Dr. Irving took a moment to compose himself before stepping into the next room after a polite knock on the door. "How are we doing today, Shownu?" he asked with a genuine smile on his face. Of all the students in M-wing, Shownu had been there the longest, and Dr. Irving appreciated his soft, kind demeanor, unusual in a boy his age.

"I'm doing well, thank you, Doctor," Shownu said, smiling back. "How are you doing, Dr. Irving?"

Dr. Irving smiled without bothering to hide the fatigue in his eyes. "A little tired, but that's to be expected," he said with a good-natured chuckle as he began the physical examination. There wasn't much to examine in that Shownu was a well-developed boy in near perfect physical health. "Are you experiencing any new pains that I am unaware of?" he asked, as was routine, but Shownu shook his head.

"I feel fine, Doctor."

Dr. Irving nodded. "Good to hear. Now. Shownu, if you don't mind, I'd like to discuss a few questions with you concerning what we talked about last week."

Shownu nodded.

"So, the medication - are you still taking it?" Dr. Irving asked, and Shownu nodded. Dr. Irving smiled in relief. "And it's working as expected? Any side effects?"

Shownu shook his head, a small smile on his face. "I think it's working well. I was silly to wait so long to take it. I'm glad I started."

Dr. Irving smiled gently, resisting the urge to beam at one of his favorite patients. "You know how important it is to me and the staff that you only proceed with your treatment at your own pace. Even if you took longer than others to move onto the medication option, I hope you'll find it to work for your needs."

Shownu nodded, and Dr. Irving talked with him for a few more minutes about how the medication was affecting him and how often he was taking it before standing up. "You've passed this evaluation and your previous one, so I'm going to inform you just so you're aware that you're free to remove yourself from the program with your parents' consent at any time. That said, you're welcome to stay and continue monitored treatment, but if you're looking to move on to the next phase of your recovery by going into an uncontrolled environment and seeing how you do, that's certainly an option for you, and I encourage you to discuss it with your parents when they next visit you."

Shownu smiled. "I'll be sure to talk to them about it. Thank you again, Dr. Irving."

Dr. Irving nodded as he stepped toward the door, drawing the curtain so Shownu would have privacy when he changed. "I've really enjoyed working with you, Shownu. I'm glad to see that you're progressing so much."

Shownu just smiled as Dr. Irving left.

He wasn't taking his pills. He'd never started. Instead, he pretended to take them so the cameras could verify. He would shake out a pill into his hand, put his hand up to his mouth, and pretend to swallow. As he put his medication back in its spot, he slipped the pill back in. Then, when he talked with Dr. Irving, he lied.

It was as simple as that.

He wouldn't take the pills, not now, not ever.

If he did, it would be murder.