Nation 27

CH 34: What Is Happening…?

Warning:

This chapter contains aspects of memory loss, delusions, and a slight indication of Derealization Disorder that might be uncomfortable for certain readers. Please read at your own discretion.

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[Jared] 

*Tick*

*Tick-tock*

*Tick-tock, tick-tock*

The ticking from a clock echoed loudly as it pierced deep into Jared’s consciousness.

“Jared…”

*Tick-tock, tick-tock*

‘Why is this voice so familiar?’ Jared thought as awareness began to set in.

“It isn’t polite to intentionally disregard and feign ignorance. I know that you’re awake, so let’s halt all these dramatics, shall we?”

‘No… This voice…’ Jared felt a chill course through his body, ‘It can’t be…’

Jared’s eyes shot wide open, and his eyes almost immediately adjusted to the dimly lit room.

“D-Doctor Heine…”

“Yes, did you miss me?”

It was a nightmare all over again. He was in the same room that was covered with mint green tiles. Jared was back in Doctor Heine’s office. As a sinking fear set in, the heart monitor machine strapped to him beeped at an elevated pace.

Jared struggled and tried to get up, but his body felt numb and heavy. Only belatedly did he realize that he was bound and restrained to the hospital bed.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. You’ve grown rebellious despite the immense care and treatment I’ve given you. Ah, such a pity. Your mother will be so disappointed,” Doctor Heine said tauntingly.

*Tick-tock, tick-tock*

“W-why are you-”

“Oh, my dear! I’ve missed you so much,” an elderly woman exclaimed as she ran towards his bed.

It was a face Jared had missed dearly even if he felt a little bittersweet. This woman was after all the reason he had to endure all of the torture.

“M-Mom,” Jared’s voice cracked from the overwhelming wave of emotions that surged within him.

‘Did she always look this old and exhausted?’ Jared thought as he noticed the dark circles around her eyes and the amount of greying hair she had.

*Tick-tock, tick-tock*

With teary eyes, Jared’s mother stroked his hair gently, “You’re going to be okay, dear. You just have to stay strong for me. Can you do that?”

*Tick-tock, tick-tock*

‘Where is that clock? I can hear its tickings, but I don’t see it… Oh.’

Jared then spotted a black and gold clock that was placed on the table just a few feet away from his bed. The design was unique, to say the least, especially the numberings which were irregular in size.

‘What time is it?’ Jared briefly wondered as he squinted in the hope of better seeing the hands of the clock. However, the hands of the clock seem to be small and frustratingly just out of his visual range.

“I’m afraid that he’s too engrossed on that clock to hear what you just said,” Doctor Heine said softly to Jared’s mother, “The unfortunate part is that he could never seem to tell the exact date and time…”

“No…” Jared’s mother started tearing up.

“I’m sorry to inform you, but it may seem that more treatments should be introduced in order for Jared to truly recover a relatively normal state of mind,” Doctor Heine as he handed over some papers to Jared’s mother, “I just need you to sign these forms.”

It truly was a nightmare.

“No… P-Please don’t do this…” Jared begged.

“Your son has been undergoing non-invasive treatments for almost a year and there has been no signs of improvement. I’m afraid that we need to take a more aggressive approach to his treatment. Otherwise, he’ll never leave this room, not even if it was simply to take a stroll along the facility’s halls for exercise or to socialize with the other patients in the recreational area,” Doctor Heine urged Jared’s mother.

‘What? Is this all really happening? All the time I spent with Louis and the others…Was it all my mind playing tricks on me?’

“I understand but-”

“Rachel, you have to listen to me. I can only help your boy if you allow me to perform a more radical set of treatments. Your son’s condition has deteriorated to the extent that he can no longer keep track of the date and time,” Doctor Heine urged.

‘Rachel? Since when did Doctor Heine ever call my Mom by her name?’ Jared thought as he glanced back at the clock on the table, ‘Wait… Was the clock this close? I thought it was a few feet away but it’s basically within an arm’s reach away… But why can’t I see the time?’

