Code Green [Closed]

Matthew stretched his legs and locked his knees. The first thing they had done was remove his shoes. In case he managed to flee back out the doors, he supposed, it'd be hard to get too far through the miles of thorny underbrush with bare feet. His hand curled into fists as the large orderlies pushed and dragged his resisting body down the hallway. Blood pooled from his palms where his nails dug into his flesh but he wouldn't feel the pain of it until much later.

His voice hollered and wailed, throwing out every creative curse he could think of. Likely the entire first floor was getting an earful. Only when the muscles at either side of him pushed him through one last door did he quiet down for a breath.  The strong stench of a sterile environment curled through his nostrils and for a brief moment he found himself glad the place was at least clean. As if in slow motion his dark blue eyes raked over the room, taking in small details. It wasn't a surgical room so helpful tools like scalpels and syringes weren't readily available, which was disappointing, however he spotted a silver tray holding clear dosing cups full of pills.

All at once Matthew relaxed himself, dropping to the floor so suddenly that his escort lost their grip. In the split second that followed he managed to twist his body away from them and dashed across the floor towards the tray, pulling curtains and throwing objects after him.

The nurse at the check-in station shrieked and immediately picked up the phone receiver. Soon a shrill "Code green!! Code green!!!" was bellowing through the intercom throughout the building.

The tray made an interesting sound when it connected to the side of her face. Code green huh? Fancy hospital talk for 'aggressive nutcase, bring tranqs'. Matthew was hollering again, his bare feet padding against the cold tiles floor while he backed up to the wall, wielding the tray like a weapon. "Back the fuck off you sick sons of bitches!!" He spat at them.

Caroline was making her rounds of the institution, having already finished pilling and medicating the open unit patients, she made her way to crisis unit. By the time she finished the crisis unit, she assumed she'd have to go back to open unit and then make her way back by the time that was done. It was an order she was used to by now.

When the code green signaled across the halls, she sprinted her way to the check-in station for details on the situation. Upon arrival, she noticed that she was first on site, other than the disoriented escort and a nurse that Caroline assumed had been hit. It just so happened she walked into a problem with no sedatives or tranquilizers. Turning to face a man with a tray held as a makeshift weapon, she knew she would have to wait for someone else to give the sedative, or try and fix this on her own.

"Hey!" Caroline wasn't sure of a plan, but she had to get his attention, which may or may not have been a good idea. Instead of charging, she dropped to her knee, hands raised in surrender. Usually, she would have ran in head first, had she been armed with the emergency sedatives that were behind the counter with the injured nurse. "Hey."

"My name is Caroline." She made direct eye contact with him, showing that if even if she didn't have his attention, he had hers. "I don't have anything to hurt you with. Honestly, I just got here. Promise." She twisted her hands to show him the backs, as well. "Can you please tell me your name?"

Caroline's sudden entrance was distracting to say the least. He didn't like it and so he waved the tray in a threatening manner towards her. "No! You... You shut the fuck up!" His voice was growing hoarse and heavy from all the shouting. "You don't need to know who I fucking am! I'm not staying in this mother fucking shit-hole!" Everything here was so wrong. So fucking wrong! His lips pursed, his eyes wide, his brows stitched tightly together, the man was running on pure impulse. He was nothing more than an animal.

He made a move as if to lunge when the orderlies started inching forward. "Fuck you! Don't you cocksuckers come any closer!" Another glance towards the nurse to make sure she also was staying put. That's when he saw it. It might not help the situation much but it would sure be more threatening than a flimsy metal tray. He took two slow steps to the side, watching the orderlies suspiciously. "I swear... don't fucking move..." and then he was at the desk, his hand fumbling around until he gripped what he was looking for. A ball point pen. It wasn't much but a good jab could do some damage! He couldn't help it, he smiled shyly at first but it soon leaped into a toothy grin while he chuckled. Now he had something he could hold his own with.

He could tell the burley orderlies were taken back as they raised their hands along side the nurse. Oh yes, this was a nice change of power.

((*casually makes some changes... >.>*))

Fear she supposed she should be feeling towards herself was instead aimed at those around her and the man himself. Alright, so... the stalling thing wasn't working so well. Caroline stood, slowly, her eyes on the man. Making steps as carefully as approaching a deer, she stopped just feet before him.

"I have to show you something." Her voice was soft, almost a whisper. A trick she'd learned often got screaming patients quiet enough to listen to her. She lifted the hem of her shirt. A small scar, a shade lighter than the rest of her abdominal skin, was clearly visible. An old stab wound obtained during her fourth year in high school, but he didn't have to know that. Hopefully a pen was easier to dodge. Giving the man a soft, almost pitiful smile, she held it there so he could get a proper look.

"See this? It hurt. I remember it happening, you know. It still hurts sometimes, when I stretch on cold mornings. No one here wants to hurt you, so much so that we'd rather get hurt ourselves." Which wasn't really a lie, she'd taken a couple bruises holding down people for sedatives, even suffered a dislocated shoulder for angering a patient when she was new. Taking a few small steps toward the man, she offered her free hand, upright, nothing to hide. She was even wearing short sleeves.

"Let's go get you tea, just you and me, alright? You can watch me make it if that would make you feel better." The risk was all on her end, she knew that. Caroline just hoped it wasn't for nothing.

The look he gave her was incredulous. She had to be out of her goddamned mind. He quickly shuffled backwards until his back was at the wall, the hand that held the pen held towards her. Much to his own surprise the pen lay nestled against his palm supported by the thumb is a non threatening manner. "Stop..." His voice quiet as his eyes raked over her, coming to rest upon her scar.

