1968 (Henry Creel/OC)

Chapter 2

Maeve was bored as she silently roamed the halls three days later. Henry's words had haunted her for the first night, but from what she had observed it seemed like a normal hospital ward. Most patients came and went, apart from a few, whom she had imagined had long-term difficulties or illnesses. Some of the corridor halls were white, some yellow, which gave a welcoming and homely feel. Sighing, she rounded a corner to head towards the canteen. She hadn't seen Doctor Maxwell in the last couple of days, Maeve imagined she had become busy discussing their next steps with Doctor Brenner. The fact it had been days made Maeve doubtful that Brenner had anything to offer.

Pushing the door open, she was greeted by the sight of a teenager, eating alongside Henry. Maeve hesitantly raised a hand to wave before grabbing a tray and piling food on it. Not wanting to be rude, she sat at their table.

"Hello. What's your name?" She sent the younger one of the two a smile before placing a spoonful of cereal into her mouth. The younger boy inspected her with calculating eyes but did not respond. Henry seemingly nudged him under the table, causing a reply.

"Two" the boy said simply, then carrying on with his food.

"Pardon?" Maeve tilted her head in confusion, her eyes flickering between the boy and Henry. There was no way he was two years old and confusing his age for his name. The teen rolled his eyes in annoyance and forcefully threw his spoon on the table before getting up and leaving the room. Maeve pressed her lips together in a thin line, then looked at Henry with wide eyes.

"Don't worry about him. He's a moody thing." Henry told her reassuringly before sighing. He reached towards Two's tray and started clearing the table.

"That is the number given to him, though." He added.

"His number?" Maeve knitted her eyebrows together in confusion. Henry rolled up his sleeve, revealing the 001 tattoo on his arm.

"Two didn't come here under normal circumstances... I have never heard anyone call him anything but his number." Henry explained in a hushed voice, clearly affected by this himself.

Maeve gulped as she watched Henry take the trays back to the kitchen staff. 'Nobody who is a patient here leaves'. Maybe there was some truth to what he had said. Maybe it hadn't been a poor attempt to scare or intimidate her. Part of her felt bad for having judged him. She had thought he was quite rude, not someone she wanted to be around. Yet this morning he had been accommodating and polite. A little troubled, perhaps. Dropping her gaze she stirred the cereal she had chosen, her appetite no longer existent. Nerves started to ball up in the pit of her stomach, this place feeling darker than it was meant to be.

"Everything okay?" Henry's voice pulled her out of her thoughts, her eyes snapping up to see his sky blue ones.

"Of course." Maeve forced a smile as she shrugged her shoulders. "Not as hungry as I thought I was." She stood up and picked up her tray, discarding of it.

Doctor Brenner and Doctor Maxwell entered the room. "Ah, there you are!" Maxwell exclaimed with a smile on her face. "If you don't mind, Doctor Brenner would like to do a few tests. I have been filling him in, he would just like to observe you." Maxwell wrapped an arm around the younger woman's shoulder and looked at her encouragingly.

"Of course. That's why we came here for." Maeve laughed, somewhat uncomfortably. She didn't want to be another number.

Dr Brenner led the group to a separate examination room. There was what could only be described as a wheel of lightbulbs, as well as a chair in the room and Maeve eyed the contraption curiously. Dr Brenner turned the chair so it was facing away from the wheel and gave her a pointed look.