The institution seemed unusually quiet when Arnold went inside and he stopped at Claires office before going to his own. He opened the door and found her sitting behind her desk her nose in a case file.

"Seems quiet today." He said closing the door behind him.

"I'm not complaining." Claire said.

"Did Leon make it in?" Arnold asked sitting in a chair.

"Yeah I saw him in the locker room. He said you asked him to come in today, I took him off his shift tonight." She said.

"I did ask him.I hope that doesn't cause a problem with your schedule." Arnold said.

"No, it's not a problem. Is there a reason for it?" She asked.

"Irene she seems to open up to him. I don't know why, but I don't care. I need someone who can get her to talk. He's been visiting her at night." Arnold said.

"Visiting her? You're kidding." Claire said shaking her head.

"Apparently he takes her candy and she eats it." Arnold said with a shrug.

"Leon is a big teddy bear, he's a good man and he had the loyalty of a pitt-bull." Claire pointed out.

"Yeah, if I can get her to connect even a little with him maybe he can get her to eat." Arnold said.

"Well good luck and keep him as long as you need him. He's exactly the kind of person you should always have in your corner." Claire said.

"Alright, Thanks." He prepared to stand and Claire interrupted him.

"How are things with Helga?" She asked.

"About the same. The only thing she has said so far was my name...sort of." He said.

"Is she eating at all?" Claire asked.

"Yeah her appetite isn't what worries me. She's distant, and cold. Her father came to visit and she acted like he was the devil himself." Arnold said.

"She could blame him for not getting her back as a child." Claire said.

"If you knew the kind of father big Bob was you wouldn't be surprised if she was hostile towards him. This is different he looks old, tired and all he wants is her to give him any indication that his daughter is still in there. When he walks in a room she just shuts off." Arnold said.

"She's been through a lot." Claire said.

"I know, and I saw a glimmer of progress today I took her a book to read. She hasn't lit up like that since they found her." Arnold said.

"She's in the best hands she can be in. Give her time." Claire said.

"Yeah time is the one thing we seem to have in abundance here." Arnold said pushing to his feet.

"Hey, what time you taking lunch?" Claire asked.

"Three if I even get the time to eat." Arnold replied.

"How about Linda's my treat?" She offered.

"Sounds like a plan." He agreed moving to the door.


He stepped into the hallway passing a resident who was currently peeling off the shabby gray wall paper. He thought about stopping the man, but decided it wasn't worth the upset it would cause. He moved to the faculty locker room and once again used his key card to step inside. Leon was just closing his locker and draping his Saint Christopher necklace over his head.

"Leon, hey I was looking for you." Arnold said moving closer.

"Sorry Doctor Arnold I was in here getting my uniform on." Leon said.

"It's alright. Thanks for coming in today." Arnold said.

"It's not a problem really, What do you need help with?" He asked.

"I want you to spend the day working like usually, but if you could just pay kind of close attention to Irene I would appreciate it." Arnold said.

"Really? After what happened I thought I'd be fired." Leon said.

"You didn't do anything wrong. Fact is I can't get her to eat a thing. I was hoping if you ate lunch with her maybe...she'd eat something. You don't have to be obvious about it." Arnold said.

"I'll get to work right away." Leon promised.

"Okay, and anything you can figure out about her or her past...anything at all. That would be great." Arnold said.

"Sure thing." Leon said with a nod.

Arnold watched him walk out of the locker room, marveling at how such a big man could be such a gentle soul. When they came up with southern gentlemen they must have used Leon for the blue prints.


Leon moved down the hall smiling at one of the nurses who blushed and smiled back. He turned and walked towards the main hall way where the television and couches were located. There was also a piano in there that nobody ever played and a few plastic plants. The womens ward was on one side the mens on the other and they were both connected to it. There was a courtyard out back and the entire second story was a childrens ward the first story was the cafeteria. It wasn't a bad place to work or live given the circumstances, but if he could help Irene get herself out he wouldn't hesitate to do so.

He found her sitting in the main hall. She had pulled a chair closer to a window and was watching the rain drops race their way down the window.

"Hey, how are you doing today?" He asked pulling up a chair beside her.

"I thought they'd fire you." She said.

"No, I'm still here." He said.

"Back on day shift I see." She said.

"For now." He replied. He held out a piece of candy, and she finally turned to look at him. She offered him a weak smile, but took his offering.

"What floor are you working?" She asked.

"I'll be around." He replied.

"I didn't scare you off then?" She asked.

"No, is that what you were trying to do?" He asked.

"No. I was having a bad day." She said.

"I've seen some messed up stuff go on here. It's going to take a lot more to make me run. I've worked here long enough to know when someone belongs here, but you don't." He said.

"No, I don't." She said.

"You don't belong with someone who beats you either." Leon said.

"It's not like that." She said rolling her eyes.

"No? you break your jaw yourself?" He asked his accent becoming slightly thicker.

She didn't say anything but she turned her back to him. He sighed and debated leaving. Finally, after a few minutes of silence he stood. It was then that she spoke.

"Will you come see me again before you go home?" She asked.

"You can count on it." He said before walking away.

He went about his day as he usually would. He helped a few nurses administer the drugs to rowdy patients, he helped Claire organize a group therapy session and he mopped the floors. He took candy down to the kids, and helped a nurse with a patient in hysterics. Finally, it was lunch. Some residents chose to ate on their floor in the main hall where there were a few small tables. The rest who weren't on severe watch ate downstairs in the cafeteria. He found Irene sitting in the corner at a table by herself. She had her blue sweater pulled tight around her and she watched others walk by with trays. She wasn't eating. He moved down the lunch line filling a tray before moving over to sit down at the table across from her.

"I'm starving." He said, he didn't miss the confused look she gave him.

