Only that day dawns to which we are awake.
—Henry David Thoreau
In the wake of the chaos, staff are pacing hurriedly between the wards and corridors.
The glass from the broken window has already been cleaned up. Now their main focus is getting the damaged equipment out into the abandoned warehouse.
Medicine Pocket: Hey! Careful, you idiot! The materials for this thing alone could pay your rent for six months.
LSCC Staff Member: S-Sorry ...
Medicine Pocket: Ah, crap! Not the Anawa Water Purifier!
Medicine Pocket: Seriously? Can't Vertin and her broom-riding henchman show a little more care? This was decommissioned back in 1920 'cause the mortality rate was too high—but it's a total classic.
Medicine Pocket: Hey, Mesmer Jr.! I'll take this one! It's no use to you anyway. Just let it live out its final days in my lab!
Their call doesn't reach the intended recipient, instead only echoing through the corridor.
No response. Then it's theirs.
Medicine Pocket: Sweet! Alright, you, put that down and help me carry this back to my lab!
LSCC Staff Member: ...
Away from the chaos outside, Mesmer Jr. sits at her desk.
Before her sits a mountain of machine damage reports and request forms. They tower well above her head.
This entire incident has been a logistical nightmare.
Mesmer Jr.: Broken machine report, check. Transfer special patients, check.
Mesmer Jr.: Right, my "special" classmate. This is the last time I clean up your mess.
She stacks the pile of documents into a box.
Only one sheet of paper remains on the desk.
This is an entirely different problem, one that belongs solely to her.
Mesmer Jr.: sigh
She picks it up for what feels like the hundredth time.
"Patient 'Jerry Wilson' has undergone the required evaluation period. He may be discharged after a final examination by the attending physician."
Mesmer Jr.: ...
She closes her eyes and tilts her head back as she contemplates this.
She puts the consent form back into the drawer.
Amidst the hurrying people, a girl in a green nightgown stops in front of an iron door. She's talking to a man through the little barred window.
Cristallo: Yes. Every three weeks, Ms. Tooth Fairy brings me here for a checkup.
Cristallo: She said that the bad cells in my body are like a disobedient little puppy, hehe.
Cristallo: She said, "Who knows where it will have run off to tomorrow?" That's why I have to have these scans.
Strange Patient: Heh-heh, I get it, kid. When I was around your age, my ma gave me a puppy. She was a ball of energy, running and jumping around the room. She even tried to dig a hole in the couch.
Strange Patient: My ma said she was a hundred times more annoying than the sound of the neighbor's drilling. Heh-heh.
Cristallo: She must have been quite the nuisance.
Strange Patient: For a while, yeah. She wouldn't leave me alone—stuck to me like a piece of gum to a shoe.
Strange Patient: But then a few good-for-nothing human kids tried to wail on me, and my little bodyguard chased 'em all off. Heh, she tore those kids' pants apart. Course, my ma went to their houses later and helped patch 'em back up.
The man on the other side of the barred window lets out a long sigh.
Strange Patient: Would ya listen to me? When did I become an old man telling old tales?!
Strange Patient: Anyway, kid, you can trust the staff at the LSCC. Yeah, they're an odd bunch, but they'll help ya recover.
Strange Patient: And when that happens, maybe you can get yourself a real dog—your own little troublemaker. Heh-heh.
Strange Patient: I'm telling ya, before you know it, it'll be half your size and your loyal bodyguard. Just like Betsie was to me.
The man gives a reassuring smile through the bars in the window. Cristallo closes her eyes, imagining the little dog happily running around her feet.
She opens her tired eyes. She looks as fragile as a newborn bird.
Cristallo: I've always thought I'd be too weak to take care of another life. Thank you, sir.
She rummages through her pockets, eventually pulling out a small piece of candy.
Cristallo: Do you like candy?
Cristallo: My mom taught me to be generous to new friends, but this toffee is all I have at the moment. It's a little sticky. I hope you don't mind.
Strange Patient: Of course, I don't mind!
He reaches through the barred window and gently takes the child's gift.
*clang—clang, clang*
Cristallo: Hm?
A huge crash echoes from elsewhere in the building.
Heads turn in confusion.
Escaped Patient: Gold! Gold!! See this?! This California gold?! I dredged it all by myself straight from the river of blood! It's mine, haha! All mine! I found it myself!!
He staggers through the bewildered crowd in the corridor, half of his brain exposed through his open skull.
Further down, two staff members are struggling to move a piece of equipment as they try to catch up with the escaped patient.
Rehab Center Staff Member Danny: I TOLD you your dosage was off! And what's the point of restraint straps if they don't actually RESTRAIN the PATIENT?! Now we're gonna be stuck here all night writing the longest, most annoying incident report ever!
Intern Adam: B-But, based on Mr. Cobb's medical history and age, the dosage was appropriate, considering half his brain has been removed.
