Briarcliff Mental Institution

December 3, 1996

11:15 pm

Pressing her hands down her very drab uniform Violet forced a smile practicing looking as normal as possible as she closed her locker door to face her reflection in the mirror over the bathroom sink.

Following the rules her honey blonde hair is neatly up in a twist, she is free of any jewelry or makeup except for a very pale pink gloss that she hoped no one would notice.

'We don't want to remind the male patients of their sexual impulses any more than we have to Ms. Harmon, our job is to keep them calm so they can focus on their rehabilitation'

Recalling Sister Jude's speech while showing her around Violet shrugged at the image looking back at her.

She had never been comfortable around boys her age or any man for that matter, the first never showed much interest and the latter too much.

A deep shiver rushed through her as the memory of her father's shadow standing in her bedroom flashed before her eyes.

Immediately she pulled down the long sleeves of her grey uniform hiding the scars crawling up her wrist.

As she walked through the darkened halls of the facility she sheepishly looked into the vacant medicated eyes of the patients shuffling by her knowing full well it could be her stuck behind these thick cement walls.

She was lucky the maid had recently waxed the floors that day, blessed that no one was home to witness the rush of courage coursing through her, fortunate that one small push was enough to send him falling down the stairs to his death.

She felt nothing watching him twitch as his eyes glared up at her, his neck broken face twisted in the wrong direction.

Her torment was over, peace washed over her like cool ocean waves on a hot summer's day.

She was free.

Violet didn't know if it was empathy for such violence that only she could understand, or just her need for a job that led her to this depressing dank place, regardless she was here, and she would have to learn to adapt like everything else in her life.

"Ms. Harmon!"

Startled out of her thoughts by the stern hardened face of Sister Jude, Violet turned on her heels to face the open door to her office and the woman grimacing with impatience behind a desk.

"Come in here, I need to speak to you concerning your living arrangements."

Swiftly sitting down across from the Sister and the shiny large cross that swung back and forth across her midsection, Violet waited as Jude finished writing instructions on a large clip board.

Violet seemed to be mesmerized by the huge silver crucifix and the man that hung torturously, helplessly upon it.

She didn't believe in God, and to be honest thought very little of those who did, as if they were brainwashed into cult or something, it was very obvious to Violet that there was too much suffering in the world; if he did exist God plainly didn't give a shit.

Slamming her clip board down Sister Jude once again jostled Violet out of her continuous thoughts that went on inside her bored as hell mind.

"As I understand it your father has recently passed away, and due to his substantial debt to the IRS everything he owned now belongs to the government leaving you … well basically homeless."

Nodding as she dug her nails into her thighs Violet interrupted hoping to end her interrogation.

"Yes but I was told that – "

"Excuse me dear but I do believe I was still speaking, you will learn to mind your manners or I assure you there will be consequences."

Remaining silent Violet quickly began to question her decision as Sister Jude continued on.

"While it is not our policy to board nurses I do believe that monsignor is sympathetic to your special… situation."

Handing over the clipboard to Violet, Sister Jude stood to show her out of her office.

"You will find a small but suitable room on the north side of the building opposite Dr. Arden's laboratory. His assistant, a young nun who died unexpectedly lived there for awhile but it's empty now. You'll find a list of all rules and regulations on the top sheet, underneath that there is a list of patients you will be responsible for during the term of your probation period. They are all heavily medicated so they shouldn't be any problem, one is even comatose. I figure we'll start you off slow, let you get your feet wet before we transfer you to more of our complicated cases. Since you're shift has already started I'll expect you'll be wanting to get moving. I assure this will be quite a change from that fancy nursing school you attended. Just kept your mind on your work and stick to the rules and you should do very well here. Any questions... good, I'll have the janitor move your suitcases up to your room while your get started with Mr. Anderson."

Before she knew it Violet was standing on the opposite side of a closed door holding her clipboard tight to her chest.

Sighing deeply she leaned against the wall immediately flipping the page on rules and regulations over so she could read her duties for the night.

She had spent ten hours on a bus and hadn't eaten the entire day, she was exhausted and starving, but Sister Jude insisted she begin right away.

"Bitch" She breathed our as she yawned quickly covering her mouth as an orderly walked by.

Vitals, sponge baths, feedings, and linen changes.

'Fucking fantastic, I'm a glorified nurse's aide.' She complained silently as she made her way down to her first patient.

vTv

5:12 am

Exhausted leaning over the bathroom sink Violet could barely keep her eyes open as she splashed cool water against her face.

After attending to ten patients she was feeling the effects of having to lift essentially dead weight all night.

Sighing heavily she bend backwards pressing on tight muscles that stretched across her slender low back.

That's when she saw herself, long pieces of her dirty blonde hair hanging in her face, dark circles under her whiskey colored eyes making her look worn and drained.

Standing sideways she gazed down at her boyish figure dressed in her matronly uniform, and inwardly groaned picturing herself ten years from now still untouched, except from her dead deranged father, working in this shit hole left with only her hand to keep her company at night.

A few times she attempted to fix her hair only to have it fall back down across her face until she ultimately gave up hoping that Sister Jude wouldn't see her until after her shift had ended at seven am.

