Chapter Two: Rutledge and Dr. Wilson Hieronymus 'Miracle Doctor'

Six Years and seven months after the fire at the home of Alice

As things always did for Dr. Wilson Hieronymus, the acquiring of Alice's case came easily and was handed to him practically without trying. Being a well publicized case, many people offered to handle it. Dr. Hieronymus (or as he liked to be called Dr. Wilson) had been one of them, he also happened to be the best at what he did. Surprisingly someone else had been given the case, and Dr. Wilson had all but forgotten about the little girl, which was why he had actually been surprised when the call came from Rutledge Asylum.

"Is this Dr. Wilson Heironymous?" a feminine voice asked from the other side of the line.

"Dr. Wilson if you prefer," he replied, "and who might I be speaking to?"

"This is Nurse Dolorous Caimbrige from Rutledge Private Clinic and Asylum, you can call me Nurse D if you'd prefer, I'm calling to ask if you'd be interested in taking a patient here at the clinic under your expert care. See at the moment the young woman's current Physician is a bit… well undereducated, and I believe the case would be best under your supervision."

"I'm not quite sure that can work," Dr. Wilson replied, "I'm currently making progress on any number of patients and it would be near impossible to make arrangements for more doctors to come and take over for me at the current time, just what kind of care will the patient be needing?" There was a pause and a sigh from the other line.

"Well that's just the thing," Nurse D. seamed to sulk a bit, "No one has actually filed for the change in position, but I think that if you gave them your name and offered them your full time support and cooperation. Made a commitment to move down here and promised to keep on the patient until she is better, they would be more than happy to hand over her care to you." Dr. Wilson almost laughed on his end of the line. He had more important things to do than worry about undertaking such a commitment on a whim. He didn't think it wise to voice that opinion however, it sounded like the nurse was desperate.

"Why do you think that there needs to be a change in the patients supervision," he asked, hoping he could derail this conversation another way.

"You see the patient is comatose and has been since she was a little girl, they are going to start using her as a test subject for different methods of treatments," Nurse D stated, and Dr. Wilson understood where she was going even before she voiced the rest of her statement, "I must admit I've grown rather fond of her. She is a pretty young woman and her story is so sad, I just want to do as much as I can to help her so I called you, I even found your name on the list of applicants for the job six years ago, which is the only reason I called you…" startled Dr. Wilson suddenly felt a stab of excitement in his chest, why did Rutledge sound so familiar? He interrupted the woman.

"Wait hold on, I actually applied for this patient? Why did they turn me down?" Dr. Wilson asked.

"It says here that they didn't believe you would be committed for the possibility that she won't wake up."

"They are right then," he agreed, "I don't usually do comatose patients, there is almost no chance of fast progress with many of them, and I love progress. Hold on a minute." There was a long pause. Rutledge why did that sound familiar? Rutledge…

"What is it Dr.?" came D's voice, "is everything alright?"

"Rutledge sounds familiar to me, but I can't…"

"Oh silly me," Nurse D. actually laughed, "I forgot, the patients name is Alice, that's the only card I thought I had to convince you and I forgot to play it."

"Alice as in Wonderlands Alice?" Dr. Wilson exhaled in astonishment.

"That's the one," Nurse D. replied, and from her tone he knew that she knew that she had him. His decision was immediate.

"I'll be working there by Monday and you can brief me on the case files Tuesday." Dr. Wilson spoke with a finality that visibly shocked Nurse D.

"Well," she stuttered, "It may take longer than that for the faculty to get the paperwork in order and…"

"Don't worry about that," Wilson replied, "I'll give your chief of staff a call, tell him I desperately want the job and am willing to sleep the rest of my life in the walls of that asylum for this patient. We'll have that other guy sacked and me in by Monday, I promise you."

"Oh thank you Dr. I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything yet, we are doctors and its our job to help people, if this girl needs help we can give it to her am I wrong in thinking so?" Nurse D. wouldn't be fooled by the heroics speech he knew, (after all he only agreed after she had said Alice's name) but she would be happy for his help either way. The conversation went on for another five minutes but the important half, Dr. Wilson thought, ended there.

He wanted this case, everything this year had been boring, mostly actors who needed 'help' with their daily lifestyles, and he needed something real. Of course, the images of Alice's case did begin to slide back into his mind as he hung up the phone and began making preparations to leave. The images on the news of the burnt house, and the little girl sobbing for her parents came particularly to mind. He may have been doing it for his career, but perhaps there was some genuine help he could give her, maybe even get this one out of the Asylum.

