Room 4 - Alfred F. Jones

Alfred sat on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. He was sooooo bored! There was nothing to do in this room he had been thrown in. No comic books, no toys, no pretty posters with heroes on them, nothing. It was all bland and gray. He wanted to go outside, maybe play in the park, lie down in some flowers, protect someone from an evil villian! But it seemed like he would never get to do any of this.

"I'm boooored! Can I come out now? Did I do something bad? If I did I'm sorry! I wanna go home please!"

Carlos made his characteristic wide steps down the hallway. Ever so often an orderly would stop him and again he would flash his badge. He was a doctor! Just because he lumbered, had a bit of a beard and was not as trim didn't mean he was mentally ill equipped. His fingers rapped against the file in his hand as he read it over again. 'Alfred Jones....Alfredo' he thought 'Child like regression.....heroic delusions.'

This case would be interesting, from the looks of it this would be a strong personality to contend with. Still, if Carlos could break the stigma of psychologists looking and thinking the same way he could at least understand Alfred a bit.

He stopped in front of Room #4 and tucked the file under his arm. 'Here goes nothing. Dios.....bless and protect me this day' As his hand reached for the door he heard the lament from within.

"I am sorry you are bored Mr. Jones. But perhaps I can come in and chat? Would that alleviate your boredom?"

Alfred stared oddly at the voice he heard from outside the room. Someone was out there! Speaking in that adult way all grown ups talked like.

"I'm not Mr. Jones! I'm Alfred! Mr. Jones is my dad...you can come in if ya want, it's booooring in here anyway. Oh and what does..al..al..alev..i..ate mean?"

He sat up and turned towards the door, waiting for the man outside to come in. Maybe he could tell him why he had been thrown in here? He was a hero! You don't throw heroes in boring locked up rooms! And he was a kid too, that made it even worse! Only bad men locked up kids and heroes...

Kiku hurried down the hallway. He had been asked to assist the new doctor...Dr. Machado...with a patient that had just came in. A patient that thought killing some people was a hero's duty. Certainly not a one-man job.

He had read the patient's history...his father had also murdered someone in front of him. They had that in common. It sent a chill down his spine.

You are still sane...you are still sane...

He heard the sound of voices as he approached the door. It seems the doctor had just started to talk to Mr. Jones before going in.

"Dr. Machado?" He got out as he approached closer. "I am Kiku Honda, the nurse here to assist you." He bowed down a as he stopped near the man. Then he looked up...what a gruff appearance.... He wondered about him, although he knew appearances could be deceiving.

A small voice, almost timid. He turned around, quickly reading the badge. "Ah,Nurse Honda" he said with a small smile. He offered his hand and shook it gently. "Nice to meet you."

This one seemed a little skittish, like a guilty toddler. Was he afraid of him? Again the form he was blessed with caused initial friction. Oh well, it was to be expected. He turned back to the door, answering the patient.

"Oh, I am sorry Alfred. My colleague was introducing himself. We would very much like to come in. I thank you for allowing us to enter. Alleviate means to reduce or take away. Maybe talking will help you not be so bored."

Again he looked at the nurse. "Shall we?"

Al moved himself to the end of his bed, leaning as close to the door as he could without leaving the safety of his bed. He had heard another voice. A quiet man who was the loud man's...col...league? Like a base ball league, bur for Col's?...It sounded weird to him but then again, it was maybe another big word he didn't know. Grown ups needed to learn to speak to kids using kid words, or they'd keep on getting confused!

"You guys can come in! When you come in can we play a game? I wanna play heroes~!" He smiled brightly at this. He LOVED to play heroes! He always got to be the hero and he never left a single villian alive, just like his dad had taught him to.

"Nice to meet you as well," Kiku told the larger man and nodded to him about going in.

He was concerned about the patient's exclamation about playing "heroes". If they were to play such a game, they would need a villian, yes? And what the man did to villians wasn't exactly reversable.

He looked back to the doctor, worried about his appearance on a different level now. On a level as to how they would appear to the mind of a 5-year old.

Might they look like a villian and a victim?

Kiku tried to calm his nerves on the matter, being worried would only accentuate that perception.

He looked worried. Why? Oh yes, his appearance. It was something he couldn't change so he would make the best of it.

"How about we talk for a moment then we can play afterwards Alfred? Would that be alright?" he asked, his voice calm albeit a bit gruff.

Opening the door slightly, he and hopefully the nurse entered the room. He stood placidly and a smile on his face.

"Thank you again for letting us come in. Now, Alfred, may I ask you a question or two?"

Alfred looked over at the men he could now see standing in the doorway, instantly judging them based on how they looked.

The little man...he must be the quite one I heard. He looks nice really, not evil at all!

