Disturbance At The Heron House

I... must... stay... awake. It has... to be all right. I can't lose her... she can't die.

It's all my fault. No good deed goes unpunished. I'm... so tired....

It... it all started this morning. A typical morning for eight people locked inside an insane asylum. I have to keep them alive. Only I can. That includes keeping them fed, and keeping the few appliances we have working. I also have to try to heal their minds... I can't let them lose hope.... they have to believe we'll get out of here.

Carrie. Carrie has been looking more and more stressed these days... no matter how much she plays the guitar, it doesn't help her mood. The music is pretty good, but it's not enough for her any more. I figured.. I'd give her a friendly kiss. you know, just to lift her spirits.

Well, it lifted them, all right. Too far. I knew she was in bad shape, but I didn't know how desperate she was... she took that simple peck and read it completely the wrong way, and declared she loved me too! Well, that wasn't my intent... I tried to explain it to her, but I had to go to work. I'd just gotten promoted to Getaway Driver, and I couldn't miss my first day. People in this organization have been killed for a lot less. As I walked out to the car pool, I saw her eating peacefully at the table. I thought I had nothing to worry about...

Apparently, I was... * yawn * wrong. Very wrong. When I got back from work this morning, I was exhausted, but I still wanted to say hello to Deanna before collapsing into bed. I did so with a warm hug. That's when Carrie came running over and forcing us apart, screaming that how dare I! How dare she! She was screaming like I had cheated on her! I tried to explain, but I got five across the face for my trouble. She left Deanna alone, and stormed off towards the rec room. I settled Deanna down, and fell back into bed. Deanna promised she'd try to settle Carrie down; and not to worry, she could handle it. I was too tired to argue, and fell asleep.

Well, while I was passed out, Carrie spent some time in the rec room, then went looking for Deanna, according to Leslie, who told me the story later. Carrie went right up to Deanna and slapped her "cheating (expletive) (adjective) (noun)" pretty hard.

Now, Deanna herself wasn't in all that great a mood. She'd been on her way to make herself some food, and was physically tired herself. She'd stayed up longer than usual to be awake when I got home from work. She knows about my plans to become a crime lord strong enough to bust us all out of here, and that it takes time. She still had the energy to hold her own against Carrie, but it hadn't come to blows.

I managed to get a few more hours of sleep, but I was awakened by a loud argument. Apparently Deanna had walked over to the window near the locker, to watch it rain. She always liked watching it rain. (Just like everyone else in this darned madhouse.) Well, Carrie came over and basically trapped Deanna in that corner between the locker and the bathroom wall, and started again with the riot act, with amendments. Well, Deanna gave as good as she got for a while, but she was near the end of her rope, too.

They'd been arguing and screaming at each other for five, ten minutes when I woke up and got out of bed. I called Deanna over, as well as yelled at Carrie for her actions. Without a word, Carrie walked away, clearing Deanna's way.

Deanna was a mess, though. All this screaming and fighting was unfamiliar to her, and she was hungry and exhausted. She was so hungry she couldn't sleep, and she was too tired to make food herself. I recognized the danger she was in... the medication she was on had the side effect of dramatically lowering a person's stamina. If she didn't eat soon, she could die. So, I made my way to the kitchen to make some food she could eat.

Wouldn't it just have to be MY turn to set the stove on fire. There was the usual running and screaming. I collected myself and ran for the phone to summon the fire department, who showed up thankfully before anything or anyone was hurt by the flames. It wasn't enough to prevent what happened next.

Deanna just... collapsed. I'd never heard such a sound; that of a body hitting the cold stone floor. I... think she was still breathing. She's still in trouble... I had to.. get... her off the floor. I have to help her... but the shock of seeing it... I think I fell over, myself. I... think Tammy helped me up and over to the double bed. "There's nothing more you can do, Brian," she said as Leslie came over to help her guide me to bed. "We'll do what we can for her. you need to sleep."

"She.... she needs to eat. Her medicine... she... she.."

"We know. Now sleep," Leslie said as they pulled the covers over me. I don't... even remember getting in the bed... I think... it's been an hour. Everything is fuzzy... I can't hear what's going on... I won't sleep. She... Deanna can't die... I can't move, I'm... so tired. I... love her. I have to save them all... I have to save her.

Wait... what's happening... footsteps? What's happening? I can't open my eyes.... did the covers move? The... bed's moving... someone's getting into this bed... with me... I can sense them behind me...

* sniff sniff * Someone with chili con carne on their breath. Wait.... she's... she's wrapping her arms around me... I can feel her breath on my neck....

"It's me, my love," her... HER voice says! "I'm all right. I'll be fine. We'll be fine."

Deanna! You're.... you're......

"Shhhh..... my darling. I need to sleep now. So do you." I feel her lips kiss the back of my... neck... it's.... it's all ... right.... zzzzzz......