We Are Broken From The Start AU

by AiriaMurillo

Deep within the Linda Vista Community hospital lies a dark secret. Six males who aren't as they first appear. It's up to one doctor to unearth the horrors that lie within and free all those who shouldn't be there. With corruption within every layer of the management, his task is difficult. However the doctor is determined to achieve his goal with all patients alive.. Will he do it.

14. Chapter 14

We are Chapter 14

Doctor Fronz p.o.v – December 1st, 2011

1st of December 2011

Dear diary,

It has been way too long since I last wrote about how things were going in the hospital. If I remember rightly then it was back in either June or July and the trial against the old care team had finally begun. Danny did so well during that time, he did struggle with some of the memories as to be expected really. I did my best to support him, he needed me more than ever before because I couldn't get George to be in the court room with him. There was a plus side as we watched the old care team each get life without parole sentences. The judge has said that the creation of the hybrids was bad enough, but to round them all up and capture them only to abuse them in ways that would not be accepted by humans or animals.

The judge also praised both Danny and I for our efforts in the trial and the case against the care team. He said that Danny was a perfect example of why hybrid protection organisations like ours are so needed. We are all looking forward to the moment we can close the case and all the males can live their free lives without remembering what happened in this hell hole. We can now take them out on trips and I immediately used that opportunity to take them all to the field I took Danny to so they can all enjoy the grass on their bare feet. They all loved it and it made my heart so happy that they could get a taste of freedom. They chased each other around for three hours which was more than they had been outside for years.

Another development was that Danny and George had finally made their relationship official. That also meant we had the opportunity to take them on dates where it was slightly awkward that I was on a different table just to keep an eye on them. They wouldn't bolt from the place we go to, but for official purposes I had to be there. we did our best to make it work and make it not look like two mental patients were going out on a date with their doctor nearby. It worked really well and gave them more of a taste for what freedom is going to be like. It also helps strengthen their bond a little more. The hospital is probably not the best place for a romantic relationship to start I will admit. Than again love can blossom in the strangest of places.

Now the board are asking us to introduce the holidays to them. We had a very successful thanksgiving, they all said that they were thankful for being alive and all the people working so hard to make them free. The next holiday we have coming up is Christmas eve and day in 23 and 24 days respectively. This one is going to be a little harder to manage, but I feel as if the team have faced harder challenges in the past. We can do this, there is just a lot of preparation that needs to be done in the next 24 days. There are six men that I need to get a good idea of what their belief is when it comes to Christmas and Santa and everything like that. We need to get everything right or it could go horrible wrong. The balance is very fine and can tip either way very easily.

I am hoping that the next time I write in this that it is not 6 months since the last time. I would love to write about how well Christmas and New Year's would have gone closer to the actual event than I have with the whole court date thing. At least the hybrids are safe from harm now, all we need to do is get them out of here to that beach house they have been dreaming of. I have been looking at beach houses with the help of the board who are very generously providing some of the funding for it. The rest is coming from the compensation they have received from the old care team. They will have a fair bit of money to get life started with too.

Doctor Fronz

"How does Christmas sneak up on me every year?" Sean asks, I had closed the diary just in time for the meeting of the care team. "We get too busy to remember what the months are. I only just remembered it was December myself," I tell him. We are going to have to hurry to figure out what they want for Christmas then buy it and wrap it for them all to open on Christmas day. "How are we going to do it for the hybrids?" Chris asks me. It is something I am sill working on a basic plan. I know they will get some clothes and some items that they would need like mobile phones. "First we need to work out what their beliefs are. I am gonna guess Danny and Dylan will believe in Santa, but I couldn't say what the others will think," I tell them.

The older ones in the group might not believe. I have a feeling that they would help the younger two keep their beliefs for a little longer. Everyone but Danny have all had Christmases in their teenage years. I think Danny got one, but I am not sure because his memory of that time is barely there. "Danny would definitely believe in Santa, maybe Dylan too but I don't think the others will. I do think though that they would make it special for Danny and maybe we could break it to him gently next year the truth," Sean says. He only said it like that because Danny and the rest of the hybrid's mental health is quite fragile. I do suspect though that Danny would be ready to be told about Santa and take it pretty well. This year though if he still believes then none of us are going to deny him his right to believe.

