Day 54: Greenhouse, Recreational Field and Sun Room
Footsteps echoed through the hallways of the institute. The sounds were hard, quick and efficient - the product of military-issue boots, and the soldiers who wore them. They were a sharp contrast to how the nurses normally sounded when they prepared for a shift change. Patients who'd been here long enough to notice the difference might have found it unsettling, particularly once a fresh flood of soldiers began pouring into the Sun Room, Recreational Field, and Greenhouse. They didn't immediately call attention to their presence, of course, but the weapons they toted on their backs and the spartan way they carried themselves made their sudden increase in numbers impossible to miss.
One or two nurses and orderlies were pulled aside and kept near the exit of all three rooms. It was only then that three separate officers, one assigned to each room, came forward and bellowed over the patients' chatter.
“By order of General Aguilar, all Landel's Institute personnel will relinquish their authority to the military, effective immediately!” they barked in iron-clad voices. “Unless otherwise spoken to, nurses and orderlies will now return to the second floor and await further instructions. No exceptions!”
This announcement startled much of the staff, who exchanged uncharacteristically worried glances with one another. But the steely gaze of the soldiers in the room left little room for debate. Save for the few nurses and orderlies standing near the exit, the staff began to reluctantly filter out of the room. With no voice of dissent among them, it appeared as though the military was going to seamlessly take their place as the patients' captors.
At least, that was the case in the Recreational Field and Greenhouse.
The Sun Room, however, was a slightly different story.
The double-doors to the Sun Room slammed open with a sound uncharacteristic for the Dayshift, and as the culpable figure entered the room, the patients found it to be an even scarcer sight.
"What the HELL is going on here?!"
The Head Doctor, in the flesh, marched straight toward the soldiers, looking far less poised than he ever had before while in eyeshot of his patients. His hair lacked its usual perfect styling; a faint sheen of sweat marked his brow. Even more significantly, he was alone, devoid of the usual protective orderlies that followed him on the rare occasions that he made a daytime appearance.
If the soldiers were surprised by Martin Landel's presence, they did a remarkable job of hiding it beneath their stoic expressions. Instead, many of them suddenly fell into formation and created a human barrier around Landel and the officer assigned to the Sun Room. Given the patients' previous history of showing hostility toward Landel, there was no other choice but to keep him guarded for now.
The officer, a curt woman with dark eyes, glared at Landel. “You're not supposed to be in here, sir,” she simply informed him. “You've been told to wait in your office until further notice.”
"Wait in my - excuse me? What?" The Head Doctor sputtered, seemingly unable to process such an absurd thought. "How do you expect me to take some... some sergeant's order seriously when your damn general hasn't seen fit to breathe a word about this to me?!"
While many people would have tried to address the doctor's concerns more openly, things ran differently in the military. Orders were orders, and so the officer did not see any point for this discussion without General Aguilar here. Not only that, but, if left unchecked, it was clear that Landel's presence and words could stir the patients into action. This couldn't be allowed to continue.
“Again, sir, you've been told to wait in your office until further notice,” she reminded Landel. “This is the last time I'm going to ask you to leave.”
"This," the Head Doctor interjected, his voice going low as he raised a cautionary finger toward the officer, "is the last time that Aguilar will get away with pushing me, and my staff, and my patients around like we belong to some category of disposable commodity."
So Martin Landel wasn't going to do as ordered. The officer had been briefed on the possibility beforehand, but she hadn't expected it to happen so quickly. No matter, though. General Aguilar had already planned for this, which meant the soldiers' orders on the issue were quite clear. The officer raised her right hand, as if giving a signal. Immediately, those who'd formed the barrier for Landel's safety pulled out their guns and took aim at the man.
“Dr. Landel, you have deliberately ignored your orders,” she spoke up before he could give any protest. “By authority of General Aguilar, I hereby relieve you of your position as Head Doctor of the Institute.” She motioned to three of the soldiers taking aim at Landel's back. “Escort him out of the building. I'll accompany you.”
For a moment, the Head Doctor could only stare back in shock. But then...
"Relieving me - HEY!" He shoved one of the soldiers away as they attempted to take hold of his arm. "How dare you say such a thing to me. ME. Do you even know what would have happened to this altverse without me?! Do you even know?! HEY!"
The soldiers, apparently, had no idea, because they took no time in grabbing him by the shoulders - more firmly this time - and dragging him out of the Sun Room.
