Dark Nights

What Do You Want?

The door opened without a sound, though Joshua likely heard your chains rattling from before as the door was slightly cracked. The room was just like the one you had just left. Stark white brick walls, papered table, no windows, and Joshua alone in the room.

He sat on the table with his back to you. He was slightly hunched over so you could barely see the top of his head which had been recently cut to the point where he had no hair at all.

The straightjacket that bound his arms to his body looked uncomfortably tight, even though he looked like all the fight had left his body. Maybe it was a ploy to try and lure someone in, maybe not.

You stepped into the room and let the door shut silently behind you, though the chains around your ankles definitely announced your arrival. He made no reaction, he just stayed right there, he did not even tilt his head slightly.

You wanted to open your mouth and say the thanks that you had been wanting to give. Nothing came out though, you did not even open your mouth.

Words were not what he needed nor wanted right now. The silence in the room was soon very awkward and uncomfortable. You often shifted your weight between feet as the minutes passed by.

He still did not react, it was like you were not in the room at all. You wanted to comfort him for some reason, even if he had been mean to you the entire time he was here. Maybe it was because you were used to comforting Elliot a lot.

Maybe it was because he had just lost his brother and it was just instinct for you to try and comfort him. Or maybe that is just what you had to do right now. If only you knew how.

You racked your memories to try and think of ways that you could possibly do it without words. Maybe there was something you could do.

You remembered oftentimes in the courtyard or free time where Jack and Joshua would sit back to back in complete silence. No word was spoken between them, but the proximity said more than words could.

You took small baby steps forward before climbing onto the table yourself with shakey hands and legs. You tried to keep your breathing steady so it was not obnoxious in the quiet room. The papers crinkled underneath you as you shifted around so you were facing away from Joshua while seated.

You did not press your back to his though, it was close, but no contact was made. You did not want to set him off by trying to do something he and Jack did when you were not even close. You just... wanted him to know he was not alone here. After all, in Willy's sinister words from a long time ago, you were all family now.

That was it, It stayed silent in the room. You kept your hands on your knees as you looked down at the ground. Everything was painfully bright in this room. There was only the table in this room, no Doctor's desk and nothing to decorate the walls either. It was like they were trying to make their patients feel trapped.

You went stiff as the sound of Joshua's straightjacket shifted slightly. You could feel his eyes on you now, staring down at the back of your head.

You did not turn to meet his gaze though, not sure of what would happen if you looked him in the eyes. Now that he was looking at you, what would he do? Would he shove you away and scream at you? would he start a conversation?

The answer came shorty when you heard the fabric shift again, and you did not feel his eyes on you anymore. Minutes upon minutes of silence passed in the room. The two of you only speaking in your thoughts.

You wondered what he was thinking right now. Probably thoughts about Jack. You hoped that you being here was helping in some way shape or form instead of just irritating him. Suddenly a nurse walked in and gasped as she saw you.