Chapter 6: Group Time
In the looks of the young faces, before one could remember being like them, before having to grow up, can do a lot, to one's heart. Remembering those times of being happy and doing crazy things, you thought others would never think to do. But when you see them; lost, hurt, unsure of whom they even are or how they got here. The mind screams to you, and only you, to help them. The choice is after that, as a man named Hamlet said, to be or not to be.
In this case. To help the unsure minds or not to help the minds of the unsure.
"Umm, Nurse Maxine?"
Broken from her train of thought, the nurse, Maxine looked to the hairless head girl. "Yes?"
"That chair is empty again." The little girl said, pointing to the empty spot by the head healer of the group, who then, was fetching the person for the said seat.
"It'll be fill-in soon, just wait."
The others said nothing, letting airy breath fills the room. A groan was heard from a seat not far from Maxine. Blessing herself not to say anything to the boy who made that noise and made the others giggle.
"Hey Zack, is it true?"
"What?"
Maxine again tried to block it out, sadly not working and listen in.
"That someone tried to kill you awhile back."
Zack shrugged. "No way he could. I bend him into a bow-tie before that happens."
"Cool." The boy, Warren said with a smile, trying to picture that thought.
So was Maxine, all while trying to make it goes away.
"He can't talk, right?"
"Makes it easy for whatever the night-guards are out and about."
"Theo, Zachary, not another from you two!" Maxine snapped at them, seeing that Trent was about to add something to it, and not wanting to hear it.
Yet Trent was able to say. "When the lights go out, you can only have doubt."
"Mr. Adamson, please don't spe . . . "
The door of the group room open, cutting the white noise within to a light hush. The doctor finally came, a boy in tow. Who was trying hard to leave.
"Nurse Maxine, you can leave now." She said, while making sure the boy didn't try to run off.
"Yes, Dr. Fitzgerald. I have to call in on that report about what happens in one of break-rooms."
"See that you do, I heard more than $300 was lost because someone can't tie his shoes and broke all those bags." She said in rage, not caring if others were around to hear her rant.
"Was those you meals that were washed away, Doc?" Zack asked with a smirk.
The doctor glared at him, finally had the wild one down in his seat and handcuff to it. Not wanting to chance anything and glad she, herself, always carried them in a handy moment.
"Not another word, Mr. Martin."
He only shrugged, crossed his arms, slouching in his chair. Zack's eyes looking to the boy, pulling madly at the cuff. Small tears could be seen those boy's ice-like eyes. Pity almost hit Zack's heart, almost.
Once the door closed by Maxine happens, the group thing started, as it has before for the pass month and a week.
The doctor does not even bother telling the others of their new member. All knowing he was there so the doctor could look good to the others and they would be wide her rep-sheet for more like them.
Oh, how that made the skin crawl at the thought.
But that would never stop someone who begun that chill.
"Now, for this week, each of us will share what our goal was and tell if it was met or not." Dr. Fitzgerald stated, to those she called, mush brain zombies, reasons why each of her words later was spoken slowly and clears. "Who would like to share first?"
Theo lifts his hand up, facing down, looking onto his short legs swinging endlessly over a chair far too large for his teen body.
"Go on Mr. Cavanaugh."
"I called my mum, and we talk and stuff."
"For how long?"
"About maybe an hour."
"Good work, next time, call your father."
He shook his head, signing that would never happen anytime soon.
But the doctor sighed at this and glance over to the boy, next to her. Happy to see he stop trying to break the cuff and accept he was stuck there.
"You have anything to say?"
He tried to hit her and miss. Not caring of others watching.
"That's a no, Doc."
"Quiet Mr. Martin." She orders when looking to the trouble that was Zack. Moving her eyes to the girl next to him. "Miss. Binder, anything happens for you?"
"Nope!" Calling out with a smile.
"I want a new answer next week."
Binder nodded her head in understanding, seeing that saying the same word over and over. And today's answer was number nine. It had to change.
"Shrew?"
The boy who was called out of blue, looked like a deer caught in the headlights.
"Umm . . . well . . . I . . . umm . . . "
"Yes, go on."
"I painted flowers in art class this time, but a bug. A bee almost stung me."
"No one reported that Shrew. The bee found was on your painting."
