Chapter Three
Parker made a face at the brown slop that was thrown on her plate. She could clearly see the pills horribly hidden in the oatmeal.
"I want Rocket O's," she demanded to the woman serving food.
"Oatmeal is good for you. Did you try it?"
Parker played with her food. "It looks like vomit."
The cafeteria lady frowned before motioning her to move out the way. Parker sat next to Remy. She was more distant than usual. The woman kept shifting in her seat. Parker raised an eyebrow to her.
"What's wrong?" Parker asked.
The woman didn't answer. She got up from her table and went out to a level two area. Parker frowned and started playing with her food again.
Her attention turned to the scream behind her. She found that the cry came from the patient that wasn't in the group the other day. She was curled into a corner. One of her many therapists came to her aid then escorted her out of the lunchroom.
Parker turned to Casey. "What's wrong with her?"
Casey, for the first time since Parker met her, was silent. She shrugged her shoulders and looked at her food. Parker noticed that all of the patients were acting weird. One of the guards came in with Dr. Crane behind him.
Parker turned to him as she took a bite of her oatmeal before spitting it out.
"Ew!" she said loud enough, so the lunch lady could hear.
The lunch lady glared at Parker as she slapped down more of the hot cereal onto another patient's tray.
"I need to borrow a," Crane paused before looking at his board. "Charlie Booker?"
A tall, freckled face redhead stood up. Parker stared as the two men escorted him out. Nate slid down next to the blonde thief.
"Something's off," he said to her.
Parker nodded as she stared blankly. She looked around her for another exit. A vent could lead her out, but there are too many people with wandering eyes that would notice her. The only way to get out of the lunchroom is through a guard. Without clearance, she had to stay.
They had to stay an extra ten minutes after lunch because Parker couldn't leave without finishing her oatmeal, more noticeably, her pills. Out of retaliation she snuck out a spork, gripping it in her palm.
Everyone was confined in the day room. Sophie signed in for her shift, quickly noticing the behavior of her patients. She looked to Parker and Nate, but they looked more confused than her. She sat down in the center of the room for the group session. Her small group, now with Nate, took their seats around her.
"How's everyone's day going?" she asked them. Everyone murmured, 'fine.' "Quiet, aren't we? Why don't we start the group off by introducing a new face? May you say your name and your main goal," she said to the familiar face straight ahead.
"My name's Tom," Nate said, "I'll like to get out of here as soon as possible."
"Well, why are you here, Tom?"
Nate replayed his backstory in his mind. "I'm just here until I finish some tests."
Sophie nodded. "Thank you, Tom," she went to her left, and as always, the soft-spoken man was there. "Why don't we all state the reasons for how we got to this point in our lives. Adam, would you like to start?"
The man shifted at the sudden attention he was getting.
"Um, I-I have paranoia. I thought my wife was cheating on me. I followed her, and I found out she actually was. I guess my paranoia finally was right. I confronted her, and she lied about it. Telling me how it was a mistake, and it was the first time," he paused as he played with his hands. "I didn't mean to hurt her... The police came after a week or so, I kinda lost track of time. Her mother probably called. They found her in the basement. I was arrested."
"That's how you ended up here?" he nodded. "Thank you for sharing that with us," Sophie said.
"That's it? A thank you? Are you not going to announce the giant elephant in the room?" Connor said. "He kidnapped his wife, almost killed her, and he thinks it's okay. Are you just going to dismiss that?"
"We all need help in expressing our feelings differently. Why won't you try by telling everyone why you're here."
"I'm here because of my father. He never liked me, so when I told him I wouldn't take his crap anymore, he lost it. So I defended myself. . . by stabbing him."
Sophie sighed. "I'm sorry that happened, Connor."
The kid shrugged, turning his attention back to the floor.
"May I go?" Casey asked sullenly.
"Sure, Casey."
She smiled. Her usual persona returning instantly. "I'm here because my parents wanted me around people like me and to make new friends. I made a lot of friends. I can't even count on my hands and toes combined on how many friends I've made already."
"Airhead," Connor muttered.
"You were never counted," Casey joked. "I'm kidding. I've grown to love you. Now I have to add Tom."
Sophie smiled. "I'm pretty sure Tom would love to be your friend, Casey," her smile faded. "Why were we so quiet earlier?"
Casey and the rest of the group's demeanor changed again. The three teammates looked suspiciously at the group. Connor wasn't even making a snarky remark.