"HEY! HEY! I'm talking to YOU!" the Head Doctor yelled, nearly hysterically. "You don't know what you're doing! I'm not the incompetent one here; just give Aguilar one day of running this place and - the patients. Think about the patients!"
The doors to the Sun Room slammed shut in his wake, leaving the area silent.
One or two nurses and orderlies were pulled aside and kept near the exit of all three rooms. It was only then that three separate officers, one assigned to each room, came forward and bellowed over the patients' chatter.
“By order of General Aguilar, all Landel's Institute personnel will relinquish their authority to the military, effective immediately!” they barked in iron-clad voices. “Unless otherwise spoken to, nurses and orderlies will now return to the second floor and await further instructions. No exceptions!”
This announcement startled much of the staff, who exchanged uncharacteristically worried glances with one another. But the steely gaze of the soldiers in the room left little room for debate. Save for the few nurses and orderlies standing near the exit, the staff began to reluctantly filter out of the room. With no voice of dissent among them, it appeared as though the military was going to seamlessly take their place as the patients' captors.
At least, that was the case in the Recreational Field and Greenhouse.
The Sun Room, however, was a slightly different story.
The double-doors to the Sun Room slammed open with a sound uncharacteristic for the Dayshift, and as the culpable figure entered the room, the patients found it to be an even scarcer sight.
"What the HELL is going on here?!"
The Head Doctor, in the flesh, marched straight toward the soldiers, looking far less poised than he ever had before while in eyeshot of his patients. His hair lacked its usual perfect styling; a faint sheen of sweat marked his brow. Even more significantly, he was alone, devoid of the usual protective orderlies that followed him on the rare occasions that he made a daytime appearance.
If the soldiers were surprised by Martin Landel's presence, they did a remarkable job of hiding it beneath their stoic expressions. Instead, many of them suddenly fell into formation and created a human barrier around Landel and the officer assigned to the Sun Room. Given the patients' previous history of showing hostility toward Landel, there was no other choice but to keep him guarded for now.
The officer, a curt woman with dark eyes, glared at Landel. “You're not supposed to be in here, sir,” she simply informed him. “You've been told to wait in your office until further notice.”
"Wait in my - excuse me? What?" The Head Doctor sputtered, seemingly unable to process such an absurd thought. "How do you expect me to take some... some sergeant's order seriously when your damn general hasn't seen fit to breathe a word about this to me?!"
While many people would have tried to address the doctor's concerns more openly, things ran differently in the military. Orders were orders, and so the officer did not see any point for this discussion without General Aguilar here. Not only that, but, if left unchecked, it was clear that Landel's presence and words could stir the patients into action. This couldn't be allowed to continue.
“Again, sir, you've been told to wait in your office until further notice,” she reminded Landel. “This is the last time I'm going to ask you to leave.”
"This," the Head Doctor interjected, his voice going low as he raised a cautionary finger toward the officer, "is the last time that Aguilar will get away with pushing me, and my staff, and my patients around like we belong to some category of disposable commodity."
So Martin Landel wasn't going to do as ordered. The officer had been briefed on the possibility beforehand, but she hadn't expected it to happen so quickly. No matter, though. General Aguilar had already planned for this, which meant the soldiers' orders on the issue were quite clear. The officer raised her right hand, as if giving a signal. Immediately, those who'd formed the barrier for Landel's safety pulled out their guns and took aim at the man.
“Dr. Landel, you have deliberately ignored your orders,” she spoke up before he could give any protest. “By authority of General Aguilar, I hereby relieve you of your position as Head Doctor of the Institute.” She motioned to three of the soldiers taking aim at Landel's back. “Escort him out of the building. I'll accompany you.”
For a moment, the Head Doctor could only stare back in shock. But then...
"Relieving me - HEY!" He shoved one of the soldiers away as they attempted to take hold of his arm. "How dare you say such a thing to me. ME. Do you even know what would have happened to this altverse without me?! Do you even know?! HEY!"
The soldiers, apparently, had no idea, because they took no time in grabbing him by the shoulders - more firmly this time - and dragging him out of the Sun Room.
"HEY! HEY! I'm talking to YOU!" the Head Doctor yelled, nearly hysterically. "You don't know what you're doing! I'm not the incompetent one here; just give Aguilar one day of running this place and - the patients. Think about the patients!"
The doors to the Sun Room slammed shut in his wake, leaving the area silent.