Day 16 - Therapy Room 2

[thermal_shift]

He didn't like the way they were being moved around today. It was all too much, too fast, especially with all the new people being announced. It made his wonder what the staffer were trying to keep them all distracted from. Then there was this lockdown thing they claimed was for repairs. He looked around the empty room he'd been escorted into with

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[snake_bites]

When Martel woke, she found herself strapped securely into a wheelchair. There was a certain numbness to her limbs, and the nurse that had greeted her in her room appeared before her, another syringe poised between her fingers. This one, however, was empty. The nurse smiled at her, tucking the needle away.

"Now, Miss Williams, I've given you a little something to wake you up, all right? I'm going to bring you to the therapy room, where you can meet a few of the other patients, doesn't that sound fun? As long as you promise to behave, we won't have to take you back to your room!" The nurse said brightly, walking behind her and grabbing the wheelchair. Without waiting for any of Martel's replies, she pushed her a short distance down the hall.

The nurse swung the door open and wheeled Martel into the room, which, to her surprise, was mostly empty, aside form the single figure slouched in his chair. She scowled slightly to herself. She did not want to meet the other crazies they kept here. And she certainly did not want to go to any sort of ‘therapy’ room. However, the nurse did not seem to notice, and parked her not too far away from the other patient, much to her displeasure.

Once the nurse had left, Martel surveyed the room with difficulty. This time, it was not entirely the fault of the odd slowness, the peculiar feeling of walking through thick marmalade that made it so hard. Now, it was mostly the fact that there were straps tightly bound around her waist and chest. After several painful, and unsuccessful attempts to twist about, she fumbled irritably with the clasps. Her fingers felt thick and clumsy, refusing to catch the little contraptions. Not only that, but her frustration overcame her logic and she violently attempted to simply jerk out of the chair's restraints. It failed, of course.

"Shit." She muttered unhappily, slamming back against the chair with a loud ‘thump’. Her gaze wandered over to the other patient. She wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or worried that he looked perfectly sane. Mostly to satisfy her curiosity, and break the rather uncomfortable silence, she spoke to him. "Who are you?"

[thermal_shift]

He glanced up when the door opened, watching from under his lashes as the nurse pushed a bound figure in a wheelchair into the room. This was new as well. Usually they would just take away any patients that gave them trouble… but the intercom had said everyone was to be brought here. Interesting. He wasn't sure what sort of trouble she might be yet, so he stayed where he was, but when she spoke he turned in his seat to look at her properly. He smiled politely. "Ashi Kemp and ignore all reports that say otherwise. And might I know your name?"

[snake_bites]

Martel twisted in an attempt to be look the other patient, "Ashi Kemp", properly. It did not go well, but she managed a rather uncomfortable position, which earned her a much better view of the room. She frowned slightly at the man.

'Reports that say otherwise'? What did he mean by that? Oh, could it be that the nurses also called the other patients ridiculous names? What was it that that woman called her? Miss Williams? Martel scowled inwardly. She did not like it much.

Her attentions shifted back to Ashi and she blinked. "My name is Martel." She replied. She'd long since dropped her last name. After all, she was still marked as Missing In Action in the military documents, and desertion for this long... Well, she'd be spending a hell of a lot of time in jail. Speaking of which, was this Ashi character with the military? Was this entire facility with the military?

So far, from her short trip down the hall, she'd deducted that she was in some sort of metal hospital. There were numerous signs about patient safety and metal stress, as well as a few of the annoying smiley faces that were plastered on (apparently) all the patients' shirts. She studied Ashi a moment longer. "This is some sort of asylum, right?" She asked after a moment. "How long have you been here?"

She knew her question might have come off as entirely rude, but frankly, she'd rather like to know what she was dealing with, exactly.

[thermal_shift]

Seeing the way the woman strained he sat up a little straighter, then rose slowly to his feet and walked around to where she could see him properly. "It's nice to meet you, Martel, though I could wish the circumstances were better. And Landels acts like it's a sanitarium, during the day anyway. I've been here around two weeks, I think. They don't give us much help with keeping track." He tipped his head to one side, looking over how she was fastened to the chair.

[snake_bites]

Martel raised her brows a bit as the man shifted, and they climbed higher as he stood and approached her. As he drew closer, she was suddenly extremely aware of her utter helplessness. She resisted the urge to struggle against the binds. They weren't that difficult, really, if she took the time to think about it. It required a quick flip of the latch and an equally quick twist, before it popped free. Martel frowned to herself, it would be too difficult to to it herself, as her arms were allowed limited movement from the strap across her chest.