"Yeah, the best plan for that is probably to get them to write something about Christmas in their school lessons, that way we can get it from them without asking them directly," I tell them. I might be being a bit over cautious. I just don't want anyone offended or for this to go terribly wrong. We all manage to form a plan now it is time to put it into action by talking to their teacher. Advent calendars are not a bad place to start. We have 6 different chocolate advent calendars based on the TV shows they like so they will know which one belongs to who. They will be out of this place by next Christmas so they can buy their own should they wish. I take the calendars with me as I go to check on the hybrids for the morning.

Danny had clearly only just woken up and was not in the best of moods. He was very groggy and clingy to George. "He had a bad night," George tells me. I had said my good mornings to them all. Danny looked at me and I could tell he was knackered. "Don't worry Danny, we are only going to have one school session today then it's relax time," I tell him. He was hiding how the trial affected him in terms of all of the painful memories it brought up. I knew how horrible it truly was, but I am pretty sure none of them do. I hope the advent calendar will lift his spirits anyway. "What have you got there?" Jorel asks, ever curious and always the first one to ask. Danny was interested too from where he was sitting.

"These are called advent calendars. Behind each of the little doors is a little piece of chocolate. So each day from now until the twenty-fifth you get a little piece of chocolate in the morning," I tell him. I hand them each their calendar. It seems to have perked Danny up a little bit. "What happens on the twenty-fifth?" he asks, he was so curious. I don't even think he remembers Christmas. George smiles, I think he remembers what happens. "Christmas happens, you get presents and put up all sorts of decorations," George tells him. I have a good feeling about this Christmas. George shows Danny what to do and they all enjoy their little piece of chocolate. Luckily their hybrid DNA doesn't really have an impact on what they eat.

I show them where to keep them for tomorrow. At least it is something for them to look forward too first thing in the morning. Danny is still pretty groggy and a little unhappy, but the chocolate did perk him up. "You can nap today if you want," George tells his boyfriend. They have had all their medication for the morning and their breakfast. Danny just shakes his head. I think he had a few nightmares last night, so it would put him off going back to sleep in case it happens again. "We'll see how the day goes," I tell them. There is no use me forcing the young pup to go to sleep if he doesn't want to. It might mean that he needs an earlier night to sort everything out, but that is up to him. We don't have a strict schedule for these guys anymore.

After the end of the lessons it basically confirmed what I thought. Danny has a firm belief in Santa. What surprised me though was that the answers the others gave was no, but we would for Danny. I guess the know the poor kid was taken when he was 13 and didn't grow out of it like they had done. I want to talk to them on their one to one sessions about what they would want to do for Christmas. They could do letters to Santa to practice letter writing and they could do lists as well. I am super impressed by their answers though, all well thought out too. They all had similar yet different reasons as to why they wanted to keep the belief up for Danny. It's educational yet fun and seasonal which I am liking.

I went out to go and get lunch a few hours later. The hybrids have had their lunch and it is their free time and therapy for those who have sessions. I came back to the lounge to see Danny fast asleep on the couch tightly clutching the Stitch plush he got for his birthday fairly recently. I find a blanket and cover him with it. Poor kiddo, he might be twenty-three now, yet he is still so young to have been through the hell he has endured. At least he seems to have some comfort from sleeping. Dylan was also in the lounge quietly watching the television. "He got upset after George left. I think part of it was George leaving and the rest was how tired he had gotten. I managed to get him to sleep with the plush," Dylan tells me.

"Bless him, he has come a long way from the little shy man I met," I tell Dylan. To be honest all of them have come a long way from the men I had originally met. They trust me enough to come out of their shells. I know Danny still keeps things from them, but he doesn't tell me everything either. His trust has definitely been harder to earn than the others. It is not a bad thing though; it does mean that he knows that he can't be used if he doesn't open up to complete strangers. "He has, he has done us all proud since the day we met him," Dylan says. I bet they had no idea what was going to happen once I got involved. They had no idea that I was going to get them to freedom when they first met me. I bet some of them even hated me when I first arrived.

