Jailbreak

"If I still had my rucksack, we would be out of here in no time flat," Ace sighed as she leaned against the wall, "You wouldn't happen to have any Nitro Nine on you? No, wait, the apes outside would have taken all of that away. Bloody efficient buggers, damn them. Do you have any hair pins? Maybe I can just pick the lock...no, that won't work. There's a metal bar on the outside of the door. I couldn't pick that even if I had the Professor's sonic screwdriver."

Rose wasn't quite sure what to make of Ace, nor her continuous references to something called Nitro Nine. "Can't we just, I don't know. Pretend to be sick and when they come in hit them over the head with a chair?"

After a moment's silence, Ace shook her head, "You have no imagination. You know that?"

"Hey, I don't see you coming up with anything brilliant."

"I'm thinking..."

"Think faster."

In the end, they decided to go with Rose's plan. Doubling over as if her gut felt like it was about to explode, Rose moaned loudly while she silently gave thanks to Mrs. Eastman's drama lessons. "I don't feel so good..." she moaned, trying to add a bit more drama to her performance.

"Oi! Nurse! Orderly! Whatever! My roommate's sick!" Ace called out, standing by one of the chairs in the room.

"What is it?" a gruff voice called through the door, "Can't you take care of it yourself?"

Rose greeted that comment with an even louder groan.

"I think she's dying or something! Come on, have a heart would you?" Ace cajoled.

Grumbling could be heard through the door, but the two women could hear the clicks as the lock was disengaged. The orderly, sadly one of the burly ones who had manhandled Ace earlier, stepped into the room. "What's wrong with you, then?" he asked, his eyes on Rose rather than on the other occupant.

That was his biggest mistake since the next thing he knew a chair broke over his head and he was unconscious on the floor. "Baseball bats are usually more my thing, but that'll do," Ace grinned at Rose who immediately stood – miraculously well.

"Let's get out of here," Rose said and the two women stepped outside of their room to find themselves in a seemingly endless hallway with doors on either side. Ace quietly closed the door behind them and locked it. "Which way?"

Ace glanced up and down the hall before deciding on a direction, "That way."

While they walked, Rose couldn't help but feel that this was unlike any hospital – mental or otherwise – that she had ever been in before. For one, the halls were strangely silent and no nurses, doctors, or orderlies bustled about on their business. In fact, she'd almost think that it was nothing more than a reconstruction – a doll house made especially for her and Ace to roam through. As if that thought were a signal, a loud klaxon sounded through the hallway which was now bathed in a deep mauve color.

Turning towards each other, the two women grinned, "RUN!" they said in unison as orderlies piled out of the rooms like a swarm of angry bees. Unthinking, Rose grabbed Ace's hand and together they charged down the hallway.

One of the doors ahead of them opened and a strange little man wearing a funny hat and carrying a question mark handled umbrella popped his head out into the hall, "Quick, Ace! This way!"

"Professor!" Ace shouted gleefully and she dragged Rose behind her through the door.

The next thing Rose knew, she was surrounded by darkness.