2.16.

“It has been three weeks since his admission to Shadow Lake. Patient John Doe case number 20495 is continuing to make considerable strides in his ability to communicate and make his needs and wants known. He still won’t tell us his real name. He continues to refuse to speak his native language, but at this point he is nearly fluent in english,” Olivia nunes reported as she sat in her office, reviewing the nursing reports and filing her own notes. She leaned back in her office chair as she held the recording device in one hand.

“While we know nothing about his past, he’s reaching the point where he’s almost developmentally normal for his age. He is able to read already, and his writing is impeccably neat. He remains uninterested in arts and craft but is actively running through any educational material we give him. This kid is extremely intelligent. And I continue to get the feeling that as much as we’re studying him in our efforts to help him, that he’s studying us right back.

“He remains extremely interested in the supposed alien invasion, but he will not share his opinions on the matter with me except to say that sometimes good things come from the sky and sometimes the things that come from the sky are bad. I find the interest in such things appropriate for a child of his age, so I have not been discouraging it.

“If John continues to improve at the pace that he has been I cannot continue to justify hospitalization. I have notified social services to begin looking at placing him in the foster system. He’s a good kid, I think, and I hope that he thrives.”

She ended the progress report and proceeded to the next case.

~~~~~

“It doesn’t matter if you believe the government or not. They’re out there, and if you don’t believe me, buy a telescope. They’re in orbit around Saturn. Their flagship is large enough to make out on its own. You’ve seen the pictures in the newsfeeds and the blogs. They’re not photoshop. The aliens are real, they’re here, and they’re not hiding. They must be the ones who hacked the rogue satellite a few months ago. They say they come in peace, but that’s what everyone says right before they stick a knife in your back,” the radio said.

The radio was always playing around John. The other kids mostly didn’t mind that he got his own radio and permission to carry it with him, and while John was an easy patient he seemed to take solace in the constant stream of information.

Olivia walked carefully through the play area, careful not to show too much of her interest so as to not disturb the unprecedented occurrence. It was normal behavior, and something to be encouraged, but it was the first time that John had actually played with any of the other children.

It began with a new admission. A young girl with a fractured arm who loved to play chess. She had challenged John to a game, and to everyone’s surprise the quiet boy had agreed.

Now, six chess boards were strewn across the floor with John in the middle, quietly playing against six opponents at the same time. And winning.

Okay, so it was normal ish behavior. She could tell by the expressions on the other children’s faces that they weren’t taking it easy on John, and by his own expression he seemed to be enjoying himself. She watched as he picked up a knight and moved it, speaking quietly in that strange accent of his.

“Checkmate.”

The girl he was playing sighed. “How are you so good?” she asked.

“Just am,” he said.

“Yeah, and you’re humble about it too,” she teased.

“Play again?”

Abruptly, John looked at Olivia. He did not smile. “I must talk with my doctor,” he said to the other children, who all complained that he was abandoning the game without having let them win even once.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Olivia smiled at John. He didn’t walk over to her, but instead towards the room where there discussions usually took place. He sat on the floor, as was his practice, and she sat down with him. He did not start speaking immediately, and after she had given him a minute to speak his mind if he wanted to, she decided to start the conversation.

“I’m sorry if I interrupted your games, John. I’m very glad to see you socializing with the other children,” she said.

“I like chess. It’s a good game,” He said. “Simple but complex. Like Irkashanda.”

“Is that a game you played where you’re from?” she asked.

“Yes. I was the best of my brothers and sisters at Irkashanda,” John said.

“Well, your display just now was very impressive. And it was also a relief. I was worried that you might have difficulty relating to normal children, but seeing you playing with them tells me that you can fit in if you want to,” Olivia said.

“You worry about me very much,” He said.

“I worry about many of the children that come under my care, John. Your case was a little unique. I truly want what is best for you.”

“What do you think is best for me?” he asked.

She paused, considering. “I think that it’s time to start talking about foster families and school, John. Do you understand what those things are?”

“Yes. A family that is not true family and a place of learning,” he said. He paused, his expression one that told Olivia that he was thinking of something. “You will send me away?”

“This hospital isn’t supposed to be a place for children to live long term, John. It’s a place of healing and learning. You don’t need to be here any longer, and I think that it is time for you to move on and integrate into society normally.”

“Yes,” he said, nodding. “What happens to me next?”

And so she spent the next hour or so calmly explaining to John the various options that were available, which decisions were being made about his care and why. She was pleased that he did not seem to be worried about his future at all, calmly accepting her judgments without argument, fear, or any signs of anxiety.

He asked a few pertinent questions, which she answered honestly, and eventually the conversation came to an end. When she told him that she would send her official recommendation to his social worker that he be placed in a home, he simply nodded.

“I will fight for you,” he told her as the conversation came to an end.

“John, we talked about this. No fighting,” she said.

“Sometimes there is no choice but to fight. I will fight so that you and the children you take care of do not have to,” John said. “Do not worry. I will not hurt children or people. Only monsters and aliens.”

She sighed. “Okay, John. If any bad aliens come threatening the children of the hospital, I’ll know exactly who to call. We’ll make sure that those Yonohoans do not hurt anyone.”

To her surprise, John laughed. She thought it might have been the first time she’d seen him laughing, and she wondered what it was that she’d said that he found humorous.

“If Yonohoans try to hurt Earth, I will talk to the elders,” he said when he calmed down. “And I will tell them that Earth is clan to Yonohoah. They will put down their spears if I tell them that.”

“I’m glad, John. It’s always better to resolve conflicts by talking than it is to fight,” she said.

“Yes. Talking is better. Especially with other humans. But sometimes, there is no choice but to fight. I will talk first, and only when there is no other choice will I fight.”

“Good, John. That’s a very mature stance to take.”

Like always, John abruptly decided that the conversation was over and stood to leave, the radio still buzzing in his pocket.

“John, wait,” she said. He turned to her, and she enveloped him in a hug. He stiffened for a moment, then relaxed.

“You are not my mother,” he said when the embrace ended. “But I will fight for you as if you were.”

~~~~~

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