meet me in the woods ☾grayson dolan au

n i n e t e e n

[ 19 ]

△

The building had not changed. The same red and brown bricks stretching from block to block covered the outside and the front was surrounded by the same tall and slightly rusted fence. On the other side of the wall there were children kicking around a kickball that was a vibrant orange color, signifying that it had been recently bought or donated; a rare sight. To his left were the same gardens filled with vegetables and flowers that had begun to wilt slightly in the new cold. A young child sat next to a tomato plant, slowly picking off the leaves with brown tips and setting them into a pile not realizing the action would probably kill the plant.

Grayson flinched suddenly and threw his hands in front of his face when the same orange kickball came hurtling towards his face before it crashed against the fence. The few children ran to grab it, laughing at how he had flinched so badly.

"Sorry, sir!" One called to Grayson as he walked up to retrieve the ball.

"Excuse me?" Grayson plastered a smile onto his face to come off as friendly. "Would you mind getting a nurse to walk me inside?"

The child picked up the ball and stood, studying the older man's face.

"Okay, sir," the boy smiled a wide smile and dropped the ball to run inside. Only minutes later he was followed out by the head of the building.

"Grayson B. Dolan," the short and round faced woman said. He instantly recognized her as the women who watched over the building with eagle eyes but also walked him down to the common area when he turned 18. He could still feel her slender fingers gripping his arm in an iron grip because she didn't believe he was strong enough to be released.

Maybe he wasn't.

"Ma'am," he greeted and the woman began to unlock the fence with a big silver key.

He stepped inside of the walls once the gate was opened and instantly fell into the memories and mindset of when he was 15 years old. But he was always compliant.

"Nurse Webrough, do you mind letting me speak with a nurse for a while?"

Nurse Webrough looked up at him, "which nurse do you wish to see, Mr Dolan?"

"Ryder," he said it too fast and it sounded forced. He felt jittery and as if he was full of a sudden build up of energy that he couldn't let out.

Nurse Webrough looked at him puzzled, and Grayson was quick to correct himself, "I would like to speak with Nurse Caulson, please. It's important."

"Does she know you're coming?"

"She told me to come find her, so I assume she would."

Nurse Webrough nodded slowly before gripping Grayson's bicep and guiding him into the building. As soon as she opened the massive wooden doors, the familiar cold air of the hospital met his skin once again and he shivered before pulling the doors closed behind him.

The small woman to his left had released his arm and now stood before him. She smiled up at him and he awkwardly smiled back. She wouldn't stop admiring his appearance.

"I can't get over how healthy you look, Mr Dolan. I'm so proud that our services here have helped you become such a strong and independent young man. I'm sure you will be such a supportive figure to the patients here as you visit again."

Down the halls, footsteps echoed as children ran as fast as they could imagining colorful fairies and cowboys on horses. A skinny and lanky looking teenager walked slowly from the elevator, a ragged and gray stuffed dog was pulled behind them by the ear. The teenager swayed back and forth and resembled a child much younger than they physically portrayed. Out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of a paper airplane soaring through the air before it crashed into a wall and bent. The little girl who had thrown it had begun to scream hysterically and was quickly ushered out by a nurse he hadn't seen before. All of the commotion and chaos was too surreal and he felt like he was fifteen again walking through the doors with the same nurse clinging to his arm.

"Me Dolan, are you alright?" She asked with a bit of worry in her tone. "Would you like a water or some snacks before I let you meet with Nurse Caulson?"

"No, thank you," he answered. "The sooner I am able to talk to her, the better I will feel."

Without further explanation, Nurse Webrough directed the boy to the staff elevators and told him the code to the solitary floor where Nurse Caulson would be working.

Grayson found his palms begin to sweat and his heartbeat sped up. He was nervous.