He smiled over at Kiku, giving him an enthusiastic wave. This man seemed like...maybe a victim? Yes a victim, he decided. Someone a hero like him should protect. The man next to him on the other hand...

He's big...really big, like the incrediable hulk big! Looks like he could beat someone up really easy...he...he must be a bad man! But...I should let him talk...ta make sure.

He tried to extend the same smile to Carlos and gave him a smaller, less life filled wave. He would keep his eye on this guy...Oh he'd been asked a question!

"Yes you can Mister! As long as we can play after~!"

Kiku waved back, remembering that this man was really a boy as far as his mental view went. He saw Alfred wave less enthusiastically at Dr. Machado. Hmm...he wondered what he would do. He hoped the doctor was competent enough to realize he was being assessed. Assessed by the mind of a child, but the dangerous mind of a child. One with a body of adult strength...and seemed to be above average at that.

"My name is Kiku Honda," he introduced himself in a friendly voice. "And I'd really like it if we could be friends."

Then he waited for the doctor to start. Wondering what his first questions would be. Wondering what methods he would use.

And wondering if he could help this man, or if they would soon be landed in the middle of trouble.

He had crossed the threshold. The first bridge had been crossed. He smiled warmly, his bulk warm and jolly. "My name is Carlos Machado. Kiku and I were hoping to have a little chat." he explained. "I'd very much like to get to know you a little better, then we can figure out what we can do to help you get out of here."

He smiled again. "So Alfred can you tell me where you lived before you came here? Can you tell me why you think you are here?" He asked calmly. "If you do we can get to the games and have a little fun. Does that sound good?"

He glanced at the nurse and gave him a small look of reassurance. It would all work out. One way or another.

Carlos and Kiku...those were their names. The first seemed to be smiling a lot, maybe trying to fool him? Maybe the man thought if he smiled enough that he would make Alfred drop his guard and see him as a hero like himself? That wasn't gonna happen any time soon!

He stood up and walked over to them, first talking to the shorter man. "Hi Kiku! I think we're gonna be great friends~!" He said this with a bright, innocent smile. He really did hope that they could be friends, maybe even the best of friends. He hadn't had a best friend in a long time!

He then turned his attention to the bigger man. "I lived in a house with other kids like me who had their mama's and papa's taken away. It was okay there but I like my house with Papa the best!....and I don't know why I'm here. I think some bad people must have locked me in here to stop me from doing hero things!" He nodded seriously, believing that with all his being what he had said to be true.

Kiku gave Alfred a little smile back. If he didn't know better, it would be hard to think of this person as dangerous at all. But it was actually that...innocence of mind that made him all the more dangerous.

He really hoped the doctor was more than just a degree. For now he would mostly stand back and observe his methods. He would assist wherever needed, of course. But for now he was here to be a, less intimidating, friendly face, and to take notes, physical and mental. ...Unless things went bad, then he would be needed more.

He also couldn't help making comparisons...how easily things could have turned bad like this for himself....

He really needed to stop doing that.

He saw how he focused more attention on his companion. Again, his size and appearance were playing a role in this interaction. He had to tread lightly, since with this patient expecting him to understand on his level would be impossible.

He nodded. "I see, well....how about we talk about a way to explain to these people that you are just doing your job? A job you seem to be very good at. Once we talk, we can all play a bit. Again I thank you for answering my question Alfred. You are being most helpful."

Slowly, bring down the barrier. He didn't have to trust him, not yet. Just keep him talking......

Alfred grabbed Kiku's hand, pulling him over towards his bed. He thought that Kiku must be so tired of standing, so being the nice, good boy he was, he thought he'd offer him a seat. Except he had no chairs...so the bed would have to do~! When he'd got to his bed he let go of him and smiled. "Sit~! Sit~! You gotta be stiff from standing Kiku~!"

He sat down on the bed himself, patting the space beside him before turning his attention back to Carlos. "Ok...I guess we can do that..." He purposly didn't offer him a place to sit, he still hadn't proved he wasn't a villian yet.

Kiku's hand was grabbed and he was brought to sit on the bed. He did so without worries for himself. After all, Alfred was only a danger to those he thought of as bad. As long as Kiku was seen as a good person, there was nothing to fear.

"Thank you," he said as he sat in the place given. It was good, actually, that one of them had earned his trust. Now it was up to Dr. Machado to work for just himself. Then they could truly start.

Once they finished this session, Kiku would discuss the issues and the methods with the doctor, but for now, while they hadn't compared any notes, he mostly observed.

So readily he trusted Kiku. If he were truly honest with himself, he would have to say he was jealous. He had worked very hard to get where he was. He could not change his appearance as much as he could will the sun not to rise.

