Chapter 21:

*LUNA'S POV:

Just after I had walked back into the house after parting from Eddie, I received an email from Dr. Collins at Bakersfields informing me about the facility's situation. Everything was back to normal and I was able to start right away. I took that as a chance to take my mind off of things, so now a few days later and here I was standing on the front step of the establishment's front door.

A woman's voice erupted from the intercom nearby asking for me to state my name and purpose for visiting. Luna Goodman, I answered, here for the internship-like program with Dr. Collins. I heard the woman let out a satisfied "ooh!" and just then the doors unlocked, allowing me to enter. In the middle of the large lobby sat the receptionist at her slightly cluttered desk. She was very well kept appearance wise; perhaps she was just overwhelmed with paperwork.

"Caitlin? Hello, I'm Carly Williams and I'm the receptionist here at the facility. It's a pleasure to meet you. Let's get you situated, shall we?"

I nodded and listened intently as she explained some of the protocols and procedures I'd need to learn and know. I read through and signed a few papers, then took a picture for a photo ID card. She asked a few questions about myself as the name tag developed, which I happily answered and turned the questions on her. Carly was really a delight, I felt comfortable with her around.

"Alright dear, here is your name tag. Just clip this somewhere on your upper body so it can be seen at all times, okay? I'll notify Dr. Collins of your arrival. It'll be just a second."

Clipping the tag on and nodding, I took a seat as Carly pressed a button on her little control pad to contact Marleen. It was long; the sharp clicking of high heels against tile flooring kept getting louder with every step. Eventually the double doors opened, revealing the doctor herself. Middle aged with a brown bob of hair, she wore a blue maxi dress with matching heels underneath her bleach white lab coat.

"Caitlin!" she cheerfully exclaimed. "It's wonderful to finally meet you."

"I'm happy to meet you, too," I smiled, shaking her hand.

"I see you're looking rather professional today. I love it." she winked. "Is she good to go, Carly?"

Carly nodded and flashed a smile. Dr. Collins put a hand on my back and guided me to the set of double doors that she popped out from earlier. "So, shall we begin?"

The two us walked to her office down the main hallway, where the worker resources were. Offices, supply rooms, lunchrooms, and all that were in this separated area. We turned into one of the last rooms on the right. Set your things down somewhere, she suggested, heading straight for her closet. As I situated my things, I turned around and found her holding out a hanger with a lab coat on it. Questioning her motive with a puzzled expression, she simply stated. "I'm probably gonna end up making you a mini-me, so why not have fun with it?"

I returned with a chuckle, slipping the coat on as she explained her reasoning for them: since she is usually in formal attire, pockets are limited, which the coats have.

"Have a seat, dear, and let me introduce you to the program." she said, pulling out her swivel chair. "We started this mainly so young students, such as yourself, could experience what it's like working in this type of environment. Nowadays, kids are changing their careers because they don't realize the challenges and responsibilities that come with them. Often, they are left clueless and even in debt because they wasted years of schooling. Think of this as one of those early opportunities, say like volunteering at a local hospital, where you can get a feel of everything that will be happening around you. Then you get to decide if you want to continue with it."

"That's a really great idea. It's a hands-on experience." I nodded.

"Exactly, and since we're a much smaller facility with less potential threats, it's possible. Most of our patients have mild cases; if this were one of the larger ones, it would be quite difficult."

"Is anyone else signed up for this?"

"There are a few college interns, but you're the only fresh-out-of-high-school student. I'm satisfied with that, actually. Now I can focus on teaching you properly and with the best of my knowledge."

I agreed with a smile as she continued.

"Wonderful," she smiled, "now a quick and obvious question─what made you so interested in something like this?"

I tried putting my thoughts into words. "I've always been fascinated with helping people. I knew that if I had to do anything, I wanted to do something that would benefit others. My grandfather happened to struggle with schizophrenia and I had to watch him suffer through it every time I visited. I was only a little girl, so I didn't understand the circumstances."

"Your grandfather. . ." she trailed off, but I knew the question.

"He took his life when I was ten."

"I'm sorry for your loss." she apologized.

"Thank you."

