3rd of Enous, in the Waning within the 1st year of the third cycle, 10:30 a.m.

Rick awoke, shivering, and sweating in a dark stone cell, the only way in or out, a barred door in the ceiling where a trickle of light filtered in. He groaned and felt at his chest where he felt stitches which ached with a dull pain.

“Ay, bud” a voice called down from the ceiling, “I wouldn’t mess with that if I were you, a sliver of the Nexus has been imbedded in your heart.”

Rick looked at his hands then tried to send a green rope to the wall, but nothing happened.

“Grasping rope,” he vocalized… nothing happened.

He spoke in old Nextian… still… nothing happened.

The man above laughed, “I haven’t lied bud, you are stuck cut off from your precious inchemy.”

Rick sank to the stone and hung his head, his vision swam, and the room seemed to twist, then before he could react, he retched bile onto the stone between his legs, then continued to dry heave as his body searched deep for something to bring up. This continued until his abdomen grew sore. Exhausted, he lay on his side.

4th of Enous 5:00 a.m.

He woke up to bugs nibbling and scratching across his skin, he stood fast swatting and yet nothing was there to be swatted, and the sensation would not leave him. “Eaiz” he screamed at the grates above him. “Please, I need Eaiz,” he screamed grasping the bars above him.

“Shut it buddy.” The guard yelled before rapping Ricks knuckles with his baton causing Rick to crumple to the ground.

“Please,” he cried softly before curling into a ball weeping at the pitiful state he had been reduced to.

4th of Enous 12:00 p.m.

He didn’t know how long he had stayed in that position until he heard the clatter of something being dropped through the grate. Looking up he saw bread and meat. At the sight his stomach rumbled loudly, and he rushed forward and began tearing into it ferociously. Then he bit into something fuzzy and looking down he saw mold on the bread which he quickly spat out. He then removed all visible mold before continuing his meal.

His days continued the same, carefully eating around the mold on the food, shiver, and swat at unseen bugs, and pass out for indeterminate amounts of time. He would grow extremely hot then extremely cold. When hot he would bathe himself in the frigid water leaking into his cell and when cold he would curl into a ball in the driest spot he could find. It was during one of the times he was curled into a ball freezing that he heard a voice.

“Rick, I am here for you, my love.”

He looked up but saw no one.

Again, he heard, “Rick, my poor Rick.” And a hand was stroking his back.

Looking around he saw that it was his own hand.

“Rick, we will get through this.” Alice seemed to speak and yet Rick felt his mouth as the one moving.