Problems Ongoing

Chapter 15 – When It Stops Working

Marcus didn’t wait this time.

“She’s using,” he said the moment Ryan picked up.

A pause.

Then—

“I know,” Ryan replied quietly. “I saw it.”

Marcus ran a hand through his hair, pacing the room.

“This isn’t just stress anymore. It’s getting worse.”

Ryan didn’t argue.

Because he knew.

“So what’s the plan?” Marcus asked. “Because talking isn’t doing anything.”

Another pause.

Longer this time.

“We don’t push too hard,” Ryan said. “Not yet.”

Marcus scoffed slightly. “She’s already pushing herself.”

“I know,” Ryan replied. “But if we corner her, she’ll shut down completely.”

Silence.

Marcus exhaled slowly.

“So we just… watch her fall?”

“No,” Ryan said. “We stay close.”

But staying close didn’t fix it.

Because Nia had already started to notice.

The quiet wasn’t lasting.

At first, it was small.

The feeling didn’t stay as long.

The edge came back quicker.

Then—

It stopped working.

That night, she sat in the same spot.

Same window.

Same silence.

She tried again.

Waited.

Nothing.

Her fingers tightened slightly.

“Come on…” she muttered.

She tried more.

Still—

Nothing.

And then—

The noise came back.

Louder.

You don’t belong.

Her breathing shifted instantly.

“No…”

They left you.

Her hands started to shake.

“No, no, no—”

You’re a reject.

“STOP!”

The glass in her hand shattered against the wall.

The sound echoed sharply through the house.

Marcus and Ryan heard it.

They were already moving before the second crash.

By the time they reached her—

Another object hit the floor.

Nia stood in the middle of the room, breathing hard, her hands shaking, her eyes wide—not calm, not controlled—

Panicked.

“It’s not working!” she snapped, her voice breaking. “Why is it not working?!”

Marcus stepped forward carefully. “Nia—”

“No!” she yelled, backing away slightly. “It’s supposed to make it quiet!”

Ryan’s gaze sharpened, taking in everything—the broken glass, the panic, the loss of control.

“What’s not working?” he asked, his voice steady.

“This!” she gestured wildly, her hands trembling. “Everything! It’s not—”

Her words broke off as she pressed her hands to her head.

“Why is it still loud?” she whispered, her voice cracking now. “Why am I still hearing it?”

Silence.

Then—

Louder—

“WHY IS IT NOT STOPPING?!”

Another object crashed.

Marcus flinched slightly, stepping closer despite it.

“Hey—hey—look at me.”

But she wasn’t looking at him.

Her eyes were unfocused.

Lost somewhere else.

“The voices… the memories…” she said, shaking her head rapidly. “They’re still there… they’re not going away…”

Ryan moved closer too, slower, more careful.

“Nia,” he said firmly. “You need to breathe.”

“I am breathing!” she snapped. “It’s not helping!”

Her chest rose and fell too fast.

Too uneven.

“I did everything right!” she continued, her voice breaking. “The pills, the doctors—this was supposed to help—”

Her voice dropped suddenly.

Almost a whisper.

“Why is nothing helping me…?”

That hit.

Marcus stopped moving.

Because there it was.

Not anger.

Not defiance.

Fear.

Real fear.

Ryan stepped closer, his voice lower now.

“It was never going to fix it.”

Nia shook her head weakly.

“Then what will…?”

No one answered.

Because neither of them had one.

The room felt heavy.

Broken.

Nia’s strength gave out suddenly.

She sank down, her knees hitting the floor, her breathing uneven, her hands still trembling.

“I just want it to stop…” she whispered.

Marcus exchanged a quick look with Ryan.

This wasn’t something they could manage alone anymore.

Not like this.

Ryan stepped forward carefully, crouching slightly.

“We’re going to figure this out,” he said.

Nia didn’t look convinced.

She just sat there—

Surrounded by broken glass.

Broken control.

And the truth she couldn’t escape anymore—

Nothing she was using…

Was actually fixing anything.