Chapter 16

After her conversation with Nurse Guillyham in the dining hall, Catilin had returned to her room to think things over. A part of her was absolutely certain the woman knew more than she was letting on. What's more she was also certain she was an ally and since those were few and far between in this place she wasn't about to ignore any help or advice she got no matter how small. Knowing now that her room was probably bugged with cameras and listening devices cleverly concealed or too small for her to see, she figured it was best to try and work out where Nurse Guillyham wanted to meet her. But where was she supposed to start, this place was so big a wolf could get lost within it.

The thought made a smile pull stupidly across her face as she was pushed and poked out of her room and into some kind of group therapy. From the moment she'd arrived two thoughts had circled round her head. The first was how much group therapy would have helped her as a kid, instead of all the testing and stuff she was actually subjected too. The second was a weird kind of curiosity at how listening to others problems could help you with your own.

For a while she just allowed her mind to absorb everything the others were saying. She had no intention of participating herself, since she had no intention of staying in this place longer than she had to. Plus she really needed to figure out where it was Nurse Guillyham wanted to meet her and…

'Mrs Devlin,' the counsellor leading the group broke her train of thoughts, 'we've not heard from you yet, would you like to tell us a bit about yourself?'

'Do I have to?' She could hear the whine in her own voice and for the first time began to wonder how any of her subjects took her seriously when she sounded so much like a child most of the time.

'Well that is the point of group.'

'But I'm not supposed to be here,' she shook her head, 'I'm not crazy, you're all being tricked.'

'Really,' the counsellor looked like he wanted to roll his eyes, but didn't, 'so you don't really believe you're the Queen of the…' he checked his notes, 'Silkoneons? Or that you have magical powers.'

'Those aren't beliefs,' she tried to keep the little kid tones out of her voice, 'those are facts.'

'Then would you care to prove them for us,' he cocked an eyebrow at her.

'I can't,' she turned away from him, 'the Teen is blocking my powers right now.'

'And who is this Teen,' his tone become almost condescending.

'A new Nameless.'

'Nameless?'

'A kind of Unrealm created by the First as a representative of a part of herself.'

'Oh I see, by that I presume you mean this First of yours has multiple personality disorder,' his gaze flickered around some of the other patients. 'This isn't the first time Mrs Devlin has been in one of these units, during previous stays she's made many friends who've only helped feed into her delusions. Can anyone suggest what we should do with her?'

A stickly, runt of a girl, with greasy black hair and pale blue eyes rose her hand. She then seemed to take great pleasure in having all eyes turn towards her.

'Yes Miriad,' the counsellor smiled at her.

'Dissociation,' the girl's voice was as stickly as her looks. 'She needs to learn not to associate other peoples' madness with her own.'

'And how would we get her to do that exactly?'

Miriad's expression turned thoughtful for a moment, then a grin only the devil could have mastered spread its way across her face.

'Electro-Shock Therapy.'

At that the counsellor sighed and shook his head.

'Why must you always result to the most violent option first, we've been over this.'

'But I think it would help,' her eyes went wide with a far off kind of excitement. 'All those volts running through her body would soon shock the truth into her.'

'Miriad…' the counsellor gave her a warning look, 'we're not looking to force anything in or out of her.'

At that expression a number of the patients laughed whilst others blushed at the misapplied innuendo.

'Settle, settle,' he gave a heavy sigh, 'this is really no way to behave.'

'It never is,' Miriad folded her arms, 'any way of behaving that's not your way of behaving is always the wrong way.'

'What are you implying?'

'She means anything which isn't your way of behaving is wrong as far as you're concerned,' Catilin interpreted, somehow managing to sound both adult and childish at the same time.

'Miriad is hardly a friend you want to win over,' the counsellor rolled his eyes, 'she's not exactly a stable character.'

'According to you no one is,' Catilin rose to her feet, 'especially not me.'

'Just where do you think you're going?'

'To find someone who can help me.'

'I'm here to help you.'

'No, you're only here to help yourself; helping any of us will purely be coincidental.'

'You've only been here five minutes,' he glared at her, 'you can't possibly…'

'I can and I did,' she shrugged, 'so sue me.'

'Mrs Devlin…'

'MRS ASHMAR,' she mimicked his patronising tone. 'My name is Catilin Ashmar, remember it.'

'Why?'

'Because the second I get my powers back you'll live to regret it else.'

'Threatening me isn't going to get you anywhere.'

'But leaving here will,' she turned, 'goodbye.'

At that she left the room and headed back towards the cell she was meant to sleep in. As she made her way up the corridor her attention was drawn towards the room she'd seen Nurse Guillyham leaving that morning. She couldn't remember seeing a patient in there at all since she'd arrived and she was starting to feel a little curious about it.

'Excuse me,' she stopped one of the passing nurses.

'Yes,' the nurse shot her a strangely phoney smile.

'Whose room is that,' she pointed towards the door.

'No ones,' the nurse shook her head, 'it's been empty for a while now.'

'Why?'

'We had a few suicides in there and none of the other patients will stay once they know.'

'Why not?'

'Patients are a superstitious lot at times,' she shrugged, 'and after working here a while some of the staff can be too.'

'What do you mean?'

'It's nothing to be concerning yourself with,' her smiled tightened as if she'd just realised she'd said something she shouldn't have.

'Tell me,' Catilin shot her a pleading look.

'Well I probably shouldn't say this but there's been rumours that that room is haunted. Now I don't believe in that kind of thing myself, but…'

'Some of the other staff members do?'

'Including the security staff. That's why they refuse to monitor that room anymore,' she began to cluck strangely. 'Personally I think it's a load of nonsense brought on by stress. God only knows this line of work will send you round the twist.'

'I can imagine,' Catilin tried not to look as excited as she felt.

'Anyway,' the nurse turned sharply away from her, 'I've got work to be getting on with. Goodbye.'

'Goodbye.'