I want to spend some time with the hybrids in a more relaxed way. I sit next to Dylan on the floor and while he is watching TV, we talk about the show. I can also ask him more about himself and see how I can provide him with stuff to fuel his hobbies while he is still here. I can also be on hand to comfort Danny if he needs it too. I am here to listen to these men and to make them as happy as you can get in a mental hospital. It was nice talking to Dylan and getting an idea of what he likes and dislikes. I even share some of my own likes and dislikes to make him more comfortable. I am hoping that I can change the relationship with my patients from a formal one to a friendlier one when the time comes.

Danny wakes up at some point during our conversation, doesn't say anything and comes to sit on me. "Nice rest Danny?" I ask him, and he nods. He then moved over to hug Dylan tightly who doesn't seem to mind. "George will be coming back any minute now I promise," Dylan says. He had been watching the clock before he had told Danny. It is good to see them using the tools I have given them. It does make it easier on Danny to have the clock and the basic times to know when George is coming back. He does care about the others as well, but he loves George more than he loves the others, so it matters to him a little more when George gets back from his solo therapies. I love the bonds that are in here.

Danny ran into George's arms as soon as the older man came back. "Hey buddy, did you rest while I was gone?" George asks, as he scoops his little pup into his arms. Danny was definitely a lot happier now. "Yeah, I was a little upset after you left though. Dylan helped me," Danny says. George kisses Danny on the cheek and the younger one blushes. George is definitely grateful that Danny is happy during those periods of time he isn't there. Danny takes George by surprise and kisses him on the cheek. I take that as my cue to leave the happy trio to it. Besides I have to get some Christmas shopping to get started on for them. Luckily the grant we have will more than cover the Christmas shopping I need to do.

24th December 2011 – Danny p.o.v.

I am so excited. Tomorrow is Christmas day and we finally get to celebrate it. This is the first time I have celebrated Christmas in over ten years, and I could barely remember the last time. I can't believe that Santa is going to come. Everyone has been calling me cute over the last 24 days and I am not sure why. I have just been myself. The only thing I am upset over is that I don't have my tail anymore, so I can show how excited I feel. I was up slightly earlier than normal; I had another nightmare. I am quietly watching television in the lounge, so I don't wake anyone else up so early. It is not too early, but I know the guys like their sleep. I have had so many nightmares and I am so fed up of having them at this point.

They are all over different things. A lot of them have to do with the things the old care team did to me, but I am also reliving some of my earlier childhood and the days when I first arrived here, and I had cried because I was supposed to be at home with my mother and father. Claudia knows more about my past then she let on at first, so she has been teasing me with it. Telling me that if I had thrown a tantrum or something on that fateful day that I would not be here. I was wrong to trust my uncle, but I wanted to make my mother happy and not stress so much about my failed relationship with her brother. He hates who I am and when we get out of here I was going to avoid the man like he had the plague.

I have my new stitch plush and I was just watching whatever shows were on television at 5 am. I think some of the doctors know I am awake, but because I am not disturbing anyone they haven't sent me back to bed. I think I will be sent soon. Matt is awake now, he walked into the lounge and sat next to me. "Hey Danny, you're up early again," he tells me, and I just snuggle up with him. This is one of the few times Matt and I snuggle while there is no one else around. "Yeah, nightmares again," I tell him. None of them like how the nightmares disturbed my sleep, but I never told them about what they contained because it would upset them even more. I also don't want to keep reliving the horrors of what I went through even if my brain does not let me stay away from them during the night time.

"Aw Danny, I hope they stop soon. At least we have Christmas to look forward to tomorrow," he tells me. I was happy to have something to look forward to. "Yeah I can't wait, this is going to be a good weekend," I tell him. Today is Saturday and tomorrow is obviously Sunday as well as it being Christmas day. Jorel and George were both fast asleep, so I thought. George walks in and doesn't say anything but pick me up and cuddle me on the couch. "Morning Matt, morning Danny," he tells us. It must have been six am now. "Morning George," Matt and I say at the same time. I kiss George on the lips, and he kisses back. I love our relationship being official now. We have nothing to hide from the guys or the doctors anymore.

"We need to get these nightmares under control," George says, and I nod. I was tired of waking up three or four times a night with the horrific nightmares I have gone through. "We do because I don't think I can keep going with all these nightmares," I tell him. I was being as honest as I felt comfortable with. I don't see how reopening the old wounds will do me much favour. Maybe I need the dose of the medicine I have just before I go to bed and see if that keeps her at bay during the night and I can sleep better. Either that or I start taking sleeping medication to see if that will help me at all. I don't really want to take more medication though. I will have to talk to Doctor Fronz and see what he thinks.

