My Favorite Part Was Dying

"I've been watching Dr. Robinson. He likes messing with his patients' heads --"

"Yeah, I already noticed that," Gerard said, a frown on his face, just at the thought of talking to the man.

"Yeah, well, he's doing really... illegal things. Some of the other doctors are in on it but a few aren't." Mikey said.

"Okay, drop the cryptic. What illegal things?" Gerard asked, his eyes boring into his brother's. Mikey shifted and swallowed.

"There's a passageway. It leads down past the basement to a room. I-It's like a fucking torture chamber. It looks like it's been here as long as the hospital has. Used back in the '20's and '30's. It has all the old equipment. But I've seen him down there. He brings the patients that are really drugged up and can't protest. Or sometimes the rebellious ones." Mikey looked pointedly at Gerard. "And to keep them from talking he starts drugging them up too. That's why you've got to shut up. Shift the focus off of you. Lay low, he'll go after someone else. It's terrible, but what else can you do?"

Gerard stared at his brother in silence. He could barely believe it. He knew Dr. Robinson was a creep but he would never have suspected him to be that sadistic.

"What does he do to them?" he finally asked, unsure if he really wanted an answer. Mikey shook his head.

"I don't stay long, I can't stand there and watch...." he grimaced, "But I've seen enough to know that this place should be shut down, that him and half the staff should be thrown in jail."

Suddenly Gerard heard footsteps and keys clank right outside the door. He stared wide-eyed at his brother. Mikey nodded silently and faded out of sight. The door opened and a bulky nurse stood before him. It wasn't Jacob. Gerard eyed the name tag; Robert.

"Dr. Robinson wants to see you." he said in a deep, gravelly voice. Gerard shakily stood up and followed the man. He had a cold air about him. Gerard didn't try to make conversation with him.

"...half the staff should be thrown in jail." Mikey's words played in Gerard's head again. The long walk to Robinson's office had finally ended. Dread filled Gerard as Robert opened the door and gestured for him to go in. Gerard gingerly stepped into the office.

Just lay low. Mikey's right. Don't do anything until you come up with a plan. Gerard told himself as he took a seat in the large leather chair in front of the doctor's desk. In his preoccupation, he hadn't noticed that he was completely alone in the large austere office. A wood panel door beside a large bookcase opened with a bang that made Gerard jump. In walked Dr. Robinson, a little smirk on his face.

"Hello, Gerard," he said brightly.

"H-Hi," Gerard squeaked out. Dr. Robinson studied Gerard for a moment as he sat down behind his desk.

"How are you feeling today?"

"Uh... Okay." Gerard said quietly. Again, Dr. Robinson bored into him, making Gerard even more nervous.

"You don't have to lie here, tell me what you're actually feeling." he said with an air of false compassion.

"Uh, well I miss my friends," Gerard murmured. He realized it was best if he told the truth. It was too hard to make up lies. "And, I-I miss drawing. I did that a lot...." he was about to complain about Dr. Robinson ordering his pencils to be taken away, but decided against it. He didn't want to dig himself into a deeper hole than the one he was already in.

"You seem guarded," Dr. Robinson noted.

Gerard gulped and tried to prove the doctor's statement wrong, even though it couldn't be more true. "Well, I don't know. I guess I'm just not used to this place. It's really different than home and school and stuff..." he finished lamely. Dr. Robinson raised his eyebrows and nodded slowly, making a note in Gerard's file.

God, why did Mikey tell me? Now I'm freaking out and it's so obvious! Looks like ignorance is bliss.

This hole you put me in
wasn't deep enough...