gold rush [the wilds, toni shalifoe]

chapter 12

Day 12

Leah, second visit

"Hey Leah," Dr Faber said to the paranoid girl as he entered the room, having been informed from the nurses that she had seemed particularly twitchy that day - something that was only increasing with every moment the girls spent in their bunker. 

Leah didn't say anything as she looked up at the man, not sure why he had came back to visit her. They hadn't really seen her much at all minus their interrogation that they claimed was just a conversation but Leah had the gut feeling that they were taking part in something much bigger than just an investigation on what happened to them while they were on the island.

"We just had the chance to speak to Hunter," Dr Faber continued as he closed the door behind him, not wanting to waste too much time annoying the girl since he planned on coming back later on that afternoon to speak to her. Leah looked up, slightly unimpressed by whatever he had to say but also trying not to hide the confusion as to why he would be coming to see her after talking to Hunter.

"Okay?" Leah mumbled, not sure why he was entering her room. Had he visited the others after they spoke to her?

"She asked us to give you this," Dr Faber said, holding up a letter before placing it gently on the desk that they had provided in the dark room she had been stuck in. "Something about an apology for a fight you guys had on the island."

Leah nodded, her heart rate increasing as she narrowed her eyes at the letter on the desk but making no movement towards it. If Hunter was writing her letters about a fight that Leah knew never had happened, she didn't want Faber to be in the room when she looked at it. Leah knew that no-one had really believed her that much when she told them all that she was sure they had been put on the island for a reason, but Hunter had never denied her thoughts even if she hadn't taken them on either.

Dr Faber smiled once more at the girl before looking around at the room. Some of the others had asked for things to pass the time: for example, they had given Toni a little desk basketball game for her to pass time with and Hunter had been given a jigsaw or two after she had repeatedly moaned to the nurses about going crazy. Leah hadn't asked for anything at all yet.

"Do you want a diversion? Get your mind off things, I know it'll be hard but it might help you," Faber asked, noticing how Leah finally looked at him properly for the first time since he had stepped into the room. "Like crosswords or something?"

Leah nodded, running her hands along the rough material of the grey pants that they had all been given - not that she would know that since they hadn't really been allowed to see the other girls. She titled her head slightly as she opened her mouth to speak, feeling the slight burn from how dry it was.

"Yeah, whatever," Leah muttered, purposefully rolling over so that she had her back to the man. She knew there were cameras watching her every move in the little cell type room, but she knew that they wouldn't be able to see her confusion if she sat facing away from them when reading the letter.

Dr Faber closed the door, confused about how unethusiastic Leah had been to receive a letter from the blonde. He knew that Leah was rather confused and disorientated about the whole situation but he genuinely thought that she would have rushed to read the letter.

Regardless, he set off to go find some puzzle books for the girl before he returned later on in the afternoon. He wanted to get a better feel for how Leah's mind worked and he knew the exact spots to poke in to do so.

Leah held the letter close to her chest as her eyes scanned over the words, confused about what Hunter was even saying. The words in their individual sentences made sense, but for someone who had told Leah she was an avid reader, there wasn't much of a structure to the letter that made it easy to read.