"So let me get this straight," I said, leaning back against the wall, arms crossed as I tried to process what I was hearing. "Our brilliant, flawlessly thought-out escape plan depends entirely on a door that only exists when some half-asleep nurse finishes their shift?"
Ezekiel didn't even look up from the file he was casually flipping through. "Pretty much." I let that sit for a second, staring at him in disbelief. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard."
"Yet, here we are," he replied, the smirk in his voice practically dripping onto the floor.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Okay, let's start with the obvious. How do you know when the shifts change?"
"I am a doctor here, you know," Ezekiel said, tapping the ID badge clipped to his coat. "I have access to all their schedules."
I squinted at him. "Right, and that's totally not weird or suspicious in any way."
He ignored me. "There's a window of exactly five minutes when the old shift leaves, and the new one hasn't fully settled in yet. That's when the door is there. And that's when we leave."
I sighed. "Five minutes. That's insanely risky."
"Oh, I know." His smirk widened, and I suddenly had the distinct feeling that he was enjoying this way more than he should be.
I ran a hand through my hair. "Fine. Let's assume I don't completely screw this up and we actually get through the door. What about security?" Ezekiel snapped the file shut and looked at me like I was asking about the weather. "Already handled."
I gave him a blank stare. "That tells me nothing."
He sighed, as if explaining this was some great burden. "The asylum has blind spots—areas the cameras don't fully cover. You'll be walking through one of them."
I arched a brow. "That sounds convenient."
"It's called 'basic planning,' Noah. Maybe you've heard of it."
"Oh, I've heard of it." I gestured vaguely at him. "I just didn't think you were capable of it."
Ezekiel chuckled, clearly unbothered. "Stick with me, and you'll make it out in one piece."
"Mm. Unconvinced."
"Noted." He flipped the file open again, skimming through something before glancing up at me. "Now, about the guards—"
"Oh, this should be good."
"—They don't actually care about patients."
I blinked. "…Huh?"
Ezekiel shrugged. "They're here for show. They don't patrol, they don't check rooms unless they're told to. They only react when someone makes a scene."
"So what you're saying is—"
"As long as you act like you're supposed to be there, they won't stop you."
I frowned. "Okay, but I'm literally wearing asylum-issued clothes. How exactly do I look like I belong outside?" Ezekiel's grin turned sharp. "Funny you should ask."
He pulled something out of his bag and tossed it onto the bed beside me.
I picked it up, unfolding it. A plain black hoodie.
I looked up at him. "A hoodie."
"A hoodie," he confirmed.
I stared at him. "This is your grand disguise?"
"Well, unless you want to stroll out in your current outfit with a giant neon sign over your head that says 'Hi, I'm an escaped patient, please tackle me immediately', then yes, this is the plan."
I held up the hoodie, inspecting it. "…Where did you even get this?"
Ezekiel tilted his head slightly. "Do you want to know?"
"…No. No, I really don't." I pulled it over my head anyway. It was a little big, but that was probably a good thing. "Alright, fine. So we walk around like nothing's wrong. What's next?"
Ezekiel checked the time. "Well, you will walk like nothing is wrong. I'll deal with the security room, making sure that even if you were caught on camera, they would only know too late. Walk to the east wing, when you are infront of the library, follow the nurse with the nametag 'Hannah'. shes the only person that leaves around this time tomorrow night,"
I frowned. "Do you really think i'll remember everything you just said? Write it down for me jeez"
"Oh sure," he said, rolling his eyes. "Would you also like some cookies while we are at it?'"
"i wouldnt mind. And besides that, what if someone does question me?"
Ezekiel's smirk didn't waver. "Then do what I do best."
I narrowed my eyes. "Lie?"
"Lie very convincingly."
"…Wow. Thats a amazing plan you got there."
Ezekiel only grinned. "If you didn't want reckless, you shouldn't have agreed to an escape plan designed by me." I groaned. "This is gonna get me killed."
"Probably." I shot him a look. He shrugged. "But at least you won't be bored."
I exhaled slowly, rubbing my temples. "Alright. Fine. Whatever. Let's assume I survive this mess. What happens after I'm out?"
Ezekiel's smirk faded slightly, his expression turning unreadable. "Then you start over.", picking up the Bag and throwing it in my direction, i caught it off guard. "Thats a start up. You got money, water and energy bars, a black wig, and some red contact lenses in it. Also some new clothes, so you should be able survive for the first few days even if you were to sleep in the forest."
I frowned. "That's… actually not such a stupid idea."
"You'll need a new name," he continued like I hadn't spoken. "A new place to stay. You'll have to keep your head down until you're strong enough to actually do something."
"Strong enough for what?"
His gaze sharpened. "Revenge. Answers. Whatever it is you wanna call it."
I went quiet. Because the truth was, I didn't know.
Revenge? Sure. Maybe. But that wasn't really it, was it? I didn't just want to hurt someone. I wanted to understand. I wanted to know why my life had turned into a shattered mess of half-truths and buried memories.
And that was more terrifying than anything else.
I swallowed hard. "And if I change my mind?"
Ezekiel's smirk returned. "Then that's your problem, not mine." I sighed. "You are actually the worst."
"And yet, here you are, trusting me with your life."
"I hate that you're right."
"Most people do."
I exhaled sharply, shaking my head. "Fine. Let's do this." Ezekiel clapped his hands together. "Excellent. Get some rest. You'll need it."
"Rest? Oh yeah, because that's totally gonna happen."
He just laughed, heading for the door. "Try not to panic too much. Tomorrow, we're walking out of here." I didn't respond. Because I couldn't shake the feeling that once I left, there would be no coming back.
And maybe… just maybe… that was exactly what I wanted.