Sam headed off to find Koji. His roommate saw a different doctor for his private session. Since they weren’t allowed back into their rooms until bedtime, Sam expected Koji would be in the rec room.

The rec room was where the patients spent most of their day. When not in one of the many sessions schedule throughout the week, patients could come to the room to read or watch TV. There were tables for board games and even a pool table, though Sam never used that.

The only other room of any real interest to Sam was the library. Patients couldn’t spend any length of time there. Basically they could spend enough time to find a book, check it out, and then leave.

Sure enough, Koji was in a corner of the rec room, curled up on a couch. Sam sighed. The kid didn’t look so hot. It hadn’t been a good day all around, had it?

“Hey,” Sam said, sitting down on the other end of the couch. He was careful not to touch Koji.

“Oh, hi,” Koji looked up. “How’d it go?”

“Eh, y’ know Dr Brown. Still on those dreams o’ mine. She says th’ strangest things sometimes. I mean, I can’t help havin’ the dreams, but she acts like I can. They’re just dreams, no matter how real they feel.”

“Yeah, but sometimes when you tell me about them, you talk like they’re memories from your past. And you’re better than you used to be, but you still space out sometimes.”

“That’s what she said, about the memories I mean. She even acted like I believed I was under some kind o’ spell or somethin’. Which is crap. I don’t get where she comes up with these things.”

Koji glanced up, out into the room.

“Aw man,” he said.

Sam looked up as well. One of their group members, Lou, had been close enough to hear their conversation. Now he was coming over a sneer on his face.

“For someone who gets special treatment,” Lou said, “You sure complain a lot.”

“Didn’t ask f’ it.” Sam answered, looking away. It should have been enough of a clue that he didn’t want to talk, but Lou stayed where he was.

“Yeah, and what makes you so special anyway?” Lou asked. “No one else from group gets one on one time with Dr Brown.”

Sam shrugged. “Y’ want it, y’ can have it. I don’t want t’ see her twice.”

“How can you say that? She’s done so much for us.”

“And yet, we’re still here.”

“Because we haven’t given our all. We’re at fault, not her.”

“Whatever.”

“With that attitude, I’ll be well and out of here long before you.”

Sam pushed up so he could look Lou in the eyes over the back of the couch. “Right, sure y’ will. I’ve seen plenty o’ patients come into this place, but I’ve never seen anyone leave. I wonder why that is. I’ve been here three years and I still have the dreams that they say got me into Wellhaven. Koji’s been here, what, six? The voices haven’t gotten any better for ‘im far as I can tell. And I don’t really care what th’ hell’s your problem, but y’ ve been here long ‘nough that y ’should’ve made some progress, but y’ haven’t. And I’m sure y’ ve been a real good boy f’ your precious Dr Brown. So, either we’re hopeless cases, or there’s somethin’ seriously wrong with this place. Whichever, don’t care, get outta m’ face.”

Sam sat back down hard enough that the couch thumped forward with him. Lou stood there opened mouthed, apparently searching for something to say. When he couldn’t come up with something, he stalked away, red faced.

“Good boy.” Sam muttered.

“You really think that’s true?” Koji asked in a small voice.

“What’s true?” Sam couldn’t remember all he said. He kind of just went off on the guy. That was one of the reasons he wasn’t so good with people. Usually he said nothing, or way too much.

“That we’ll never get out of here? That…that we’re hopeless cases?” Koji continued in the same small voice.

“Oh hell. Koji, I was just…I mean…I was just sorta tryin’ t’ get him t’ go away, y’ know? I know what a hard on he’s got f’ Dr Brown. He thinks this place’ll cure him if he just believes. I…”

“You do believe it. You at least believe there’s something wrong with this place or you wouldn’t have said it. You don’t say things you don’t mean.”

“I say lots o’ stuff I don’t mean. Well, ‘cept t’ you maybe.” Sam sighed. “But, okay, yeah, I think there’s something wrong with this place. It’s like I said. I’ve seen people get put in here, but I’ve never seen any patients discharged. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen any patients even look like they’re gettin’ any better.”

“Not that you talk to them.”

Sam snorted. “No. But I do watch. Not much else t’ do sometimes. And I know y’ aren’t getting’ any better. I know I’m not gettin’ any better. So what’s that about? They don’t tell us what meds we’re on, and the sessions feel just…weird. I mean, I don’t know what a place like this is supposed t’ be like. It’s just, I don’t think it’s supposed t’ be like this. Y’ know?”

Koji was quiet for a long moment. Sam let him alone. He knew that look. His roommate was processing everything Sam had just said. Koji didn’t have amnesia. He could remember his past from outside the hospital. Not that it had been all that pleasant, but at least he had something to gauge it against. All Sam had was Wellhaven. Well, he had Wellhaven and the police station, but that didn’t really make much for knowing what a place like Wellhaven was supposed to be like.

“I don’t know,” Koji said finally. “I’ve been to doctors before. Back when I was in foster care one of my placements had me see someone. You’re right that it wasn’t like this. I only saw him once a week though. Actually, it was the last placement before here. The doc suggested something more….I don’t remember the words he used, but something where I could get round the clock care, and child services signed off on it. But yeah, we mostly talked about my mom and living on the street and stuff like that. Not accepting the reality of now and whatever. But, different doctors will use different methods, won’t they?”

“Askin’ the wrong person. But, sure, y’ got a point.”

“I…I’d hate to think we’re going to be here the rest of our lives.”

Sam took a deep breath, then looked Koji straight in the eyes.

“Whatever else happens,” He said, “I promise y’ this. We will not be here th’ rest of our lives.”