Chapter Two: The Doctor will see you now

Sorry about the wait guys, been a busy week, finally finished this monster of a chapter. we get to meet a few new characters as well as learn a liitle more about Damian's strange predicament.

Chapter 2: The Doctor will see you know

"So... Damian, How are you today?"

That's a loaded question if Damian ever heard one. It has been three days since he woke up from his coma. In that time he has been subject to innumerable test to determine both physical and psychological health. It is the latter of which that brings Damian to Dr Grace Teller's office for Damian's daily psych eval.

Damian sits on a two seater couch the upholstery is a stiff vinyl and it has very little in the way of cushioning. Dr Teller sits across from him in a standard desk chair which, would not out of place in any office around the world. As Damian looks around the room he notices the walls are all pastel colors like blue and green. he has also notices that this room is the only one in the medical center with wall decorations. the walls are lined with motivational posters and pictures of laughing children, as wells as few photos of groups of dirty and obviously poor children surrounding Dr Teller. Must be from one of her humanitarian gigs she is always talking about Damian thinks to himself. everything in this room besides Dr Tellers photos has been designed to put a patient at ease this much is obvious even to Damian who has had no training in psychology or interior decorating for that matter. It seems like someone in a lab was tasked with artificially creating the most calming and comforting room in existence, however thanks to the stark contrast from the rest of the rooms Damian has lived in these last few day. this room has the exact opposite effect this room has landed itself somewhere in the uncanny valley almost natural, but just off enough to make it disconcerting.

This isn't the first meeting Damian has had with Dr Teller, In fact they met not long after Damian woke up. She barged into Damian's room with the a look of scorn in her eyes, demanding that Dr Norton leave stating that

"This patient's, physiological state is extremely fragile and as such psychological evaluation and treatment should take presidents, Damian has been through a great deal of trauma subjecting him to too much too quickly would have a disastrous effect on his mental state!"         

Her voice was demanding and strong, but her stance was the opposite. She shifted her weight on to her back foot. perhaps subconsciously preparing to either withstand an on coming attack, verbal or otherwise or to flee in need be, Dr Norton was visibly surprised. but his posture remained unchanged. He stood straight and with purpose with only the slightest hint if frustration on his face it seems that he has had to deal with Dr tellers outburst before to the point where he has become well practiced in defusing them.

"Ah Grace..." Dr Norton says with a smile

"Dr Teller"  Dr teller replies with thinly veiled annoyance

"Uh yes DOCTOR Teller, I'll have you know that I'm well versed in medical practices and I do understand the necessity of having a permanent psychiatrist. and you are well with in your rights to recommend any treatment that you think could be helpful. But don't for a second forget I'm head medical officer at this facility and I take that role very seriously. All of the patients in this wing are under my personal watch and as such I will decided all future treatment, you are here in an advisory role only DO NOT forget that."

Dr Norton's tone started of bored and conversational. Almost as if he was forcing  himself to care, but by the end of his monologue his tone was dark and serious it sounded more like a threat than a reminder from a college.

Dr Tellers stance has changed too. Damian and perhaps Dr Norton expected her to whimper away and submit but she did just the opposite, this little chastising has only worked to make her more sure of herself. she looks at Dr Norton Directly in the eyes the two are only feet apart. Damian can feel the room suddenly get warmer almost uncomfortably so. Dr Tellers next words were specifically chosen to maximise affect 

"Than let me offer this ADVICE sir, allow me to do my job or send me away somewhere I can do some good."

"Be careful what you wish for Grace." 

Dr Teller doesn't have a chance to retort Dr Norton has already left. 

"Damion...? I asked how are you today?"

Dr Teller is looking at Damian quizzically. Several minutes have passed since anyone has spoken. Damion has been so lost in thought that he almost forgot that he was in Dr Tellers office for his daily psych eval.

"Sorry I was just thinking about... when i woke up."

Damian states apolitically.

Dr Teller writes something in her notebook before continuing

"Ah... yes that must have been very disconcerting, a lot to take in I bet. I would have like to break it to you a bit gentler but, Well Dr Norton had different ideas"

the room is silent for a moment it is evident that Dr Teller and Dr Norton don't seem to get along, Damian wonders for a moment why that is. Was there some type of disagreement over medical procedure like what he witnessed earlier or was it something more personal or sinister? many unlikely scenarios run through Damian's mind. but his wondering are cut short when Dr Teller interjects

"How are you getting along with your new roommates?" 

Yesterday after all off his medical exams were over with. Damian was moved from the intensive care unit to a ward called general population. He was accompanied by Dr Norton. as they walked between wards Damian noticed something strange. This hospital's atmosphere is all wrong, the stench of disinfectant is there and the sterilized tiles and walls are present, but everything else is a little off they're no windows, all the light and air is artificial, and perhaps most strangely as they walk Damian sees no doctors or nurses or even other patients.

"Um Doctor Norton?"

"Hmm yes son."

"What kind of hospital is this?"

Damian's question takes Dr Norton by surprise his eyebrows rise in unison and almost instantly drop back to the normal position. Damian seems to have struck a nerve, is Dr Norton nervous. If he is Dr Norton's response gives no clues, his tone is light and conversational.

"Well strictly speaking it isn't, a hospital that is. This is the Aliyah Medical center, A private Medical facility located in southern Utah, North America"

Damian takes a second to take in the overabundance of information, noticing that it's his turn to speak he decides to continue the conversation. more out of social convention than anything.

