[IC] The insane asylum

[Loksfjoer]

Benjamin looked at the old files through the door. "You have a point," he muttered. "Who knows what shady past is hidden here?"
He tried the doorhandle, but of course it was locked. "How do you suppose we can go inside?" he asked as he looked at Artemis. "If we manage to sneak inside and smuggle a few files back to our rooms, we can read them during the night, put them back here during the day and take new ones."
Anyone patrolling at night would see a lightsource in this room, it was too much of a risk to read them here, but it seemed this place was secluded enough to try and break in during the day, as long as they could keep their stay here short.

[QueenSei]

Artemis frowned, thinking to herself as she watched Ben try to open the door. "If only we had the key... Or maybe even some bobby pins. We could try to pick the locks, though that would probably take too much time." She mused, before feeling anxiety creep up at her. She looked at the surrounding area, taking a deep breath to try and calm herself.

"Or... maybe we can find a card and try to slide it against the door frame and open it that way. Still, it would take too much time, and might not work." Artemis crossed her arms, stumped. "Where would they keep the key to this door? The office? That would be too easy, and too risky too."

[Loksfjoer]

Benjamin looked at the closed door, but turned his back to it so he could face Artemis. "I'm not much of a lockpick, so getting a key would be best. I reckon there would be one in the nurse's office, but to get that..." he shook his head. "By the time we find it they will have noticed we are there. But... maybe the janitor or the cleaning staff could have the key. And maybe the psychiatrist will have one too. That office is empty during the night, but might be locked as well."

He started walking, gesturing Artemis to follow him. They had spend enough time standing near a door they weren't supposed to be, he didn't want to be found by any of the staff.

[QueenSei]

Artemis followed Benjamin as they left the area, her anxiety slowly calming down as they had moved. "That's true, the psychiatrist will have the office door locked.. I can try my hand in lockpicking, but I think I'm not good enough in doing that to be able to not leave evidence of someone trying to break in. I'm not that good." She said sheepishly.

"But maybe a janitor could work. Or just any of the staff. That would be easier probably. I think we should try that method." She suggested, wringing her hands a bit because of her anxiety. "We could also try to come up with a better plan. I mean, we do have nothing but time here for now."

[Loksfjoer]

"Let's first try the options that won't get us into trouble," Benjamin said. "Messing with the lock of the psychiatrist will definitely be reported, chatting with cleaning staff won't be." He smiled at Artemis. "You are right though, we have plenty of time to come up with more ideas, we don't have to rush it."

It was actually depressing to think about it, but he had no idea what he could do next. Hang out in the common area perhaps. Maybe read, or draw something, or... He sighed, he couldn't even come up with more ideas. There was just not enough to do in this place. "You have been longer here than I have, how do you keep yourself busy?" he asked as he looked at Artemis.

[QueenSei]

“Good idea. Let’s just try being friends with the janitors! ...That might be hard for me, but I can try.” Artemis said with determination. She had begun to lead Benjamin back to the living space, focusing on not looking too suspicious, when he had asked her a question.

Thinking it over, she smiled a bit. “I read a lot. There’s actually good books around here, it’s just a matter of searching and luck. But there’s also this garden that they have in the back. It’s not big, but the garden has some flowers. I like to take care of them every once in a while... And I write sometimes. But I mostly keep to myself. My anxiety doesn’t let me be social.” She turned to him and smiled. “But apparently you’re the only exception.”

[Loksfjoer]

Benjamin returned the smile. "I'm glad I am," he said to her. "I'm more of the music and art department," he explained. "I do read books sometimes, usually when I travel, but I will check out the books they have here." He looked at her. "It's great that you write though, I'm not very good at that myself. I understand how your anxiety stops you from showing it to others. I have no anxiety, but even I feel nervous when someone I don't know looks at my drawings. You never know how people will react to something so personal as something you created yourself."

He watched a male nurse walking with a female catatonic patient. One of the more severe conditions in this place. While there were certainly normal patients here, like Artemis, it was depressing to see the stage others were in.

[QueenSei]

Artemis nodded in agreement, slowly becoming quiet as they grew closer to the other patients and staff. Looking at Benjamin, she nodded and smiled, seemingly unable to speak. Noticing the woman being taken away by a male nurse. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself, before she began speaking again.

"What should we do now? Want to go look at books?" She asked rather softly. She seemed to wring her hands, an anxiety tick she would do every once in a while.

[Loksfjoer]

"Yes," Benjamin replied. "Let's have a look at the books."
But before he could leave, the male nurse turned to them. "Before I forget," Marc said, looking at Artemis, "the psychiatrists wants to see you, she had an opening in her schedule and wanted to move your appointment up. You can go there now. And Benjamin, you have an appointment tomorrow at 9 in the morning. Okay?" he looked at both while waiting for confirmation. All this time the female patient stood still and stared in the distance ahead.