Intern Adam: A normal dosage would've put too much strain on what's left of his brain, and based on the Glasgow Coma Scale, he was already in a state of—
Rehab Center Staff Member Danny: Ugh, save it for the report!
He reaches for the emergency security button on his chest, but quickly sees the patient charging toward a young girl like a raging bull.
Rehab Center Staff Member Danny: ...?!
Escaped Patient: Gold! No one can take it from me! It was my father's! It's MINE!!
The girl, unable to move, sits frozen. Tragedy seems inevitable.
A hand rests on the girl's shoulder.
Cristallo: Ms. Mesmer Jr.?
Mesmer Jr.: 14:27:10.
She glances at the time.
Mesmer Jr.: Your appointment's next, Ms. Cristallo. One moment.
She waves her hand, and security swiftly moves in.
Mesmer Jr.: Restrain him. We already have enough mess to clean up.
COMBAT
Escaped Patient: Uuhh—uh! Here! Yeah, right here! Have to bury my gold.
The "gold" clutched in his arms is in fact a pillow. It slips from his grasp and falls to the floor.
He goes limp as a cold liquid is injected into his body.
His mind grows foggy, his speech slurred.
*thud*
As the needle in his neck is withdrawn, he crumples to the ground.
Mesmer Jr.: Whose decision was it to skimp on the midazolam? We have more than enough of it to keep these lunatics under control.
Mesmer Jr.: I'll have to file an incident report with the director about this.
Rehab Center Staff Member Danny: Tsk.
The man lowers his eyes in an attempt to avoid confrontation. He leaves, pulling the newly hired intern by the arm.
Rehab Center Staff Member Danny: Let's go, newbie. See what compassion leads to? You better remember this, else you won't have much of a future here.
Intern Adam: ...
He lowers his head in shameful silence.
Mesmer Jr.: Wait.
The verdict hasn't been announced yet. She seems to have found new charges against her suspects.
Mesmer Jr.: "Adam Thompson." That's your name, right? This is your ID number hanging on the door. Number 1415-132-5SG.
She points to the iron door in front of Cristallo.
Intern Adam: Yes, Ms. Mesmer Jr.
Mesmer Jr.: Ms. Cristallo has been conversing with your patient.
Mesmer Jr.: This is a tier two management area. Regulations dictate that our patients aren't allowed to communicate with anyone other than the relevant care staff, unless special allowances are given.
*clang—clang*
The patient behind the door suddenly slams his head against the iron.
Strange Patient: Stop! Stop talking! Damn hook-nosed witch, get out of my head!
Strange Patient: Needles! Plague! Ooooh, those bugs have crawled inside my head and bitten me sore!
Mesmer Jr.: ...
Rehab Center Staff Member Danny: See? He was just rambling to himself. No need to terrorize the kid over it.
Rehab Center Staff Member Danny: You know, with Lucy's new plans and now the Timekeeper incident, we really need all the help we can get.
Rehab Center Staff Member Danny: So do us all a favor, Ms. Mesmer Jr., and try not to scare off the new recruits.
Someone has to stand up for the newbies.
Mesmer Jr.: ...
Mesmer Jr.: Time to go, Ms. Cristallo.
Cristallo: Alright.
Without another word, she turns and leads the girl away.
The intern lets out a deep sigh of relief.
Intern Adam: Thank you, sir. Oh, and ...
Intern Adam: Mr. Wilson, thank you for your help, too.
The man behind the door gives a gummy grin as he rubs his reddened forehead. It seems he's quite the actor.
Jerry Wilson: Glad to be of service, "officer."
Rehab Center Staff Member Danny: Cut it out, Jerry.
He gives him an almost contemptuous look.
While Cristallo's treatment is short, she still needs a place to rest afterwards.
Mesmer Jr. has led her to a nearby abandoned ward.
The place is littered with boxes of papers and equipment, but it's safer than the occasional madman-terrorized corridor.
Mesmer Jr.: Wait in this room while your treatment takes effect. Don't go anywhere. Tooth Fairy will come pick you up soon.
Cristallo: Okay, thank you.
Her eyes fall upon a nearby pile of books. She has always been an avid reader.
Cristallo: Um, may I read these books while I wait?
Cristallo leans forward, tucking her slender wrists between her legs.
Mesmer Jr.'s eyes glance over the pile of disorganized books with the same interest that a garbage collector looks at some soon-to-be-crushed cardboard.
Mesmer Jr.: ...
Mesmer Jr.: Go ahead.
An urgent voice echoes from outside the door.
Assistant Simone: Ms. Mesmer Jr., Madam Lucy is waiting for you in the office.
Mesmer Jr. leaves, closing the door firmly behind her.
As her footsteps fade, Cristallo slowly relaxes.
She takes the book at the top of the stack.
There's something between its pages. She opens it up to find some kind of dreamcatcher tucked inside.
Removing the dreamcatcher, she flips to the title page.
"Dorothea."
She turns the page and reads the first line.
"I had never treated a patient who was one of the Manus before."
"His name was Jerry Wilson."