The Bellevue Program

8.

Jaleel followed Sal down a narrow hallway, pushing a cart with 2 syringes of blue fluid, and 2 glasses of a thick orange liquid

They moved in silence, they both knew what they were going to walk in on and had to remain calm. Depending on how violent or unaccepting the new intakes were would determine how miserable the sight would be, to watch hope disappear, and their lives - body and soul, to become owned by Bellevue. Jaleel found solace in pretending he had a purpose, Sal grateful to not be in that filthy prison system where he never quite fit, always finding someone wanting to brawl, to shake him down, to bring him in to their gangs. He wanted a normal life, and he was never going to have it again, and Bellvue - as horrific as it could be, was better if you just complied.

They were right on time. They stood outside the door, the light above red indicating no entry. They would just watch the light from here, until it turned green. They would enter, leave the cart and be done with it. Ignore and block out information, show no emotions and not speak.

Inside the room, Sydney and Carl were still shackled to the chair and sat without word. Sydney guessed the man next to her was the one she came with. He was bigger than she thought, his face stoic. There were no other chairs, the entire room was concrete except for a door in front of them, and the one they entered through behind them. Sydney considered speaking to him, to ask if her knew anything but the she heard a beeping noise in the distance, through the other door. The man heard it too, he rolled his head up and focused on the floor just under the door.

Arlo came in the door ahead first, flanked by Lino and Dolan.

Dolan looked straight into Sydney's eyes, and hers dilated catching his. She sensed kindness in him, but not in the other two. The big one, he was the one behind the glass she saw on the way in, had jet black hair, wore the black uniform as the other security but what she couldn't see behind that glass then was his skin. Leopard like spots, some tan and yellow circles of pigment under his skin. 'It must be tattoos' she thought. He had an aggressive stance about him, very alert and strong.

"You are at Bellevue" He spoke frankly, his low brows casting deep shadows over his dark eyes "while you are here you will eat what we say, do what we say and comply with the program and you can have a somewhat easy life sentence" He didn't bother with details, he had told this many times and no matter how he had said it the fact was there was no way out from here, and no one to question they're gone. "You will always be under our control, you will never leave here and it would benefit you to get used to it fast"

"Why us? What program?" Sydney asked sitting taller and feeling her eyes glaze

Arlo stepped in a little closer to her, his boots striking the floor heavily. He ducked his head and leaned down to her a little, hands still locked behind his back. Carl didn't move, he didn't question, he watched with his eyes all the movements around him but remained still.

"It doesn't matter" he breathed at her and paused

Lino nodded and Sal and Jaleel began unveiling the cart, and preparing the fluids

"Wait, it does matter, Why are we here? What's going on? I was told i was going to serve out my sentence at.."

Carl still sat, un moving as her voice began to raise and she gripped the handles on the chair. He gave nothing, although inside he could feel his pulse rise

Jaleel watched from behind, the woman was shaking her head wildly as she screamed "No, i don't know this place - who knows im here?" she pleaded. Sal knocked him ever so slightly with his shoulder, indicating it was time to leave. He unclenched his hands from the cart, his gut sank as he walked away. It was different for the women, he knew. The women were here to incubate.

Arlo grinned, approaching her with the needle "this is the program" he said as she screamed "no! You can't do this? I want a lawyer! What is this place?" she belted, not waiting for answers, and then she stopped, hearing "that poor girl" come from behind the closed heavy iron door. Her eyes widened as she realized something much more serious was going on here. She began to panic, and Dolan could see something had sparked this burst, she heard what he had but no one could hear that well so soon

"What the fuuuuuck!" she stomped and writhed in the chairs, the metal clanking together as she thrashed away from the needle and Arlo, then he looked back to Lino, who nodded.
Arlo held up his wrist, and tapped a few digits into his watch face and within seconds she had been put out once again by the band on her wrist, delivering the serum to knock her out for hours. She slumped heavily in the chair.
He jammed the needle in her am and plunged its contents fast into her veins

Arlo focussed on the silent man, restrained in the chair

"What about you" he asked, "do you have any questions"

Carl didn't take his eyes off the men and didn't speak

Arlo took the other syringe and put it into the side of his neck, making him clench his teeth.

Arlo turned back to Carl, still panting slightly from adrenaline

"Welcome to Bellevue" he said, and left