"No it was there and it was sending Death's wish to me as a warning."
"All right if you say so."
"I do say so."
Pushing up her glasses in frustration and looked over to the boy named Trent.
"Anything you like to say."
"Nothing, but I agree with Warren."
"Stop that both of you or you're not going to be sitting next to each other in art class anymore."
"Yes Ma'am." They said together.
"Now Mr. Martin . . . "
"Is he breathing?"
"What?"
Zack pointed to the boy next to her, his chest stop rising awhile back, with Zack just now saying something about it.
Out of shock, Dr. Fitzgerald left the room for help. Telling the others to stay put before she was all the way out.
A moment later.
"She's gone."
And once more that chest was breathing again. Those blue eyes opening and looking around the room, the people, the clock, anything he could see and just wonder in silence to whatever all this was. Once done, started again on his cuff, not caring that his wrist was becoming a raw red slit.
"Better stop before the skin breaks." Haley said with a frown.
The boy only hissed at her and kept going. Soon finding himself on the ground, banging his back against the chair in the after shock.
"Watch it. She's trying to be nice."
"Zack it's fine."
He looked to her and seeing in her eyes, which she didn't mind. Helping the boy back up. But again, the blue eye boy kept at it with the cuff.
When blood finally started to draw, most of the group bolted at the sight. Not wanting to see anymore of it, then they already have.
Only Theo, Zack, and the poor mute stayed behind.
"You better go after the others."
"What about you?"
"If I leave him alone and bleeding, with no doctor in sight. It would almost seem cruel."
"Out of everything you have done before?"
Nodding with a smirk and waved Theo off. Started to move closer to the boy, who was no younger than him, stopping him from tugging at the cuff.
"Stop. No point. I should know."
The other whimpered but did so.
"Hey about that day?"
The other did nothing but listen.
"I don't blame you if you'd killed me. I'd be mad too if I was you being treated like this."
The blue eye boy started to lightly claw at the hand holding his cuff one. Not liking one moment of being not to go anywhere. He finally then looked at Zack, brought up his hand and again lightly clawing his face, leaving two light red marks.
"Let out. It'll be easy on us both if you do."
The other cocked his head to his words.
"You remind me of someone and the thought alone wants me to keep you alive. Even if you don't want to."
He hissed at him and pulled away, not taking kindly to his words.
"Be that way. Don't matter to me." Zack said, ruffling the other's hair, only to have hit away. "Yeah you act a lot like him."
Later that day, Mark came to visit. Glad to find his friend still in the hospital and in a ditch or something. Sitting next to him, at a far table of the area, in the rec. room. Playing himself of chest. So far, no was winning, a tie of pieces was still on the board.
"Hi Zack." Mark said with glee, patting his shoulder once he took a seat.
"Hey."
Pawn to Knight. Switch sides. Wall to Pawn. Switch.
"I have great news."
"Go on."
Restarting, the Queen cheated.
"I got your picture fix. The one I found in the brushes of my last visit."
Reaching into his pocket of his shirt and sliding it over to Zack. Who glanced at it and moved it closer to him. The hole no longer there, bright colors shine, looking freshly printed once more.
"Glad to see that water didn't damage too much. It didn't rain the before right?"
"Nope, might have been a sprinkler."
Mark nodded to this. "What happened to your face? Zack?"
"I made a new friend. He's cool."
"Have you seen you face? Look like you lost a battle with a jar of shaving blades and needles."
"No harm."
"Zack . . . "
He stops playing to look at his friend. "I mean it. He's cool. Just a little lost. Like the rest of us. Lay off."
"Fine. For now."
"Thank you."
A moment of silence played in the room. Static from the small tv from the other end of room echoed about. Groans and mumbles came from the other test rats' dress in light teal sheets. Clatter of trays, heels clicking, mindless words filled in cracks of the rec. room.
Zack stop playing again and started to stand.
"Where are you going?"
"To find something loud." He said and ran.
"Zack!" Mark called out, having a few nurses start after him, with himself not far behind.
A few turns and he was gone from sight. Again.
"Zack!"
"Oh dear." A nurse said out loud next to him.
"What's up with him?" Mark asked her.
"I don't know, sir, he was fine, before group." Stating before following other nurses to go find the runner.
"What happened at his group time?"
