So, like I said this is Clive's flashback and it's from the point of view of him at the time. Enjoy!
~ Clive, 5 years ago ~
I leaned back into my cold steel bed. Another psychiatrist who didn't understand. I kept trying to tell them that I wasn't crazy. But apparently I was. Another appointment with a psychiatrist had been arranged for tomorrow. Maybe this time would be different. I turned on my side and drifted off into a deep and dreamless sleep.
I woke up early this morning and joined the other prisoners in the canteen for our boring breakfast of porridge.
" 'Ello Clive, how are ya?" asked Jonathan, in his thick Irish accent. I sighed and shrugged carelessly.
"Got another appointment today." I complained, spooning lumpy porridge into my mouth.
"Ahh, That's what happens when yeh try to destroy 'alfa London Clive" He laughed and shook his head jollily. I smiled and stared down into the sloppy porridge. A high pitched shriek of a whistle could be heard, signalling that it was time for us to wash up our bowls, then we would be escorted back to our cells in groups of five. I scrubbed my bowl until it shone, and carefully stacked it with the others. After I was escorted by a burly officer to my cell I decided to neaten myself up before my appointment. Once I am satisfied I decide to read through my robot designs. Don't get me wrong, I didn't have the burning desire to destroy the whole of London, but I still enjoy both robotics and architecture. I designed the casino and robot I used myself, Though I suppose I shouldn't be so proud of that last one.
A few hours later an officer came to escort me to the room that I found myself in almost every day. It had two comfortable chairs and a wooden desk between them. In one of the chairs sat a girl, she looked about a year younger than me. In her hand was a pen which she had been repeatedly clicking the officer left the room and closed the door, but I knew the girl would have an alarm she could signal at any time.
"Hello" She said. She had dark brown hair and her chocolate eyes shone in the dim room.
"You're not a psychiatrist." I stated matter of factly. She smiled and nodded.
"No, I'm an apprentice officer." She shook her head in exasperation. I smiled, perhaps this appointment would be different. "I came to talk to you. about what happened when you, or we I suppose, were children."
"What?" I snapped. It was fair to say I don't like the topic of my painful childhood.
"Relax, Clive." She rolled her eyes. I'd never met anybody so careless to upset me. She knew perfectly well of what I was capable of, yet she was so unafraid. "It's me who'll be doing the talking. I'm an orphan too you know."
"Oh." I smiled, pleasantly surprised. It would be her story being told.
"Well, there was a time when I had a normal, happy family. We went to the park, had Sunday dinners and family days out" She smiled, but I could see the sadness in her eyes as she recalled memories of her lost family. "when I was seven years old, you were eight" she added. "and... there was a fire. I lost my mother on that day."
I felt her pain. We'd been through a similar experience. "At first I sobbed into my father's coat. But then I turned around and saw a boy in an olive coloured blazer and green cap, crying by himself. I knew that he had lost both his parents." I felt a wet tear roll down my cheek. she continued "And I stopped crying, because I still had my father, and he had nobody" she smiled weakly through the tears that had rolled down her cheek.
"You shouldn't have stopped crying..." I whispered. She looked at me confusion spreading across her face "Thinking about it, not allowing yourself to be sad because others have it worse, is like not allowing yourself to be happy because others have it better."
She nodded and smiled, gratefully accepting my advice.
"It doesn't finish there Clive..." she closed her eyes and whispered. "Me and my dad were doing okay by ourselves. He was doing well in his job as a scientist, and I was happy and had lots of friends. But one day I came home and my dad wasn't there. Do you know where he went, Clive?"
I nodded solemnly. Her father was one of the abducted scientists Dimitri kidnapped in order to build a time machine. "Well, my father never returned. I can only assume that he died during his time in 'future London' " She said, her voice shook with sadness.
"I-I'm so sorry..." I stammered. It was my fault. The girl had next to nothing, and because of me the last person she cared about was gone. There came a knock from the steel door.
"You Have five minutes!" the officer shouted gruffly.
"I don't have time to explain" she whispered into my ear. I stood confused as she slipped a letter into my blazer pocket. "Goodbye, Clive" She pulled me into a quick hug.
"What's your name?" I asked quickly. She had shared her sad life story with me and I didn't even know her name.
"I'm not allowed to tell you that." She smiled sweetly. "Which is why..." she mumbled under her breath "I gave you a secret letter that you cannot let any officer find."
We left the room and she softly shut the door behind her.
"I trust everything was alright, miss?" the sturdy officer asked.
"Quite alright sir." The girl smiled sweetly. It felt odd to stand next to a girl of my own age. I hadn't been near one since I came to this prison. Psychiatrists dont tend to be eighteen year old girls.
"Goodbye, Clive" and with that she walked down the stone cold corridor.
"Goodbye!" I called after her, waving and grinning like an idiot. She turned round and laughed at the spectacle of me and waved back, laughing too. The officer next to me frowned upon our 'childish' behaviour. I was escorted back to my bleak cell. I sat down on my cold bed and pulled the letter from my pocket. I read through the letter and smiled to myself. after that day I started counting the days until I would be released from prison and everyday held promise. That girl had given me hope.
Well, I hoped you enjoyed that because it took me ageeeesss to write (although I was watching Angus thongs and Perfect Snogging meanwhile, which happened to be showing on E4) See ya tomorrow :)