So Far Away

“How can you not know?” Matt asked, confusion in his eyes as he put the papers down.

“I don’t know, I just don’t remember getting those done,” Zack replied, looking down at them. “What does it say?”

“We didn’t read it, it’s supposed to be your personal business.” Matt said, sitting in a chair beside Zack’s head.

“I don’t give a damn, open it up.” Zack said, moving his head more to see Matt better. Matt sighed and tore open the envelope, pulling out a thick packet. He flipped it open and read the first page, and could already tell it was a fake.

“I, Zachary Jams Backer…” Matt started reading out to Zack.

“Jams Backer? What the hell?” he asked, trying to crane his neck to see it better. Matt held it to where he could see that’s exactly what it said.

“Gena’s a terrible typist isn’t she?” Matt asked him suddenly.

“Yeah, but she wouldn’t fake a will.”

“Really, because it seems by this, she gets everything and everything you was going to give to Gaven and Gianna is going to her as well, including the small inheritance you planned for the both of them.”

“What, she wouldn’t do that, there has to be a mistake.” Zack said, trying to sit up. He sighed in frustration as he was forced back down by his restraints.

“I want to see her,” he told Matt.

“Can’t get a hold of her, I haven’t talked to her since I called her to tell her you were having to come here.” There was a silence between the both of them as Zack absorbed the information. It appears He was right about one thing, Gena didn’t want him anymore.

“Zack, what the hell is going on in your head?” Matt asked suddenly. “How long has this been going on?”

“A while actually,” Zack admitted, staring at the ceiling. “About five, six months.”

“Why didn’t you say anything sooner, before it escaladed to this.”

“Because I was able to ignore it, until the day you guys found out. Then, I don’t know it just got worse than it ever has been. I know what I’m hearing isn’t true, but I can’t help but feel that it is a little.”

“Like what?” Matt asked.

“Like Gena not caring about me anymore,” Zack stated. “You guys sending me here because you wanted me out of the way.”

“Zack, you’re one of our best friends, you’re a brother to us, we don’t want you here.”

“I know that,” Zack sighed. “but what you just said about Gena basically proves that true.”

“We’ve told you from the get go that Gena was all wrong for you dude,” Matt replied, shaking his head. “Just the way she looked told everyone that. Val told you she was no good, Michelle, hell even Johnny risked getting a slap to the head by telling you what he thought.”

“I know, I was blind,” Zack muttered, closing his eyes. “I’m sorry for not listening to you guys.”

“We’re just glad you did before you decided to marry her or something.” When Zack didn’t reply, Matt actually started wondering if he had fallen asleep, but when Zack sighed, he knew he was awake.

“Zacky, you wasn’t planning on marrying her were you?” Matt asked slowly.

“I was going to ask her, but that was before all this started.” Zack admitted finally.

“Good lord Zack, you really was blinded by her weren’t you?” Matt turned around as a female bounded into the room, a smile on her face and bright brown eyes.

“Oh, hello,” she said to Matt. “I’m Milla.” She held her hand out to Matt, who looked over at Zack with confusion in his eyes. Zack nodded, so Matt slowly took her hand and shook it.

“Matt,” he replied.

“Oh, you’re the lead singer for Avenged, Zack’s been telling me all about it.” Milla said, nodding her head.

“So, Milla, is it?” Matt asked, crossing his arms. “May I ask what you’re in here for?”

“Self-defense,” she replied with a shrug.

“I doubt they throw people in a place like this because of self defense,” Matt said.

“It’s true Matt, she told me,” Zack spoke up.

“My ex was abusive, I left him, he found me, I grabbed a knife to defend myself, but I guess I blacked out or something. They said in court I stabbed him probably 40 times, maybe more.”

“Damn, and I’m sorry, but he deserved what he got,” Matt replied, shaking his head grimly.

