Sicko laid alone in his dark cell on the thin, firm mattress. The lights were off, and it was quiet except for the sound of the leaking faucet on the wall across from his bed.

His cell smelled musty like always, likely from leaking pipes behind the wall near the vents. It wasn’t a glamorous way to live, to be locked up in the Greater Memphis Psychiatric Institute. It had been years since he had been thrown away by society into the “care” of Dr. Dean.

Through the small glass window, he noticed the hallway lights turn on. The sliver of light pierced through the window and onto Sicko’s twisted face. His eyes winced, but then quickly adjusted.

Footsteps.

The familiar tapping of Dr. Dean’s dress shoes echoed from the hallway and grew louder with every step. Finally, the sound of the dress shoes stopped, and Sicko watched Dr. Dean’s smug face appear in the window.

Dr. Dean looked down at Sicko and smiled.

“My dear, Sicko,” the doctor began. “As you know, your counterpart has been loose for quite some time.”

Sicko sat up, looked at the window and nodded slowly.

“I am afraid that I must try a new tactic to regain possession of Abel,” Dr. Dean continued while stroking his goatee. “And it involves you, my boy.”

Again, Sicko nodded his head up and down slowly.

“In order to capture my patient, I believe I need to use a patient.”

The Doctor thought carefully for a moment and then pointed his finger against the window at Sicko.

“If I let you loose to capture Abel, you can trust your stay with me will be much, much better.”

Sicko’s face contorted into an attempted smile.

“Can I trust you will return to me? You know that the Orderlies will find you if you don’t return, and you know they are not as kind as I am.”

Dr. Dean furrowed his brow and watched Sicko carefully.

“…Sicko find Abel…” replied the deranged mental patient. “Sicko… not escape. Sicko… come back with Abel.”

Sicko watched Dr. Dean grin to himself.

“Very good, my boy. Very good.”

The Doctor’s face disappeared from the window, and the tapping of dress shoes against the hallway floor faded away.

The hallway light shut off, and again, Sicko was alone in his dark cell.