Why, why am I here? (open)

[Greg Zweiner]

The trial had ended yesterday, and Greg had one last night to spend in his cell. They couldn't move him from there to Michigan State just yet. They had woken him up this morning, of course they had to do it at the break of day, and taken him out of the cell. They'd allowed him to get out of the prison uniform he'd been wearing for the past few days, and put on some of his own clothes. An officer had gathered some clothes together for him to bring to the place that would be his new home, for, god knows how long.

They cuffed him and put him in the back of the police car as a precaution. Greg wouldn't attack them, but Brendan just might. Brendan had been the one they had seen the most of besides Greg. Brendan had been the one that had committed the murder, and had started causing problems at the prison, even almost insinuating a riot.

It was an hour drive til they arrived at Michigan State. It looked almost like a school to him. Sort of like the university he had attended. Was that weird? Maybe it was. It would sprout a lot of imagination, though, which was good. Greg was always writing stories. Sure he loved psychology, which yes, is a bit ironic, but he had a knack and passion for writing. He'd always wanted to write a book in his spare time.

The car stopped and the officers got out. One opening the door to get Greg out. The other took the bag, as they started leading Greg in, his hands still cuffed out in front of him. It was an odd sight to see someone like Greg cuffed. The obvious geek, who looked as if he wouldn't hurt a fly.

Once they were fully inside the building, they uncuffed Greg, who rubbed his wrists. He still didn't understand why he was here. They'd said he'd killed someone, and then that he was crazy. He didn't know what was going on...he wasn't like that was he? He'd read about those people in his text books, and now he was one?

[Charlie Ezra Danville]

Charlie had been a resident of Michigan State for a little over a week and he could safely say that he was not a fan of the place. Though he supposed that the patients weren't meant to adore Michigan State. wait is that what they were calling them or was it inmates? Charlie wasn't quite sure how he felt about being an patient it had such negative connotations. In all honestly he didn't really think that there was anything wrong with him, yes he understood that perhaps attempting to steal a car had not been his most shining moment but still a rehab center? he was mildly eccentric at best not insane.

Still despite him not liking the place he had to admit some of the people there were fascinating to him. He had already decided his next book was going to be set in a mental institution of some kind and Michigan State was a prime research opportunity. The stories he'd heard already, some made him squirm. That was something that surprised anyone who had read his books in which his descriptions of some truly disgusting acts were vivid to say the least. In real life Charlie was pretty squeamish, not faint at the site of blood squeamish but squeamish none the less.

Speaking of his books, the main reason he didn't like the place was that he couldn't write. Well not that he couldn't write he was writing almost constantly it was just that he felt nothing he was writing was any good. It was this lack of muse that had lead him to the front entrance, he had decided maybe a walk would inspire... something in him. It really was a last ditch attempt because a walk was never something had inspired him outside Michigan State, out in the real world.

He wasn't paying attention to where he was going when he collided with Greg, he had been scribbling something down in his note book which ended up on the floor by Greg's feet. "Uh Sorry about that," he said as ducked down to try and pick up the notebook and the loose pages that had tumbled out of it. "First day?" he asked curiously looking up at Greg and taking in his features. The way the guy dressed reminded Charlie of his father, maybe math professor chic was in style Charlie wasn't sure, and he looked nervous enough that he was almost certain that he was right about it being his first day.

[Greg Zweiner]

The officers had turned him over into the custody of the center, and the one with the bag had attempted to hand it to Greg. When Greg didn't take it, he set it down in front of him. There was too much going on in Greg's head for him to have noticed this, or when they left and returned to the police car outside. Slowly his eyes shifted down and then his head dropped, as he saw the bag before him. Bending down he picked it up, holding it by his side, he looked around the area. Now what?

He started walking, when he felt someone suddenly collide with him. This had startled him a little, and he nearly dropped his bag. Luckily for this guy, Brendan wasn't the one in control at the moment, or else he would probably have dropped the bag and punched him. Greg looked down at his feet to see the notebook and papers that the guy had dropped.
"It's alright"
he said, he'd started to bend down, when the guy beat him to it, and was already down on the floor, gathering everything up.

The question came about whether or not this was his first day and he nodded his head slowly.
"Yeah"
he inhaled softly. He usually wasn't this shy around people, that was James' thing, but being here was different. There was something about this place that made him uneasy. Maybe this was the fact that he'd read so much about people with psychological disorders, and had met a few while working at the psychiatrist's office. They were probably thinking the same about him though, now.
"I'm Greg"
he added after a moment of silence, holding his hand out and down for him to take.