Dr. Collins took a sip of coffee before offering a tour of the facility. I followed her out of the office and back down the hallway where we took a turn and found ourselves in a small area. Five different wings branched off.

"These are the different wings," she explained. "I know you probably read this in our informational section, but that wing─the one with the bolted looking doors─is off limits. It's for the radically unstable; they're patients that are being transferred to a larger institution. You shouldn't worry about it─only six of the rooms are filled."

"Now, these four wings are basically categorized by age. The first wing is for the more precarious patients; they aren't exactly dangerous enough to be put in the transfer hall, but they may still propose a threat. You won't be in this hallway much. If you wish to, there are select rooms you may interact with." I nodded, allowing her to continue. "This is for the elder patients. It's more of a quieter hall except for a few outbursts here and there. The majority have severe cases of sundowning. Nursing homes have a hard time managing them."

"You're probably going to be in these last two wings most often. This one is the adolescent wing─mainly containing young adults, teenagers, and pre-teens, and that's the children's wing. They only go there for therapy or simple doctor's appointments. It's rare to see a child institutionalized."

"I love children," I smiled, "I hear you have a children's center?"

"We do. That's mainly what the hallway is. If you're looking towards more of an early childhood path, let me know and I'll have you down here quite often. The little ones are bundles of energy. They love to play around when parents are speaking to the doctors." she laughed. "Now, there's therapy rooms at the beginning of every wing that you might be sitting in on when the time comes. Is that something you're interested in?"

"Yes," I answered, "How are the patient rooms set up? Is there like a bathroom and shower for everyone individually?"

"There are personal bathrooms in most of the rooms. Again, many of these people have mild cases and are highly trusted. Though we do have a large community bathroom and shower area for patients that need to be monitored." she answered.

"And the cafeteria?"

"Follow me." She led me down one of the four hallways. In the end, they all seemed to narrow down into a single room, which I'm guessing was the cafeteria. The door swung open to reveal a large vacant room filled with tables and chairs. "Early lunches and dinners are provided here. For anyone that cannot come or does not wish to come, food is brought to his or her room. Next door is the recreational room where they can play games, read, socialize, and all that."

"And that's it?" I asked.

"That's the whole tour. I want you to get used to the surroundings before you interact with any patients. When you are ready to communicate and interact, I recommend staying in the cafeteria or the rec room. There are always workers and guards around. Speaking of them, I want to introduce you to the nurses and guards." she said, walking back down the worker wing.

I was introduced to the many of the doctors, nurses, and students, all friendly and welcoming. Some of the guards were intimidating, but once we spoke, they were very kind. Tough demeanors must be present to keep rougher groups in order.

We headed back to her office where a few more question and answers were exchanged, like what are our families are like, how I am in school, and things like that. She asked if I had a boyfriend, so I briefly told her about Eddie. I started asking her about the different types of patients she's had here at the institution. She told me stories of past inmates that weren't so fun to work with and ones that were complete sweethearts. She said there's always a variety of behaviors and disorders floating around.

"So, what is your actual job around here?" I asked.

"I don't like giving myself an exact job title because I do so much. I do counseling for therapy sessions, I record data, prescribe prescriptions, and overall I manage the building. I have the facility helping me out, but like I said earlier, I'm kinda the top dog around here."

"Are there people with specific jobs?"

"Of course. We have specific people for specific positions. They do more of the heavy duty work for those activities since it's their specialty. Speaking of specialties, how about a treat? Would you like to visit the children's center?"

"I'd love to!" I boasted.

She pursed her lips into a smile as I excitedly followed behind. We went to a playful looking room, one with various vibrant colors and shelves with toys of all kind. A cartoon was on the television screen along with games on the computers.

Little ones were spread about the room and using their imaginations to create a world of entertainment. There were five kids in all─three boys and two girls, all no older than seven.

"This is where little joys can relax and play while they wait for their parents as they speak with a doctor." Dr. Collins explained, "Little Lily over there is waiting for her parents and so is Tommy."

"What are their stories?" I asked, looking at Lily playing with her dolls, and Tommy playing with a model fire truck.

