Blurry

- 3 -

The confused and worried questions briefly sputtered out but Norman couldn't answer. He had to hang up, as painful as it was. He didn't know what to do with the phone, knowing Ethan would call again. He set it on ground beside his chair, unable to find a will to eat. He felt sick to his stomach for too many reasons. Overthinking wasn't helping either; already hearing the phone chime loudly. The sound of pained thoughts and the phone brought tears into the agent's eyes. He felt like crying in that moment, feeling deeply hopeless. Who knew when Ethan would arrive and if he could even help? A tear slipped from the agent's eyes when he thought of the stress he put on the poor man.

After that, the tears wouldn't stop. He felt hopeless, regretting putting his problems on Ethan's shoulders. Maybe he should've called someone else, someone who was in Washington instead of New York. But who? His supervisor sent him here! He didn't know any coworkers! No one else cared about him and it was only now in the blank room that it was realized. The pain of being alone felt as real as the situation he was in right now. It was a gasping for air sort of crying, feeling as if he was being crushed. Trust was broken and he felt broken.

Worst part was he wasn't even getting help. He was just being a test rat. Shoved into a situation to see how he would react. Given no advice, therapy, or even medicine to help. He simply wanted help against this problem that was truly affecting his life. He couldn't stop this one from happening, he had no control over this. Unlike ARI and triptocaine, he couldn't break the glasses or flush the drug away. All he could do was be thankful he wasn't going to die sooner because of his choices. But was that even true? Or was that a lie to gain trust?

Too many questions and tears falling faster at each one, Norman only had the phone to listen to. The sound was grounding, if the reason behind it was ignored. Taking a few deep breaths, the agent recovered himself and looked at the phone. Ethan had only called once after the phone call. The other phone calls were from whoever was in the owner's contacts, he wasn't about to pry too deeply. He kicked it towards the door, not caring about if it was damaged. He wiped away the left over tears and waited for whatever fresh hell would be next. An attack or darkness? Maybe a new test, since they could probably dig into his entire life to see what could be a trigger.

Norman assumed that days passed after he made the phone call. A new test had been thrown into the mix. The sound of a storm in a forest would now be played at random hours. Yet again, it did nothing to the agent. Nothing happened in response to him stealing a phone, thankfully. He hated the thought of what a punishment would be like since life felt like punishment currently. But the doctor's voice suddenly crackled through. Instantly, bubbling anger welled inside of Norman when he heard the voice that lied to him.

"Mr. Jayden, you have a visitor."

His heart stopped for a moment. Who could it be, was his first thought. He didn't respond, not trusting this. It had to be a lie. Another test. Bringing his hopes up only to absolutely crush them. Norman crossed his arms and only huffed in response. The silence felt crushing for a moment before the crackling hit again. But it wasn't the doctor this time, but the voice he heard days ago. That caught his attention, head snapping to the camera.

"Norman?"

The agent didn't know if he could be heard. A small nod was given, and minutes passed. The lock clicked and the door opened. Ethan practically stumbled in from how quick he was to enter the room, thankfully without the doctor. Norman wanted to scream, but only managed to stand and look relieved. He was exhausted, mentally and physically. But seeing that Ethan actually cared felt uplifting. Could he even get out of here just from a visit? Doubt started to fill his mind again, but a hand on his shoulder broke the train of thought.

"Let's get you out of here."

Doubt still felt present but Norman nodded. Would it really be as simple as that to leave? The realization that it would be hit like a train. His plan of calling Ethan was bigger than just to get the fact that he was in trouble out into the world. The doctor wasn't about to make it seem worse for himself, so he would let Norman simply leave since Ethan was here. He didn't even consider that depsite all the time he had to think. He nodded, a sigh of relief slipping out. The memory of Ethan leading him out of the hospital and into his car was a blur. Freedom felt like a sickeningly sweet feeling, washing over him and hugging his body. Fresh air never smelled so good, tears welling up in the agent's eyes again.

"Thank you."

He was surprised he was even able to speak at this point. His voice was weak, like a sob without the rest of what crying was. Ethan looked at him, eyes gentle and caring, and nodded. The car doors were unlocked and Norman sat down, almost falling asleep the second he felt the more comfortable seating. A blanket was placed on him, which made the urge to sleep stronger. He managed to get buckled before letting sleep take him. The last thing he heard before blissful and dreamless over took him were a reassured murmur.

"You're gonna be okay..."