Mistakes have been corrected in the fifth chapter. Thank you for reaching 400 views, guys.
CHAPTER 7
They took the stairs to the second floor. The room on the second floor - smaller than the room on the first floor - looked more depressing than the first. Potted plants and portraits of natural scenery were placed around the room in a failed attempt to make the place more cheerful. The only furniture that occupied the room was an old leather sofa that looked about ten years old. Gladys led Miku down a hallway on the right and turned the corner to a single door at the end. She knocked on it before Dr. Swift opened it.
"Ah, Miku, there you are," Dr. Swift welcomed her in and Gladys retreated down the hallway. "I haven't called you into my office for a really long time. Please, come in and take a seat."
Miku entered the room cautiously. The office smelled like men's perfume with the usual theme of failed attempts of reducing depression. There was a desk with his computer and a framed picture of what seemed like his family. On a shelf suspended above his desk were capsules of different kinds of pills and liquids. Miku wasn't sure whether she should be afraid of the syringe on his desk more or the blood spill on the floor beside a recliner chair.
"Don't worry about the blood," Dr. Swift said. "There's a teen in this floor who won't stop crying blood. His eyes will never look bloodier."
Miku wasn't sure what to make of that. She sat on the chair as Dr. Swift took a seat on his desk chair, facing her. "So, Miku. How do you feel?"
Miku wasn't sure what to reply. "What do you mean how do I feel?"
"Well, other than confusion and scared. And bitterness and resentment towards me, how do you feel? Headache? Stomachache? Dizziness?" he urged.
Miku gripped the ends of the chair as she felt anger surging inside her. "I'm fine!" she snapped.
"If you say so," Dr. Swift sighed. "May I?" He pulled out a stethoscope from his coat pocket (which was always pocking out of it) and brought the end to the teal-haired girl's heart as he listened to it on the other side. Miku cringed as he slipped his hand under her sweater and placed the stethoscope near her breast, her thin white dress did not help her. Finally the doctor placed the stethoscope back on the desk. "Your heartbeat seems normal, and as for your eyes..."
Miku had clearly forgotten about how she really looked like in this world. She imagined her bug-eyed image staring at the doctor and cringed.
Dr. Swift apparently thought he'd hit a soft spot. 'You can go back now, Miku,' he said simply. 'Would you want me to accompany you?'
Miku stood up abruptly. 'I'm fine!' She stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind her, only to find out soon that it opened again.
'Miku,' the doctor called. 'Just remember that we're only here to help you. And,' he coughed into his hand. 'You're still 12.'
The girl stopped in her tracks and the door closed behind her. Miku had a feeling the doctor won't call for her again for a really long time until something drastic happens. She traced her steps back to the lift, heading for her bedroom.
...
Once in her bedroom, Miku sat on the chair at her desk and examined the drawing of her Vocaloid life. She couldn't believe she drew them herself, yet she couldn't believe any of this. She groaned and planted her face in her palms in frustration. She wished she could die from all the stress. She wished there was a pill she could take so she could die. Unless there is...
Miku wondered that if this place was an asylum, there should be a place where they kept all the medicines and vaccines. And among those there may be a death pill for - who knows - very mentally challenged children. The place must be very secure though so it won't fall in the wrong hands - children and even staff members. Dr. Swift also mentioned something about a missing key earlier in the day.
But today was not the time for such plans, it was too early. She would figure it all out tomorrow if she could. And tomorrow would also be the day when Naomi could probably convince one of the nurses to unban her channel. Miku pondered what that would be. She glanced at the digital clock on her nigthstand. 6 o'clock. Time for bath.
Gladys had returned later to assist her before bath and Miku kept insisting that she could handle it by herself despite several protests from the nurse.
'But you could slip and hurt yourself!' Gladys tried for the more rational reason why she should let her bath her.
'Gladys, I'm not a kid.'
'Alright, alright, but what if there's another tantrum again and -'
'There will be no tantrums!'
'But at least leave the door unlock!'
Miku locked the door anyway. She didn't want crazy, psychotic kid rapists intruding.
She started to untie her which she mysteriously kept on before going to bed and took off her clothes and dumped it in a clean corner nearby - which wasn't so clean since there was cobwebs and dustballs. She embraced the warm water it washed over her face and drenched her oily hair. She carefully washed her entire body and her hair. She stayed in the shower for a few more minutes, looking down at her tiny frame, so different from Hatsune Miku in her dream. She pushed the thoughts away, imagining them washing out of her brain and draining into the drainage like the water. She didn't want to think about it anymore. She sighed heavily and stepped out of the shower.
She carefully avoided the mirror, not wanting to see her own face. After drying her hair with a towel and a blow dryer, she took a scrunchy that was hanging at the door peg and tied her hair in a loose ponytail and put on a silky nightgown. At least now she was clean and her hair wasn't oily anymore. She stepped back into the hallway to find Gladys still waiting beside the door. She glared at her.
'Alright, you can take care of yourself.' She put up her hands in surrender. 'Dinner will be waiting for you.' She trudged down the hall, not waiting to see if Miku would follow.
The girl followed her more slowly, wet towel hanging around her neck. Even from there she could hear the noises from the dining room and she wasn't eager to meet other kids from the asylum. The two kids in the living room earlier had scared her enough. She didn't want to meet a crowd of them. However, reluctantly, her hunger won over her fear and reached the room.
Despite the chaotic shouts and screams, there were only around a dozen children there and among them were Naomi and Thomas talking to a much taller boy. The three of them were huddled in the corner, away from the frustrated nurses trying to control the other kids.
As Miku edged her way along the wall towards them, she noticed a kid in a straightjacket sitting at the table, staring into his bowl of soup. He was mumbling something under his breath that Miku would not like to know. She saw two girls, twins probably, running in circles around a nurse, all the while pulling and tugging at each other's red hair. The teal-haired girl self-consciously gathered her own hair and shielded them protectively as she passed them.
'Hey, Miku!' Thomas greeted her. He gestured to the taller boy. 'This is Dakota.'
Dakota gave her a stare, so suspicious that Miku would've convinced herself she really was a serial killer. Then the light in his eyes faded and he smiled.
'Hello, Miku,' he said.
Miku had gotten used to people knowing her. 'This isn't the first time you've seen me, is it?'
'The first time talking to you actually,' Dakota said.
Miku had to admit that Dakota was pretty good-looking, even more than Thomas. He had brilliant blue hair and his eyes were bloodshot red.
'Have you guys eaten?' Miku asked.
'Just gonna get our food later when all the chaos died down,' Thomas replied. He saw a nurse gesturing at them and turned to Dakota. 'Looks like nurse Callie needs our help again with that kid who thinks he's a kind. Come on, Mr Hatsune.'
