Nathan waited for hours. Shortly after Dr. Eckersly, Adam as Nathan thought of him, had left, total silence had descended upon the room. Nathan continued to wait, hoping someone would show up; at this point, Ed's dour face would have been a most-welcomed sight. Silence and desolation, rather, were Nathan's companions.
After some uncounted number of hours, Nathan rose from the bed upon which he'd waited patiently. He didn't feel quite right; it wasn't like him to sit and wait so patiently. He imagined he'd be given some sort of sedative. He stepped cautiously out of the room and into the hall. Pale green, avocado-colored, tiles greeted him, stretching in each direction. Typical fucking hospital, thought Nathan. He turned to the right, the direction that seemed most appropriate at the time. Heading down the hall he passed room after empty room. He was beginning to think he'd been abandoned here. This was bad.
After several minutes of wandering down the halls he found himself at the elevators; the large B2 let him know he was on the second basement. He pressed the up button, drawing his hospital gown closer about him as he waited.
Shortly, the chime sounded; the elevator had arrived. Nathan press the button for the first floor, and within a few moments he had reached his destination. This floor, too, was utterly deserted. Silence lay about Nathan. Turning to his left, he headed towards what he thought would be a way out. The lights in this section of the building were dim, but the majority of the signs were in English. He passed Radiology, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and a host of others. Finally, he came to a set of automatic doors leading to the outside. They failed to open. Nathan stared blankly at them for a few moments; he began to examine the very real possibility that he was trapped in a seemingly-abandoned hospital.
No, thought Nathan. I'm not trapped in some God-forsaken hospital in the middle of fucking nowhere. He pushed against the doors; the stood fast against his efforts. Nathan suddenly felt exceedingly lost. Fort the first time in several days Nathan realized that was really, and truly, alone. He pushed at the doors again, a rush of emotions giving him renewed strength. Again, they didn't move. A voice surged forward in Nathan's mind, Open! Nathan shoved with violent force; the doors gave.
Feeling a rush of energy, Nathan stepped out into the sunlight. The street passing before the hospital was empty, utterly deserted, though it ran through a seemingly major metropolitan area. Looking around for a sign, something familiar, Nathan realized he had no idea where he was. Taking a few steps forward, Nathan stopped to listen; the depth of the silence that greeted him, here in heart of this city, frightened him. Nathan moved out towards the street; part of him intended to hail a cab.
Appearing as if from nowhere, a figure moved toward him. It was Sarah.
"Nathan? Is that you? I was certain I'd never find you."
"Sarah? But you're dead. How can you be here? They..... they took you."
"Yes, Nathan. They've taken me... I.... I.... "
"What is it, Sarah? What?!"
"Nathan... you must understand. You can't... the energy it takes... to.... with you... you must.... let me go."
"But, Sarah... I love you."
"Dr. Zaitzev... They have him. He's barely human. You have a strength... a gift that they need. You mustn't let them have it. You mustn't... You made a vow.. years ago... You must.... your gift.... your research... I...."
Suddenly the figure of Nathan's dead wife vanished. He stood, utterly alone again, in the middle of the street in an empty city. Alone. Alone and lost. The world seemed to turn about him.
Oxford, Nathan needed to make it to Oxford. Higgie would have some clue. He didn't know who all these fucking people were, but he didn't want anything to do with them. In Oxford, he would find the answers. Now, where the fuck was he?
-X
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