Manic || Cake/Mashton AU

prologue

Twenty-odd students stood in a clump in front of the hospital, eagerly awaiting their assignments. Today was the first day of their on-site training at Our Lady of Assumption; the largest psychiatric institute in all of New South Wales and the home to a plethora of deranged, violent criminals.

The majority of the criminal psychology students were elated, despite the dismal weather. Whispers buzzed in the air, conversations revolving around which maniac each young adult would be assigned to. There would be no way of guessing, of course, as the pairs were appointed randomly, but the kids couldn't resist the urge to make bets. 

Rain fell like icy mist onto Calum Hood's olive-toned face, causing the peach fuzz on his cheeks to stand up on end. He rubbed his gloved hands up and down his arms, trying to use the friction to warm himself up. He didn't concern himself the superlatives and gambling– he was just excited to finally study the mind of a real psychopath.

"Pay attention, everyone!" the class' professor, Dr. Natalie Chou, exclaimed. She waited for the murmurs to die down before speaking again. "As you know, today you'll be getting your assignments for the next three months. I know a lot of you are excited, but it is imperative that you maintain a mature, professional presence when interacting with the patients. These people are dangerous and highly manipulative, and they will take advantage of any weakness they find in you. Remember, once you walk through those doors, you are not students; you are doctors."

A few people in the back of the group mumbled their speculations about which of their classmates was most likely to be mentally tortured by their patient. How childish.

"Once you receive your assigned patient, you will go to the hospital's front desk and one of the nurses will show you to your examination room. When you conduct your interviews, you will be supervised by a security guard. If at any point you feel you are in danger, alert the guard and he or she will escort your patient back to their room until you are both ready to resume the interview. Is that clear?"

A wave of bored, flat affirmations washed over Dr. Chou. It seemed that the students were more interested in their Clarice Starling fantasies than the actual educational aspects. Not Calum, though. He didn't care about who it was he was paired with or how gruesome their crimes were. He only cared about analyzing minds.

Dr. Chou shuffled through her laminated papers, swiping the rainwater off of them before calling the first set of names, then the second, then the third. Finally, it was Calum's turn, and he couldn't deny the nervous fluttering in his stomach. He could no longer deny his (admittedly unprofessional) excitement.

"Calum Hood, your patient is... L. R. Hemmings."

The crowd went silent, and the Kiwi student's heart began beating out of his chest. Hemmings was among the most notorious serial killers in all of Australia, with over fifty-three confirmed victims and twice as many possible ones. And now Calum, a twenty-one-year-old psychology student, was going to be locked in a room with him. It was daunting, to say the least.

"Good luck," the student behind Calum muttered into his ear with a quiet chuckle.

Grateful to at least be able to get out of the rain, Calum began making his way inside the warmth of the hospital. He stood at the curved front desk, waiting patiently for a nurse to come and escort him to whatever room he'd be meeting the murderer in. 

A woman with tight brown curls rushed over to the student, clutching a clipboard in her arms. She looked stressed out and exhausted, and Calum wondered why she seemed so distraught.

"Are you here for Hemmings?" she asked, adjusting the glasses that sat on the bridge of her nose.

The young student nodded. "Is everything alright?"

"I'm afraid he's not available for visitors today," the nurse sighed, trying to calm herself. "You'll have to come back next week."

Calum frowned. No, he wouldn't back down that easily. "What's wrong? Maybe I could help."

The nurse, whose name tag read 'Diane', shook her head. "That's confidential. Again, if you could just–"

"Can't you just let me speak with him for a minute?"

"My apologies, sir. He really is in no condition to be speaking with anyone aside from his doctors," Diane stated. "If you'd like to take this issue up with our board of directors, there's a number you could call."

Calum tried not to roll his eyes at the corporate jargon. "No, no, it's fine. Thanks anyway."

The young man sighed, trying not to let his disappointment show as he walked out of the institution with his tail between his legs. At least he'd get to try again next Tuesday.