A/N:

I've just returned from a New England vacation and while I had loads of fun, I am happy to be home and happier still to be updating!

A big thanks goes to VioletW who totally roleplayed the Foster/Naomi session with me. (Is the word 'roleplay' inherently sexual just to me? Totally not intended!)


Naomi's POV

"Alright, Naomi, I believe proper introductions are in order." He makes his way to me and sits down on the chair adjacent me and smiles with an extended hand, "I'm Dr. Foster."

"That's nice," I reply in a falsely polite tone ignoring his outstretched hand.

Foster smirks, looks down at his notes, writes something before saying, "I'd like to help you."

"Don't reckon I need your help but cheers mate."

He puts his pen down on his paper, and folds his hands over it. "Naomi. You're here for a reason. The longer you fight me on this, the longer you stay here. I'm flattered if you like my company that much, but I'm willing to bet 100 quid that you don't."

Naomi snorts. "As much as I'd love to spend countless hours with you, I think you'll find I'm only in here for 72 hours. Why don't you put THAT in your notes?'

Foster smiles, "Interesting."

"Pray tell what exactly do you find so interesting?" I mock.

"Tell me, why exactly are you here? And for only 72 hours?"

"I'm not like your other... patients. I'm just here for a... break. My Mum and I agreed it would only be for a couple days. So I don't care what you say or what you put in that bloody little notebook – it really doesn't matter much to me. So how's about you let me go back to playing cards and you go ahead and worry about your real patients?" I've had just about enough and stand to leave.

"Naomi. Sit down, we are almost done."

Reluctantly I sit, "What more is there to say, Doc?" I say the word as if it tastes badly.

"Well, for starters. I think you're suppressing something. And if we don't figure out what that is, you may find yourself here longer than you think."

I can't help it – I snort. "The only thing I'm suppressing FREUD, is the desire to throttle you with that globe over there." After a thoughtful moment, I add, "and if you think you can keep me here longer than 72 hours, then you've never met Gina Campbell."

"Your Mum loves you, and she will do what I recommend, because I am the professional. So why don't you stop hiding behind your anger, and tell me the REAL reason why you are here."

I shake my head with a laugh, "It's just not a goer man."

"Well," he scribbles onto his pad again "then I guess, we'll be seeing a lot of each other. You may leave if you so choose, Naomi," he waves his hand dismissively.

"No worries mate, I won't forget to say goodbye in..." I consult the clock on the wall, "67 hours." I get up and leave with a final one finger salute in his direction.

"Oh, Naomi?"

I stop and turn around with a dramatic sigh and a quirked eyebrow, "Yeah?"

"Best start making friends."


I stalk away from his office and head back towards the CR. Dammit, don't call it that! I pass the gallery corridor and scowl at the portraits as if they can see my outrage and continue until I pass the nurses station. Josie calls from behind the desk, "How'd it go?" I send her a death glare in response. She frowns and looks hurt. If I hadn't been so frustrated I might have even felt a little sorry, but she is part of this god-forsaken hospital too, so fuck her.

I see Effy sat on the floor in front of the couch with a card game in front of her.

"Fucking tosser." I plop myself down on the couch.

Effy looks up from her game of Solitaire, meeting my eyes momentarily, before deciding to collect the cards in a single pile, reaching her arms back to the sofa pulling herself onto it and leaning back casually. "Let's hear it then."

"Nothing much to say except that he's a cunting quack."

She laughs, "Tell me how you really feel."

"I won't see him again – I won't." I shake my head fiercely.

She nods slowly in silence. After a few moments she says, "The thing is, Naomi, it's no secret you're new to all this – it's pretty fucking obviously actually. And it's perfectly fine being the new girl at college, yeah? But here? You need to learn how things work – and quickly. Foster? He runs everything. Don't piss him off. Don't question his authority. And don't give him that death glare you've been throwing about." She looks around her briefly before continuing. "He can be... well, no matter – just don't give him a reason to throw about his weight, okay?"

I think about what she's said. He does seem the arrogant (re: small penis) type to use his power just to show he can. Have I pushed him I wonder? I suppose it doesn't matter anyhow. He can hardly do much harm in just a couple days. "I won't bow down to him, I won't be here much longer anyways."

"That's just it, Naomi – he can make you stay longer," she adds with a hint of sadness, "trust me."

