Room 4 - Alfred F. Jones

Carlos Machado was sitting in the staff room, smoking his cigarillo and reading his notes from the previous day. He heard the door open and he lifted his head.

"Ah Kiku" he said with a tired grin. "Good morning." In his other hand was a worn, practice baseball. "I kept my promise. But let me guess, discuss the plan for today?"

No! He couldn't think like that. Heroes were meant to be strong and positive. So being the hero he was, strong and positive is what he would be. He wiped away his tears with his hand before grabbing his pillow and holding it to his chest, hugging it hard. They'd come, he was SURE they'd come, they'd HAVE to come. Because they were his friends, right?

Alfred groaned and held his head, frowning deeply. He wasn't used to thinking this much. He usually spent all his time playing or watching tv or looking at comic books or saving people and eliminating bad guys, not sitting about in a boring room, alone, with only his thoughts to keep him company. He hugged the pillow harder, burrying his face into his as he sighed loudly.

Kiku nodded. "I thought it would be better if I asked you beforehand today. We didn't get the chance to talk before going in with the patient for the first session. That made me a bit nervous about involving myself. I didn't know if it would go against your methods."

A bit of the cigarillo smoke wafted over to him and he coughed involuntarily.

He looked at the baseball. "Have we aquired some time out in the yard today? Should I get a mitt?"

He looked away just then. "But, yes. What plans to you have for today? Anything you want me to do?"

"Ah yes. It was a bit haphazard yesterday. I am glad it worked out." he said flicking a bit of ash from his cigarillo into the ashtray. "But no, you did not interfere with my course of action. It went pretty close to how I anticipated it to go."

He tossed the ball with his free hand. "Yes. We have an hour this afternoon after lunch. It will be a good chance to get him to open up to us a little more. A mitt? If you wish. I don't have one."

"I just want to continue to have him talk to us. I want to learn about him from him. Chime in, coax him along."

He lay back on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, frowning as he felt his stomach give a loud grumble. Hell he was hungry! Alfred wondered if people ever got fed here? 'Cause he was starving and if he didn't get something to eat soon he was sure he was going to die. But who was he to ask for food?

Should he just knock on the door and ask someone to bring him something to eat and was there even anyone out there? He hoped there was, because he reeeally needed to eat. "I'm huuuungryyyyy! Reeeally hungry! Super duper hungry!" He pouted hard when no one replied, feeling a bad case of grumpiness starting to hit him. How the hell did they expect him to survive without food?

Kiku nodded. "Very well, I'll get one then. And alright."

He looked at the time. It was still morning. So they would have a session with him, and Kiku could probably grab the mitt during lunch, or right after.

"Should we head down to talk to him now?" Kiku asked.

---

bleh this reply is suck. sorry.

The doctor took a last drag from his cigarillo and then put it out. "Yes, its about that time. We'll head down and continue from yesterday. We are to take it slow today. Stay on neutral subjects and let him bring up anything he'd like to discuss."

He stood up and put the ball into his coat's pocket and sighed then smiled happily. Time to put on a good front. This was his first patient, he had to try.

He ended up lying on the floor, hugging pillow as he glared up at the ceiling. It was really boring here AND he hadn't been fed! A pout had taken over his face for quite a while now, making it even more obvious that Alfred was not pleased. If he was at home this never would of happened. He would of already eaten and he'd have toys and action figures to play with. And he'd be well mooded, very well mooded, unlike he was now.

"Very well," Kiku responded and nodded.

He turned around and reopened the door to the staff room so they could both leave. Their footsteps echoed down the hallway, as the almost always did.

It wasn't too long until they reached the room occupied by Alfred Jones once more. He knocked to signal that they had arrived.

"Alfred?" he called. "It's Kiku and Carlos again."

The walk to the room was one the doctor never enjoyed having to flash his credentials several times along the way. "Dios Mio, I am a doctor. Ah, such is life I suppose."

He stood behind the aide and sighed, his mind clouded in thought. He hoped for a good session.

The moment Alfred heard Kiku talk he jumped up, instantly feeling a smile creep onto his face. They'd came! He KNEW they would come, he just knew it! He giggled happily to himself, glad to finally have some company.

"Come in~! Come in~! I've been sooo bored, there is like, nothing to do here!" He grinned brightly and went and sat on his bed, crossing his legs and rocking back and forth in excitement.

Kiku opened the door up and smiled at the patient. It was very good that he was glad to see the two of them. "We are here," he said. He let the doctor come through as well, and then shut the door behind them.

"Good morning," he told Alfred as brightly as he could without being false. He thought he did decently. "How are you?"

Carlos followed his aide in and offered his own warm grin. He was happy that the patient was enthusiastic to see them, the both of them. It had been a concern of his but with that greeting it was shattered pleasantly.

"Hello Alfred! Its good to see you today. How do you feel?"

The moment they both walked into the room Alfred jumped up, eagerly pulling them over to his bad and pushing them down to sit on it before happily sitting in between them. He grinned brightly before he started to talk.

“I’m boooored! I’m really bored! ....and I’m hungry! I haven’t had breakfast yet! Can we eat? I really need to eat...” At that exact moment his stomach gave a particularly loud growl, almost as though wanting to make a point about his hunger. “See? I’m starving! Pleeeeeease~?” He then pouted a little, hoping it would win them over.

Kiku was honestly surprised. Who was in charge of that? "You haven't been given food?" he asked, although the answer seemed obvious.

