forces in an effort to search for the missing patient.

"I knew I shouldn't have signed off to house her here. Much less in the minimum security ward!" Alana grumbled.

Her stress was evident. She had only been head of the hospital for a few months, and this was a major problem. 

There was a knock on the door, and Jack Crawford entered without waiting for a response.

"Will, Alana. It appears we have a bit of a problem on our hands." he said sarcastically.

"That's a gross understatement!" Alana snapped.

"I presume you wouldn't be opposed to putting Will at the forefront of this case, then?" Jack retorted.

Alana pursed her lips, "Excuse me?"

"Will has been doing well with his therapy, and he clearly shares some similarities with this girl. And besides that, he's the best we have, even if he is a tad bit...unstable."

"Would you guys stop talking about me as if I'm not in the room?" Will sighed.

Jack turned to him and smiled, "Well, are you willing to take on a case Will?"

"I really don't think that's a good idea Jack!" Alana interrupted.

"Alana, you just lost your most dangerous patient, I don't think you have much of a say here." Jack snapped.

Will had wandered over to the window and was staring outside. Trying to picture Grace tumbling out of the top floor window and making a run for it.

"I don't understand how she managed to escape." he muttered too himself.

"I need to think... in her room." he added, louder this time.

"So, you're willing to take the case? I'd take charge, of course." Jack said, walking over to Will's place at the window.

Alana had sat down at her desk and had her head in her hands.

"Will has barely had time to process everything that happened with Hannibal, which was a result of the last time you shoved him out into the field! Do you really think this will end any differently, Jack?" Alana persisted.

"Grace Winter is highly unpredictable and Will Graham's knack for empathizing is our best bet. I think we should take a chance on him."

Alana sighed, but nodded, "Okay, but I am going to take over his therapy." 

"Deal." Jack agreed.

Will turned to face them, "I suppose my decision has been made for me. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going up to her room."

_

Once in Grace's room, will went to the window, immediately propping it open.

He breathed in the fresh Maryland air and closed his eyes.

He braced his hands on either side of the window frame.

"I take my store of pills from under my mattress, crushing them into a powder. I use this to allow my hands to grip better. I climb out the window, holding onto the top ledge and pull myself up. I am going to the roof, not down. I grab a drain pipe, and use it to pull myself up. It's not very far from here. Once on the roof, I can get back into the building and sneak out through the front doors." Will murmured, locked into the mind of Grace.

"From here, I go to the place they wouldn't think to look. Back to the scene of the crime."