“What I didn’t tell Zack though, is the only thing that’s keeping me going right now is that I have a four year old daughter who needs me. I’m trying to get out of here, but those fuckers keep saying I’m too angry and I need to learn to control it better.”

“Bullshit,” Matt replied. “I would be angry too if my kid was forced away from me when I was just defending her and myself.”

“Glad I have two people on my side now,” Milla muttered. She sighed and picking at her fingernails.

“Who are you?” a voice from behind them asked. Matt and Milla turned around to see Zack’s doctor standing in the doorway. Behind him, Mellissa was watching with an apologetic look in her eyes.

“Mr. Baker is not allowed visitors of any kind, I’m sorry but you have to leave.”

“Wait, why am I not allowed to have visitors?” Zack asked, staring at the man with confusion in his eyes.

“It’s fine Zack,” Matt said. “I’m here because it seems Zack’s girlfriend was going behind his back and taking claim of his personal property. I wanted it to be brought to his attention.”

“Mellissa,” the doctor said. Mellissa nodded and grabbed Milla, shutting the door behind them as they left the room.

“You know too much already,” the doctor said before throwing a metal pan across the room. He then tousled his hair and ripped at his shirt. With his pen he scratched up his lip and face.

“What the hell are you doing?” Matt asked him, glancing toward Zack.

“Get out of here Matt, he’s going to try to trap you,” Zack shouted, realizing what he was doing right away. Matt stared at the doctor as he started calling for help. The door flew open and a nurse and two other doctors rushed in.

“He’s a mad man, stop him!” the guy said, wincing as though he was in pain. Matt quickly dodged the three people and took off down the hall. He passed Mellissa’s desk, and she was sitting under it, her hands clasping her hair and tears trailing down her eyes.

“Let’s go,” Matt said to her, grabbing her hand and rushing her out of the place.

“What the hell is going on in there?” Matt asked as he pulled out of the parking lot.

“I don’t know,” Mellissa admitted. “I just got a job there like a few other people. The only ones who know is Clemins and Zabrinsky and a few of the nurses.”

“You don’t know anything?” Matt asked her, glancing her way. The girl shook her head, staring out the window. Matt grabbing his cell phone as it started ringing.

“Yeah?” he answered.

“You sound out of breath and like your being chased, what’s up?” Jimmy asked from the other end.

“I was just seeing Zack,” Matt replied. “His fucking doctor showed up and beat the shit out of himself and tried to frame me into being forced in there. That place is seriously fucked up Jim.”

“Come over, we’ll talk about it then.” Jimmy replied.

“You’re coming with me, they know where you live.” Matt said to Mellissa as he hung up the phone. “We’re going to Jimmy’s house.”

“Jimmy, the Rev?” Mellissa asked. Matt nodded and turned down a street, stopping at Jimmy and Leana’s house a second later.

“Jimmy, Mellissa, Mellissa, Jimmy,” Matt as he and Mellissa walked into the house. “Leana around?”

“In the kitchen!” She called out.

“Do me a favor and keep her occupied for a minute?” Matt asked her. Leana nodded and took Mellissa back into the kitchen with her.

“What’s going on?” Jimmy asked, sitting on the couch.

“That place is fucked,” Matt muttered. “First I’ll tell you why I was there, Gena’s been messing with Zack’s stuff. Brian and I found this at his house.” Matt showed Jimmy the will, who died laughing when he saw how the made Zack’s name. “I went to talk to him about it, he said he had no idea what it is.”

“So Gena made a fake one up?” Jimmy asked.

“Seems that way,” Matt replied.

“I didn’t think she was smart enough for that,” Jimmy muttered. Matt resisted the urge to laugh by explaining what happened while he was at the institute.

“The guy literally made himself bleed, to force you into the place?” Jimmy asked, disbelief all over his face. “How fucked in the head is he?”

“I don’t know,” Matt muttered. “but I do know something is seriously going on in that place, and we have to figure out what it is or we’re definitely going to lose our friend.”