"I can't say much for privacy reasons, but since you have more authority than the common person, I'll sum up some things. Lily has what we call tics. They're little spasms in particular muscles. Her parents are concerned she may have a tic disorder, but we're trying to explain that it may be temporary."

"Tics are treated at a mental health clinic?" I asked.

"There's a section of the building that regular doctors work at as well. Some of the best are here so many bring themselves for diagnoses."

I hummed, asking about Tommy.

"Tommy is showing signs of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder─ADHD. His parents are receiving his medication and tips to help their lifestyle." she answered. "You can go talk to any of the kids when you want. They are really friendly. The only one you may have trouble with is Lucas. He's the one over there in the corner playing with a car. He's having trouble with emotional attachment."

"How come?"

"When we're young, our caretakers show us love and affection, right? We form a bond with them and become attached. Lucas was abused for a long time until his current guardians adopted him. The neglect negatively affected him and he never really formed a bond with anyone. He's a really sweet boy, he's just distant and doesn't interact well with others."

"That's awful." I frowned. "What about that little girl?" I asked, pointing to the girl drawing with some crayons.

"That's Cassie. She has autism. Her mother's a nurse here and when her husband works, she brings Cassie─oh! I'm needed by one of the doctors, I'll be right back." she said, leaving me in the playroom.

I felt like being a little creative, so I went and kneeled down next to Cassie at the art table. I snatched a piece of paper and a pencil before sketching out a quick eye. Trust me, it's about the only thing I can even remotely draw.

I know children with autism have difficulties communicating, so I didn't want to push myself onto her. I waited a few more minutes before simply introducing myself as Cait. I didn't expect her to answer. I just wanted to get my name out there.

"What are you drawing?" I asked.

To my surprise, she answered, but didn't make eye contact. "A flower."

"That's a pretty thing to draw, Cassie." I said, shading in my eye's brow. I'm guessing she was finished with her flower because she pushed aside her paper and grabbed another piece. "May I see your flower?" I asked, tapping my finger on the work. She gave a quick nod. I took the drawing in between my two fingers and examined her art. Cassie looked like she was about four years old; she was barely holding her crayons correctly, yet her flower was perfectly drawn and detailed. I couldn't believe I was jealous of a little girl's drawing. "That's a beautiful flower."

I saw a small smile creep across her face. She looked up at me for the first time, giggled, and then began scribbling again. I giggled back, hoping to keep her in a bubbly attitude.

"Did you draw that?" I heard a soft voice ask from over my shoulder. I turned around and saw Lily looking at my attempt at an eyeball.

"Mhm, I did."

"It's good." she shyly said.

"Thank you, Lily." I smiled.

"You know my name?" she questioned, her cheeks turning pink. "Do you know her name?"

"That's Cassie. I know all the pretty girls' names." I said, looking over and seeing Cassie looking at me. She turned away when I made eye contact.

Lily giggled, blushing and cuddling up to a stuffed penguin. "You think I'm pretty?"

"Of course I do." I said.

"The kids at school make fun of me because I tic." she frowned, looking down at her feet. "I don't like when I do. I'm scary." Her head bent to the side and her shoulder jolted upward. I'm guessing that movement was one of her tics. She did it twice.

"You aren't scary when you do that! It's really mean of those kids, isn't it?" I pouted.

"Yeah. Mommy and Daddy says it's okay but it's still mean."

"Well, you wanna know what?" I softly spoke, motioning her to come closer.

"What?" she giggled, bringing her face inches from mine.

"Those kids should be jealous of you. You wanna know why? Because your little tics are pretty pumps."

"What's that?" she asked, giving me a puzzled expression.

"Pretty pumps make you super duper beautiful when you get older. Every time you tic, it's your little body making you prettier! I don't ever wanna hear you say you don't like when you tic because you are gonna be the most gorgeous girl in the entire world when you're older!" I boasted, throwing my hands in the air.

Lily bursted into a fight of giggles and cheers. She looked so happy and adorable. Her tics came again, but this time, she danced when they were done.

"Oh, my goodness," I gasped, "I can see you getting prettier already."

"Really?" she squealed, smiling from ear to ear.

"Yes! Don't listen to anything those mean kids say to you. They don't know what me and you know."