By Monday, as he had promised, he was working in Rutledge, he had an apartment nearby, and was working on the case fulltime. When Tuesday rolled around he was going over the case with Nurse D.

"So far she's been mostly Comatose," the Nurse informed him, "but there are times when she will whisper something very quietly to whoever is feeding her, but it's so quiet you would have to have been preparing for her to speak to understand what she is saying, and then…" she trailed off.

"And then what," Dr. Wilson asked casually as he looked over the little girls papers. He wasn't even looking at Nurse D. and that made her slightly uncomfortable.

"Sometimes she has a drawing waiting for us in the morning." Dr. Wilson glanced up at her, the files momentarily forgotten.

"How does she manage that?"

"The first time it happened she used a screw from her bed to carve the picture into the padded walls, it took us days to find the screw, and we were a little worried she might hurt herself with it. But then I thought to place some paper and color pencils in there and she began to use them."

"How often do you get a picture?" Dr. Wilson asked, returning his attention to the files.

"Once a month or so, we have a folder if you'd like to see them. Rather talented this one."

"Later," Wilson replied, "She's not suicidal then? Never used the pencils to harm herself?"

"Not the pencils no…" Nurse D hesitated.

"What did she use?"

"When she was first placed here, she used to scream things," Dr. Wilson looked up from the papers and listened, if a comatose patient screamed out dialogue, it was important. "She'd cry out stuff like 'No Mr. Rabbit' and 'go for the butcher knife!' one day we found her in the cell with her wrists cut open and a butcher knife lying next to her on the bed. To this day we can't figure out how the knife got there…" she shook her head back and forth, as if still disturbed by the incident.

"But she seams fine with the pencils?" Dr. Wilson asked, he was certain that he didn't want a dead patient on his hands, and if the pencils were a threat...

"Yes I think she just likes to draw things… subconsciously anyway, no one actually sees her draw them either, and at all other times she's just in that coma."

"I want a camera in there so that I can see what happens when she decides to make a drawing, understand?"

"Of course Doctor," Nurse D replied.

That's how Dr. Wilson's reign at Rutledge began, and almost immediately he was at work much harder than the physician before him ever was. He was at Alice' side almost every free minute of his day, marking things in that little notebook of his, and trying new and unheard of ways to try and lure Alice out of the Coma that currently had hold on her.

He would make complex and emotional speeches about the girls condition any time he had no progress to report, and after a time, Alice did begin to come around. She began drawing pictures, of what they could only assume was Wonderland, almost weekly and in time, she was whispering things and speaking. Sure she never spoke to anyone in particular, and it was usually just a random riddle or rhyme, but any progress at the moment was good progress.

The entire staff was beginning to look up to the Doctor as the role model, and many were touched by the way he seamed to fawn over his comatose patient. When the girl began to take up screaming in the middle of the night, Dr. Wilson did in fact sleep at the Clinic, to provide, what he called, moral support. He said that Alice would by now be seeing him, on an unconscious level, as her protector and could possibly be soothed by his presence.

Sadly, despite his efforts, and with the original signs of progress, Alice began to show less promising symptoms. Aside from the outbursts of blood curdling screams in the middle of rare nights, the pictures she drew became steadily darker, steadily more demented. One was a picture of a mangy cat with razor sharp fangs perched on a jagged and awkward looking tree, another was of a crazy looking man in a top hat, holding a cup of either coffee or tea. Signs like these began to take their toll on the Doctor and he was actually beginning to wonder if Alice should recover at all, perhaps she was to far gone. Then one day she woke up.

It was a strange afternoon, one of those days in between the rainy season where there was bright sunshine along with the wet and soggy grass. The unkempt grounds of Rutledge looked all the more like a jungle in one of Alice's pictures, and most of the faculty was away.

In fact the place was nearly deserted if not for some janitors, necessary guards, a few doctors, Nurse D. and Dr. Wilson. Nurse D. was cleaning up the rooms of all the patients, and was mopping the floor in Alice's cell, when she glanced at the tattered Rabbit with a lose eye button nestled in the girls arms. For some reason, in the years that Alice had lived on that bed, Nurse D. had never thought much of the Rabbit, but on this particular day, the animal looked quite pathetic. It was a shame that the only possession the young woman had from her old home was a broken toy. Well I may not be able to give her anything special, she thought to herself, but I can sure patch up that little toy of hers!

The good Nurse reached down and lightly pulled the Rabbit from the child's arms.

"What are you doing?" came a voice from behind her. Nurse D's heard skipped a beat and she wheeled around, nearly falling over onto Alice.

"Oh," she huffed, "Dr. Wilson, I hadn't heard you enter the room."