He looked at Carlos, although the doctor was actually a bit newer here than he was. "Would we be able to get him some food?" he asked.

Sure, the patients needed to be supervised here, but they shouldn't have to starve.

Carlos flipped his chart. "Well, that simply won't do." he added with a concerned look on his face. "We'll have to correct that as soon as possible." With those words he stood up and went to the door. "Excuse me, can we get this fellow some food. He's a bit hungry and its not good for his treatment."

---

Fail reply. I'm sorry.

Alfred was happy that he was finally going to be fed. He knew his friends wouldn't let him starve to death, he just knew it! He grinned brightly, bouncing up and down in excitement. "Food~! Food~! Food~! Thanks~! I knew my friends wouldn't let me be all hungry!"

He gave each of them a quick hug in thanks before waiting around for food, trying to stop the bouncing he was doing.

"Of course we wouldn't let you stay hungry," Kiku told the bouncing patient, "that would be awful."

He was hugged, something he was started to expect when he came in here. He wondered if Alfred had lacked comforting physical contact as a child, and thought it was likely the case.

"You're welcome. Hopefully that will arrive soon."

"Yes, it should be here soon. It won't be fancy but it should satisfy you. Once you've eaten we can chat a bit more. And after you've eaten we can talk about playing baseball this afternoon."

He shifted a bit then smiled at his patient and aide. He was a bit more at ease today than the previous one. He was forming connections and that made him happy. A knock at the door. A disgruntled orderly came in and set a tray grumpily down and left without a word.

"Ah,scrambled eggs, toast and juice. Looks quite good."

“Food is food~! As long as it’s not burned’d or that icky Marmite stuff then I’ll eat it all up~!” He beamed at that, feeling proud that he wasn’t really a picky eater. It meant that he could eat practically anything he was served. He perked up even more as he heard Carlos say something about baseball.

“Really? We get to play BASEBALL? Yay~! Thank you Mr. Carlos~!” He gave the big man another hug before turning to stare at the door as it was knocked upon. A really grumpy looking man came in and brang a tray of food with him. He put it down and left silently.

Alfred dashed over as he saw the food, drooling a little at the sight of something to eat finally. Scrambled eggs, toast and juice. A proper breakfast. The American couldn’t be happier. “Food~! Food~! Breaky~! Breaky~! Yuuum~!” He took the tray and sat down on the floor, starting to eat his breakfast. Alfred then stopped suddenly, looking up at Kiku and Carlos.

“Do you two want some?” He said, offering them some of his food. He may be hungry but he wasn’t greedy! A hero always shared what he had with his friends.

Kiku smiled at the man. He seemed so excited. When he was like this, it was hard to imagine him being dangerous.

"It's quite alright, I have eaten, but thank you for offering," he told him. "Eat up so you aren't hungry anymore, and then we can talk and such together."

He watched the man, still thinking, but with a smile still on the surface. How can someone seem so innocent and have their actions be just the opposite?

This man was immoral. Immoral was a choice to do something wrong. He didn't have any understand that his actions could possibly be the wrong thing. Although, that would be why he was brought here, instead of prison.

His outside demeanor was...actually sort of cute.

Moments like this, he really did seem like a child. But Carlos was all too aware of the danger he posed. Still, he had promised himself to help this man and he would do all in his power to do so.

"Ah, no thank you. I am still a bit full from my breakfast. Plus, don't you want your strength to play baseball later?" he smiled

He watched the man carefully as he ate,taking mental notes of the previous actions. He acted so much like a child but according to his file was capable of such acts of destruction and violence. Such a contradiction. But perhaps not so much. They often said there is not more cruel than a child.

"So finish up and we can talk a bit. The sooner we do, the sooner we can go out to the yard and play baseball."

Alfred cocked his head to the side, searching their faces for any sign of doubt, wanting to know for sure whether they were actually weren’t hungry or if they really were. Within a few seconds he decided that they were telling the truth, smiling happily to himself before picking up the little plastic spoon, his food already cut into little bite size pieces. “Well... if you two are reeeeeally sure... then... okay~!”

With a little hum he quickly started devouring his breakfast, making a terrible mess as he did so. His manners for eating, sadly, hadn’t improved since his childhood, matching his childish personality and mentality.

“All done~!” Alfred looked up at the other two with an innocent smile, bits of food all around his mouth and on his shirt. “Let’s talk, let’s talk~! I wanna play baseball reeeeal soon~! It’s so boring in here... I wanna go outside~!”

He jumped up from the floor, the spoon still in his mouth before he pulled it out, dropping it onto the ground. “Hurry~! Hurryyyyy~!”

Alfred ate messily. Like a child. Except Kiku wouldn't have hesitated to chide a real child for such behavior. But here, he had to be more careful.

He decided on a friendly tone and continued to smile at the man. "We should clean up a bit, yes?" He picked up a napkin that had been brought with the food and held it up. "Your face? If you'll allow me?"

He waited for permission and made sure that his expression and posture were friendly. He couldn't be too careful.

"Unless you want to wipe it yourself?" he also offered. Self-sufficiency should always at least be an option.

Carlos stifled a laugh, it was innocently charming how he ate. He took a breath and realized this was part of his disorder. He was an adult with the mind of a child and he had sworn to help him.

He watched his aide offer the napkin to the man, carefully watching and making notes. His efforts to create a bridge to the patient had succeeded, at least for now. Hopefully,they would bear fruit.

"Yes, first lets clean up a bit then we can have our little talk. Are you up for it Alfred?"