Chapter 71

Chapter 71
Gracie

"Where will they take him, Ben?" I asked, my voice still trembling just a little, for effect. "Will he be, okay?"

"They'll take him to the psychiatric emergency unit at St. Jude's first," Ben explained, his voice tired. "They'll assess him, get him stable. Then they'll decide which long-term facility is best. He'll get the best care, Gracie. He'll be safe there."

Safe. That was the key word. Safe and contained. Away from the world. Away from the truth. Away from ever exposing me. My plan had worked. David Corbin, the city's hero, was now just another lost soul, filed away, forgotten by the public, believed to have cracked under the pressure of his greatest case.

I leaned my head against Ben's shoulder, feigning exhaustion. He was my protector, my unwitting pawn. He believed me, trusted me completely. And that trust was the sharpest blade of all. The game was far from over, but David's part in it was finally, irrevocably, finished.

Ben

The wail of the ambulance siren cut through the morning quiet, tearing at something inside me. It faded quickly, taking David, my best friend, with it. My feet felt glued to the asphalt outside his apartment building. I watched the flashing lights disappear down the street, my heart a cold, tight knot in my chest. He was gone. The Dave I knew, the sharpest detective I’d ever worked with, was just… a shell. A ghost.

Gracie stood beside me, trembling. I felt her lean into my side, her small body shaking with quiet sobs. Her face was pale, tear-streaked, her eyes red and puffy. She looked utterly devastated, just like I felt. Maybe worse, because she'd found him like that. She’d seen the immediate aftermath of his mind snapping.

"Ben," she whispered, her voice barely a breath. "What happened to him? He was so… gone."

I put my arm around her shoulders, holding her close. She felt so fragile. "I don't know, Gracie. This case… it just consumed him. All the pressure. All the late nights. He was burning the candle at both ends, and then some. The Commissioner's breakdown, everything with Rhodes... it just pushed him over the edge." I tightened my grip, trying to offer what little comfort I could. "He'll get help now. We'll make sure he does."

We got into my car. The ride to St. Jude’s Hospital felt endless. Every block was a blur. My mind kept replaying the scene in the apartment. The papers scattered everywhere. Dave slumped in that chair, humming that eerie tune. His vacant eyes. It made my stomach clench. He’d been obsessed, sure, but this was… different. This was a total collapse.

I glanced at Gracie beside me. She was staring out the window, tears silently tracking down her cheeks. She loved him, I knew she did. To see him like this, to have found him… it had to be ripping her apart. It made my own pain even sharper, seeing her hurt.

"He was so close, Ben," she murmured, her voice raw. "To the truth. He said he was going to expose the whole Foundation. That he was going to bring them all down."

I nodded, gripping the steering wheel tight. "I know. He was brilliant. But he let it get to him. He crossed a line, Gracie. He started seeing conspiracies everywhere. Losing sleep, not eating. I tried to talk to him, but he just pushed me away. He was too far gone, even then." It was a bitter pill to swallow. My best friend, the man I looked up to, reduced to this.

When we got to St. Jude’s, the emergency psych unit was bustling. Nurses, doctors, other distraught families. It was a chaotic, heartbreaking place. We were led to a small, sterile waiting room. The air smelled of antiseptic and stale coffee.

I spent the next hour talking to doctors, filling out forms. My hands shook as I wrote "Inspector David Corbin" on the admission papers. It felt wrong, like signing him away to another world. I explained his symptoms, his obsession with the 'Foundation,' his recent erratic behavior. I had to leave out the part about him hitting Gracie – that was a personal detail, too ugly to share with strangers, and Gracie had sworn me to secrecy, just wanting him to get help, not to get into more trouble. She was so selfless, even now.

Gracie sat quietly beside me, holding my hand sometimes, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. She answered questions when they were directed at her, her voice soft and fragile. She confirmed his sleepless nights, his paranoia, the way he’d been living and breathing the case. She was doing her part, helping them understand what David had been through. She was strong, even in her grief. Stronger than I was feeling right then.

A young doctor, sharp-eyed and weary, came to talk to us. "Inspector Ben, Ms. Reed. We've assessed Mr. Corbin. He's in a state of acute psychosis. He's completely disoriented and non-responsive. Based on what you've described, and our observations, it's a severe stress-induced breakdown. He's also showing signs of extreme exhaustion and malnutrition."

My heart sank further. Malnutrition. He really hadn't been taking care of himself.

"We'll admit him for observation and stabilization," the doctor continued. "He'll need a quiet, structured environment. We'll start him on medication to help manage his agitation and hallucinations and help him sleep. Once he's stable, we'll look into transferring him to a long-term care facility, a specialized asylum where he can receive ongoing therapy and support."

"Can we… can we see him?" Gracie asked, her voice cracking.

The doctor hesitated. "He's heavily sedated right now, to help him rest. And honestly, it might be distressing for both of you. He's not really present. It's best if we let him rest."

I put a hand on Gracie's arm, gently. "It's okay, Gracie. He needs his rest." I knew it was for the best. I didn't want to see him like that again, not yet. Not when his mind was so far gone.

The hours blurred. More paperwork. Talking to my Captain on the phone, trying to explain David's 'sudden' breakdown without giving away too many details. The captain was shocked, but not entirely surprised. David had been pushing the limits for weeks. It was a tragic end to a brilliant career, he said. A damn shame.

I couldn't argue. It was a damn shame. For Dave, for the city, for all the truth he was trying to uncover. And for Gracie, who had to watch the man she loved crumble into dust.

Finally, the sun was fully up. The waiting room was starting to fill with new faces, new tragedies. I felt utterly drained, physically and emotionally.

"Gracie," I said, my voice tired. "Let's go. There's nothing more we can do here right now. They'll call us with updates."

She nodded, her eyes still red-rimmed, but she stood up steadily. She looked exhausted, truly exhausted. I knew she hadn't slept a wink since finding him. I pulled her close again, squeezing her shoulders.