"is that why there are no windows?, because we are in the middle of a dessert?" 

If Dr Norton wasn't surprised before he must be now.

"Well nothing gets past you, does it?"

his tone is comical, put Damian can tell that that there is nervousness behind it.

"Well actually we're underground, this facility is powered by a geothermal sub-terrain generator, we can power an inter city's with it, being underground also helps with security, you see we are private organisation and we like to keep our business to ourselves"

Dr Norton places his hand on Damian's shoulder and gives him a smile and a wink. Damian is very disconcerted with what he just learned. Not only is he stuck underground in a windowless box, but he is also stuck underground in a windowless box that is sitting on top of some kind of experimental powerplant, also what was that about keeping secrets secret?

"Ah here we are boys town."

Before Damian has a chance to get any of this questions addressed, the sound of one of those big metal doors opening steals his attention. The newly opened door leads to a room not unlike the one Damian used in the ICU. It has the same egg shell white tiled floors and walls and the same lingering smell of industrial disinfectant, this room also has three beds. The only real differences is the lack of machines designed to keep a comatosed person alive, and the presents of two other young men. One is laying on the bed throwing a ball in the air and catching it in a mit, the other is sitting on a small couch in the corner writing in a small pocket journal.     

"Ah boys, meet your new roommate Damian Matthews, Make sure he feels at home, Damian this is Marcus Smith and Suzuki Kato"

As Dr Norton leaves the room a door slides down from the roof an lands on the ground with a thud.

"That can't be safe."

Damian muses to himself.

"Don't worry about the star trek doors, you'll get used them."

The first boy walks up to greet Damian with a genuine smile.

"Nice to meet you I'm Marc, The quite one is Kato..."

both Damian and Marc turn to look at Kato he returns a polite nod but continues to write in his journal.

"Don't take it personally he has barely said a work since he woke up." 

"So he was in a coma too?"

"We all were."

Damian is taken aback by this we all were what does that mean

"what do you mean all of us"

"oh I forgot we really shouldn't talk about Dr Teller doesn't like it when we discuss overwhelm the newbies"

"67 days ago, Universal airlines Flight UA7413 crash landed in the gulf of mexico. 216 kilometers south of New Orleans. 209 dead, 7 survivors.

-Annabel Lee, Age 16, Chinese.

-Carmila Theron, Age 16, English.

-Damian Matthews, Age 17, American.

-Eloise Tryll, Age 10, American 

-Marcus Smith, Age 17, African American

-Suzuki Kato , Age 17, Japanese

-Carlton Redford, Age 16, African American

All survivors were found unconscious with minimum external damage. However, MRI scans would later show that all survivors, had scarring along the prefrontal cortex, resulting in probable long term memory lost."

Damian and Marc both turn to the corner where the small, cold, analytical voice list of the long list of facts. Kato is still writing in his journal 

"well so much for not overwhelming you." 

Marc's says jokingly

"Well he's right we were all on a plane together, the lucky seven survivors all found in comatose states, your number 6 second last to wake up still waiting on the young one, oh right I forgot they brought your they, moved it here yesterday. its everything they found on you."

Stuff? damian didn't think he had stuff. Sure he had the plain white and grey jumpsuit that nurses gave him and the clip on ID card that Dr Norton gave him, he didn't think he had any positions. Marc points to the foot of the bed closest to the window. Besides another plain jumpsuit that everyone else wears, piled on the bed is two pairs of socks and underwear, a pair of slippers and a pair of pajamas but its whats on top of the pile that really takes Damian's. attention a small brown plastic box. Damian walks over to the box something about it has encapsulated him, entranced him he must have to hold to never release it, he kind of wants to hide it to keep it a secret. But he know there is no point Marc and Kato have been in the room with it all day. if they wanted it they would have already taken it. Damian opens the box inside is a large gold ring with a round brown stone in the center.

"Pretty sweet all I had on me was this ball, and all Kato had was that damn book."    

"Damian Do you often get distracted this easily?"

Damian is once again brought out of his own head by the good doctor.

 

Dr Tellers may sound like she is joking, But Damian knows she is fishing for information. Damian takes a second to answer, he is thinking about how to word his response, but no words work, no words can probably encompass how frustrating it is to be without his own memories. He wants to tell her what it's like to be half a person not quite sure who you are, but he doesn't have the right words so instead he thinks of something non-committal and uninspired.

"Ah... I'm not sure"

"Still no luck with memory recall?"  

does she even need to ask Damian thinks to himself

"Not a lot no"

the truth is Damian hasn't been able to recall a single thing. It's strange he can remember how to walk and talk, how to write and read. He even remembers the plots to famous movies and books but nothing about his family or friends or even his own life. His past is a complete mystery to him. he could be an orphan who lived on the streets or he could be the heir to a great fortune, either are equally probable in Damians mind. 

"Don't worry your not alone, there are plenty here in the same boat."

Dr Tellers tone and face softens, she places a comforting hand on Damians knee. they are interrupted when the shrill loud PA systems crackles to life.

"All Medical personnel to ICU room 3 code white"

Dr Tellers eyes widen in surprise, Damian furrows his brow confused.

"Whats a code white?"

"It means someone is waking up, Eloise thank god, she was so young. I have to go you'll have to find your own way back"

Dr Teller takes her notebook and pen and leaves with fleet of foot. Without an arduous psych eval to deal with, Damian's day has completely freed up time to do literally anything that doesn't involve nosy doctors.