Jared even started to arch his body closer toward the clock but this time, it felt as if the numbers on the clock were all jumbled up. Every time he blinked, the position of the numbers would change positions.

‘Is this real? What’s going on?’

Jared’s view was then blocked by his mother who kneeled next to the bed and right in front of him.

“Jared, do you know what time it is?” his mother asked.

“I…” Jared hesitated. He was afraid that confessing to his inability to even see the numberings on the clock would cause the number of treatments to increase.

“Please, Jared…” his mother begged.

“...No, I can’t see the numbers… They keep… changing…”

“A difficulty in seeing numbers… Hm… That may be due to a manifestation of dyscalculia. Well, there’s no relation to a person’s age, level of education, ability, or experience,” Doctor Heine spoke out loud as he scribbled on a notepad.

“...up.”

“Pardon? I didn’t quite hear what you said, Madame.”

“I said ‘SHUT UP’! I want to talk to Jared- ALONE!” Jared’s mother yelled at the doctor who surprisingly did not utter another word before leaving the room.

“M-Mom?” Jared asked as both anxiety and relief began to build within his body. 

This was exactly how Jared had always wanted his mother to react whenever Doctor Heine gave one of his long lectures on the plethora of intensive treatments Jared would need to undergo. However, it was only wishful thinking on Jared’s part as his mother would always consent to the increasingly painful set of treatments.

“Jared,” his mother placed a hand tentatively against his cheek, “Do you know where you are?”

‘Wait… Did Mom ever dye her hair? Why are there dark purple highlights…?’

“Y-Yes, this is the facility of XXX.”

‘Wait… What did I say? I meant to say Nation 27. What’s happening?’

“Oh… No, it’s Empire 10.”

“What?”

“Shh… Don’t worry… Now, do you know what date it is? I know you looked at the clock just now but there’s a calendar next to it. Did you see the date?”

“No…” Jared struggled against his restraints.

“Okay. What was the last date you remember, and what happened then?”

“October 29th… Brien and his men were looking for a clue while I was talking with Clara…”

‘Why is my vision blurry? Was I given sedatives or something?’

“Jared, it’s already November 2nd. Brien and the others entered the annex building on October 30th…  You were helping Clara in her garden on November 1st.”

‘Is this real? Mom and Doctor Heine said that I hadn’t left this room for almost a year and it looked like I never had the chance to even meet Louis… Plus the facility is supposed to be in Empire 10, but why is Mom talking about the stuff that happened in Nation 27? …No… How does she even know about Brien and the others?’

“-glitch-” Jared’s mother continued to talk, but her voice seemed too muffled for him to understand.

‘Is this the real world?’

“...Jared-”

‘Or is this also a part of my imagination?’

“Jared, listen to me!” his mother yelled.

Jared’s eyes widened when he noticed his mother was back to her usual self- appearing like a middle-aged woman with straight, black hair.

‘What is happening…?’

“Jared, get up and do not slow down for anyone.”

“What?” Jared looked down at his body which was still bound firmly to the hospital bed, “I can’t get up. I’m still-”

There was a mixture of fear and grief in his mother’s eyes.

“I love you so much. But please-”

“Mom, I-”

“Get up now!” she screamed as she grabbed both of his shoulders.

Even so, Jared only felt the pain coming from his right shoulder and the side of his head.

“NOW, JARED! WAKE UP RIGHT N-”

Jared was back in a familiar room. It was the room he had been sleeping in for the last few months. From the look of things, Jared had fallen from the bed.

Jared sighed in relief, “So, it was all a drea-”

The facility’s alarms started blaring, and his room was suddenly plunged into pitch darkness.

Seconds later, distant shouts and screams could be heard.

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[Question time:]

Was it all a dream, delusion, or something else entirely? Was it really October 29th in chapter 33?

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