Feeling constricted by the buttons that lined straight up to her neck she figured she'd give herself a break undoing five of them until just a hint of her white cotton bra was showing.

Looking down at the last patient on her list she cocked her eyebrow figuring there was zero chance of inciting any sexual excitement from a comatose teenager.

It was a long walk down to where Tate was being held, she quietly wondered why he wasn't kept with the others, especially in his condition where patients with the same diagnosis were kept in one large room.

Following the signs leading to the north wing she passed by Dr. Arden's office noticing a sliver of light coming from underneath his closed door.

Stopping momentarily she heard a muffled deep voice sounding as if he were recording notes from some sort of procedure.

Other than thinking it was strange that a doctor would keep such odd hours, she didn't seem bothered by the obvious change in décor as the further she went everything began to change as several weird shaped doors and hallways resembled a maze straight out of a horror movie.

It was also darker than the rest of the institution causing her to squint her eyes as she finally reached an arch shaped door with three industrial bolt locks on the outside.

Leaning closer she read the name that was typed in small letters held up by two pieces of tape.

Tate Langdon

Rummaging through her deep pockets she searched for the special keys that Sister Jude had given her.

All the other rooms opened with the same skeleton key except for his that called for three separate keys that fit each specific lock.

This made no sense to her, why would a patient who was unable to move or speak, who was completely cut off from the outside world need to be locked up like he was Hannibal Lector.

Struggling she concentrated in the dim light until she finally heard the release of the last bolt.

The wheels on her cart squeaked loudly echoing inside the vast barren halls as she backed into the large brick walled room that looked straight out of a Frankenstein movie.

Suddenly chills rushed up her spine as she slowly turned noting all the strange instruments and machines beeping around her that were unrecognizable from anything she had ever seen in nursing school.

The air left her lungs as her eyes fell upon him for the first time.

High above his head close to the ceiling was a small oval shaped stained glass window, shades of green, purple and yellow shone lightly as the sun began to rise over the towering Transylvania castle look alike building.

The sunrise pierced the window sending a shower of pure iridescent light down upon his blond shaggy hair making him look almost angelic.

His skin was as pale as falling snow, flawless, stunningly beautiful in contrast to his long dark eyelashes that kissed his cheek bones.

Lips like petals from pale pink roses full and soft fell slightly apart as the intermediate sound of his delicate breath filled the archaic room.

Violet was frozen as if her feet were glued to the floor, her gaze fell further down to his bare chest and the stark white sheet that laid flat just below his waist over his hip bones.

His slender body was tone, muscles firm, strong like a swimmers frame, nothing resembling a boy who hadn't moved in two years.

Biting down hard on her bottom lip she noticed his wrists and ankles shackled to the steel bedframe.

Something was wrong, very wrong with this picture, she thought to herself as she fumbled for his chart flipping through it intensely skimming each page searching for answers.

INCARERATED WITH NO POSSIBLITLY OF PAROLE

SERVING THREE LIFE SENTENCES FOR MURDER IN THE FIRST DEGREE

SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD MALE BROUGHT IN WITH SEVERAL GUN SHOT WOUNDS …

SEVERAL SURGIES REPAIRING THREE MAJOR ORGANS, ALL SUCCESSFULL …

CAUSE FOR COMA UNKNOWN...

PATIENT REMAINS UNRESPONSIVE…

NEGATIVE MOVEMENT CONCERNING ALL REFLEXES…

PATIENT REMAINS COMATOSE AFTER SIX MONTHS WITH LESS THAN FIVE PERCENT CHANCE OF RECOVERY.

TRANSFER TO BRIARCLIFF APPROVED UNDER THE DIRECT SUPERVISION OF DR. ARDEN.

Slamming the folder closed frustrated by the lack of medical information she carefully approached him almost needing to touch his skin.

She wondered how someone so beautiful, appearing so innocent and young could be charged with such heinous crimes.

Instantly the image of her hands gently pressing into her father's back flickered through her mind.

She didn't need to wonder, she had no right to judge.

Breathlessly she gingerly placed the tips of her fingers along his arm feeling the warmth of his skin until her hand was cradled inside his.

This was inappropriate, wrong in so many ways, but it was as if she had no choice, as if something was inside her willing her to touch him.

Slowly she raised her wide eyes back up towards his peaceful face while her stray blonde hair whisked across her pale pink lips blowing outward back and forth as she tried fruitlessly to catch her breath.

She was helpless to hold back the words that came whispering from those same lips as she leaned over him searching for any sign of life that she instinctually knew was there.

"You're beautiful."

Instantaneously she felt his fingers curl around hers holding her there in a tight grip.

Stunned she jerked backwards crashing into one of the steel tables causing it to come crashing to the floor.

"Ms. Harmon what the hell do you think you're doing!"

Looking down his fingers were back in their previous position lying flat against the sheet relaxed with absolutely no sign of movement.

Kneeling to the floor to retrieve the instruments that had fallen she apologized profusely reading the embroidered name that stretched across his long white lab coat.

Dr. Arden