"Silly Lily? C'mon baby girl! It's time to go." I heard someone yell. I looked at the door and saw a blonde woman standing with a tall blonde man.

"I'm coming!" Lily yelled, giving me a bear hug.

"I'll see you later, Lily." I waved, watching her tic as she skipped to her parents.

I turned around back to Cassie and noticed that she had drawn several more pictures. She drew a picture of Lily's stuffed penguin, a little illusion of twists and swirls, and the Sesame Street gang. "Those are amazing, Cassie." I smiled, admiring the colored artwork. I looked down at my paper and saw that she had attempted to copy my eyeball.

I looked around the room and saw Tommy playing with a train set. Lucas was in his own little corner building a tall tower of Legos. I could see the figure slowly beginning to lean backwards. I saw it topple over, Lucas crying out and reaching forward to try and catch it. I jumped from my seat and slid on my knees to catch the creation from collapsing all over the floor. I luckily caught it, slowly bringing it up to its original position. Lucas looked up at me, not saying a word.

"Put a few Legos right there. It will help it stay up." I suggested, pointing to the right corner. He connected some and I helped him maneuver them into the corner nicely. He slid over some of his blocks towards me and I built my own tower. After a few minutes, the both of us managed to create a little city. He chuckled up at me, zooming his car along the carpet highway.

"Yeah, alright Lucas!" I cheered, raising my hand for a high five. As if it was a natural instinct, Lucas dropped his car and quickly covered his head, cowering away. Remorse stung at my heart when I witnessed him fear for himself. He seemed so happy that I had forgotten the reason he was even here. "Oh, no, Lucas," I soothingly said, "I'm not going to hurt you."

He slowly retracted his arms and glanced at me. I had both hands flat on my lap where he could see and gave him an assuring smile.

"I promise that I will never, ever, hurt you, okay? Do you know what a pinky promise is?" I asked. He nodded, so I gently held out my pinky finger. He stuck his out and wrapped it around mine, bouncing our hands a few times. "See? I can never hurt you because of our pinky promise. Sound good?"

He nodded. "Can we play again?" he asked, catching me off guard.

"Of course. How about we make something new?" I asked.

"Okay," he 'evilly' laughed, pushing over his tall tower. All the Lego pieces broke apart and scattered across the floor.

I'll have to remember to play clean up next.

***

"I thought you said you'd be right back?" I smirked as I walked with Dr. Collins.

"I was, actually. I was doing something for Lily's parents. When they left, I looked in the room and saw you playing with Lucas. I haven't seen him smile like that in ages! I could not take you away when he was having that much fun. I'll have to tell his parents the next time I see 'em."

"I felt awful at one point; I went to give a high five and he assumed I was going to hit him. I made a pinky promise that I would never hurt him. He seemed fine after that." I shrugged.

"A simple pinky promise made Lucas smile like that? Wow." she laughed.

"It's something I've watched my mom do around little kids, and with me. She'd make them believe simple ways that would change their perspective on things."

"Sounds like a mom thing, yes." Collins chuckled.

"I used it on Lily. She told me how she gets bullied for her tics, so I told her that they're 'pretty pumps.' Every time she has a tic, it's really her body pumping beauty into her, until she's the prettiest girl in the world. Now she embraces her tics and will hopefully grow into believing she is truly a beautiful girl."

"So that's why she was so bubbly leaving."

"Yeah, I guess." I responded.

"Sometimes that's all kids need. They need a little imaginative distraction from the harsh reality."...................................................A/N: FINALLY THE LONG AWAITED CHAPTERRRRRRR!!!!

Let's talk about Cait! How do we think she's gonna do? She's a pretty tough chick.

And for the record, I have not ever been in a mental institution, so I'm not familiar with the layouts. I'm going along and creating things. If I'm off with something, feel free to tell me!

I'm sorry if anyone gets bored during these next two or three chapters. I know some of you may not be interested in this stuff like I am, but just give it a chance and hang on for the wild ride.

You'll come to learn that I love kids, old people, and animals. Except spiders. They belong in hell.

I hope this chapter wasn't AS boring. I mean, come on, cute little kids!!!!!!!!!!

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