Ignoring the childish to incite him he sighed and thought for a moment. He scratched the stubble on his chin and pondered. A mind of a child....childish things...

"I have an idea. How about I tell you about myself first?" he asked, his behavior becoming looser and casual. "Well, as you know my name is Carlos. I'm from a place called Cuba. And one thing I loved to play was baseball. Do you like baseball Alfred?"

Alfred's eyes instantly lit up at the mention of baseball. He LOVED baseball! Back at the house with the other kids he would play the game with them for hours if he could! "I love baseball Carlos~! It's fun~! It's really fun~!"

He could feel a bright smile come onto his face, he started bouncing on the bed. Baseball, he wanted to place baseball! He wanted to play it right noooooooow~! "Can we play baseball? I wanna play baseball! I reeeeeally wanna play baseball!"

He was excited now, looking over at first Kiku, then Carlos with pleading eyes.

"I guess we all love baseball," Kiku commented and wondered what the doctor would do now. On one hand, Alfred was now acting friendly and excited and a connection had obviously been made. On the other, they obviously couldn't play baseball in such a space. What would they do? Did Dr. Machado have an idea, or would he have to let Alfred down?

...What would letting him down do? How would he react?

Kiku could only hope the doctor had something up his sleeve. Or that Alfred wouldn't be too let down otherwise. He looked between the two of them for a moment.

Carlos grinned inwardly. "Seems we all like baseball. How about we talk about that for a bit?" he asked. He had his opening. He had to keep the dialogue moving, keep him talking. See where this was heading.

"Then......when its time for exercise, we can see about getting a ball to throw around? Would you like that?"

He was rather sad that they couldn't PLAY baseball right now. He was really excited about it too...but talking about it could be fun too! And Carlos HAD said they could throw a ball around later...so he guessed it would all be okay.

So he nodded, deciding to talk about the sport he loved so much. "Okay, talking about it can be fun too~! But you gotta PROMISE we can throw a ball around later. You have ta pinky swear it!" He held out his pinky finger, waiting for Carlos to pinky swear with him.

Kiku was glad when Alfred had said talking about it would be fun. Although, the promise to through a ball around later would most certainly have to be lived up to. He waited for the pinky swear. He hoped the doctor would take it seriously. I supposed if he broke such a promise, then he would be a villian in Alfred's eyes.

He was also glad the sport in question was baseball. He luckily knew quite a decent amount about that. Most other sports that could have gotten brought up, he wouldn't have known so much.

"Do you have a favorite player or team?" he asked Alfred in a friendly manner.

---

I actually, randomly, do know a lot about baseball, even though I don't really watch it irl (except for the little league world series, which I randomly find myself glued to lol).

Carlos considered himself a man of honor as well as a doctor. He took the patient's pinky and nodded. "I will do my best to honor and live up to my word. We will play baseball. All of us."

He thought back to his office and the few mementos he kept from home, the old beat up baseball among them. He recalled the hours he spent tossing it and practicing his form. He was a little proud of it. What a joy it would be to relax if for a singular moment and get to know his new patient. Just as he thought of it, the nurse spoke the question on his lips. With open ears and eyes he waited to hear the answer.

Al didn't really WATCH any baseball, therefore didn't have a favourite team or player. He just liked playing it with his dad. He missed his dad...he really did. He'd been thinking a lot about him today and it made him miss his father worse than usual. Where had his dad been taken away to? He'd never been told. Maybe to someplace like this? He'd been taken here because he was a hero like him, so his dad could be in a place like this too! He figured he'd ask Carlos that after answered the question.

"I don't watch baseball on the tv but I used to play it with my Dad a lot~! Do you know where my Dad is? Is he here? If he is, can I see him? I miss my Dad a lot...." Alfred suddenly felt very sad. He wanted to see his father...it had been so long and no one knew where he was when he asked them. He...he just wanted to see him so bad...so bad that tears were now welling up in his eyes.

---

I, sadly, know very little about baseball...besides it has three bases, a home base, you hit a ball with a baseball bat and you try to get back to home base with out being tagged with the ball ^^;

"That's alright that you don't watch it," Kiku responded to him, "playing is more fun than watching anyway."

His face softened into a sadder expression when Alfred mentioned his father. He sounded so sad and desperate. Well, their feelings about their respective fathers were a place where their similar situations differed greatly. Kiku would give anything not to ever turn out like his, whereas Alfred basically idolize his dad all his life. A hero, he thought he was a hero.

Kiku would give the doctor a chance to handle those questions.

---

I don't know really anything about the players or teams other than a few names. But I do know a lot about how it's played and the history of it. I could tell you who won the Little League World Series the past few years. lol I also know some stuff about the differences between how they play in US or Japan.

Anyways, if you decide you have any questions I could answer them I guess? idk orz