[QueenSei]

Artemis froze in her spot, looking at the nurse with a bit of a nervous look. She turned mute, only staring at him with wide eyes. She turned back to Benjamin, suddenly holding his hand out of anxiety. She wasn't able to speak, but she knew that she should go to the appointment. Nervously, she let go of Benjamin's hand, wringing her hands instead. She looked at the nurse again and nodded in response.

[Loksfjoer]

When Benjamin felt a hand taking his, he glanced to Artemis and gave an encouraging and gentle squeeze in her hand. "Perfect, thank you," he said to the male nurse. When he felt her hand let go, he let it go as well.
The nurse nodded to them and walked away with the female patient.

As the nurse walked away, Benjamin turned to Artemis. "I'll be in the common area if you want to talk afterwards," he said. "I hope you'll get some positive news."

[QueenSei]

Artemis didn't say a word until after the nurse had left with the patient, letting out a shaky breath that she didn't know she was holding. Turning to Benjamin, she nervously nodded. "O-Okay, I'll meet you there after.." She said softly. "I wish I didn't have to go, I hate getting checkups from the doctor.." Artemis admitted, anxiously rubbing her arm.

[Loksfjoer]

"I think that is one of the things that we can't escape," Benjamin sighed. "I'm not looking forward to mine either." He briefly touched her arm in a comforting gesture. "It will be fine, come tell me how it was when it's done." After flashing a smile he sstepped in the direction of the common room, his mind torn between the files they wanted to see and Artemis having to go to the psychiatrist.
He stopped and turned to look at Artemis again. "If you want I'll accompany you to the psychiatrist's office," he offered. It wasn't like he had anything better to do, and Artemis did seem very nervous about it.

[QueenSei]

Artemis smiled nervously, happy that Ben was being supportive. Once she was about to walk to her appointment, she stopped abruptly once Ben had made the offer to walk her to the office. She immediately perked up at the idea. "Yes! That would make me feel so much better!" She said happily, smiling hopefully. "C-Can we hold hands? I-If you're okay with it though, I think holding hands would help me a bit."

[Loksfjoer]

Benjamin shrugged and nodded, if she wanted to hold hands he didn't mind. He took her hand and walked to where the psychiatrist had her office, stopping a few steps away from the door where he let go of her hand.
"I will be in the common area," he told her. "Why don't you come see me when you're done here? Let me know how it was." He didn't leave though, he decided he'd stay there until Artemis was in the office. It didn't feel right to just leave her there.

[QueenSei]

Artemis walked with Benjamin to the office, and once they arrived she took a deep breath and nodded a bit, giving Ben a small nervous smile. "Okay, I can do that." She looked at the door and gulped, before turning back to Ben and took another shaky breath. "O-Okay, wish me luck. I'll meet you after." She said, before slowly and nervously opening the door and entering the office.

[Loksfjoer]

Behind the desk was a woman, her dark-blonde hair in a ponytail and bright red lipstick on her lips. "Artemis," she said with a sweet smile. "Have a seat, I want to talk about your progress here." She gestured to the chair opposite of her own and turned to the computer. "Let me check your file real quick, see if anyone made any additions to it." She faced Artemis again. "But let's start with the most important thing: are you happy here?"

---

Benjamin watched Artemis go in and walked to the main area, where he searched the books for something interesting to read.

[QueenSei]

Artemis anxiously walked further into the office, before tensely sitting on the chair, right at the edge of her seat. She watched as the woman turned to her computer and glanced at the screen. Artemis thought the woman would've been really pretty, is if wasn't for the fact that she was part of staff.

"O-Oh.." Artemis managed to stammer out, wringing her hands after being asked a question that she didn't know how she should answer. "I guess you can say I'm happy I have a new friend here..." She admitted, truthfully. "C-Can't really say I enjoy being in this facility because of my problems though.." Artemis added softly, looking away to avoid having eye contact. She tried to relax her breathing, as she felt like there was a lump forming in her throat. She didn't understand why she was so uptight already. It was only the first question, after all.

[Loksfjoer]

"A friend? That is good." The psychiatrist smiled broadly as she said that. "I understand being here is not easy for you, but we will do everything we can to make it better for you." she turned her attention to the screen. "Do you feel your current medication is doing enough for you? The staff noted some concerns about them being not effective, but I want to know how you feel about it. Do they help you function properly, do you have any side-effects?"

[QueenSei]

Artemis grew more and more weary as the conversation went on. She would do anything at this point to just leave the room altogether. "I-I don't know what to think about my medicine.." She began to speak. "I-I know that my anxiety is still bad, and you can p-probably tell.." Artemis grew a bit flustered, since her stammering isn't really giving her a good look. Along with the fact that she can't make eye contact really makes things worse. "The medicine designed to h-help me sleep is not working either. I-I think maybe a slightly h-higher dose might help, I-I don't know." Artemis thought about it a bit more, rubbing her elbow as she looked at the ground in thought. "M-My anti-depressants are helping though. I-I don't sleep all day like I used to, a-and I don't get negative thoughts... Aside from my a-anxiety, anyway.."