Personal

Meet Dr (Y/N) (L/N)

"Dr (L/N), good morning, before you start working could I talk to you in my office?" Dr Milo asks as I pass his open door.

I nod and walk in. Taking a seat I look across the desk at him. "You know how we discussed your internship, and you having to work with our less at-risk patients for a while? Well, all the paperwork came through and today you can start to work with our criminals. You've been cleared." He says looking at a file.

I sit up straight. "Really? I wish you had given me some notice but I'm excited." I say smiling.

"Yes, I know how you've been itching to get in the ward and talk to them. What's the point in interning here when you can't even meet the people that relate to what you are studying." He says looking up at me and smiling.

Quick his smile fades to a serious look. "You'll be escorted around the ward by a guard today only. You'll need to remove anything on you that could be a weapon. You'll have a guard when speaking to any violent patients every day but otherwise, your work will be much the same as your current ward. I'll be free to ask them any questions you wish as long as you're following the rules and blah blah blah. I'm sure you just want to get to work right?"

I nod and watch him stand up. I follow him out to the locked door of the criminal ward. He rings the doorbell and taps a tray next to the door. I begin to remove my jewellery and belt. I hear the locks moving. The door opens to show a tall guard.

Dr Milo looks at the guard. "This is Dr (L/N). I sent an email out."

The guard looks me up and down before nodding. "Follow me." He quickly turns and begins to walk down the short hall to another door. I follow behind the first door closing and locking behind me.

Once we are through the second door he turns to me. "The violent ones get angry when a new person doesn't introduce themselves first. You'll wear this name tag, look in each window and wave." He hands me a paper name tag sticker with my name. I grab it and slap it on my chest.

"You can properly introduce yourself to some in the meeting rooms where we can securely move them and handcuff them in the room. But most of those meetings will be after lunch after your tour." He begins to walk to a window and knocks on it.

A young man jumps up and excitedly runs to it. He looks at me smiling, waving, and I wave back.

"He's violent?" I ask as we move on.

"He likes to pull hair out and dig his nails in people." The guard replies. I nod.

I cautiously but politely go around and introduce myself to the patients of the ward.

Once I'm comfortable with the layout I introduce myself to the "nicer" patients. They sit in a common area, some watching TV, others playing board games. I walk around shaking hands with the patients.

I notice a patient sitting in the corner of the room, he's sitting alone, with paper and crayons in front of him. But he's not focused on them, instead, he's watching me, studying but he turns away when I look at him. I look at him confused. I nod over to him at the guard who nods back. I walk up to the man and sit across from him at the table.

"Hello, my name is Dr (Y/N) (L/N). I'm interning here." I say looking at his gloved hands curious.

He quickly moves them below the table and looks at me confused. "You're interning but call yourself a doctor?"

"I have a doctorate in psychology, I'm currently working on my dissertation on forensic mental health, hence working here, specifically in this ward." I explain looking up at his face.

'He's quite cute. Too bad he's in here.' I look down blushing lightly.

He takes a moment and nods. "I'm Dr Zack Addy. I have two doctorates. Forensic anthropology and applied engineering. I would shake your hand but..." He holds his hands up and faugly wiggles his fingers. He seems to be joking but his voice and face don't portray that.

"You are the patient that blew himself up? A murderer? But you seem quite sane." I say confused but do not mean to offend.

"Yes, the mixing of the chemicals was delayed causing the explosion to be more powerful than calculated. I hope I come across as sane." He replies.

"Hmm, you completely ignored the murder part." I mumble. "Anyway, you say you studied forensic anthropology? Where did you intern?" I say clasping my hands together.

"I worked at the Jeffersonian and studied under Dr Brennan. I continued my work there after completing my dissertations, with a brief stint in Iraq where I failed to assimilate so they sent me home."

"Fascinating! I had thought of becoming an anthropologist but I found I'm more interested in the minds of the living, especially those whose brains work differently to others. You are one of those people, you all are." I say looking around before returning to his face. "But you... You are different but you don't seem like your fellow patients." I say rambling.

He tilts his head in confusion. "How so?"

I tap my chin. "You don't fit in here. Almost like you're not supposed to be in this ward. Or at this facility in general. To me, you seem to be a perfectly rational neurodivergent person. But there's a reason you're here, I've read your file. You killed a man, worked under a cannibal, blew yourself up. Perhaps you're just charming." I say looking into his eyes.

He shifts and looks down. "Most people I've met would not refer to me as charming. Weird, odd, an alien, yes but not charming. But you are right, I don't fit in, in most places."

I look behind him and see a superior wave me over. "Ah apologies, I must go now. I have work to do with the more... changed patients. It was a thought-provoking pleasure to speak with you, Dr Addy." I say standing up.

He nods. "Call me Zack." I nod and walk off.