He thought about his own scars that curved around his neck. Thick, ugly things that were a constant reminder of his past. He hated them. He hated this place. He hated this woman that had caught him off guard. "I don't want you touching me... back off." His gaze found the orderlies again and he gestured to them with the tray. "They can't be here. Make them leave!"

Some of her coworkers shook their heads as she looked around at them. To them, this was a dangerous situation and it was getting worse. To her, she was the only one in the room more trained to handle actual patients than the rooms they slept in and the bedpans some used. She never doubted that the orderlies were good people, but there was a reason she went to school for four years. Then again, she doubted they'd go too far.

"Well? You heard him. Go on, we're fine here." She lowered her shirt and her hand as the room was hesitantly emptied. Hope and pride rose in her chest. This could really be salvaged! Calming her stance, she crossed her arms. Her eyebrow raised playfully. "I gave you what you wanted, now I want to know your name. Only fair, right?" Her tone lightened, fun and easygoing. "And stop calling me 'you,' my name is Caroline."

With the room cleared out relief flooded over him. All the wound up nerves in his body started to relax, shift, disentangle. The flush of blood and adrenaline now leaving him light headed and nauseated. He hadn't even realized how coiled every muscle must have been because now exhaustion hit him like a ton of bricks. The pen and tray slipped from his hands with a resounding clatter, not because he felt safe but because it was simply too taxing to hold them any longer. Was it embarrassment that he was feeling that caused him to drop his eyes and lower his head? It was certainly the wariness that kept him well aware of her close proximity. She was really too fucking close.

"M... Matthew," A timidness crept into his voice, it even shocked him to hear it there. This wouldn't do. Don't give up now. Buck up, asshole. She can't save you. Once this bitch is gone, they're going strap your ass to that bed and you'll be lucky if they change your piss-stained pants once a week. "Don't come any closer... You piss me off."

Now that both potential weapons were dropped, Caroline got a chance to properly look at the man. He was probably a whole head taller than her, a reality she hadn't taken into consideration when approaching a tall, armed, agitated, mentally unstable man.

"Matthew, huh?" Raising her hand, she scratched her eyebrow. She wasn't sure her newest realization of the man's size was helping her calm down, the situation causing an ache in the back of her skull. A tiny sound of pain escaped her lips as she took a deep breath. He wanted her to stay away? Probably a good plan. She wasn't about to go any nearer.

"I'll give you a deal, Matthew; you tell me which room you're meant to be in, and I'll take you there and get you that tea I promised. Yeah?" It wasn't a very clever way to get him where he was supposed to be, but her head hurt from the excitement and she felt like she wanted to move. She changed the weight on her heels.

Matthew swayed on his feet and used the wall to steady himself. "Pretty sure this is my room..." He'd only been at Acropolis for a couple hours and hadn't even been properly checked in. He'd caused too much of a scene for that. He knew he'd have to stay here for a few days or at least until he'd been cleared and found stable enough to move to a room with privileges. In fact, he knew those assholes from earlier were waiting and ready to pounce just outside the door should he even attempt to leave.

Everything about the situation infuriated him but even as the anger began to swell within him again, he found he was too spent to let it spark his temper.

"I just want to rest now. Can you leave? You can let them back in. I just want to rest." Long fingers traced the gentle curve of the scars on his neck. They felt gross. He felt gross. "Please, Caroline, let me rest."

Her eyes traced the room. She never liked how they didn't have a single window in this ward, and it made her feel trapped. There wasn't a chart on the outside of the door, so even if he wasn't really roomed here, he could at least stay here while she figured out where he belonged. A rush of heat filled her cheeks when he said her name for the first time. It was progress she enjoyed, but his voice made it seem almost embarrassing.

Turning to the bed, she assumed it hadn't been properly prepared due to the scene made. It hadn't. Making a few adjustments, work she hadn't really done herself since her first few months of practice, she moved the restraints out of the way, smoothed the sheets out with her hand, and fluffed the pillow. Backing to the opposite wall, Caroline motioned to the bed.

"I'm not letting them back in, not that any of them would really want to come in, until all of us sure you've calmed down. There are plenty of nurses who can do my job, but right now, I need to know you, and anyone else who comes in this room, are safe." As if to emphasize her point, she crossed her legs. She was in charge at all times, and she needed to make that clear to hopefully avoid another incident. "Please, sit down on the bed. I'm giving you your space, I just need to clean the mess you made."

The mattress was even more uncomfortable than he imagined, like a slab of concrete with a sheet. He sat with head in his hands, scrubbing at his eyes. He was so exhausted. So fed up with betrayals. So sickened by his lack of control over his own life. This place would be the death of him, he was sure of it. He heaved a deep sigh.

"Sorry," he mumbled in a voice barely audible. Gathering the threadbare blanket he twisted his hips and laid down, turning his back towards the nurse. "Don't turn off the lights," Despite his lack of trust, he was out within minutes.

He looked so tired, so defeated to her, that she didn't want to make it worse. Quietly, she made her way to the discarded items, picked up every thrown pill, and took it with her to the door. Her hand twitched to reach for the lights, but she reminded herself otherwise. Using her key to exit the room, she locked it behind her. Incredulous-looking orderlies stood around her, like she had won some sort of event she wasn't aware she was participating in. Some of them even patted her back. For what? Doing her job? She handed them the dropped supplies to some of them with their arms outstretched.

"One of you better have the file for Matthew." The newest Matthew file was handed to her, and the signalment matched the sleeping patient inside. After she was done reading it, she dropped it in the file slot on the door. Smiling to herself, she turned to an orderly. "Let him know when he wakes up that he has the option to ask for me if he wants." Turning on her heel, Caroline went about her day as normal.