Hospital Gowns

Hospital Gowns Ch. 4

I waited for the next day.  It just dragged and dragged.  Finally, morning broke and I heard faint sounds of wheels traveling along the halls.  I cracked the door open, and took a look to see what it was.  It was Hermine, sleeping, and being taken to the testing lab.  And then, I slowly shut the door.

It was cruel that they were hurting us like this.  And Hermine... poor Hermine... she liked it.  She enjoyed to be tested on.  She feels that others will be just like us.  Only, they wont.  It made me wonder what Hermine was seeing in the future.  It made me wonder if she saw something, and wasn't telling us what it was.  Curious... very curious...

"I see you're up," came Tyler's voice, as he opened my door.

I nodded.  "Stalker."

Tyler broke out into laughter.  "Am I?"  He sat on the other end of my bed.  "I was thinking that we could go get some breakfast.  Hermine said something to me last night.  I wanted to talk about it with you."

I groaned a little.  "Great.  I wonder what she said."

"It's nothing bad for you or I.  It's about Gabe."

"Gabe?"  I mulled over the breakfast idea.  "I'll go.  I wanted to shower, first."

"Me, too.  Let's head off to the showers and we'll walk to the dining hall."

I shook my messy wet hair, and ran my hands over the new gown that I was wearing.  Tyler looked a lot better, too.  We were both wearing clean hospital gowns, and were showered.  We sat down at a table, picking up our  forks, and stabbing them into the pancakes.

"So... what did Hermine say?"

"Hermine had a vision last night.  It was about Gabe, as I had mentioned.  The doctors want to keep him longer."

"Hasn't he been here longer than any of us?"

Tyler nodded.  "And they want to keep him here three years longer.  He'll be twenty-one when he leaves... maybe older."

"Why do they want Gabe to stay?"

"Mind reading powers have been seen in movies and television shows for a while now.  However, he is the first human that actually has the power.  The doctors like that.  They want to keep him."

"Keystone can't study him forever, can he?" I asked.  "I mean, soon he'll get tired of Gabe."

"Hermine said that she saw Dr. Keystone talking to Nurse Shanon-"

"Who's she?"

"Hermine's nurse.  She's the wider lady.  She's like Martin, only she's a nurse.  She is a family friend of Hermine's parents, and she's a nurse, like Martin is a family friend to you.  Except, Martin isn't a nurse... but Shanon has been an undercover nurse for a while."

I remembered her!  She was the one who dragged Hermine along the hall way.  And I was surprised that someone could use "nurse" so many times as their speaking.  "Yes, I saw her once.  Continue."

"He told Shanon that Gabe that he was in great interest to him.  It would take him years to get over Gabe's power."

"People can change their minds."

"You never know."  Tyler sat back in his seat, after he finished his pancakes.  "Now, there is one more thing."

"Yes?"

"Gabe is planning an escape.  He's leaving Hermine out of it, even though his feelings for her are strong."

I raised an eye brow.  "Feelings?  What do you mean?  He likes her?"

"He calims that he's falling in love with my cousin."

"Huh."  I tried to think about that.  Hermine and Gabe.. a positive girl, and a jerk-like boy.  "I can't see it."

"You're telling me!   Even though he loves her, he knows that she likes this place so much.  He doesn't know if he should take her or not."

"Tell him to take her.  And I'm in."

"Yeah... he's not planning on taking you."

"WHAT?!"

Tyler almost fell out of his seat.  "It's just the way Gabe is.  I'll talk to him.  He has to take you.  For a fourteen year old, you're smart.  And we need you."

"Thanks."  I paused.  "Though, I know that Gabe wants to leave more than you and I combined."

"You're right.  In fact, he wants to leave more than a circus lion wants to leave the cage. And that's pretty bad."

Breakfast with Tyler wasn't all that fun.  Being with him was fine, but the news he brought wasn't as joyful as it could have been.  And from that hour on, I decided to lay on my bed, and stare at the ceiling, in the dark.  It wasn't all that dark, though.  The sunlight was coming in from the windows, but the lights in the rest of the room remained off.

"Hermine is out of the testing room," said a voice.  I turned my head, and was now looking at Gabe.  "And Tyler talked to me."

"I know... he told me that he was going to talk to you."  I sat up, and pointed to the empty seat next to my bed.

Gabe planted himself on the seat, and looked at me, eyes serious.  They were black inside, and I saw nothing.  That's how I knew he was serious.  "You're in.  You're smart, and I know it.  But if you make any funny business, you're out.  Understood?"

"Got it."  I paused.  "Hermine?"

He sighed.  "Her... I don't know.  It would be rude to leave her behind, and take a family member from her.  But it's going to take a lot of convincing to get her to join."

"What if you talked to her?  If I do, we'll fight.  It's happened twice, already."

"I know.  You two are very loud."

I swallowed.  "Really?"

"Nah, I'm just kidding.  Hermine comes to me, and cries.  Not lying.  You make her cry."

I sank, deeply.  I sank so hard, I could feel my heart land on my bed.  "I didn't know."

"That's one of the reasons why I didn't want you to come in the first place.  And the second part, is that I'm jealous of you, Dexter."

"Jealous?"  I couldn't believe what my ears were hearing!  "Of me?  Why?"

"Because you are the same as the other kids, you have bird wings, and then you leave shortly after."  Gabe blew some of his bangs out of his face.  "Again, I'm not lying."

I sighed, and stood up, completely facing Gabe.  "I'm not just growing wings.  Dr. Keystone lied to me.  I'm turning into a Hawk.  If we don't escape, then I'm not leaving any time soon."

Gabe raised an eye brow.  "You're like Tyler, then.  He turns into a-"

"Bear.  The first time we met, he didn't like me."

Martin came storming into the room.  "Dexter!  Oh, Dexter!  Dr. Keystone needs you.  He finished testing on that one girl who you met a couple days ago.  He's ready for you now!  Come on, let's go!  Stop fooling around, boy!"

Gabe waved to me, and fled the room.  I followed Martin, and walked down the hall way, silently.