[Room 311, Tuesday afternoon]

[x5_alec]

Alec was trying to sleep. And every time he closed his eyes, it happened again: the feel of someone listening over his shoulder, that there was a microphone in the back of his brain and someone was waiting for every piece of information they could grab before bringing his consciousness back to Manticore

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[saltandammo]

Dean headed back to Alec's room after archery, more worried than he wanted to admit to Sam. The realisation that Alec was acting like Dad during one of the bad spells he used to get hadn't done anything to ease those worries.

When he got to the room he foun the door partially open and pushed it open far enough to walk in. "Alec?" he asked softly.

[x5_alec]

Alec froze in midchew - having mostly eaten the danish Buffy had brought once she'd left - for a moment wondering if they'd gotten so bold as to talk to him directly instead of just watching. Then he saw Dean and relaxed a very little, simultaneously steeling himself for his double's concern. "What?"

[saltandammo]

"Just thought I'd check on you -- you didn't look very good earlier." Dean eyed him worriedly. "Still don't."

[x5_alec]

Buoyed by the sugar somewhat, Alec swallowed the last of the danish and smirked, still looking somewhat wan. Everything was okay, or at least he was going to pretend it was. "Just need sleep. Can't seem to get any."

[saltandammo]

Dean crossed his arms and leaned against the doorjamb, still watching Alec. "Why?" he asked bluntly, then took a wild guess. "Nightmares?"

[x5_alec]

Alec shrugged. "Nothing unusual," he said with a practiced non-chalance.

Even as he spoke though, his vision flashed, putting the lie to his words as he was once again on the table, the restraints biting into his skin as he fought against them.

As far as Dean saw, Alec's smirk slipped a moment before he shuddered hard and choked on what might have been a yell. His hands curling into claws, limbs tensed as if struggling against something.

[saltandammo]

Dean watched as Alec suddenly convulsed as if under invisible attach.

"Crap," he muttered under his breath, rushing to Alec's side, though his double didn't seem to notice him.

His first thought was possession and he pulled out the flask of holy water he'd taken to carrying with him, splashing some on Alec to test that theory.

[x5_alec]

He couldn't move, couldn't breath, but tried anyway and inhaled-- water? Alec sputtered, the harsh flourescent lights cutting out of his vision as he suddenly was back in his dorm, Dean looking down at him. "What--?" Alec was still shaking a little, eyes wide, disoriented.

[saltandammo]

No burning so no possession; that was something ruled out. But it left Dean without many answers.

But at least Alec seemed aware again. "You kinda went all... spastic. Like you were fighting against something," Dean told him, hands on his shoulder to hold him up. "What did it look like happened from in there?"

[x5_alec]

Alec shook his head, and the next lie was cut off before he could even voice it-- again he saw flourescent lights, the staring eyes of X4s as they rummaged through his thoughts. It was a shorter flash, but he grabbed Dean's arms where his double was holding him up, squeezing as he panicked and came through on his own.

Looking at Dean, eyes wide, he shook his head slightly. "I can't go back."

[saltandammo]

Dean stil didn't understand what was going on with Alec, but he knew panic and terror when he saw it. "Okay," he said, pitching his voice to the same tone he used to use when comforting his little brother after a nightmare.

"Manticore, right?" Dean asked but didn't wait for verification. "You're damn right, you're not going back."

[x5_alec]

Alec gave a full body shudder, closing his eyes tightly for a moment. "They're going to kill me," he said quietly, still gripping Dean's arms. "I'm expendable now, a liability. They're in--" Eyes opening, he shook Dean as if trying to get his attention. "They're in my head! And when they're done, I'm going to be fucking cut into pieces-"

[saltandammo]

Jesus, Dean thought, tightening his hold on Alec in response to his words.

"Like hell you are," Dean told Alec, shaking him a little to try and break through the panic. "Alec, listen to me. No one's going to take you anywhere, especially not back there."

[x5_alec]

It was coming in brief but vivid flashes, overlaying Dean with the images of Manticore, the inevitable transportation down the hallway towards the labs and the morgue. Alec shook his head, trying to get rid of it, mumbling under his breath what he'd told himself this morning, "Just a dream, just a dream, just a dream."

[saltandammo]

Dean could just make out the words Alec was mumbling and it gave him another piece to the puzzle of what was happening here.

Maybe Alec was right and someone was trying to get inside his head. But there were ways of beating such things, Dean knew, had been schooled in what to do and how to resist if he or Sammy ever came under mental attack.

He slapped Alec's face lightly to get his attention and stop the muttered mantra of Just a dream. "Come on, Alec, stay with me. I don't know what else you're seeing, but it's not real. This is. You and me, in your dorm room. Focus on that, focus on me and my voice if you have to. Ignore everything else, no matter how real it feels."

[x5_alec]

Alec's gaze focused a little, eyes wide and trained on Dean's face. From his expression, it was difficult to look past whatever he was seeing, but he was able to, barely, and continued to cling to Dean.

Down the long, sterile hallways, into a room where doctors waited. Dean's eyes looking at him intently, his voice breaking through enough to anchor him. He was trembling, just on the edge of seizing as he watched, the needle coming closer, feeling empty and helpless. "They'll put me down," he murmured, his eyes slightly glazed, pupils so large they swallowed his irises.