"Why are you taking Alice's only link to her past and present? The only real possession she owns, and possibly a very valuable…"

"I wasn't taking it to be nasty," Nurse D snapped at him, she wasn't accustomed to being yelled at for a kindness. "I was just going to sew up the old toys eyeball here. It just occurred to me how sad it was that the only thing she owned was a broken toy, and I wanted to do something nice for her!" She was now in a righteous uproar, and would have continued if Dr. Wilson hadn't begun to laugh.

"Alice is lucky to have a Nurse as caring as you Miss Caimbridge…" He started.

"Nurse D," she interrupted.

"Alright D," he smiled, "as kind and concerned as you were, you should consult me before doing anything with Alice is that clear?" Nurse D did not think it was clear at all, and didn't enjoy being bullied by the relative new comer to the Clinic.

"Now you just see here," she began.

"All I'm saying is that it may not be a good Idea to take that Rabbit out of this room." Nurse D paused and looked at him confused.

"Some patients grow attached to having something with them, toys, tools, you understand?" Nurse D nodded, she knew of a couple in that very clinic (even a few Doctors to obsessed with their vehicles), "and Alice may not want the Rabbit out of her…" Whatever he was about to say ended as a dead weight dropped onto Nurse D's back.

The unsuspecting woman screamed in terror, two hands roped over her shoulders and grasped desperately at the Rabbit in her hands, which Nurse D immediately relinquished. As soon as the hands grabbed them, the weight was off her back and Nurse D ran forward into the shoulder of Dr. Wilson, who was not looking at her, but toward Alice's Bed with an expression of shock, and excitement.

"Good Morning Alice," was what he said. Nurse D turned around in time to see the teenager huddled up on the back of her bed. Her arms were wrapped around her knees and the rabbit was, squished between her thighs and stomach.

"I'm sorry maim," Alice said looking into Nurse D's eyes, her eyes were wide, frightened, but strangely keen, she glanced around the room for a moment, taking in her surroundings, then she locked her gaze back to D's, "You shouldn't touch him, but never follow him. Never follow the white Rabbit, it'll kill everyone you love. Never follow him do you understand?"

"The Rabbit will kill everyone I love?" Nurse D asked.

"No," Alice placed a hand on her forehead and closed her eyes, "The Rabbit leads, he only leads, It's not his fault, he loves me to much, they all loved me to much. Oh god, oh god!" Alice started to pant, breathing in and out in rapid succession. "Dr. Wilson!" she suddenly screamed, "I need…. Dr. Wilson"

"I'm right here Alice," Dr. Wilson was instantly at Nurse D's side, he seamed to already be over Alice's startling awakening, something Nurse D clearly was much slower at.

"You… You've been… talking… to me lately haven't you?" Alice still had her hand on her head, as if it hurt and Nurse D was half in mind to grab the woman an ice pack. Alice opened her eyes and stared into Dr. Wilson. That was it, Nurse D thought, not at him, into him, "Where am I, where's my house, it's on fire oh god my parents!"

"Shhh Alice," Dr. Wilson was up and around the bed quickly, but not so quickly as to upset Alice. "It's natural to be confused, just let it out."

"She took them!" Alice screamed, "Oh god why, how did she find me how? My Parents… that little bitch Mindy this is all Dina's fault!"

"Alice slow down," Dr. Wilson tried, "Your going so fast I can't understand you, who's Mindy, who's Dina, who took your parents? Answer one at a time."

"Who are you!" Alice suddenly recoiled away from him, jerking backward and reaching as if for something to hit him with. He stopped instantly what he was doing, and backed off to show he meant her no harm.

"It's me, Dr. Wilson you called for me remember?" his direct approach frightened Nurse D, most patients would be flipping out by now, "you don't know me more than subconsciously, you've been in a coma for nearly seven years."

"A… coma," Alice stuttered, but her breathing was slowing, "six years?" Alice stopped looking at anyone in particular and stared straight into a wall. There had been a moment during the bizarre moments earlier that Nurse D had feared the poor woman was completely off the edge of sanity, but the way she seamed to collect herself, it showed something, something Nurse D couldn't describe or name.

"That's right Alice, six years, after… the incident with your house, you just stopped functioning and…"

"Makes sense," Alice whispered, stopping Dr. Wilson dead in his sentence. One thing Nurse D figured he had never heard a patient say in his life must have been 'makes sense'.

"What do you mean?" Dr. Wilson asked.