Martel glanced back up at Ashi, as he stood towering over her. She did not appreciate it much. "Ah." she replied noncommittaly. "You've been here a bit longer than I have. I think I've been here a few hours, well, I've been here a few hours consciously." She added, wondering how long she'd been lying unconscious in the dull little room. She glanced around the room again. "Say, should you happen to know what this therapy business is about?"

It was actually rather unnerving. Surely this Ashi person wasn't the therapist, right? He wouldn't be wearing the god-awful grey uniform like her, if he was. Or maybe he was trying to "relate" with her. She'd heard about stupid ideas like that. But if he wasn't the therapist... Well, she hoped they weren't going to leave her there alone with a man of questionable sanity.

No, she had to calm down. No matter how wretched this place seemed, they were not going to leave some strapped down patient alone in a room with a maniac.

[thermal_shift]

He gave her a faintly startled look, then sank slowly into a crouch so they were closer to the same level. "Therapy? No, I don't think they're putting us through that today. All the intercom mentioned was lockdown and repairs." His lips twisted upward wryly. "Apparently the therapy rooms are just the area they deiced to coop us all up in to keep us out of the way."

Ashi rolled one shoulder in a shrug, glancing around. "It makes sense I suppose, they don't look as badly damaged as some other parts of the building."

[snake_bites]

Martel didn't know if he could tell what she was thinking, but he looked far less intimidating crouched down at her level. Martel sighed and shifted again, an annoying ache was beginning to form on her backside. In fact, she seemed to ache and bruise more easily than usual. Perhaps it had to do with the mysterious "slowness" of everything.

She jerked her gaze back to Ashi, while she'd previously been looking around the room. "Repairs?" she echoed. She didn't much remember an intercom, but she did remember the annoying screeching that had woken her in the grey room that was supposedly "hers".

"Was... There some sort of accident?" She asked hesitantly. "Did some patients escape, or something?" She was suddenly reminded that she was in enemy territory. How could she trust that what he was saying was true? Then again... These were dire situations. She could give him the benefit of the doubt... But he could end up stabbing her in the back.

[thermal_shift]

"I don't know about escaped, but a lot of people are gone. And then they bring in all you lot from powers only know where." His brows drew down and he frowned slightly, looking away for a moment. "It may have been an accident, but I doubt it. Nights around here are… unique."

He didn't care to give too much away right off, though he didn't mind helping someone new. Still there was the fact the staff had left the two of them in here by themselves and that made him reluctant to trust the woman very far until he had a better knowledge of her.

[snake_bites]

Gone...? Martel stared at the man for a moment. Again, she was forced to wonder about this place. Were they killing their patients? She had to question the credibility of this... Facility, especially when she was shoved in a room, alone, tied down, with some man who spoke in did not seem capable of telling her anything remotely helpful.

However, it seemed she was not the only new patient here. It was a bit of a relief. Maybe she wasn't here because of the military, or her chimera status, or even Greed. Maybe it was random chance, and her poor luck landed her here. But then, what had happened to Alphonse? He surely hadn't just left her there.

"Are the nights... Dark?" She asked, frowning. Did something special happen at night? Or was it just that all the lunatics holed up started their ranting and rattling? "Or spooky or something?"

[thermal_shift]

He laughed out loud, not quite able to stop himself, leaning an elbow heavily against his knee for support. After a moment he seemed to catch his breath and looked back up at her. "I'm sorry you're new here and I shouldn't expect you to know about anything, but it's been a long time since I've had to worry about anything so remotely innocent as simply dark and spooky."

He gave her an appraising look. He didn't trust her, but there didn't seem to be any reasons for him not to tell her the truth, even if it would probably degrade her opinion of his sanity until she experienced her first night here. "Sure the nights are dark, but their also very hazardous. The doors to our rooms unlock at night so we can move around within the building, but they turn monsters loose in the halls and on the grounds. So going outside your room is as risky as it can be advantageous."

[snake_bites]

Martel was... Surprised, to say the least when the man doubled over in the laughter. What was so funny, exactly? She knew her question sounded a bit ridiculous, but if he'd just tell her what was going on, she wouldn't have to make a fool of herself by asking stupid questions. She pursed her lips and waited until he calmed.

