I knocked on the door, "Maddox, come on. Let me in. I know you know I'm here." The door remained closed. I groaned in frustration. I saw the shadows shift at the bottom of the door. He'd been listening. Great, he was mad at me. I'd screwed up. "M, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... I should have told you."

I walked out of the hospital, tired as well. But it was a good tired, I was happy. Maddox was a good kid. It felt weird calling him a kid since he was only about 5 years younger.

I hopped in the car, already on my way home. The butterscotch was melting on my tongue, only a fragment of the candy left. I flicked the radio on and quickly turned it off. There was no good music left, it seemed like.

Ring, ring.

I smiled at my own humor. My ringtone was quite literally me saying 'ring ring.' I picked up my phone, how awful of me, and answered the call. Kaitlyn. Great.

"Hey, K. What's up?"

" I got you something you wanted. There's something going down in D.C. You and I got an invite for a week. You said you wanted to get away from the Maddox case. I'm giving you a break. " Excitement bubbled up in me. D.C.? It'd been so long since I was there. She didn't know that I was okay with the Maddox story, but a break couldn't hurt.

Alexis was sitting cross-legged on the floor behind me, watching intently. "He's not gonna open the door. Just so ya know."

"Thanks Strawberry Shortcake. Don't you have to go listen to MCR?" She huffed.

I sighed, "Sorry, Strawberry. Does he do this a lot?"

"Only when he's really upset. He'll come out when he's ready. But right now? Nope. Sometimes he doesn't even come down for dinner." I say down in front of the door, "Maddox?"

Silence. Just...silence.

I wish I hadn't gone. It'd been a stupid trip anyways. Or I wished that I would've told him. It had been a bunch of dinners and meetings with different politicians who tried to tell me what to think about them. I was offered bribes! I let them know exactly what I thought of that. I may have been an egotistical prick but I wasn't going to be bought.

"Listen my boy, it's a tough world out there. I can help you-"

"Do you know how many times I've heard that from people like you? Too many. You damn politicians. I thought the word would've spread by now. I don't want my stories bought by filthy twats like you." The old man laughed, clutching his protruding stomach. He was old, bald, and fat, just like the majority of them.

"My boy, I thought you were smarter than that. You've made a name for yourself already. Let's make it even bigger. All you have to do is say the right thing. I'm a very influential person." He clasped my shoulder and I brushed it away cooly.

" I'm quite aware. That's why I've taken the measures to show everyone what kind of person you are. " He stuck out his chin, thinking I was going to say something nice about him, "That's why, sir, I've recorded this conversation. Just like all the others. I have your own words to document, about how you tried to pay me off. Good day."

I didn't know what was better, his expression or how I felt. It was my favourite part of people like this. Crushing them gave me that special little feeling and made me feel awesome.

And now I felt absolutely awful.

Alexis got up with a jump, "Welp, this has been fun.  Jeanine has already tried to get him out. So don't think you'll be able to do any better." She was gone before I could tell her that I would be able to get him out. I sighed, and put my forehead against the door.

If I wasn't so impulsive I would have called or told Maddox that I'd be gone. But no. Now he was refusing to even look at me.

I knocked one more time, in a meager last attempt. More silence. I got up, brushed myself off, and turned away.

Knock.

He had knocked back. Hilarious. I ran back to the door, "Maddox? Come on, babe, open the door." I heard a sniffle. "Maddox? I'm sorry."

"Go away," another pause, "I'm sorry."

" You don't have to be sorry. You don't have anything to be sorry for-"

"Yeah, I do." I knocked on the door again, this time a bit more worried, "M, just open the door. I need to make sure you're okay."

"I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to. I don't know what happened." I heard choked sobs. " C-c-colin? "

"Dude, you're worrying me. Do you want me to grab Alexis?" A moment's pause. "Mhmm."

" I think I heard my name? " On instinct I whirled around and nearly punched her. She looked unimpressed, "Really Cupcake? Jumpy are we?" I rolled my eyes and she pushed me away from the door. She pressed her ear to the door for a minute and then ran off down the hall. I snorted, "She's the door whisperer," I got close to the door again, "Maddox?"