[Charlie Ezra Danville]

Charlie grabbed the loose pages up and haphazardly stuffed them back into the notebook not worrying about the order they ended up in. He was just trying to do it as quickly as possible because the position he was in was well it was awkward. Half kneeling in front of Greg being careful not to look straight ahead or he'd end up with a view of the other man's crotch. He took Greg's hand and got to his feet, he gave him a quick smile "Charlie," he offered as an introduction "Charlie Danville" then wondered for a second if Greg had ever read one of his books the guy looked like the type who read a lot. He quickly pushed the thought away, his books had a cult following at best they were not exactly mainstream.

"I really do need to start watching where I'm going though, He looked back down at the notebook after he'd finished the sentence and flipped it open scribbled something quickly before shutting it again. "Sorry I worry that if I don't write down ideas when they hit me I'll forget them" he said after a second realising that he could have came across as very rude scribbling away in the middle of a conversation or well the beginning of a conversation.

He could understand why Greg was nervous, for all he knew Charlie could have been a serial killer. That thought made Charlie wonder if perhaps he should be a little nervous himself he had no idea who Greg was either. He reasoned however he couldn't be all that dangerous if they were just letting him walk around the grounds. Charlie was in the mood too talk to some one anyway and if Greg was dangerous then Charlie was pretty sure he could take him in a fight.

"I've only been here a week or so" He said making conversation and then wondering if he should lie to Greg and tell him that Michigan State was just wonderful. "This place is mind numbing" he decided against the lying. "Do you need any help find your room or anything?" he asked, god when did he get so helpful, he gave Greg a quick grin hopefully the kind that would convince him that he was not in anyway dangerous and it was just a friendly offer.

[Greg Zweiner]

He smiled as Charlie introduced himself, and as he added on his last name Greg raised his brow a little. He'd heard those two names together before, read them on the back of a book at Barnes and Noble when he was looking for something to read while at the office. Though, it wasn't like he'd get much done with all the running around he had to do, but it would be there just in case. No, this couldn't be him, then again there were lots of papers that had fallen and then the notebook, so there was still that possibility that it was the author he had thought of. He'd have to ask later.

"It's alright"
he told him after hearing the apology for just scribbling away. Was this going to be a pattern? Charlie apologizing for something and Greg telling him that it was alright. From that bit of information of writing down ideas, Greg was now certain that Charlie Danville was THE Charlie Danville. Still he didn't want to make the mistake of asking him about a book or something like that in order to find out that he just happened to have the same name, or perhaps he was just someone who thought they were Charlie Danville, this was a crazy house after all.

Mind numbing? Like the good kind of mind numbing or the bad? Was there even a good kind? Yes, he had experienced it during college, some of his classes he felt were mind numbing, but interesting at the same time. Maybe that's how things would be here, though he highly doubted that. He was certain time here was going to down right suck.

"oh, umm yeah"
he nodded his head as he was asked if he wanted help finding his room
"It's umm - they said it's cell number four."
Greg didn't understand why they called them cells, he'd been in a cell for the past few weeks during his trials. They said this place wasn't a prison, but then they went and called the rooms cells.

[Charlie Ezra Danville]

Charlie noted the eyebrow raise and wondered if that meant Greg recognised his name before he pushed the thought away again. Ego or some sort of craving for fame was not something Charlie really thought he possesed much of but maybe he was wrong. He did spend most of his time worrying about whether he was happy with his books not if other people would be but still there was a small part of him that felt the tiniest bit of pride when some knew who he was. It was of course entirely possibly that Greg had seen his name somewhere but didn't actually know who he was that had happened to him before.

"You really are shockingly polite" Charlie said and couldn't help the soft chuckle that fell from his lips. "Some of the people here probably would have tried to hit me for banging into them all that." he said thinking of how many people around there was with such violent tempers. "So just a heads up some people here really are fucking crazy" he said to Greg still not sure why he was talking so much, maybe his agent was right and the drugs did make him anti-social. "That sounded ridiculous obviously some or well most of the people here are mentally unstable." he was only half talking to Greg mostly he was just thinking aloud.

Charlie grinned again when Greg told him his Dorm number. "Well that's convenient, I'm in there too." he informed him, "Does them being called cells bother you?" he asked conversationally the thought popping into his head. "I mean cells, calling us inmates it all seems far too much like prison" he sighed "My agent kept calling it a rehab facility" he added muttering a little with that sentence.

"Anyway do you want me to show you to the room right now or I could show you around the rest of this place a little?" he took off his glasses and put them in the pocket of his jacket he didn't really need them now that he wasn't writing.