"I can't remember, things images really, but I remember thoughts… I can't" Alice put a hand on her head. Closed her eyes again and shook her head side to side aggressively. "I'm sorry Doctor I can't talk about this right now, I need…. Time. Time alone please." There was something in the Doctors expression that almost prompted Nurse D to laugh. His jaw was slackened, and almost hanging open, but his eyes were so focused on Alice that he almost looked like a love struck teen.

"Of course," he said, "Just call if you need anything Alice, I will always be here to help okay?"

"So will I Alice," Nurse D said, and for some reason she felt an urge to extend her hand, and she did so. Dr. Wilson's eyes almost bulged out of his head when she made the sudden movement, but he didn't try to stop her. Instead he glanced back to look at Alice. "My name is Deloris Caimbridge, but you can call me Nurse D for short."

The confused Alice cocked her head to the left ever so slightly, and then smiled, it was a strange smile, the smile of gratitude after loss. The smile of someone who has lost everything but still accepts the act of kindness. Alice took the hand and shook.

"Okay, I only want to speak with you two, no one else, okay? No one else."

Five minutes later out in the hallway, Nurse D watched Dr. Wilson pacing up and down the hall in front of her, mumbling to himself, and pulling out his little journal and writing things down, and she thought he looked rather cute doing so for some reason. His jet black hair, hazel eyes, and strong features, seamed a stark contrast to the almost nervous and obsessive man in front of her.

"Calm down Dr.," Nurse D giggled, "You look like a nervous wreck."

"It was the Rabbit that woke her up," Dr. Wilson said as he looked over at her, "As soon as you took it from her, it must have caused her to wake up… why didn't anyone ever try to take it from her before now?"

"We have," Nurse D smiled, "and I doubt it was just the Rabbit that woke her up Doctor." He stopped pacing and glanced at her in a confused motion.

"What do you mean?"

"They took from her a long time ago and there was no response. No doctor I'd say it was your time spent with her that made this little scene possible. I'm very happy I hired you." Dr. Wilson just looked at her for a moment. Hired was of course an expression as Nurse D really had no control over the faculty, but he must have understood that she was paying him a complement.

"She's very… I don't know," he replied, "she seams to be taking it very well, very maturely, not like a twelve year old girl. What's going on in her head D? What?" Nurse D didn't reply, she knew he was really talking to himself, he had been using her as a way to talk to himself a lot in the past year since he'd started working here. "I guess we'll only know when she wants to talk to us again, oh I hope she doesn't lapse back into a coma! No that's not likely. What is odd is that she only remembers… well what does she remember?"

"Doctor," Nurse D called at him, his head whipped around to look at her, even though his body remained pacing, "Your making me nervous, stop brain storming." Dr. Wilson grinned like an idiot, and walked over to sit on the bench next to her.

"I'm just a little excited that's all, she's been down all year, and now… just like that!" He made as if to stand up again. D put a hand on his shoulder to keep him down.

"Your telling me, she scared me half to death," she grinned, "I guess that teaches me why were not supposed to turn our backs on a patient."

"She seems… oh maybe I need to stop analyzing until she speaks with us a little more."

"Dr. Wilson, Nurse D," came Alice's Voice from the barred window on her cell door, "I'm ready… I think."

"Why don't you start at the beginning," Dr. Wilson asked. He had just sat down on the chair that he had brought in with him. Nurse D was sitting in another chair, just watching the preceding. Alice was still sitting on the back of her bed, knees up, but now her arms were cuddling her little stuffed Rabbit, however, her breath was steady, and she seamed a much calmer, studied person.

"That's just it sir," Alice remarked, she hugged the little stuffed Rabbit a little closer, "I can't think of where the beginning is. I have… questions of my own that…" she closed her eyes, "I need answered."

"Of course," Dr. Wilson said, and Nurse D had to give him credit, he had obviously wanted to hear Alice's tale immediately, but he was perfectly willing to wait until Alice was comfortable. She nodded to herself, once again content in her choice to call him a year ago. "Ask away Alice, I can't imagine how confused you must be." Alice let out a breath of laughter and smiled.

"Yeah, that would be an understatement, but there's something else I need to know first."

"What is it?" Alice kept silent for a time, seaming to draw strength from the air around her.

"Did they… find my parents," she let out a long breath, "after the fire? Did they find their bodies I mean?" Dr. Wilson's eyes grew wide. It was clear that he hadn't expected Alice to move forward so quickly. He recovered quickly.

"Yes they did Alice," he paused, "I'm sorry."

"Not your fault," Alice replied in a strange hollow voice that made Nurse D wince, "I… I shouldn't have left the door in the first place." It was a strange thing to watch. There were no tears, no screams of pain, perhaps the six years of coma had been enough physical strain of sorrow for the woman, but all the same, she blamed herself, that was a sign of guild."

