Deeper Cuts

Prologue

I slowly opened my eyes, the room being unnecessarily dark and eerie.  Hadn't I left my lamp on overnight,  and where was the light of my camera? Also...my mattress isn't here. Shouldn't I be used to this by now, used to waking randomly in this hell hole?  I turned my head only to jump a slight bit at the mask laying next to me, propped up against the wall.  I scowled at the wretched thing before stretching to test out my muscles.  Everything seemed intact, although my knee still hurt like a bitch. I should rewrap that the next time I acquire some gauze wrap. Beginning to stand, my eyes glanced over to the torn holes on the walls of the building,  noting that it was very late at night. I brushed myself off, after standing up and glaring at my surroundings through the night and realizing just exactly where I was located. This room....I'm in the abandoned hospital...and this was the room I... my thoughts stopped short as I shuffled towards the door. I have to get out of here, too many horrid nightmares have happened in between these four walls. As I walked out of the room and down a hallway, I froze in place when I heard a noise. It sounded faintly like someone coughing,  which never led to anything good. It could be the hooded man, which meant The Operator was closeby. Or Alex,  in which case him being close was true either way.  I slowly continued down the hall, my eyes catching a figure laying against a wall as I peered into one of the doorways. Through the night I could make out an outline of hair, so cross off the hooded man. He also seemed hurt, clutching onto one of his arms and I faintly smelled iron. Blood. The man was bleeding, he must be to focused on the pain to notice me. There's no way I should stay and risk this man being Alex, the guy I once knew. He coughed and groaned, and I couldn't exactly put my finger on that tone of voice, it sounded so familiar, so... The head slowly lifted up, revealing emerald green eyes bright even throughout the gloomy dark. I stepped closer to him and breathed out, mostly out of relief of the figure not being Alex. But the thought suddenly hit me that he was hurt, and I crouched in front of him of him, reaching forward and laying a hand on his shoulder. "Tim...." He said, his raspy voice breaking the silence...and I replied, tightening my grip. "Jay..."