[Greg Zweiner]

When Charlie told him that he was shockingly polite, Greg's expression changed to one of slight confusion.
Is that a bad thing?
he asked him, his voice having the same confusion his face seemed to have.

I - I've never been in a fight before
he said letting out a light chuckle of his own, after hearing Charlie mention the other people there would have tried to hit him.
I don't think if I punched you it would do much damage.
Greg ran his hand back through his hair. It was true, he'd never been in a fight before, he'd been beat up lots of times throughout junior high and high school, but never in an actual fight.

Charlie was right, it sounded ridiculous it was a mental rehab center, so most of them there probably were crazy. With that thought he was trying to figure out why Charlie was there, and he was sure Charlie was probably thinking the same about him. What did he say if he asked? Would he even ask? He was kind of hoping that he wouldn't, he didn't want to think about the reason he was here.

The same cell? Wow that really was convenient, good thing Charlie had been the first one that Greg had talked to here, aside from one of the staff members who had met him and the officers outside and given him his cell number.
I don't know why they call them cells. I mean I thought this place was to help people, and prisons don't really help people.
he inhaled looking down. He had gone from one prison to another.

Can I put my bag up and then you can show me around
he said, the statement coming out partly as a question.

[Charlie Ezra Danville]

Charlie did try not to laugh at the look of confusion that adorned Greg's features he really did but yet the sound slipped out anyway. "No it's not a bad thing" he shook his head obviously amused that Greg could think it was. "It was merely an observation," he shrugged at Greg. Looks kinda cute when he's confused As soon as that fragment of a thought passed through Charlie's mind he decided that that was not a train of thought he wanted to be following.

"Are you serious?" Charlie arched one of his brows, how could someone have gone through twenty plus years of life without one fight. "Lucky you" a smirk spread across his face as he spoke. "Let's just never find out how much damage you punching me would do" he suggested even though he was inclined to agree with Greg, the guy was pretty much skin and bone from the looks of it. Greg didn't exactly come across as imposing it may have been the school teacher chic clothes that were giving him that impression though.

"It's still better than a prison though, at least we're not in orange jumpsuits and really we have quite a bit of freedom..." Charlie said thinking that while he didn't like it there he was certain he would much rather it too an actual prison.

"Of course" He smirked again at the way the statement came out like a question. He patted Greg on the shoulder lightly leading him away from the front entrance and down one of the corridors, then another. "It's just down here" he said walking a few more feet then stopping and opening the cell door. "It's uh a little messy" he said stepping into the room and moving over to what was obviously his space.

It was cluttered with books and manuscripts with the odd photograph thrown in along with some clothes though most of those were packed away. "I guess you can just pick one" he said gesturing to the two empty beds as he kicked a book underneath his own then moved some papers out of his way so he could sit down. He was silent for a moment before he started to root around in the bedside locker. "Could you close the door please?" he asked as he took out a squashed pack of cigarettes. "Twenty-seven years old and they are telling me I can't fucking smoke" he muttered producing a lighter, "It's bad enough they won't even give me an Advil, it's not like you can even get hi-" he paused mid-sentence not quite sure if he wanted to go exactly into details about why he was in Michigan State unless Greg asked him. "Do you smoke?" he asked offering Greg a cigarette.

[Greg Zweiner]

Lucky him? Greg never thought of himself as lucky. Being shoved into walls, and lockers. Being beaten up in the bathrooms and thrown into the stalls. Yeah he was real lucky, but then Charlie didn't know this and was just going off the fact that he'd told him that he'd never gotten into a fight. He guessed if that's all you were going off then it would seem that he was pretty lucky.

"Yeah I don't look good in orange"
he said letting out a light laugh. It was true he didn't look all that great in the orange jumpsuit, he'd had to wear before coming here. They didn't seem to have a size that fit him either, it hung off of him, good thing he could wear his own clothes here, though they sort of hung off of him as well. That was his curse for being so damn scrawny.

He followed him down the corridors before they stopped in front of the cells. Looking over he noticed the 'mess' that was Charlie's area of the room. He didn't care about the mess that was there, knowing that in a few days his own bed and part of the room would probably look the same way. Turning he looked at the two empty beds and after a few moments he decided on one, tossing his bag onto the bed.

"Yeah sure"
he said walking over to the door and shutting it, wondering why he had wanted him to do so. When he turned around he figured it out, seeing the pack of cigarettes that Charlie brought up. Greg wondered why they had told him that he couldn't smoke. Sure cigarettes weren't good for you, but no one had ever gone to a place like this for smoking. No one had ever gone crazy from it. Actually it often calmed people down.