"My Mum would never allow it, she's not just gonna dump me here and leave me to rot!" The words are out of my mouth before I realize their implications. I grimace at my words. "God, I'm a twat Effy, I didn't mean it li-"

She raises her hand to stop me. "S'alright." she says, seemingly ending that particular conversation. She begins shuffling the cards, "Any other excitement to report?"

"None to speak of." I say automatically before adding, "Although, I think I saw another patient? Young, redhead?"

"Oh. Yeah, that's Katie."

"Why isn't she in here?" I ask looking about the Common Room.

Effy laughs, "You will find out very soon. See, she doesn't like to hang out with us plebes... might catch crazy and all."

I shrug, "She seemed alright to me..."

"Did she?" Effy eyes me curiously then. "She is rather pretty, don't you think?"

I shrug again in response. She continues looking at me with her penetrating and probing eyes. "What?" I ask.

"Nothing, just didn't know you were into girls is all."

I sigh, "And if I am?"

She laughs then, "Oh, I don't care what you're into. Makes no difference to me. Besides I've taken a swim in the lady pond once or twice."

I smile at her, "And somehow that doesn't surprise me in the least."

She raises a single eyebrow in question.

"You just seem like the type of girl that will try anything once is all," I explain.

"...twice if I like it..." she smirks. We both fall back in giggles.

Josie interrupts then, "Laughter? That's lovely, isn't it? It is after all the best medicine!" The insecure nurse looks at me rather nervously. I smile at her, it's the best I can manage at the moment. She visibly relaxes after that and continues, "Are you both ready for Group? You should start heading down now, wouldn't want to be late."

Effy stands up and reaches her hand to me pulling me up with her. "Come on Cranky-Pants, you aren't gonna want to miss this."

I roll my eyes at her, "I suppose I haven't anything better to do." I allow Effy to lead me towards a door off of the Common Room and through a short hallway, passing Josie's heeby-jeeby inducing bathroom. I'll have to ask Effy about that, I think. Effy points to a room with a large viewing window, "That's the art studio," she says. I look through the window and am impressed by the large built in shelves brimming with supplies. "Freddie's just about always in there. But he's on privileges, so he can be," Effy says as she beckons me onward, "Come on, the likes of us won't be seeing any privileges if we're late to Group."

She stops at a door at the end of the corridor, "Ready to meet the rest of our demented crew?"


My introduction to the "crew" is a bit anticlimactic. Several cushioned chairs are positioned in a circle where Pandora and JJ are currently sat upon. An attractive Mediterranean-looking boy is sat cross-legged on a chair next to JJ sketching in an open notebook.

"Alright, Freds?" Effy calls to the distracted boy, who looks up from his endeavor and smiles at Effy, "Can't complain, you?"

Effy nods in response, "This is the new girl."

"I do have a name you know?"

"Oh, I know, " Effy smirks, "I just can't call you any of them in front of Panda, she's a bit sensitive to foul language you see."

"Ha-fucking-ha." I turn my face away from Effy and to Freddie, "I'm Naomi."

"Naomi? Hey." He looks at me intently before saying, "You have got amazing eyes, you know that? The color... well, they're, I don't know... deep? No, that's not it... they're, ugh, I can't think of it. But maybe you'll let me sketch them? I'd love to see if I could replicate the color."

"God, Freddie, she doesn't know you yet... you can't talk about her eyeballs like that." Effy scolds, before turning to me, "He's not actually a creeper, honest."

I open my mouth to respond but am interrupted by a booming voice, "Who's ready to get this party started?!" A guy strolls into the center of the ring of chairs, holds his arms out wide before yelling, "Come on guys, let's get fucking mental!"

The room is silent. "Come on guys, mental. MENTAL! Get it?"

Effy responds, "We got it Cook. We got it the first time you said it, we got it the second and fortieth time you said it. Get a new line already, yeah?"

Not yet discouraged, he turns to Pandora, "Panda-pops? Still funny, yeah babes?"

Pandora shrugs, "It is a bit old Cookie..."

He looks around to Freddie for support but stops as he notices me. "Whoa-ho-ho... Christmas comes early this year and someone was a very good boy! Hey there, Blondie!"

"It's Naomi, wanker," I clarify.

"Alright, alright, I get it. You're feisty – I like it, Blondie," he rakes his eyes from my head to my toes and then back again, "I like it," he adds in confirmation.

I cross my arms over my chest and prepare to detonize my death glare when Effy, places a hand on my arm, "Saying anything back to him right now, is just encouragement... and by encouragement I mean wanking material."

"Aw, come on Eff, I thought you liked my wanking material," he winks as he thrusts his pelvis several times.

