"I killed Dalton. When we were in the rooms, when Cipher told me he'd meet me one on one, he had Dalton dress like him. He was in the mask and he couldn't speak, it looked like his lips were glued shut. Then he taunted me until I snapped and I attacked what I thought was him. I thought if I could kill Cipher it would end all of this, that the P90s would just quit and we'd get out. I thought... I thought I could save us. I was wrong, he lied and he made me kill a friend of mine." Daniel sits on the floor.
"You didn't say anything. Its been days, weeks since that happened, and you never said a word. Why?" Ross looks at him, clearly angry.
"I was scared, I killed our friend, its not easy to come clean when you have that kind of blood on your hands." Daniel talks to the ground, unable to look at Ross.
"I'd think it be easy for you, its not the first time you've gotten blood on your hands." Cipher prods the situation.
"What does that mean?" Liz looks to both Cipher and Daniel.
"I put a man in the hospital once. I nearly beat him to death. He is in constant need of medical attention, he has difficulty talking, he lost his right eye and he has to eat a special diet and I did that to him." Daniel looks at Liz.
"Why?" is all she can think to say.
"He was responsible for the death of my wife and son." Daniel puts his hands over his face, rubbing as if to erase everything there.
"Your wife is dead?! You talk about her all the time as though you have to get back to her!" the words stumble out of Ross's mouth, he's just more and more shocked by each thing that is said.
"I do have to get back to them, to my home, to their graves. I see them and talk to them all the time."
"That's a lie." Cipher jumps in. "He's lying there. The other things all true, but seeing them all the time thinking of them, no, he used to, but he gave up on their memory long ago."
"#$*& YOU!" Daniel screams and stands up. "I never stopped. I just chose to start living my life in a way that wasn't a reflection of their death every day."
"And why is that? Was it because you put Sean Thatch into the hospital? Was it because you saw him one day at the mall in his wheelchair and the actions of your life were there sitting and staring back at you?! Did it eat at you that the justice system that kept him out of prison for what he did was the same one that kept you out of prison for what you did? "
"How do you know that? Who are you?" Daniel thinks back to the day he saw Sean at the mall, their eyes met for a moment, neither said anything. He remembers hoping that Sean didn't look at him and think 'now we're even' because that wasn't the case, they weren't even, his wife and son were gone and it was because of him. He hated him, and felt his pain was worse than his, but he knew that if every day he carried that hate it would be every day that he wouldn't be living and his wife wouldn't want that at all. "You don't know what it was like, they were my everything, and he took it away."
"Hey, don't let him do that to you, don't let him take you back there. You changed your life for your family so you could keep living, its why he made you 100, because he knew, he knew you decided to live and move on past that. You went on to push through every day of pain to make it through that tragedy, I can't even imagine. Just like you'll make it through this thing." Jim puts his hand on his shoulder.
"Aw, the ever consoling Jimmy." Cipher interjects. "Here's what we're going to do, first Kelly get out or stay, now." Kelly turns and sees the door at the far end of the room lit up and runs for the door. "Smart choice, who knew she had it in her. Second, the events of day 42 are about to change due to this play of recent events. Jim, do you forgive Daniel for killing Dalton?"
"I do, Dalton's death is your fault, just as every other death that's taken place here is on you."
"What about you Ross? Do you forgive him? You don't look so happy." Cipher remarks.
"No. I don't forgive him."
"Ross, he didn't know!" Anne steps up.
"He knew afterwards, he's known for over 20 days, but he didn't tell us. He didn't tell me."
"This isn't about you Ross." Anne tries to calm him down.
"No, its about us." Ross pokes Daniel in the chest. "How many times were we away from the group? How many times did we talk about everything that was bringing us down? About the others here? About our lives at home, all the personal stuff we told each other, how many times?! If you would have told me, and said please don't tell the group, I would have done that, I'd keep your secret, but that's not what happened! You didn't trust me with the truth. Everything thing that we've been through together and you couldn't tell me what was really going on with you. What's that about Daniel!"
"I just couldn't bring myself to do it, he was our friend, and he died because of me."
"No, Daniel stop.." but Liz is cut off.
"No Liz, it is his fault! Dalton is dead because of you and your temper and your thinking you could end all this. What if it was Cipher, what if you did kill him and the P90s just left, and they left us in here to just die of starvation, with no one to find us?! All of the sudden they were going to have a conscious and be like 'oh well we might as well let everyone go, whats the point.' For real?!" Ross rants on.
"They wouldn't have done that, they would've.." and then Cipher is cut off.
"Shut up! You're not playing me today with this, its your fault too that Dalton's dead. Its your fault Rashaan is dead, that Jason is dead, Linda, Chuck and everyone else, its ultimately your fault. I'm mad at you, Daniel, for not telling me." he pokes Daniel again. "I'm mad at you for not trusting me with this. There were times....there were times I told you things I wouldn't tell anyone, and I thought you were doing the same. But you were holding back."
"I did this because I CARE ABOUT OUR FRIENDSHIP. I didn't tell you because if I'm going to make it for another 60 damn days in this place I had to have someone be there for me! I walk around like I'm this big cool loner and I can take care of myself! But, if I told you then.."
"If we're friends, if we really care about one another, we can tell each other anything, regardless if it will hurt our feelings, or make us look different at someone or something, it won't matter. Because our trust of one another, our value that we put on our friendship on how we support one another to get through all of this, it supposed to mean something. But if your lying, if you put your worries about how I'll react rather than trusting me enough to allow me to react, well then it doesn't mean anything."
"Wow, look at the tempers fly, who's ready for day 42 because I have a great idea. The next twelve hours, are the next twelve rounds. In this corner, the man who lied to you all about his wife and son, the man who killed one of your own with his bare hands out of hate and not survival, he is Mr. 100 Days, lets give it up for Daniel! His opponent, rather opponents, twelve of you, one each hour on the hour will fist fight killer over here, the round ends when one of you physically can't answer a ten count, and no throwing the fight. If Daniel loses a fight, its not over, he's got to get back up and fight the next round. Do I have any volunteers?" Cipher waits, but not for long.
"I'm in." Scott moves up. "You lied to us, all of us, and Dalton wasn't my closets of friends but he chose me and my side once, so I'll fight on his behalf."
"Excellent! Anyone else?" Cipher pauses but no one seems quick to step forward. "That's what I thought, so I'll be picking the other eleven. My first pick, Ross, you get to be lucky contestant number one, and since it just so happens to be the top of the hour I suggest you take that anger your feeling right now and channel it against your buddy here. Because the bell is ringing right now, ding...ding."
The rest of the group fall back away from Ross and Daniel as though they're watching a school yard fight.
Day 42 begins.
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