The Sohma Institute
By Lady of the Ink
Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket, but you knew that. I hope. I do own this story, and all the plot twists it contains.

Chapter Two
The First Day


"Visiting hours are between five and six, and all visitors must call ahead at least one day in advance. They'll also have to check with me before being allowed in the patients' rooms. Lights out is at ten o'clock, no exceptions. A room inspection should be performed each hour, and the whereabouts of all charges should be known at all times."

Tohru continued muttering a list of things to remember as she stepped off the bus. One hand automatically dropped to the tote bag that hung at her side, drawing comfort from the feel of the binder it contained. She had spent all weekend going over every section, but she didn't feel nearly secure enough in her new knowledge to risk leaving home without it.

A sigh drifted from her lips as she neared the Institute. Pulling the edges of her coat together, she looked the building over again. The weather had turned colder over the past two days, so there were no flashes of sunlight from the windows as there had been before. All she could see was a dim reflection of the sky, heavy with thick, gray clouds.

Forcefully pushing the depressing image from her mind, Tohru opened the front door and stepped into the lobby. The first thing she noticed was the unfamiliar woman seated behind the desk. Her short, light brown hair was pulled back on either side with clips, and a pair of glasses sat perched on the end of her nose. She had been writing something in a logbook of sorts, but looked up as Tohru made her entrance.

"Miss Honda?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Yes," Tohru answered, nervously reaching into her pocket for the passkey that had been clipped in the back of the binder. She had memorized the two codes she would need, but she'd written them on a slip of paper just in case her mind blanked out on her.

"You can go right on up." The woman, who didn't bother to give her name, smiled faintly, then returned to her work. Tohru guessed she was the absentee receptionist, maybe trying to make up what she'd missed on Friday.

Fighting the butterflies that had suddenly appeared in her stomach, she made her way down the short hallway. She was grateful to notice the signs at each corner, clearly stating the floor and directions to the elevator and exits. Hopefully they were posted everywhere, just in case she got turned around inside the large building. Despite her nerves, the entering of the codes went by without a hitch. Feeling extremely thankful for small favors, she glanced at her watch. She still had almost five minutes before she had to report for duty, but there was no sense in dawdling.

A short elevator ride later, and Tohru was making her way to the office at the end of the hall. She still had a hard time thinking of it as her office, though. It just seemed odd that she, Tohru Honda, would have her own designated spot in this strange building. Maybe it would just take some getting used to. Trying to further that along, she had brought a few little things with her from home, hoping they would make her feel more comfortable. Included in the list was her favorite framed picture of her mother.

Knocking lightly on the office door, she carefully turned the knob, and then popped her head inside. Ms. Almont was nowhere to be seen, so Tohru entered the room and crossed to her desk. Laying her tote bag on the empty surface, she peeled off her coat, draping it over the back of her chair. A quick glance at her watch showed she still had another two minutes, so she set to unpacking her bag. The picture went in the center of the desk, its shining frame matching the sunny smile of the woman it depicted. Letting a finger just brush the glass, Tohru sighed.

"Oh, Mom, what am I doing here?"

Dropping into her chair, she rested her head on her crossed arms. Looking at her mother's smiling face, she remembered all the reasons why she was really here. Her mother had always wanted her to do something great with her life, to make a difference. Helping people had always come naturally to her, and this line of work seemed perfect for her. The people like those who resided at this Institute really just needed someone to care about them, not for them. And when it came to caring, no one could top Tohru Honda.

That was what her professor had said when he told her about the recommendation he had put in for her. A friend of his had mentioned that the Sohma Institute was looking for someone to work a short shift, five days a week. They wanted someone caring and compassionate, who was trustworthy and determined. And because of the ages of the particular patients they needed help with, the administrator had decided to look for a student rather than an older, more established practitioner.

She had felt excited, but also intimidated. The Sohma Institute was one of the most well known behavioral research centers anywhere, acknowledged for advancing treatment techniques by leaps and bounds in short periods of time. For all that acclaim, very little was known about the actual owners and other people in charge of the Institute. The privacy of everyone involved with it was guarded most zealously.

