Unfathomable

Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

:Quick authors note, I just want to say thank you to everyone that is reading this and I am sorry for the slow updates school and life in general has been crazy. But thank you everyone for the support! Love you guys!:

Wow, this food actually isn't terrible. At least there is one upside to this place.

Riley thought to herself as she stared down at the remains of her sandwich and picked up the chocolate milk carton. She had some difficulty opening it but eventually got the top loose. Her forearm lit up with pain after she was done and she was almost in tears. Looking down at her bandaged arm she sighed and wondered how she got here. Why all this is happening to her and how is she going to get out of here.

Collecting her things she put them in the nearest trash can and walked over to Kenny.

"All done eating sweet heart?" Kenny asked her with no sign of compassion. Just empty words that she uses every single day.

She just nodded and kept her head down.

The nurse took a glance at her watch and made a high pitched squeak. "Oh it looks like it's time to go back to your room for the night."

Riley looked up at her so fast that her head hurt. "What do you mean? It can't be any later than 3pm. What am i supposed to do all day?" Riley said a little more aggressively than she intended. Kenny cleared her throat the same way that her mother did when she was about to scold her for doing something wrong.

Flinching in response Riley put her head down and shut up quickly.

"Look Riley, I know that you're new here and this is hard for you, but there are rules here and you will follow them, look at everyone else. And if you decide to go against them then there would be consequences that will make you see the way we do here."

The seriousness in her voice shook Riley to the core, she didn't know what the consequences were but she had a feeling that she didn't want anything to do with it.

"Yes ma'am."

Riley followed her back through the hallways, now with more people. Nurses walked past her escorting other patients to their destination. Some of them looked completely normal but there were a few that she felt deserve a double look.

She saw a young boy that was no older than 10. He was skinny and looked like he hadn't been properly taken care of for at least a few years. His eyes were sunk in and glazed over, his hands shook in fists that were clenched so hard that they were turning white. His breath was heavy and labored.

She hadn't realized she had been staring at him until he looked up at her as he passed by, his eyes met hers. His cold dead eyes.

That poor kid. She thought to herself. Who would dump their child in a place like this? Especially with how young he is. She sighed and continued walking forward. The small of her back was occasionally lightly touched by the palm of Kennys' hand. A new voice spoke into her head.

And those eyes. Those cold empty eyes that looked right through you. The same eyes that you saw your dad had. The way they're gray and blind. That child's hope and will is gone. I wonder how long it'll take you to get that way Riley? A week? Maybe two if you're lucky. When will your life be drained to the point where there is no light in your eyes, and you're just being pushed around by some nurse who can;t wait for her shift to get over so she can get home to her own children?

Riley stayed quiet and waited for the new voice to subside. Looking up to Kenny she realized that she was just another headcase for someone else to deal with.

Another tear slipped down her face as they got to her room. Kenny gave her a gentle push into the metal surrounded room with one window that was too high to even see out of. She noticed the window for the first time and realized that it was really dark outside. She couldn't believe it.

Where did the day go? I couldn't have been out of my room for more than three hours and it's already pitch black outside? Thinking frantically as Kenny was talking to her about nightly routines she turned around and stared at the only face that she felt safe looking at.

"Kenny. I need you to be honest with me." she said with full confidence in fear that if she didn't she wouldn't get a true response from the nurse. "I need you to tell me exactly what time it is. Just so I know that I'm not crazy."

The nurse sighed. "Riley, I know it's strange but it's in my job description to not share the time with the patients for fear that they will learn nurse schedules or something along those lines." she took a breath and stopped for a second. Riley could tell that she was thinking of a good excuse for this unethical rule. "But, you don't seem like the type to want to kill me"

She looked down at her watch and told Riley the time.

"11:32 PM. It's time Riley, now it's going to be up to you to go to bed because I will be here bright and ear;y to come get you for morning rounds. Goodnight."

Without even letting Riley respond she was out the door. The lock clicked into place and Riley let out a sigh. She looked around her room once more and saw the vent in the wall. She thought about it for a second, deciding whether or not she wanted to spend another hour or so just sitting by it.

Well there really isn't anything else to do in this cage so I might as well.

Her feet scraped against the hard floors as she wandered to the hole in the wall. There was a cool breeze coming from the other room that wrapped around her exposed ankles and her calves. She sat herself down in front of the vent and leaned her head against the cold metal wall, leaving a smudge of grease on the barrier. The new voice showed itself again as she stared at the dirty floor.

There is something very strange about this place isn't there Riley? The voice paused' I wonder what it is. You've been here before when you were really little do you remember?

"No, actually no I don't. I can't remember anything that happened in this place. All I can remember is what I felt here. All of the overwhelming fear and being in a constant state of flight or fight." She said to the empty room.

That's right. You were afraid weren't you, almost constantly. But there is one thing you don't remember that you really should.

"Yeah what's that?" she said under her breath, itching to know what this voice was going to tell her.

It's plain and simple my dear, you didn't come here alone. You had someone with you, someone that was there for you the day that the giving tree stopped giving. Someone that was there for you while you coward in your closet covering your ears with your hands as tears streamed down your soft cheeks.

The realization of who this voice was hit Riley with a hurricane of memories and nostalgia.

"Roger?"