"okay." She said.

"Are you hungry?" He asked.

"No, I…..i'm fine." She said.

"You're not going to make me eat alone are you?" He asked.

"I really shouldn't I'm trying to watch my weight." She said.

"You're skinny as a reed. Hell girl, a good wind might blow you away." He said.

"No, I need to lose ten pounds." She said.

"You can't weigh more than a buck….a buck ten maybe." He said looking at her tiny frame.

"You're good." She said.

"I spend my days wrestling people to the ground. I can guess a persons weight pretty easy." He replied.

"You should take that talent on the road." She said.

"Guessing weight or wrestling with people?" He teased.

"Where are you from Leon?" She asked.

"I'm sorry?" He seemed confused and she shrugged.

"Your accent it's really southern and I was wondering where you're from." She said.

"Mississippi. I'm from Jacksonville." He said.

"I've never been out of the state." She said.

"You get yourself out of here and you can go where ever you want." He said.

"I guess so." She said.

"Come on, don't make me eat alone." He said pushing his tray towards her.

"I really am on a diet." She said.

"I won't tell a soul." He said.

She bit her lip and hesitated for a minute before smiling at him and picking up a fork. Once she started eating she dug in enthusiastically and he leaned back in his chair only snagging a few bites for appearance sake.

From across the room Arnold stood in the doorway arms crossed watching the scene. Claire moved to stand beside him and he nodded at the pair.

"Look at that. She's eating." Arnold said.

"Looks like it's going well." Claire agreed.

"Yeah she just connects with him. Everyone needs someone they connect with." Arnold said.

Leon leaned closer to say something to Irene and she laughed enthusiastically before taking another bite. The transformation was remarkable.

"Her husband gets out in a few days." Claire said.

"Yeah I know." Arnold said.

"He's going to come here, and he's going to want to get her out." Claire said.

"Yeah, and if she's better we can't keep her here. If we let her go he's going to kill her." Arnold said with a sigh.

"That's not why she's here. She's here to keep her from trying to kill herself again. Deal with that…..and maybe the rest will fall into place." Claire offered.

"I hope so." Arnold said.

"As sad as it is you can't save them all." Claire said gently.

"Yeah I guess." Arnold agreed.

"Come on, I'll get you lunch." Claire said.

She walked out of the cafeteria and Arnold followed her, leaving Leon and Irene to eat alone in peace.


The rest of the day went by fast, After lunch with Claire Arnold had three sit down appointments a group therapy session, and one of his patients had to be sedated again. Irene was unusually quiet and well mannered all day. Leon left at five like he normally would and Arnold didn't get a chance to talk to him, but he planned on catching up with him the next morning.

He managed to get out of the institution by seven and he rushed to catch a cab. He headed straight to the hospital well aware that he was technically off the clock. He walked briskly down the hall to Helgas room eager to get in some time with her before she went to sleep for the night. When he stepped into her room she was watching the wizard of oz on tv. She turned to smile at him before flipping off the tv.

"How was your day?" He asked sitting in his usual chair.

She smiled and pulled out the book he gave her from under her pillow.

"You like the book then?" He asked.

She smiled before handing it to him. He looked at her confused and she bumped him with the book.

"What? What's wrong?" He asked. She frowned poking him again with the hardback.

"What?" he took the book from her, but didn't understand what she wanted.

"Helga, you have to tell me. I don't understand." He said.

"More." She said softly.

"More? More what? Books?" He asked.

She tucked her hair behind her ear and nodded. She watched the book he held and he examined it's thickness.

"You read this entire thing already?" He asked. Another nod.

"Okay, I'll bring you some more." He said setting the book on the bed beside her.

She smiled and turned the television back on. He moved sitting on the edge of the bed. He took a deep breath and spoke.

"Helga…..you have to talk to me." He said gently.

"I want to help you, but I can't if you won't talk to me." He said softly.

He saw her face soften and she slowly turned off the television. She gave him her full attention.

"Tell me what happened." He begged taking her hand in his, needing her to see how important this was to him.

"I…I was walking home from school. The car pulled up." She said softly.

"The man picked you up in his car?" He asked.

"Yeah, He said I shouldn't be walking alone. He offered me a ride. I said no…he said he had a girl my age he showed me her picture. He said he knew my dad so…..I got in the car." She said.

"Willingly?" He asked.

"I never saw sunlight again." She said.

"I'm so sorry." He said not really knowing what his being sorry would help her.

"When can I get out of here?" She asked.

"A few days. Then you come with me." He said.

"More hospitals." She said.

"I'm sorry." He said again.

"I can manage, I was in a dungeon for fifteen years I can survive fifteen more." She said.

"It won't come to that I promise." He said.

She shrugged and he felt her physically closing up again. He knew she had seen terrible things, He knew she was emotionally exhausted, just keeping her sanity in that situation had to be an endless struggle. She was out now, and the next two places she would stay would be nearly the same thing. They had windows and she'd have activities and freedom, Arnold would be there holding her hand every step of the way, but he wondered if it would be her saving grace or if it would be what finally broke her.

He stayed with her until the movie was over, and she finally yawned with sleep. He moved the book off of her bed and shut off the light. As he left her room his thoughts went to the movie. She chose a movie about a girl who was taken from her home and fought to get back the entire movie. Helga was back, but part of her didn't come back with her. He counted it as a small victory that she had talked to him even in the slightest. With time maybe he'd get the entire story, but he suspected it was going to be awhile and the battle was just beginning.


I'm not giving up on this or any of my other fanfictions! I do not have a computer at this time and all private messages and chapters I send are from my phone. I'm sorry for the slow updates and grammar/punctuation issues. I will hopefully have a computer in two weeks and I will update better and more frequently then. Happy New Year Everyone.