"Give it a rest mate, yeah?" Freddie says.

"What's it to you, mate?"

Freddie gets up, puts his arm around Cook's shoulders. "Nothing... just chill man, yeah?" Freddie leads him to a chair before sitting upon it and patting the seat next to him, "Come on." Cook relents and sits down but not before wrapping his arms around Freddie and giving him a noogie, ruffling his hair with a laugh.

Effy sits down next to a smiling Pandora leaving two remaining seats directly across from from the two girls. I look at the two chairs, one next to JJ and one next to Cook, and finally decided on JJ - the lesser of two nutters.

"This is cozy, ain't it?" Pandora asks the group. "It's been so long since we had such a whizzer group!"

No one responds, but she doesn't seem like she expects anyone to. She turns to Effy who smiles and pats Pandora's lap.

A tall and slender woman enters the room carrying the ever present and seemingly obligatory notebook. "Everyone here?" She asks as she looks around the room, nodding as if she's ticking names off a mental list. She stops once she reaches me, "Naomi, great. I'm Harriet." She looks at the empty seat next to me with a frown. "Katie? Where's Katie?" She looks at the faces of the teens who either shrug in response or outright ignore her question. "Has anyone seen Katie?" She sighs, and says under her breath something that sounds suspiciously like 'needs to be tagged.'

She drags a chair from along the front wall and sets it down amongst the other chairs. "I'm sorry not all of your group thought it was important to be here, it really shows a lack of respect for all of you and the group as a whole." She balls her hands together to emphasize the word whole. I stifle a laugh and look across at Effy, requiring me to swallow back full on laughter as I am met with her repeating the gesture with exaggerated clasped hands.

Harriet looks between me and Effy with a warning gaze and continues. "However, we must move on. Where to start?" She looks about the room as she sits elegantly in the chair on the upper most part of the circle. "JJ? Would you like to begin?"

JJ looks down into his lap. "I don't really have anything to contribute today."

"Surely that's not true. Tell us how things have been going with the PHP?"

"Good. Quite good," he states quickly.

"Can you elaborate on that Jeremiah?"

"Oh God, I was so hoping I would have missed this abortion," Katie strolls into the room with an air of annoyance and distaste. She sits in the empty seat next to me, but doesn't notice me as she is too preoccupied using her nails to push back her cuticles.

"Is there any reason in particular that you are late to Group?" Harriet asks with thinly-veiled annoyance.

Katie responds with a lazy shrug, never looking up from her nails.

"Are we," she motions to the circle, "interrupting something that you would rather be doing?"

At this Katie looks up, "Listen babes, I'd rather have a colonic than be here. But I'm here, aren't I? Jesus, you should be grateful... honestly!" She shakes her head in a chastising way before attending to her nails again.

"Enough! I have had about enough of you. You are rude and disrespectful. Tell me, do you honestly think you are better than anyone here?"

"Uh, look around Harriet, I know I'm better." She stands up and walks to JJ pointing, "Exhibit A, JJ; an anxious ridden fool who can't spit out a single fucking sentence without rambling on like an idiot. And I won't even start on the OCD. Tell me Gay-Jay, when you wank are you unable to stop until you've gone five times too?

She walks over to Freddie, "And then we have Freddie... easy on the eyes, I admit, but you still fall asleep every night hoping you don't wake up, don't ya babes? Every morning a disappointment, yeah?" She walks away while 'tsk-ing'.

Freddie shakes his head, "Fuck you Katie."

"Sorry, hun – I never make the same mistake twice." She then side-steps and stands in front of Cook. "Speaking of mistakes... Cookie. Answer me this babes, exactly how many times has your Mum visited you?"

Cook stands up and points down at Katie, "You dunno what you're taking about little girl. So you better watch your mouth."

His reaction elates her and she laughs and moves on to stand in front of Pandora.

"Hi, Katie," Panda greets cautiously.

Katie brushes some blonde hair from her face, "Oh, our sweet Panda. You are sweet, aren't you, love?" She asks the girl who nods in response, "Yes, you are. You are just about the sweetest little nutter I've ever met. How long has it been now? Must be about six, no seven years now. God, what did you do to end up in here?"

"Stop." Everyone looks at Effy who uttering just a single word, has made Katie pause in her abuse.

Effy uses this break to put her arm around Pandora while the blonde quietly sobs into her shoulder.