Her mind wandered back over a firmly worded section of the guidebook. It had insisted upon absolute confidentiality in all things related to the work here. That in itself wasn't so strange; in fact, she had expected it. What was odd was the handwritten note that she couldn't help but think was directed solely to her. It dictated that staff members were to remain silent about their work, even to the point of not speaking with other employees stationed on different floors.

But just because she found it disconcerting didn't mean it had sinister undertones. Maybe the company just preferred to keep all their different research studies as separate as possible. It might have been that policy that made the Sohma Institute such a success compared to others in the field.

Happy with the explanation she had just presented to herself, Tohru shook off the remaining feelings of unease. Today she was starting her new job, getting hands-on training, and meeting new people she could hopefully find a way to help. All in all, not too bad for a nineteen year old student.

Humming softly to herself, she unpacked the rest of her things, including a small statue that had been a gift from her closest friends. It was supposed to bring good luck to all who handled it. Giving the cute little figure's head a rub, she made a silent wish that it would do what it was supposed to, and make her stay here as pleasant as possible. She was still smiling at that wistful thought when the door behind her opened without warning.

"Ah, my apologies. I was caught in a meeting with the administrator." Ms. Almont dropped a briefcase onto her desk, and then turned to face her new associate. Looking her over from head to toe, she nodded. "Are you ready to begin your first day?"

Still feeling buoyant from her pep talk, Tohru smiled brightly and nodded. "I am."

"Good. I've thought about the best way to integrate you into the routine, and I think I've come up with the solution. We'll take it one patient at a time to start. You'll work with one until you're comfortable with them, and they're comfortable with you, and then you'll move onto the next. After that, it'll be no time at all before you can manage all of them on your own. Does that sound agreeable to you?"

"Yes," Tohru answered, a little less sure of that than Ms. Almont appeared to be, but determined to do her best.

"That's good. I think we'll start you off with an easy case, and work our way up to the troublemakers. So today, you'll be spending some time with Yuki." Turning on her heel, Ms. Almont left the room, with Tohru trailing a few steps behind. Since his room was right across the hall, it was a short walk.

"For now, all you have to do is make an effort to get through to him. Try to get him to respond to you, find out if you have anything in common, and other things like that. Pretty simple stuff, really." With that bit of advice, Ms. Almont handed her the clipboard that had been hanging on the wall, unlocked the door, and vanished down the hall.

For a long moment, Tohru remained motionless, staring blankly at the clipboard in her hands. Then she took a deep breath, reinforced her resolve, and began to read. The first page was just a spreadsheet, times and what she assumed were doses of medicines listed in neat columns and rows. Knowing she wouldn't learn anything from that, she flipped to the next sheet. This one was more helpful. Bracing a shoulder against the wall, she read over the few paragraphs worth of information.

Patient Twelve-A, Yuki, still remains almost completely isolated from all others around him. Whether or not this is a deliberate action on his part has yet to be determined. The promising, albeit negative, reaction to patient Twelve-B, (Kyou), has not been repeated in recent weeks due to intentional separation, both by the staff and the combatants themselves.

Physical well-being continues to improve, with only moderate and occasional setbacks. Eating and exercise patterns are normal.

Okay, Tohru thought to herself, trying to make sense of the stiff sentences. He was obviously someone who kept to himself, so she would have her work cut out for her when it came to drawing him out of his shell. Well, she thought to herself, that was nothing she hadn't done before. Most of the people she knew told her she was the friendliest person they'd ever met. Even the most aloof people seemed to warm up to her once they had a chance to get to know her.

Knowing that that was also the reason her professor had picked her for this job, Tohru felt her self-confidence rise. Another steadying breath as she replaced the clipboard, and she was finally ready to begin her first task. The doorknob was cool to her touch, and turned with what seemed like a loud click in the otherwise silent hall. Taking a step inside the dimly lit room, she paused in the doorway, waiting for her eyes to adjust.