The Last Performance (Hybrid Chronicles Spin-off)

Next Steps - Payton

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Word count: 1632
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Payton

I can hear sobbing as I feel myself coming too. My eyelids are fluttering and I yawn several times, but during this, I'm able to make out a figure that's hunched over, sitting in a chair, feet tapping against the floor and they're clutching their hair lightly which only seems to be fueling whatever their problem is worse.

"H-Hello?" I murmur, sitting up. I'm on a hospital bed in a private room and I realize the person crying is Gabriel I met in reception. He stops shaking, tapping and looks up at me quickly with tears in his eyes.

He wipes them away, trying to hide his shame. "What's wrong?" I ask, adjusting my position on the bed slightly. "What's wrong with me? It's you we should be worried about, Payton! Do you realize what you did?" He snaps at me, standing up. But his not angry, more scared it seems. I rack my brain for the last thing I remember, but not all of it comes back. What happened after I used force to get into the main area of the emergency room?

Then a thought hits me. "Carl!" I cry, swinging my feet to the floor and I jump out of bed. He just shakes his head, sits down and curls up, rocking slightly. I run to the door and pull it open, stepping out, but I'm stopped immediately by two security guards who are standing on either side of the door. They grasp my arms and I let out a yelp, trying to pull out of their grasp, but they don't let me go. I start squealing while I try to kick and hit.

"Miss Payton, you should return to bed." One of the Guards tell me. "No! I don't know what's going on, what's going on?" I ask, trying not to cry when I hear foot-steps and turn my head to see Holly striding towards us. "Holly!" I cry out, eyes widening. She turns the door handle to the room I came from, pushing it open and stands there, holding it open.

"Payton, come back into the room and we'll talk, okay? I also have some water and medicine for you." She tells me.

"W-why? No, no! Anything you have to tell me, you tell me out here! I'm not going back in there, Holly! I want to leave!"

"It's not up to you now, Payton." She responds. "But complying with with our directions will make this situation easier on you."

"S-situation? What situation?" I ask, the Guards still not letting me go. "A room has opened up, that's the room you're in now. It's yours." She tells me.

"And I've filled out the necessary paperwork and also had it marked off by of my colleagues-"

"Don't say what I think you're telling me!" I cry.

"Payton, we've made the decision to file a scheduling. That allows us to hold you for up to 72 hours for assessment and if we feel you need more time, we can look at extending the hold and how we can best help you get better and during this process, you have a right to an advocate and a lawyer. If you cannot afford them, they will be provided to you, using public funding.

Also, you are to be treated with respect and dignity while you're with us and we're required to explain to you anything we're going to do so we know you understand, every step of the way even though it's likely not what you want."

"I'm not sick, Holly! I'm not sick, I'm not sick!" I cry, sinking to the floor and the Guards squat down, going with me. "Payton, it's clear you're not well. Now come back into your assigned room and we can talk about this." She tells me.

"I-I can't!" I whimper. "How come?" She asks. "I-I-I-I..." I stammer. "You what?" She responds.

"I-I don't trust you, I don't trust anybody-"

"And we can work on that, Payton-"

But she's cut off. "Payton, just get your butt back into the room! You're giving me a bloody headache!" I hear Gabriel yell. I stand up slowly, taking shaky steps towards Holly.