While we wait for everyone else to wake up we eat the last chocolate of our advent calendars. From what I understand tonight we are having Chinese takeaway for dinner and tomorrow it is beans on toast. I like that, I got very full very quickly when we had the full traditional Christmas meal back in Thanksgiving. That is way too much food for my stomach to handle at the moment. That means beans on toast is a perfect Christmas dinner for me. I yawn because I am still very tired from the lack of sleep I have had. "Go to sleep baby," George tells me. a nap won't do me any harm I am sure. He will stay with me as well, so I won't be alone. Matt is also here so George will have someone to talk to while I sleep.

I wake up sometime later to hearing the other's voices and breakfast being mentioned. I felt better having that small stretch of sleep without a nightmare. "Morning Danny," Jorel says, he had a plate of toast on his lap and others had bowls of cereal. "Morning Jay," I reply. I was on the couch on my own curled up with my stitch plush and a blanket similar to how I was back on the first of December. Doctor Fronz was nowhere in sight though, I am sure he has done his morning rounds already. "Do you want oatmeal with golden syrup Dan?" Jordon asks, he was making everyone breakfast today. I nod, it does sound like a good breakfast to me. Even if it is 9 am right now, I have had breakfast at later times than this though.

Due to it being Christmas in a couple of days we are not having any therapies unless our care teams deem it absolutely necessary. That means we have all the free time we want to watch Christmas movies together and enjoy everything that a normal person would enjoy while they sit in their homes with no knowledge of our existence. The trial against the old care team was never on the news because it wasn't worth it at the time. It is still not worth it in my opinion; I know that it would be nice to show that no one is going to go through the same horrible things that I went through and the five other men have gone through. However, when we leave here I just want to leave here and never think about this place again.

I don't want the whole world knowing what I went through. I just want to go to the beach house and pursue the music career everyone hopes for. Maybe one day when we are all dead or old men, there will be a movie made about it. I know they make countless of the horrific treatment of people during world wars. I don't think that people will care enough about hybrids to ever be concerned about their welfare apart from the small people who are working tirelessly to set us free. I get my breakfast and I enjoy it sitting with the people who have saved me from going insane. George was watching me, making sure that I was calm and happy and ready to enjoy the festive period for the first time in over ten years.

Jordon is pretty good at making breakfast. Even if it was just out of a sachet with a little bit of milk and sugar. I do see Jordon one day being a chef at a 5-star restaurant if the music scene doesn't work out. "Thanks Jordon," I tell him, I always appreciate anything that they do for me even if it's a little thing. I could never repay them for all the care they have given me through the rougher patches of my time here. "You're more than welcome Danny," he replies. I do the dishes as a way to make up for not really doing much. I often do the dishes by hand; it is more therapeutic for me to just stand there and wash the dishes when I am stressed. "Are you enjoying yourself there?" George asks me, while I sing Christmas songs.

"Yeah I am enjoying the songs and the dishes," I tell him. He starts drying them even though I complained to begin with. We both start singing Christmas songs and start messing around a little bit. This is going to be amazing when we get to leave and mess around at a house. It is hard to forget that we are in a mental hospital. The evidence is there always lurking in the background. Like the kitchen drawers and cabinets have locks on them to stop us from accessing anything we can use to harm ourselves when we are not being supervised. Doctor Fronz foes give us a bit more privacy if it is just us with him. He wants us to get used to life without silly little locks on the cupboards.

I get the reasons why they do it though. They have to do it for health and safety regulations. It would not be a nice thing to have a mental hospital and not have means to keep the patients safe from themselves. There is a whole different side to the hospital we have never been to. We have been hurriedly rushed through the main bit to get to the hybrid bit. The best thing was the mail we just received. We all have Christmas cards; I don't know who from. There were also presents that came with them. We are opening those tomorrow. "Oh my god, you have to open your cards," Jordon says. He was so excited, which makes me curious to see who the card was from. I saw the joy on Dylan's face when he opened his card.