No
he shook his head at the offered cigarette
Smoking sort of reminds me of my mom

[Charlie Ezra Danville]

"Nobody looks good in orange it's an unforgiving colour" Charlie said nodding and speaking as if they were discussing something vitally important. He grinned a little as he found his mind going on a little tangent about what other colours were unforgiving, "Neon no one looks good in any color neon either"he added still grinning.

He started to clean up some of his books and papers some more but then he figured that it was hopeless because the minute he sat back down to write or do a bit of reading it would end up in the same state. No point filling Greg with any false hope that there would ever be order in the room. Charlie was one of the most disorganised people on the planet he really hoped Greg wasn't a neat freak or they might end up killing each other.

"Thank you" he said happily as Greg closed the door, he had the cigarette lit within about half a second of the door closing. He took a long drag then exhaled looking pleased. "I needed that" he said and then got to his feet, cigarette dangling from his lips, too open the window. It made him feel like a teenager as he took a drag with his head half way out the window then leaving the hang holding the cigarette out in the air. He wasn't quite sure what to say when Greg mentioned smoking reminding him of his mother so he took another drag. "Uh sorry?" it came out as a question as he tried to convey I have no idea what I'm apologising for in his expression. "If it bothers you I can..." he thought for a second he wasn't going to stop, "do it when you're not around" he finished with a shrug.

He finished the cigarette quickly stubbing out the very end of it on the windowsill then turning to face Greg leaning against the window with his arms folded. "So Greg what do you do out in the real world?" he asked curiously it seemed like a safe enough question one that wouldn't bring up the reason he was in Michigan which was a subject they could stay clear of for awhile. "Still in College?" he wasn't really asking but guessing, "Actually you look a little too old for college..." he added after a second fiddling with his lighter before tucking it safely away.

[Greg Zweiner]

Neon. Greg had never put anything neon on before, and wasn't sure if he ever would. Orange was bad enough, he did not want to see what he looked like in some neon green or pink color. He couldn't help but smile as he watched him start to try and attempt picking up some more of his papers. There was really no need for it. Turning he rested his head against the cell door.

Hearing him, Greg looked over as Charlie lit up the cigarette.
"No it's alright"
he swallowed, looking down as he sat on his bed
"It probably sound weird, but I - I actually kind of like it"
he chuckled lightly as his hands dangled between his legs.
"I just never got into it myself"
he was always too 'good' for that. No it wasn't that he was too 'good' it just he wasn't a 'bad' boy type that most smokers were. Sure Charlie didn't seem like a 'bad' boy from what he could tell, but he might have that in him somewhere.

"I was working my through grad-school working as an assistant at a psychiatrist's office."
he chuckled a little. He let out a sigh, his head dropping into his hands. Lifting his head up, his fingers ran through his hair as he looked back up at Charlie.
"It's sort of ironic isn't it? I go to school to help people and here I am the one needing help"

His fingers moved to his lap, fidgeting with them, it was obvious he wasn't sure what to do with them exactly. Usually the next thing would be for Greg to ask Charlie what he did, but Greg didn't need to ask, he already knew.

[Charlie Ezra Danville]

"Nah it's not..." Charlie began to say of Greg's comment that he kind of liked the smoking. "Actually it sounded amazingly weird but that's okay people have said much weirder things to me" he said with a smile and god that was true, people who thought because of the things he wrote that he was the same brand of crazy that they were. "Good for you it's terrible habit" he said still holding his pack of cigarettes, "I don't even know why I started smoking I think it had something to do with a guy" he said hiding the cigarettes then looking over at Greg. "Uh yeah kinda gay" he said pointing to himself.

"Being here must be weird for you then considering how much you know about psychiatric disorders right?" Charlie said feeling bad for him, Charlie only knew a little about a few different disorders just enough that he could fake his way through a book but Greg... it had to be hard for him. "Well everyone needs help sometimes I guess?" Charlie hadn't meant for the statement to come out as such a question he'd meant it to be more of a reassuring statement. "You must be pretty dedicated, I mean going to grad school, I couldn't have done that I mean just college was distracting enough" That had always been Charlie's attitude on school though that it was just distracting him from what he should actually be doing.

He looked over at Greg again noticing how he was fidgeting. "You want that tour now?" he asked then added "Or we could get some food?" he made the suggestion mainly because he was beginning to feel a little peckish himself.

[Greg Zweiner]

He smiled as he was told that he'd heard weirder, that was a relief, at least it wasn't the weirdest thing he had heard. If someone had told Greg the same thing it wouldn't have been the weirdest thing he'd heard or overheard while walking in and out of his boss's office. When Charlie happened to mention the fact that he was gay, Greg bit his lip a little. At first he wasn't sure what to say, and he looked down, watching his fingers.
"I think my roommate in college was gay"
he said, his voice a little soft.

