So, this is my first attempt at a prompt :) and it's one that's sort of out of my comfort zone writing-wise, so we'll see how I manage it… I decided to call the Severe Nurse 'Nurse Fletcher': anyone care to guess why? :)

Once Upon a Time belongs to Adam, Eddy, and ABC: I'm just borrowing.

Unlooked For

1

Nurse Fletcher has always liked the finer things in life: fine clothes, fine food, expensive jewels, and living in the lap of luxury. On her salary alone, she would never be able to afford such high living, but she's a shrewd woman; she knows ways to make extra money. Opportunities arise from time to time and she's quick to take advantage. It so happens that the man who keeps the asylum clean, the man they all call Chief, is no orderly but a patient himself. Nurse Fletcher seized the opportunity to replace a paid orderly with a quiet, non-troublesome patient and redirect the salary to a bank account that she holds. The hospital authorities are none the wiser, of course, and the asylum is clean, and Nurse Fletcher has a second income that she finds rather helps with her lavish lifestyle. Nobody cares about the mental patients anyway: as long as things run smoothly and there's no trouble, Nurse Fletcher can do pretty much what she wants.

The hospital is a good place to hear gossip and Nurse Fletcher hears plenty, even down in the basement. She likes gossip generally, but she particularly likes it when she can use it to make a little extra cash. The word today is that Madam Mayor's son has run away from home, and that Ms Mills is gone out of town on a frantic hunt for the boy. The moment she hears that bit of information, Nurse Fletcher's mind starts to whirr, a plan forming.

There's a girl down here that Madam Mayor has a particular interest in. Lord knows why: the girl doesn't even have a name. Still, Mayor Mills always asks about her when she drops by every other month or so. She's a quiet girl, docile enough, and there's a sort of blankness about her, as if there's no personality there. Nurse Fletcher has had ideas before about how to make some money off her, but the mayor's explicit interest in the girl kept her from acting, but now that Ms Mills is out of town…

The girl is very pretty: with some sunlight and better food, one might even call her beautiful. She has blue eyes, clear skin, and an abundance of chestnut curls. The curls need a good brush through them and the face needs a little makeup to hide the pallor, and she'll have to get her a dress, but Nurse Fletcher knows she can make the girl look decent for what she has in mind.

The girl always does what she's told, just like Chief. That'll be an advantage: Nurse Fletcher knows of plenty of men who'll like that. Albert Spencer, the District Attorney, is rich, and rumour has it that he likes to be in control in the bedroom. She'll call Spencer and tell him she has a girl he'll like. She's sure he'll pay handsomely when she tells him the girl will obey every command he gives. In the meantime, she'll find a dress for the girl to wear and tell her she's going on a little adventure.

At least, that's what she plans to do, but then she goes to the cafeteria for lunch and spots Mr Gold coming in, leaning heavily on his cane. His leg must be troubling him, she realises, but feels no sympathy. Gold is ruthless, cold, and unfeeling: he cares for nothing and no one, so she cares nothing for him.

Well, that's not quite true. Gold is rich, richer than Spencer… And now her mind is whirring again.

Gold isn't as predictable as Spencer: Nurse Fletcher doesn't know how he'll take her proposition, but when it comes to making money, she's willing to try anything.

She keeps her eyes on Gold as he gets his coffee and gets up to follow him as he leaves. She notices how people step aside for him as he passes and sees in him herself, only on a greater scale. Her patients fear her: they do what she says when she says it or they face the consequences, but Mr Gold has the entire town at his feet. She wouldn't mind knowing what it is to wield that kind of power.

She follows Gold to the parking lot and realises he's going to leave before she can talk to him, but then he drops his keys and she realises she's in luck after all.

'Here, Mr Gold: let me get those for you,' she offers, swooping down for the keys.

He looks at her as he takes the keys from her and she can see he's sizing her up, trying to figure out what she wants. He's a smart man, Mr Gold: he knows she followed him out here on purpose.

'Well, your rent is fully paid up and you don't owe me any loan payments, so what is it you want from me, dear?' he asks, not beating about the bush.

She smiles. 'I noticed that your leg is troubling you more than usual,' she replies, 'and I thought you might be in need of…comforting.'

He continues to look at her. If he's surprised, he doesn't show it.

'Not interested,' he says with a sneer, and if she were interested in him like that, she'd be offended.

'Oh, I didn't mean me,' she tells him easily. 'I have someone in mind, a pretty little thing: she'll do anything you ask of her.'

'Will she, now?' he asks in disbelief. 'And who is this woman?'

'Oh, we'll just call her Margie,' she says, and smiles.

'Who is she?'

'A friend. She needs to make some money and she sometimes asks me to find someone for her. I can bring her to your house later and she can spend the night.'

He shoots her a contemplating look. 'And what's in it for you?'

'Oh, well, she and I have an agreement,' she says, and says nothing more.

'Of course you do,' he says. The world has made a cynic of Gold: no one does something for nothing, it seems, but he senses that the nurse can be discreet, and that's what he requires. The whole town knows about Albert Spencer's predilections: he'd prefer them not know what he does in his spare time.

'How much are we talking?' he asks.

'A thousand,' she replies at once. He raises an eyebrow, finding her price steep. 'She'll do anything you want,' she reminds him, 'and she'll be discreet about it.'

And the nurse has to get her cut, he supposes. Well, that's for them to work out between them: he doesn't much care.

'Deal,' he says. 'Bring her by at eight sharp.'

'Of course,' Nurse Fletcher returns: 'good afternoon, Mr Gold.' And she turns and walks away, smiling to herself in satisfaction.

0

The young woman looks up as the door creaks open and she scrambles to her feet as the nurse comes in. She's frightened of this woman and doesn't want to give her any excuse to hurt her. She frowns, though, when she sees that the nurse is carrying shoes and some black cloth and some other things in a bag.

The nurse smiles, but it's not in a reassuring way. Still, the woman stands still, awaiting instruction.

'Now, dear,' the nurse says, 'we're going to get you cleaned up: I have a little job for you.'

To be continued…