I opened mine and I almost dropped it straight away when I looked inside. I had no idea that Doctor Fronz could organise something like this. I knew it was him because he was sitting in the corner with that knowing smirk you get when a child gets the present they asked for. "You can send ones back, I will deliver them personally tonight," Fronz tells us. He has done WAY too much for us and gone above and beyond what is expected of him to do for us. We planned with the other members of the care team to get Fronz a big present to say thank you for all that he has done for us since we have first met. They are funding that gift, but they gave us the choice of what we are getting him. He has no idea about it either.

To my darling Danny

We wish you a Merry Christmas

And a Happy New Year

Love

Mom, Dad and Cousin Rigo

Dear Danny.

We hope you are well. We miss you so much and we can't wait for you to come and visit us when you leave the horrible place you are in. I am so sorry that my brother put you in there and I wish I could have taken you out. Can't wait to meet your boyfriend George too. He sounds so nice and he is looking after you better than I have.

Love you little pup

Mom.

I teared up a little. I can't wait to see her again. Now it feels just a little more real that I will be able to leave this place and go back home to her and my dad and my cousin and everything would feel right. "Aw, you have to send one back," George says. I let him read it. It is good to know that my mom and my dad support my relationship with George. Then again I think they would have supported me from the beginning. I wish it could have been a little more natural then hey I am coming out of a mental hospital with a boyfriend but here we are. It's close to our bedtime, I am still a little tired and also excited for Christmas at the same time. This is going to be an awesome holiday now that my mom and dad sent a card.

Dinner was good, we had all been given Christmas cards so we could write in them to our families. I had written in my with a little bit of help from George for some spellings. I can't wait for my mom to get it. Fronz had told me that he told all our families how we have been and has been very open and honest with them about our treatment here. He even shared pictures of us to our families so they have an idea of what we look like now. Some of us might not have changed much, but I think I have changed the most. I basically finished going through puberty and sometimes I like having a beard. At the moment I like more of a clean shaved look. George says he likes me no matter what I look like which is nice.

I was so happy to fall asleep quickly tonight. I am way too excited for tomorrow. George looks like he is enjoying my excitement. Everyone is enjoying my excitement. My mother once told me that I could bring joy to a whole room just by being myself in there. I don't know if she is saying that because she is my mother, or I genuinely bring joy into people's lives. I am happy to get to experience more normal things. I do remember my mother making a big deal out of Christmas because she called me her special gift from God, and she was thankful for me living to another Christmas and spending time with her family was important to her. I feel like that has rubbed off on me, I want a little family of my own with George.

~ the next morning~

"Happy Christmas baby," George tells me when I wake up. I smile at the older male. I had somehow managed to sleep in a little bit. It is currently 9 am and yesterday I was up at 5 am. "Happy Christmas," I tell him. We aren't the last ones up, but we are not the first ones either. Matt and Jorel were already up waiting for us and Jordon and Dylan join us after a minute or two. We all say Happy Christmas to each other and have some breakfast. Then we get started on opening the presents. Fronz was there to see our reactions and to get our present to him which he is not expecting. I think we are all doing it one by one to open all our presents. It is a thing that none of us are used to, but I think it is going to be a good day.

We all got presents from our families. I am sad that I couldn't send one back, but I think mom and dad understand why I couldn't do it this time. I think we will be out of here by next Christmas and I can give them all the Christmas presents they want. I suppose knowing that I am alive, and I am going to be leaving this place is a present in itself. Then again I can vaguely remember my mom saying that spending another Christmas with me was a gift in itself. Christmas seems to be jogging some memories for me and I am liking that. I want to be able to remember my childhood without someone else telling me what happened. Everyone liked their presents and it was turning out to be one of the best days ever.

We even got to leave the hospital for a few hours. We went down to the beach and messed around in the sand and sea. It was a secluded beach that barely anyone knew about so we could unleash some energy without being afraid of being seen. It was amazing to just feel free even know you knew that once the time was up it was back to the mental hospital for another chunk of time until your next outing. Overall though it was a good Christmas, one of the best I have ever had. Such a shame that there are 365 days until the next one. "That was the best Christmas ever," I tell George when we go to bed. Everyone had a good day, no one fought or got angry. "Yeah it was, the start of many amazing Christmases to come," he tells me.

And that is the end of another chapter. I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you next time.

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