Sophie silently watched the group before breaking the silence. "Why don't we take a short recess then meet back up after everyone comes back from this 'nothing.'"
Parker had Sophie give her a clearance so she could search for Remy. She couldn't go to seventy percent of the halls without being past level four. She found Eliot flirting with one of the nurses.
"Mr!" she whispered loudly to him.
He groaned, recognizing her voice, then excused himself. He handed her the trackers Hardison made.
"Here, leave me alone," he said with agitation.
"Have a patient with the name of Remy checked in here?"
He frowned, checking some of the patient files before shaking his head. Parker sighed and left before Eliot started to get more frustrated with her presence.
Parker crept to a hall without any cameras. She unscrewed the nails and limbered herself through an air vent. She closed the small door behind her and quietly climbed into an air duct.
"Hardison," she whispered, "Can you give me the schematics of the air vents?"
The hacker typed away, "Where are you trying to go?"
"The roof."
Hardison skimmed the digital blueprints and found her location from her earbuds. "Keep going straight."
Parker closely followed his direction. She stopped and began to climb the tall duct leading up to the roof. She noticed the brunette sitting on the edge of a ledge. She quietly climbed out of the tight space and walked over to her.
"Why are you on the roof?"
Remy jumped at the sudden voice, almost losing her balance and falling to her death.
"Really, Alice?!" she said as she caught her breath. "You scared me."
"What's going on with everyone? Everyone's been acting strange all morning."
Remy shrugged and turned to the sky above her. "You ever wish you could leave? I don't care where. I'd drive for hours until I'm as far away from this place as possible."
Parker joined her on the ledge. Remy stood up and started walking along the edge. "I constantly wish for things, yet they never happened."
Parker followed her, making sure neither of them fell. She stopped next to the ghostly woman.
"What's going on?" Parker asked, but received a shrug once more from the woman. "Well, why are you on the roof?"
"Why did you follow me?"
Parker shrugged now. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."
Remy sat back down and dangled her legs over the edge. She tilted forward, staring at the people below her. "I'm fine."
"No, you're not. What's going on?" The woman didn't say anything. "Remy?"
"Have you seen Charlie? I really liked Charlie. He was cool in a weird sadistic way."
Parker shook her head. "A guard and Dr. Crane took him away," Remy's body tensed. "What?"
"He's different. After his daughter got sick, sick like us, he's been different."
"Different how?"
"He just likes to do. . . things," Parker stayed silent, waiting for her to continue. "He wants to 'cure' us," her voice sullen.
"What do you mean?"
Remy turned towards her. "Why do you keep asking so many questions?"
Parker shrugged. "I want to help."
"It's kinda late for that. It's been going on for over a decade."
"No one did anything all these years?"
Remy scoffed. "Who? Who's going to believe the mentally insane over the sane? I tried telling someone, but everyone thought I was lying. Everyone else is too frightened to come out. I merely learned to avoid him as much as possible. I don't snitch, and he doesn't run his tests."
"Why would anyone be scared of needles?"
"That's not what they're scared of. People have gone missing. I don't want to end up like Audrey."
"What happened to Audrey?" there was a long silence before the thief spoke up, "Remy?"
"I don't want to talk about it!" Remy slammed her fist against the concrete ledge causing the thief to jump. Parker regained her balance, swearing under her breath. "I'm sorry. . .just stay low and don't get into any trouble. He won't even know you exist. He only cares for the really crazy ones. The violent ones. You're saner than all of us," Remy stood up, reaching out for the blonde's hand. "Stay sane, Alice. Don't trust anyone, and don't go completely mental."
"What do you mean by don't trust anyone?" Parker asked.
"Everyone here wants to be considered sane. These people will tear you down until you're beneath even them. The rest of us are already dead. Do not join us," the raven-haired woman turned her attention back to people below her.
"Sophie," Parker whispered into her earbud, "if Remy's telling the truth, then how am I supposed to be alone with these people. They're trying to get us to have a breakdown."
"Then, we work faster," Nate interjected. "Hardison, put everything in a file to send to Bonanno just in case things go south. Then take Eliot and go dig up the bodies of the fourteen victims. Look for any signs of foul play. Take pictures of everything you find. We need as much evidence as possible."
"What about you and Parker?" Hardison asked, concerned more for the thief.
"Tara and I will make sure we stay as far away from everyone as possible," Nate said into the comms. Remy smiled back at the two. "If she's telling the truth, then let sanity be with us."