Multi-Fandom One Shots

You Are My Sanctuary (Lana Winters)

This world is chaos. This home... was. It isn't really a home. Briarcliff Manor was run by the Catholic Church and it was an institution for the Criminally Insane, or just the insane. You knew that was why you were here. From a young age, you'd heard and seen things no one else did. Sister Jude said it was the Devil tempting you. Dr. Arden said it was a disease randomly firing neurons, whatever that was. Neither of their theories helped when you were alone. Of course, you were never alone anymore. They constantly chittered, buzzing like flies filling your brain. The medicine only quietened your inner voice. And so went your outer voice. You spoke when spoken to, but there seemed no point in talking any other times. There was no one to listen, no sense to eek out. 

Until she came. Sitting in the day area, you listened to the French tune on repeat when a new admission entered. She carried herself with confidence all though she was definitely cautious. The room was hardly filled with patients, most in their rooms or receiving treatment. Still, with all the empty seats in the room, the newbie chose the sofa of which you occupied one cushion. You didn't speak, didn't move, just read your book. Others whispered to you while you did, but you tried to focus on the pages, on the images the words painted. You supposed it was this stillness, lack of outward symptoms, that made her believe you were like her, wrongfully committed, maybe even just another lesbian. You didn't look at her, didn't support her suspicions. You stayed focused on your book until brown locks hovered over the paper. Attentive brown eyes sought you out curiously. She introduced herself and you pulled yourself together enough to do the same. 

"What'd you do?" she asked as if Briarcliff were a mere jail. But how could you deny this nosy beauty her answers? 

You were charmed by Lana's energy, her smile. She was still so new, only on her first visit to this room, but you could feel her fighting spirit. You wondered if the song, the medications, or the punishments would break that first. "I hear voices. They tell me to do things I shouldn't."

Lana's face fell, and she stared at you suspiciously. "Do you do them?" she asked. 

You shook your head, going back to your book. "Not anymore." You figured she would leave, unsettled. Everyone left, and a few left you here. But a chilled hand landed on yours. You looked up through your eyelashes. 

"Then there's no reason we can't stick together." It would be a lie to say you weren't hopeful, but after so many years in Braircliff, you learned not to show it and definitely not to believe. But Lana slid her hand across yours, giving you goosebumps, and she held your forearm. Lana was now very close to you and you could see the wrinkles and the hope when she smiled. "Wouldn't you like that?" Lana was willing to do anything to get out of the hospital/prison, but if that was going to happen, she needed friends. Where she could find none, she would make some. Someone had to watch Lana's back, and she would take them outside with her. It took the brunette all of two seconds to tell you liked her. Whether romantically or otherwise, the reporter could charm you with that. And from the blush in your eyes at her mere touch, she guessed she wouldn't have to try very hard. 

"Hands off!" the only orderly in the room instructed the lesbian. 

Lana leapt away as if you had burned her, but her partner-in-crime wink let you know she held no grudges. It wasn't your fault Jude has sniffed out her 'sin'. 

From day one, you two had become inseparable. Though, it was hardly noticeable as everyone thought you were so out of it, you had no sense, no way to orient where you were and what you wanted. But you weren't so apart from this world. Anytime you were in the day area, you and Lana drifted to the same couch. You played cards, ate together, took your meds together, and you really only split for treatments, chores, and curfew. You didn't know it, but you were Lana's safe place. No matter what happened if the brunette could just see you, she somehow knew she could handle it, whatever it was. Lana wasn't sure why. Wendy had given her confidence by being herself, letting her be herself. You needed her to be strong just as she needed to be strong.