No Choice | Peter Ballard x Reader

Clock

Richard is quick to leave the room. You assume he's off to tell Brenner about his mistake. Poor guy. He's the new orderly in training, and you're sure that this incident is going to make Brenner really unhappy with him. You stare back at 002.

He's out cold. You've never been the type to like the kid, but you feel bad for him. You know how much pain Peter went through, and you can't imagine the pain that 002 experienced, especially in front of all his peers. You know how much he dislikes being shamed, and you understand. No one wants to be embarrassed.

Now that you mention Peter, he is being distant with you today. You think you did something, but you can't really figure out what. Maybe he regrets what happened in the infirmary. Maybe he's just using you, but for what reason? You know you're over thinking everything since this isn't the first time Peter's been distant. It's just that it's been a while since he has. You never liked when he was in the first place. He was the only co-worker you truly had a bond with and made work fun, and when he was being distant with you, you really only had yourself and the kids to rely on.

Peter has a special place in your heart. 

You wonder what time is it and glance at the clock.

3:45 PM.

You sigh. There really isn't much to do except for looking after 002, but then again, you know it's still going to be boring. After all, 002 is passed out, so you can't even make small talk with him. You go and grab your designated pill bottle to fidget with and sit back next to 002.

You want to change something with your appearance. You don't know what but everything's been hectic in the laboratory, and it makes you want to change. If the boring shifts can evidently change into crazy and chaotic shifts, then you can definitely change something. You think about cutting your hair. It has been a while since your last hair cut. You also miss putting on make up. You remember getting ready for those school dances and how excited you'd get during the entire getting ready process. You miss those times. 

You glance at the clock again.

3:45 PM.

What?

That can't be right. You're sure that at least ten minutes has passed by. There's no way it's still the same exact time. You stand up from your seat and check the clock. The clock is hung really high on the wall, so you use one of the chairs to step on it. 

Huh, dead batteries.

You let out a sigh of annoyance. You need your clock to tell what the time is, and you can't really have that if it's dead. You look over at 002 and notice how he's still sleeping. You're sure that he won't go in a critical state if you're gone for like five minutes, right?

You get off of the chair, placing the clock on a counter, and exit the infirmary.

You know where the batteries are, and while walking to the room, you keep bumping into some of the guards. They're in a rush, extreme panic. You guess that they haven't found the missing child yet. 

You reach the designated room. It's dark. This room doesn't get used for experiments anymore. You don't exactly know why, but you do know the batteries are here. While looking for the replacement batteries, you accidentally bump into a clipboard, making it fall to the floor.

It hits the floor with a loud pang. You squint as you look around the room—it's sound proof. You go and pick up the clipboard, noticing the heavy layer of dust on it. You wipe some off, coughing in the process. God, how old was this thing? The most recent paper dated back to 1972. There were some names you recognized and some that you did not. You flip back to the oldest one: an entry in 1963.

'001: He's shown tremendous growth in over two days. He's improving faster and faster. He expressed his clear distaste for me. I might not be able to make him listen to me anymore.'

You can tell that this was Brenner's handwriting. After the small note in the beginning, it's just followed up with scratch marks and meaningless numbers.

You set the clipboard back down and grab the new batteries.

The room provides you with such a silent space that it's starting to creep you out. You've never been a fan of quiet, barely lit testing rooms—especially ones that haven't been touched in seven years, so you're quick to walk out of the room.

However, you soon let out a gasp in horror.

There are two unconscious bodies on the floor. You're quick to check their pulses. They're both dead. You look more into the hallway and see the blood patches, and you feel sick. Your stomach is twisting knots, and you have to sit down to give yourself a small breather. The lights are flickering. Nothing feels safe. You're in danger. You want out. Where's Peter? Is he okay?

As you're down on the floor, giving yourself a breather, you hear the radio-transmitter let out an amalgamation of distressed screams.

God, what has the Hawkins Laboratory turned into?

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875 words.