A sniff, "Yeah?"

"Will you open the door?"

" Is Alexis there? " She ran up the stairs, her arms filled with different objects. "Uhh...yeah." The door creaked open and big green eyes were the first thing I saw. I pushed the door open and he took a step toward me, but then backed up. "I'm sor- I didn't mean to. I didn't th-think." His lip was quivering and there were tears forming in the corners of his eyes. He looked past me at Alexis, who's face was grim, "A. You need to go." He looked back up at me as she walked away, dumping the stuff on the ground.

" M, what's going on? "

"That's a good question, Mr. Jameson, would you care to explain Mr. Pian?"

Beaknose? Really? Right now?

"G-go away." I turned in surprise. Maddox was outside the room now, tears streaming down his face. He was pointing at me. " Go away. Now! NOW! "

"Maddox-" He was crying now, sobbing. "You said...Y-you said-"

"I know. Maddox-"

"No! I thought you cared! Yo-you're just like the rest. Go...a-away." I took a step forward and he stumbled backwards, shielding his face. That's when I saw it.

The blood.

The scars.

It was just cut after cut after cut.

It was streaming down his wrist, leaving red ribbons striping over the fresh and old cuts.

Was that because of me? Please, god, tell me I didn't do that. That I didn't cause that. He ran towards me and just about collapsed in my arms. His arms wrapped around me and he started shaking. Trembling all over, in waves with the sobs. It reminded me of the videos, the shaking. Then he was being pulled away from me, and I saw two large men in white pulling him off me.

I stood numb as they took him. I couldn't move. I watched as he was marched defeatedly down the stairs.

"Sad isn't it?" Beaknose was still there with a grim smile. "He's had a hard time adjusting. It's not your fault. You can't help him."

" Did I- did I cause that? " She shook her head, "Of course not. You can't blame yourself. He's disturbed. I told him that you might not come back. It's not a new behaviour. But, for the time being, I don't think it's a good idea you come back for some time. It might make his state worse. I'm sorry, Mr. Jameson, I'll contact your office with an apology."

I couldn't take my eyes off the stairway where they'd taken Maddox. She'd told him I wouldn't come back. She had told him that. Wait, she didn't want me coming back. I wouldn't see him again. The green eyes...gone. It would be over. Isn't that what I wanted?

I heard a scream from downstairs and I winced. Dr. Kennedy seemed unfazed, "Thank you, for your time, Mr. Jameson. At least you got him out of that damned room for treatment." Another scream rang out, and then it was quiet. I felt like I was being ripped apart.

I nodded stiffly, detached from the world, "Thank you. I'll... offer my goodbyes to Maddox-"

"I'll tell him myself. No need to trouble yourself with that unpleasantness." She followed me down the stairs and I walked down, only seeing the beige and dark wooden steps. Alexis was standing by the door, tears falling but anger evident. Dr. Kennedy walked off to the room where Maddox had been taken. I opened the door, a hand brushed against mine. I turned to see the small girl's tears.

She sniffed but kept her lip still, "I hope you're proud of what you've done. I hope one day you find out what you've subjected to him."  She grew closer to me, "I told you not to hurt him. I am going to-"

"Alexis." I looked up, hoping she didn't see the tears in my eyes. Hoping that she was too short. Another scream rang out, worse than the last, bringing my tears closer to falling. "Alexis, I will come back. I need you to help me break in this place. Tomorrow night-"

"He won't be back tomorrow night. The night after." I silently cursed, "Fine. The night after tomorrow. Keep him safe. Tell him I'm coming for him."

" I'll try. That bitch will tell him you're not coming back. " I turned to leave once more but she grabbed my shoulder. With unknown strength, she pulled me down to her height, " Reporter man, you will come back or you will end up begging for your life. " I turned to leave once more, getting down the steps before she called after me again, "Oh, and Jameson? I can see your tears." I stepped out into the rain and walked back to the car, finally letting my tears fall.

I wasn't going to let him become like Ally. I wasn't going to let him go that easily. She told me that it wasn't my fault, but I knew she was lying. It was my fault that she died. I had promised myself that he would be safe, that he wouldn't get hurt.

I had broken my promise.