Her eyes went wide as he mentioned the doors unlocking. They let them go around freely? Hope surged through her. They're were free at night! She may even be able to locate where they'd hidden away her knife... And why she felt so lethargic. This certainly heightened her chases of escape, as well, monsters or not. After all, she could handle a few chimera.

Suddenly, she realized something. "If you're free at night, why haven't you escaped, yet?" She studied Ashi silently for a moment. Then added, "And where are the other patients?"

[thermal_shift]

He shook his head. "You make it sound like you think it's easy. The doors to our rooms open, sure, but that's not enough. There are the monsters to consider and the fact that any… special abilities people have are very limited by this place. Even if you do manage to make it outside all you'll find is more monsters and the outer fences. Even assuming a person could find a way past those we have no clue what's beyond them. And all this has to be done with whatever weapons and supplies you can scrounge up. That's what most do nights, try to find anything to give them an advantage."

"As to the other patients…," he shrugged again, rocking back on his heels slightly, "the announcement wasn't made that long ago and there are three other therapy rooms. Most are probably still in the sun room or in transit and they're likely spreading us between the rooms as we're brought over."

[snake_bites]

Martel pressed her lips together in thought. Was it really that difficult? She'd never really been troubled by "monsters" or any other sort of things that "go bump in the night". Listening to him describe it, it almost seemed like a game. However, what really made Martel pause was his mention of "special abilities". Did that include her abilities?

Experimentally, Martel tried to twist her arm, it was usually an easy movement, and had gotten her out of police handcuffs plenty of times before. It was odd, more like she was flicking her wrist rather than twisting it or stretching it. She frowned, staring at her arm for a moment. What had done this? Had they separated her from her snake half while she'd been asleep? It was a nice thought, in a way. She could finally be normal. Then again, it left her vulnerable, and useless.

As he spoke of the other patients, two appeared at the door, as if on cue. She glanced at Ashi suspiciously. Had he planned that? Her "doctor relating with the patients" theory came to question again. She studied the two newcomers as best she could from where she was strapped. They looked... Interesting, to say the least.

"Where are the weapons?" She asked him, after a moment. She'd need weapons if she wasn't able to use her chimera powers. She was all right with a gun, but her specialty had been knives. Even so, she'd always had a rather short stamina, quick and easy had always been her method. Suddenly, she was reminded that she was in no position to do any fighting. She glanced at Ashi again. "And do you think you could get me out of this contraption?" She asked, nodding her head to indicate the wheelchair.

[thermal_shift]

He glanced over briefly as two others came in, recognizing them as some of the older patients he went ahead and ignored them for the moment. "That depends on what kind of weapons you're looking for. Melee weapons are the easies sort to come by. Things in the rooms can be tuned to makeshift clubs. A raid on the kitchen might get you a few knives. Or, if you wanted something more specialized you could ask one of the alchemists to make it for you."

He gave her a wary look at the request, hesitating at getting that close. "Are you going to do something to get us all in trouble if I do?"

[snake_bites]

"Mmmm..." Martel replied, turning the ideas over in her head. She hadn't been back to her room yet today. Maybe there was something there for her to use. Oh god, she was already thinking of the two-dimensional grey room as "hers". She sighed. She should look into locating the kitchen. A knife would be best.

Suddenly, she jerked her gaze back over to him. "There's alchemists, here?" She repeated a little too harshly. It wasn't that she didn't think alchemists were here, really. Her first thoughts would be that they were running everything behind the scenes... But were they patients, too? If they weren't, why would they help make weapons? Were they keeping tabs on people? Tell which had what weapons and what kind?

Martel shook her head, clearing away her paranoia. She exhaled slowly and looked down at the straps. "I'll say I got out on my own, if you're worried about me squealing on you." She replied. "But I don't have any great want to be sedated again." She added. "Causing trouble isn't high on my priorities yet."

[thermal_shift]

He drew back a little at the tone of her voice, frowning as he reexamined her. "You're from Amestria, then?" Most others didn't react so strongly to the term alchemist, not any that he'd met anyway. It made him hesitate more about her request, but eventually he rose and bent over cautiously to study the clasps. Deft fingers reached out and worked them loose briskly, though he was careful to keep his palms and the arrays tattooed there hidden from her view. He stepped back swiftly once that last strap came loose, putting a few feet between them.