"Do you need more time Alice?" Dr. Wilson asked, "we can wait outside a bit longer if you need…"

"No," Alice said quickly, almost desperately, "I've had six years to wait, now it's time for answers."

"What do you mean?" Nurse D asked, Dr. Wilson looked at her disapprovingly, she couldn't understand why, "what do you mean it's time for answers?"

"I have these thoughts… flashes of insight… no, just memories, some here, some… somewhere else." Dr. Wilson nodded quietly. Giving her time, possibly hoping that she was going to continue, but she remained silent.

"Where would that be?" he asked prodded.

"Well I… Don't know exactly," Alice shook her head, "Could it have been… no I would have recognized it. Could it be possible?"

"What?" Dr. Wilson asked, "I'm sorry Alice your leaving us behind." Alice glanced up at him.

"I used to go somewhere when I was tired or, sick, of regular life. It was… someplace that almost seamed more like home than home to me, the only thing it lacked were my parents…" she paused, "I called it… well it was called Wonderland."

"Yes we know what Wonderland is Alice," Dr. Wilson said, this was perhaps the first thing he had said that really caught Alice off guard, she looked into his eyes very suspiciously.

"How?"

"After the… fire, Wonderland became very popular, there have been news stories, and some girl named Mindy Whimper…" Alice groaned.

"That… That little… girl, probably made it out like I was a mental patient in the making huh!" Alice scowled, then took a look around, and her face dropped, "that's where I am isn't it, I knew this place looked familiar."

"What do you mean," Dr. Wilson asked.

"This is Rutledge's, right? The Mental institute?" Dr. Wilson nodded, "I snuck in here once when I was a kid, me and a friend anyway…"

"Yeah I remember that," Nurse D suddenly interrupted, "It was you and little Bobby Fischer from across town. You guys got in a lot of trouble." If Alice was listening she didn't show it.

"Shit, I guess the Bitch was right, maybe I was a Psycho in the making…"

"Alice," Dr. Wilson stated, bringing her attention to him. Nurse D had a sudden feeling of annoyance, Dr. Wilson could command Alice's attention almost instantly, but Alice all but ignored her. "You were brought here because the Coma came right after a stressful moment in your life. If your conduct remains the way it is right now, I think you may actually be in fine mental health."

"Whatever," Alice said in an almost bored voice that stopped Dr. Wilson from saying anything else. "What I'm trying to say, is that I used to go to Wonderland all the time. I have memories of the past six years, images, like I said, some of you, some of Nurse D there, and some of some other guy, but none… none of Wonderland."

"What?" Dr. Wilson asked, obviously confused, So was Nurse D.

"That means I haven't been there in six years," their blank stairs were apparently all it took Alice to figure out they weren't going to understand. So she took at them with an almost pleading gaze. "I have friends there, and I have enemies there, and If I haven't been there that means they might be in trouble." Dr. Wilson looked at Alice with a sincere smile.

"I'm sure they are fine," he looked at Nurse D for a moment, "Alice you've been in a trauma induced Coma for a long time, It will be good for you to have a good, honest sleep, and maybe we can continue this conversation tomorrow. Does that sound alright?" Alice looked at him for a moment, her head cocked to the left just slightly. Finely she nodded. Dr. Wilson said his goodbye and began walking out the door. "Nurse, may I have a moment?"

"Sure let me just get me just get my bag over there, I dropped it when Alice scared me this morning." Dr. Wilson nodded and left. Nurse D stood up and bent down to reach for the bag.

"I'm sorry," Alice said, Nurse D looked over at her, "If I frightened you to badly, It's just that This Rabbit is the one who led me to Wonderland the first time, and now…"

"It's alright Alice," Nurse D smiled, "No broken bones." Alice grinned. Nurse D made to walk out the door.

"He doesn't believe me," she laid down on the bed and stroked her rabbit sadly as she curled into a ball. "Neither do you."

"I believe you Alice," Nurse D lied.

"I'm going to be here for a long time aren't I," she closed her eyes, laying in an almost fetal position, "because I wont lie, Wonderland is real, because if I say that it isn't, then I really am crazy." Nurse D thought that perhaps she should say something comforting, but couldn't think of anything to say. In the end she wound up leaving the room without a word. She was greeted by Dr. Wilson, who was already talking about what med he planned on putting Alice through to help her with her Wonderland delusions. He was saying how it should be a simple thing to cure. Nurse D however, wasn't so sure, Dr. Wilson hadn't heard Alice's last words, and maybe it was