Page 42 of Fragments

But Joy’s not having any of it. She barely even seems like she’s listening, clutching his arm while she watches Ren rolling on the floor, cackling like a crazy person.

Dash grows visibly twitchy. He’s blinking an awful lot, shaking his head over and over and mumbling to himself.

“Dash?” I murmur, stepping closer to him with chills of unease buzzing across my skin.

He doesn’t look good… I’m fucking worried about him.He looks like he might pass out.

Joy flips her hand up and barks, “Stay where you are, inmate, or you’ll go to the hole with him.”

Mouth hanging open, I stand helpless, with one friend about to collapse and the other losing what’s left of his mind. My eyes flit to Kang, who’s staring at Ren with concern lining his face. He glances at me, and we share a telepathicwhat the fuck??

Dash crumbles to his knees and stares at the floor, eyes as wide as saucers.

Joy arches a brow at him and mutters, “Oh, boy…” under her breath.

Stomping footsteps come from the distance, and moments later, Velle and Rook burst into the room, pausing to take in the scene. Velle storms over to Ren, dropping to his knees next to him. He grabs Ren by the arms, pinning him to the floor in an attempt to maybe rein in his episode. Ren squirms beneath him, laughter echoing as he gasps for air, coughing spatters of blood.

“Jesus…” Rook grunts. “What the hell happened to him?”

“This one happened.” Joy nods down at a trembling Dash.

“I didn’t… I… didn’t…” Dash stutters.

My nervous gaze bounces between Dash and Ren, but I’m weighted to the floor. I want to do something,anything,to help either of them, but I can’t move. If I do, Joy and Velle will stop me, throw me in the hole, or worse.

I hate this feeling… Ihatebeing forced not to react.

I’msuffocating.

Velle barks over his shoulder at Rook to get Dash out of here, smacking Ren on the cheek. “Focus, 48. Snap the fuck out of it.”

Rook hauls Dash to his feet and tugs him, stumbling and barely walking upright, out of the room.

Joy stomps over to Kang and me, cuffing our wrists. “Come on, inmates. Back upstairs.” She grabs her and Kang’s things, already walking toward the door when she turns to snap at us over her shoulder, “Let’s go.”

Kang follows after her, but I’m hesitating, eyes still stuck on Ren. “Is he gonna be okay…?”

“What the fuck did I say, 35??” Her voice bellows at me, but I’m too busy watching Velle fasten cuffs around Ren’s wrists and hoist him up over his shoulder.

Ren’s not small by any means, but Velle’s just lugging him like a sack of wacky potatoes.

“Move your fucking ass, inmate,” Velle snarls at me, eerily calm as he carries Ren past me. He glares at Kang on his way out the door. “Don’t think I forgot that shit you pulled with the cell phone down here.”

“This has nothing to do with that,” Kang mutters, but Velle’s already gone.

Scuttling along, I’m trying to catch up to him and find out where he’s bringing Ren. Hopefully, he’s just going back to his cell. It’s not like there’s an infirmary or anything… But my main concern is that he’ll dump Ren in the East Wing.

I really hope not. I can’t deal with that again…

By the time we get through the end of the long corridor, Velle is already gone, and I can’t tell which direction he went. This place is like a maze, with some hallways leading to the same place, others going somewhere completely different. It’s a fucking mess. I’ve been here forever, and I still barely understand the layout.

There are distinguishing marks in certain places, and we try to memorize them so we can remember where we are. It helps to have a good sense of direction, though it’s essentially a labyrinth of leaking concrete.

Joy and Kang are whispering about something while we walk, but I can’t even be bothered to pay attention. I’m too busy obsessing over what just went down.

I hope Dash is okay…

And Ren. Jesus. He just lost it.