Lies #5: Sanders

Chapter 4

Patton:

The blinding light enveloped all of them and Patton raised a hand to block it, but found himself blinking awake in the office of the mental hospital. The helmet had lifted off his head and his head felt extremely groggy. A groan came from two seats to his left- Virgil. Wait... that was just a dream. None of that was real! Is forgetting it's a dream intentional? Patton rubbed his forehead in confusion. None of us died, so I guess Logan passed the test? He looked to his right to see if Logan was alright. Logan was sitting quietly in his chair, his face concentrated in deep thought. While Virgil and Roman got up to stretch a bit, Patton tilted his head a bit. "Hey, how are you doing?" There was something about Logan that he felt drawn to. Maybe it was Logan's openness, but he was also truly kind. He's so calm and relaxed- he takes the time to say what needs to be said.

"I'm fine," Logan looked up, his train of thought halting behind his eyes. "Thank you. Without your encouragement, I would've ended up dead. Although that might seem to be the best option now, I know that, hopefully, I won't feel that way by the end of today. J. S. promised me a way to become fully human again if I came here. But I did learn an important lesson from the test." Standing up, he extended his hand to Patton. "I don't need to feel like a burden. If I simply ask for help, things will be easier. I have a condition that limits my understanding of other people, but those same people can help me try to understand."

For a moment, Patton didn't move or say anything. I... I helped him! He thanked me for it! Nobody had done that before. Whenever Patton offered help or advise, everyone always turned it down or told him they didn't need it. He didn't know why they did it, and he was beginning to think there was something wrong with him. But Logan... "Y-You're welcome! I'm here to help in any way I can!" He grasped Logan's hand and was pulled onto his feet. But as the blood rushed to his head, so did the dread and guilt. Logan's hand felt like it was burning into his own, a warning. What am I doing? I'm acting like- I'm-

Virgil let out a groan, "Can we go now? Patton's is the nearest one, if we go now, we can probably finish that up before-" he pulled out his phone to look at the time. "-ten-thirty."

"Hey," Roman spoke up for the first time in quite a while, actually. "Maybe we shouldn't rush through this so fast. To be honest, that hospital was kinda weird and I'd like to just sit down for a minute. And Logan, you just went through your test and probably wanna think about it a little more. Patton, how ready are you feeling for your test?"

My test? The rumbling dread was starting to transform into anxiousness. "I-I-" What is my test going to be like? What will they see? What if... Dad is there? Anything could happen in a dream, and the last person Patton wanted to see was his father, real or not. Roman seemed to pick up on his worries and he raised an eyebrow at Virgil. "We can leave in five to ten minutes. Today is stressful enough without having the feeling that we're running out of time."

His mouth ajar in frustration, Virgil clutched his hands into fists and took a deep breath. "Fine. But we're not leaving any later than in ten minutes. Some of us are actually here to do something useful." After giving Roman a glare, he sat back down in his chair with huff. I need to get out of here. Patton didn't want them to think he was afraid- he was there for them! What if they leave me because I'm too worrisome? The thought of being alone was scary, but annoying his three new friends was even scarier. "I'm- I'm gonna try to find a bathroom," he blurted out. "I'll be right back." With that, he ducked out of the office and started jogging down the hallway.

Luckily, the bathrooms were almost directly next to the office. Patton slipped into the mens' room and stood in front of the sink counter, looking at his reflection in the mirror. He looked the same as always, but the thoughts in his head were different. I have to stop thinking about Logan! He's just another guy, nothing's special about him! And he definitely can't be special to me! The Lord has stated what is right and wrong, and thinking like that is wrong. He closed his eyes and then pulled a small object out of his back pocket. It was a pocketknife; he'd brought it for the worst-case scenario, if Thomas and Joan needed defending. Logan is nothing more to me than a new friend, and he can never be anything more. His hand shaking, Patton lifted the blade and prepared himself for the next few moments. He didn't know how painful this was going to be, but he had to do it. It would serve as a reminder to just be friends with Logan.