Descent, part 4

After three weeks in the psychiatric ward at St Augustine's hospital, it was decided that the best thing for Sam would be to transfer her to White Oaks, a permanent mental health facility. Eric had protested the decision with Dr Richardson and pleaded with her to let him take her but her answer, as always, was that she couldn't. Dr Richardson offered to drive Sam to White Oaks personally and invited Eric to join them. Eric and Sam sat together in the backseat of Dr Richardson's car, with Eric keeping his arm around Sam and Sam keeping her head against Eric for the entire drive. Dr Richardson kept looking at them in her rear-view mirror, and considered seriously whether Sam would in fact be better off with Eric.

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To his relief White Oaks was a lot better than he was expecting it to be. Nevertheless, Sam being put in such a place still left him feeling like he had failed her completely. He helped her to get settled in her room and when it was time for him to leave, Sam threw her arms around him and gave him a hug that felt like a plea not to leave, which, as much as it hurt, he couldn't fulfill. For only the third time, Sam saw tears falling down Eric's face, evidence of the suffering that she was causing him for which she couldn't forgive herself.