However, Katie's cease-fire is short lived. "Oh, don't worry Effy, I haven't forgotten about you." She crouches down and begins to rub Effy's hand in mock-comfort. "If it's possible, I think you may actually be crazier than Panda... I mean, what with your delusional fits... your voices..." Katie gets up then and begins looking around the room worriedly, "Tell me, are the monsters here now?" Katie must find herself quite clever and laughs joyously.

I've had quite enough of this. "I suppose that just leaves me then."

Katie turns around and looks at me as if noticing me for the first time.

I continue, "Come on now, surely you've diagnosed me also... seeing as you're the expert and all, Doctor Katie, is it?"

She looks me up and down before a smile reaches her face, "As a matter of fact, I have, New Girl. It's really quite obvious that you and Freddie are kindred spirits, seeing as you're both suicidal."

"That so? How do you figure?" I challenge.

"Surely, anyone that can wear a shirt like that has well and truly given up on life."

I laugh, "That's good, Katiekins, real good." I stand up and look down at the petite girl, "But seeing as I'm new here, surely you can help me out a bit, yeah?"

"I think you're a bit beyond help, babes," she says patting my shoulder and walking past me to sit down, as if her reign of terror physically exhausted her.

"That's a shame. See, I'd really love to know why you're here. Seeing as you're so much better than us lot, surely you wouldn't mind sharing your story."

Katie scoffs but remains otherwise silent.

"Well, go on then," I say in mock encouragement, "Nothing to say now, Katie?"

Katie opens her mouth to respond but is stopped, by a raised hand from Harriet. "I think this is a good place to stop for today. Thank you all for coming, you may go." Harriet motions towards the door and everyone moves to leave. "Naomi, may I have a word?" I turn from Harriet to Effy who tells me she'll catch up with me in the CR, "Yeah, alright." I walk back towards the woman and look at her expectantly.

"I only wanted to say that I think you made some good contributions today. And I think you're going to be a real asset to us. We need a voice like yours in Group."

"You mean, like the type of voice that was meant to stop that bitch from systematically attacking your group? You should have stopped her Harriet."

She sighs, "I can see why you would think that way. And perhaps, I could have stepped in sooner, but you have to realize, today we made some progress, real progress. I know that may not make sense to you right now, but I hope you'll allow me the chance to show you that I do have your best interests in mind. Even Katie's. I'm sorry you feel otherwise." She heads towards the door before turning around. "I've spoken with Dr. Foster. He says you're a very bright girl, and I'm inclined to believe him. You know, I think we can really help you, and I think you might surprise yourself and find that you may help others too. It may be an odd thing to say, and consequently, an odd thing to hear, but I'm happy you'll be staying with us for several weeks."

"I'm sorry, you're mistaken. I'm meant to be here for 72 hours," my voice goes up at the end of the sentence making it sound suspiciously like a question, even though it's a simple statement. A statement of fact. I am staying here for 72 hours.

"Oh, heaven's no, dear. We've already sorted everything with your Mum, your meant to stay until Dr. Foster believes you're ready to return home. Now don't worry, we'll take good care of you." She smiles and walks out the door leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I collapse into the nearest chair and cry. It's one of those cries that is filled with silent but body convulsing sobs. I don't know how long I'm sat there draining my body of all of it's natural stores of hydration, but it feels like forever. And suddenly, I find myself completely exhausted, from the lifeless blonde locks upon my head, to the tips of my toes. I wipe my face with my hands and gather every ounce of energy I have left and begin walking. I don't stop once I reach the Common Room. I pass the nurse's station, the hall of ghosts past and finally come upon the entrance to my room. I collapse into my bed, not bothering to change or even turn off the light. My last thought as sleep finally overtakes me is, 'I need a fucking fag.'


A/N:

Thanks so much for the reviews, faves and follows!

FClydEN - Stay tuned... more will be revealed!

VioletW - Yeah, yeah. Ditto babes! Thanks a bunch for all your help... and pestering. Annnnd thanks for putting up with all my whining. I honestly don't know how you do it. Love ya to bits!

Artemis athena90 - Thanks! Will do! :)

mynameislizzie - I hope you still think it's convincing when more is revealed about everyone's conditions. It's a bit daunting actually... everyone has a story and I'm finding it tricky to figure out how to do it all. So thanks so much for your super nice words!

Tiffythetitan - Yes, it really does! I saw them at a book festival and fell in love. Interesting theory... I promise I won't make you wait too long to find out. From what I've mapped out, Katie's Admitted chapter should be Chapter 4.

garden-nomes - Thank you, I plan to!

Until next time!

xx, tinderbliss