Greg inhaled a little, he was certain that his old roommate was and that he had given him something and done things on several occasions. He couldn't be sure, but there were mornings he'd wake up feeling rather sore in a certain area and not remembering anything or understanding why. That was in the past now wasn't it? and he was certain, so far, that Charlie wasn't going to do that, at least that's what he hoped.

"Yeah, it's weird"
he said as he lifted his head up to look over the way at Charlie once again.
"I mean I can see what it is that everyone else is going through. I can give them things to do, and I know the medications everyone needs to take. I - I can listen and give advice, but at the same time I can't. I can't do that anymore."
he let out another sigh
"You know, I don't even know what I need help with."
They'd told him what he had allegedly done, but he still didn't know if he believed them or not. That couldn't be true what they were saying.
"I wanted to get my doctorates, you know get my PhD and all, maybe start my own practice or something like that, but I guess that's never going to happen now."

As he mentioned the tour or food he smiled a little, moving his hand to his stomach
"I am a little hungry"

[Charlie Ezra Danville]

Charlie frowned for a second when Greg started to bite his lip. Shit maybe he shouldn't have told him about his sexual orientation he had just met the guy but they were going to be sharing a room and Greg would have probably found out fairly quickly anyway. Charlie had stopped substituting girl for guy when he was talking about himself a long time ago. "So we're okay? It's not going to be a problem or anything?" He said and it came out of his mouth sounding far more defensive than he had wanted it to. "Sorry sorry" he sighed "I didn't mean for that to sound quite so accusatory, it's just you tell some guys that you're gay and they automatically start amusing things about you." he explained rolling his eyes. After another quick sigh he smirked "Lots of people are gay in college" he joked complete with air quotes around the word gay.

Charlie nodded and hoped he looked appropriately sympathetic to Greg's situation. He bit his tongue to stop himself saying something insensitive about how he guessed no one would want an insane psychiatrist because he didn't know if Greg was even insane he could have been there for the very reason Charlie was. He did feel for him though not being able to do what he wanted to do with his life, being in there didn't stop Charlie from working in fact it would probably just gain him some free publicity. "Honestly I would not want to understand what was going on in some of these people's heads" he said."Medications, huh so if..." he started obviously about to say something before he shut his mouth "forget it" he said with a smile. "I'm guessing you were a straight As kinda guy in school?" he said though it wasn't really a question. "I swear I'm the only person in my family who doesn't have a doctorate, well my sister doesn't have one yet but she's in med school so...yeah"

"Great I was hoping you'd say that." Charlie said as he opened the door, "I've got to warn you though the food isn't exactly.. uh amazing" he said and started to lead Greg to the cafeteria occasionally pointing to a room like the Art or Music room and telling him about it.

As they passed one guy, Charlie leaned forward to whisper to Greg. "The guy to your left I wouldn't look him in the eye he.." he paused "carved up someones face pretty bad" he said and that was the nicest way of putting it so he kept it at that as he grabbed a tray and a bottle of water.

[Greg Zweiner]

"No it won't be a problem"
he said shaking his head a little, in response to Charlie wondering if his orientation would be alright.
"I - just -as long as you don't do the things I think he might have done"
he swallowed a little, wondering if Charlie would understand what he was meaning by all of this. It wasn't like he was outright saying it, but it wasn't completely unobvious what he was referring to.
"Don't worry I don't like to assume things about people, it makes you seem sort of like a jerk when you do"

Many people he was certain felt the same way that Charlie did about not wanting to know what was in people's heads, especially some of the ones here.
"I've always been fascinated with the human mind and how people work. Sure the body essentially runs the same, with a few differences here and there in people, but the mind-"
he closed his eyes taking in a deep breath as he thought about it
"-the mind oh there's so many differences in the way people think and act"
he smiled as he opened his eyes, he seemed to be so intrigued with what he was saying

"Yeah I was straight A from junior high on through. Part of it was natural, but I don't think anyone realizes how many nights I stayed up studying for hours or perfecting papers to keep that. I couldn't get anything less than perfect, I just - I couldn't"

He followed him out as they started to the cafeteria. The food wasn't too amazing? Well he hadn't expected it to be, but he was certain it was going to be better than prison food. Prison food was the worst. He sure if you rated the places with the worst food so far it would go: Prison, Junior High, High school, Dorm.

His eyes shifted slightly to see the guy passing by as Charlie whispered about him. He'd have to stow away a memo in his head not to piss that guy off...no, scratch that, don't even get near him.