I just made up the name for his wife because she doesn't have one. As for inspiration, I wait until something good comes to me and write it down. That's why it takes me so long to write the chapters; otherwise I rush it.
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Emily holds Cheryl and sits next to her husband in the doctor's office. The doctor leans back in his chair while he speaks to the couple, "Mr. and Mrs. Mason, I can't find any kind of record for this child. No birth certificate, no information about the parents- there's nothing. The only answer I can offer you is that she was born at home. The parents didn't want her and dropped her off on the side of the road. If this is the case then I see no problem in letting the two of you take care of her. But if someone reports a missing child, we'll have to look into it."
"We understand doctor," Harry says. "Let us know if you hear anything." They walk out and go back home. Emily decides that they should buy Cheryl some clothes. They take the child to a local store that sells a little bit of everything. There they find some clothes and toys for Cheryl.
"Where is she going to sleep?" Emily asks.
I suppose we should buy a crib or something. Can we find something like that around here?"
"I don't know. We need more diapers and some bottles too. Maybe we should go to the city to buy this stuff."
In the basement of Alchemilla Hospital at Silent Hill, Lisa changes Alessa's bandages. This is the only patient that she is allowed to care for. It is boring to sit in this room all day and do nothing unless the child cries. This hardly seems to be a good way for Lisa to get any skills in her job. The mother hardly ever comes in to visit with the poor child. Lisa begins to think that Dahlia does not care. It is obvious to see that she does not seem the least bit bothered. Lisa, however, feels tears well up when she makes eye contact with the girl. She can feel her pain deep down in the pit of her stomach. But after she takes the pills that Dr. Kaufman gave to her, she feels much better.
Dahlia comes during the night with something raggedy in her hand. It looks like it has been recovered from the fire. She puts it down next to Alessa and says, "Here, Alessa, I found Scarlet. I bet you missed her, didn't you?" Alessa's hand touches the featureless doll's head. "I can buy you a sketchbook if you'd like too." The weary child nods. Mommy traces the burn on Alessa's face causing her to whimper.
"Don't do that," Lisa says gently. "You'll hurt her. She's in enough pain already."
"Has Dr. Kaufman come in yet?"
"No not since yesterday. Would you like me to tell you when he does?" Dahlia walks out with no answer to Lisa's question. Lisa leans forward in her chair and pushes Alessa's hair out of her face. "Did she hurt you?" she asks. "She did, didn't she? Does she hurt you a lot?" Lisa finds all her answers in Alessa's sad eyes. They give off a deep hurt that a child show never know and silently tells her story. "Don't worry, I wont let her hurt you."
Harry and Emily do not get home until six at night. Emily puts a fresh diaper on Cheryl while Harry hauls the stuff in. He sets the bags on the floor then brings the box with the crib in it inside. "Can you help me set this up?" he calls.
"Okay," she says, "hold on." She carries Cheryl to the bedroom where Harry is looking at the directions. The confused look on his face makes her smile. "Don't understand the directions? I can help you?"
"No, I got it." She holds Cheryl in her arms and has the directions in her hands so Harry can see them while he sets it up. It takes him an hour to finally get the hang of it. Emily feeds Cheryl in the kitchen as Harry puts the finishing touches on the contraption. "It's finished," he finally calls. "We don't have a mattress."
"What?"
"We forgot to get a mattress for the crib." The sound of her laugh causes him to smile. "What should we do?"
"We can get one tomorrow and Cheryl can sleep by me again. Good thing I don't move around in my sleep a lot." Cheryl makes a gleeful gurgle as she drinks milk from the bottle.
Dr. Kaufman comes into Alessa's room where Lisa is injecting something into the IV. "What is that?" he asks, making her jump.
"It's a pain killer," she tells him.
"Don't give him that."
"Why not? She's suffering. She needs it." Kaufman takes the needle from her and throws it away. She gets up to retrieve it but he pushes her back into her chair.
"You will do what I tell you to do! Do not give her pain killers!"
"If you don't like what I'm doing then get someone else to take care of her! Why is it such a big deal anyway?"
"Just do what I tell you or you'll find yourself on the street!" He leaves, slamming the door shut behind him. Lisa pops two more of the pills in her mouth and sips some water to wash it down. She has been considering quitting for some time. She hates working at this hospital- at least with Dr. Kaufman anyway. He is constantly yelling at the workers here. Few get special treatment from him though she has never been able to figure out why. She has been considering going to work for the other hospital. The one that is on the other side of town: Brookhaven Hospital.
She sits in the chair next to Alessa and stares into space. She stays completely blank until something catches her eye. Something small and black falls from the ceiling. She looks around on the floor for it but sees nothing. She stares at the corner of the room A light clink makes her head turn toward the sink. Near the drain a spider sits. "Gross," she says as she turns under the water on full blast. It swirls around the porcelain sink before finally falling down the drain. The water stops falling from the faucet once she pushes the handle back to its place. "I hate spiders," she mumbles to herself. Just as she is turning around something catches her eye. In the bottom of the sink, the legs of that spider appear at the top of the drain. "Don't give up do you?" She turns the water back on but it does not do any good. The disgusting bug pulls itself out of the small hole. It begins to climb up the wall of the sink.
Alessa watches Lisa from her bed. Lisa is wiping her arm frantically. Alessa tries to catch what is going on but sees nothing. Lisa stomps on the ground a few times and grinds her heel into the floor. "Come on, die," she growls. Alessa squints but still sees nothing. 'What is she doing?' she wonders. Lisa leaves the room. She comes back with a can of bug spray but seems confused. "Where did it go?" she turns to Alessa and says, "Did you see where that spider went to?" Alessa shakes her head. She does not see anything on the floor.
Lisa is not allowed to go home. She has to stay and sleep at the hospital. She sleeps on an extra cot in the corner of Alessa's room. She is awakened each time Alessa cries in her sleep. Lisa does not know what kinds of nightmares are created in the little girl's mind but she tries to comfort her anyway. One night, she is awakened by the sound of Kaufman's voice. "Get up," he says as he shakes her. "I want you to go out in the hall for a minute." He grabs her by her arm and leads her out. Dahlia follows him back into the room. Lisa tries to watch from the doorway. As she stands by Alessa's bed, Dahlia begins to mumble something in a different language. It continues for several minutes. Alessa whimpers and Lisa covers her ears. The unknown words sting the nurse's mind. Miles away from Silent Hill, a baby cries in pain. Emily tries to calm Cheryl down but it does not cease for hours.
