ROSEMARY - spencer reid

F O U R

CHAPTER 4: THE REAL WORLD

Rosemary Cooper's POV

[September 30th, 2009]

"Alright Rose," Prentiss says, holding my elbow. "Whenever you're ready."

I nod and follow her out the door of the hospital room that I had grown so accustomed to. I meekly glance up at Agent Morgan, who offers me a warm, genuine grin. I smile back at him, trying to relax. I know that he wont hurt me. He's a good man. He trails vigilantly behind Agent Prentiss, who continues to support me as we approach the desk.

"Rosemary Cooper signing out." Agent Morgan informs the secretary, who smiles kindly and pushes a clipboard towards me.

"Thank you, ma'am." I smile as she hands me a pen.

I skim over the form quickly before signing the bottom with the name that I am still trying to get used to. I'm thankful that I even know how to read and write. If Mr. Andersen did anything good for me, it would be him teaching me from the old textbooks that he had stowed away from when he was in college. I'm sure that I don't know quite as much as I would have if I went to a proper school, but I feel as though I am well educated considering the situation.

After signing a few more release forms, I return the pen to the woman at the desk, handing her the clipboard as well. I walk with the two agents to the door, adjusting the borrowed clothing on my body. I don't ask where it came from or whose it is; all I care about was having something other than the flimsy hospital gown to wear. We finally reach the lobby and walk to the main doors.

I watch in awe as they slide open without anyone even touching them. A small gasp escapes my lips and my eyes are wide. The two agents immediately stop when they realize that I myself have halted.

"What just happened?" I ask, perplexed.

"What, you mean the doors?" Prentiss asks, and I nod. "They're automatic."

"Automatic..." I weigh the word on my tongue as the doors slide shut again. "So they open and close whenever you need them?"

"That's right," Agent Morgan chuckles, patting my shoulder. "It'll take some time, but you'll get used to everything."

I nod, my cheeks filling with heat as I blush at my lack of modern knowledge. We start walking again and I watch carefully as the doors slide open again. My eyes land on the sensor above the door, giving me a slightly stronger understanding on how it works. We walk outside into the crisp autumn air, the wind blowing just hard enough to rustle my hair. I inhale deeply, appreciating the first proper breath of fresh air I've had in quite some time.

As we approach a large black vehicle, I memorize the feeling of the sun on my shoulders and the breeze in my hair. Agent Morgan opens the back door for me, and I thank him before climbing in. He closes the door and I watch as he gets behind the steering wheel, Prentiss hopping into the passenger side. I observe as they pull straps over their chests, attaching them to a buckle near their opposite hip.

Seatbelts.

I remember seeing them in a movie once when Mr. Andersen let me watch the television with him.

I look over my shoulder, seeing the buckle. I grab it and pull the same way I saw the two agents do, stretching it across my chest and securing it in the slot. I tug it once to tighten it, smiling at my small success of properly applying my seatbelt for the first time. I admire the sleek, shiny interior of the vehicle, running my hand along the smooth material of the seat.

I hadn't seen anything this nice in person before. This is almost exactly what I pictured the interior of a fancy car to look like; black with chrome accents. I relax into the seat and lean my head against the headrest, looking out the window as we begin to drive.