#like this is the second time ive been utterly catatonic in my bed over a soul crushing life event during production

[swamp-gremlin]

I'm having a very "how will this effect the local trout population" right now with work

[gwenore]

Dominion. Chapter 1.

Summary: Belle is working as a nurse at Storybrooke hospital. Some time ago they got in a John Doe in a catatonic state. Belle knows at once something is off as though he doesn’t speak or react to pain he doesn’t seem catatonic, following her with his eyes and listening to her every words.  The only possession he has on him is a picture of a boy about fourteen years old.  One evening she is reading to her charge and the skies turn blood red and the light goes out at the hospital as all hell beaks loose in the small town. 

Note: I got the idea while I was getting a new medicine for my arthritis at the hospital through an IV (nothing to worry about). Being stuck with this wire for a couple of hours I thought about how creepy hospitals could be and that it would be fun to write a story with Belle as a nurse... so... this happened.  Hope you enjoy. 

“Hello, it is a nice day out today,” Belle said with a smile towards the man sitting upright in his bed. She had worked in the Storybrooke hospital as a nurse for a couple of years now, a very small and quiet place, one that had very few patients to take care off… at least not too many staying more than a couple of nights for observations.

But for a couple of weeks Belle had been in charge of a male patient with no name with a rather… different. He was in a permanent catatonic state… well that was what Dr. Whale said, though in her time working here she had little confidence in that drunk’s medical knowledge.

Belle wasn’t sure this was true. It just didn’t feel… right.

She could feel him following him with his dark eyes, and he was listening to her. He was almost… trapped. She also felt he was distrusting and… terrified. Something terrible must have happened, but so far he had not spoken a single word.

What worried her was that he had not responded to pain, leading Dr. Whale to declare him catatonic. Even as she changed his IV drip he did not even flinch or tense… even if he was watching every thing she did.

This John Doe had been picked up by deputy Swan and sheriff Humbert, wandering around the edge of town… dressed in a surprisingly well made suit, clearly expensive and of high quality… nor was it even dirty. He had been brought in to Storybrooke hospital and after being checked for injury. Belle was one of the nurses who had the most to do with care of him.

He had still clutched the image and his grip had been such that any attempt of removing it was nearly risking breaking his fingers. It was only after Belle had coaxed him for hours he finally released it, but she took great care to keep it close to him, even buying a small frame on her way to work the very next morning allowing it to be placed on his nightstand. Belle knew that every time no one else where in that room his eyes never left that image as she had often watched him from the door.

John Doe was in his fifties, or so Belle guessed, on the shorter side with a hooked nose and dark eyes, with half long graying hair.

The man had no identification on him… no wallet… no phone… in fact he had nothing on him other than a picture of a boy about fourteen years of age which he clutched in his hand. He desperately held onto it… refusing to be parted from it.

He also showed no sign of injury… there was absolutely no reason for this man to be looking like he was.

According to Emma… whom Belle knew… a bit at least as they had talked some times at Granny’s diner said they had searched for missing persons matching his description, but there was no missing persons from Storybrooke… and no one matching John Doe’s description in the area surrounding the small town. They were even going through the missing persons from Boston, but as there was no sign of John Doe having a car… nor had they found an unknown vehicle which might have belonged to him.

Emma had sighed and then stated that it was like the man had appeared out of nowhere.

Belle looked at him as she was checking his vitals.

Surely… no one could appear out of nowhere right?

“Don’t worry… we will get you better soon…” she reached out her hand to move a couple of stray strands of hair which had gotten in his face. His eyes looked into hers and she could swear that he was pleading with her to help him, but he wasn’t able to tell her.

“I just… I just wish you could tell me what happened to you…” she whispered. A loud gasp passed her lips as the man grabbed her hand, looking up at her, his breathing labored… wishing to speak so clearly, yet he wasn’t even able to open his mouth as if his jaw was frozen shut.

The grip was intense, and she could feel him trembling.

“What is it?” she asked, holding her hand over his own. “Please… tell me. I want to help you.”

His eyes rolled back before his head fell back into the pillow, his hand releasing her, the hand falling down. Belle stepped closer to him, feeling his forehead. He was burning and sweating bullets.

She bit her lip, there was nothing she could do for the fever, but though his vitals had spiked they were now dropping down to normal. Deciding she would monitor his temperature through the day and also take care to up his fluids should this be needed.

Belle did not want to leave him… he obviously was in distress, but she had work which needed to be completed… but she would be back as soon as she could she would return to check on him.

Slowly her fingers stroked over his cheek, looking deeply into his dark eyes.

“I have to leave…” she whispered softly to him. “I will be back soon… alright? Just… just hang in there…”

Belle swallowed nervously as she finally removed herself, wandering towards the door she looked towards him once again, but now his eyes had turned towards the picture. Gently she opened the door and exited into the hallway.

  Days passed like that, but John Doe showed now improvement to get out of his catatonic state. Belle had talked about him with some of the other nurses. No one had reported anything strange, except for the state of his medical condition and how he came to be there.

Apparently he had not reacted to any of them…

This day Belle had the nightshift. A painfully slow twelve hours before she headed home at 6 am. She did not really mind. Most of the time she would spend reading of do various things around the hospital… it was rare that she or the other nurses on guard was called by any of the patients.

With book in hand she took her book in hand she found herself wandering towards John Doe’s room.

Perhaps he was sleeping… it was already quite late, but then again… she didn’t think that she had ever seen him sleep.

Softly she wandered inside and sure enough she was met by those dark vigilant eyes.

“Hi… it is me. Do you… do you want me to leave?” she asked him. He made no moment, but he seemed more at ease now that she was there with him.

“Alright… I will stay here for a while then,” she smiled before she wandered over, sitting himself on a chair next to his bed. Picking up her book she showed it to him.

“It is called ‘Her handsome hero’ a silly story I know… but it has always meant a lot to me… do you… do you want me to read to you?” she asked. She had not expected an answer, but he managed to make the slightest of nod, his eyes softly resting upon her.

“Alright then, hopefully it will not bore you…” she smiled as she opened her book and started to read the words she knew so well since childhood, the man without a name nor voice listening to her… his breathing for the first time easy and relaxed.

As Belle reached the third chapter, it was already time for the end of her shift and the sun was expected to rise at any moment. Slowly she closed the book, looking towards her charge and expecting him to be asleep, but he was still looking at her, seemingly understanding that she was going to leave, but those eyes were pleading with her to stay.

“I am sorry… but I will be back tonight… and unless something happens… which around here it almost never does, I can read some more if you want,” she told his. Honestly it broke her heart having to leave him.

He was utterly alone… unable to tell anyone who he was or where he belonged. His eyes looked down… a bit of a defeated look on his face, but seemingly accepted what had to be done.

Belle sat there for some time, before reaching out to stroke his cheek.

“Don’t worry,” she whispered to him, as she had done so many times before. “We will get you better.”

Glancing up her eyes furrowed. Outside the window there was a strange light… John Doe’s eyes followed hers and he startled, seemingly trying to crawl out of the bed… moving more than he had done in his time at the hospital.

With hesitant steps she wandered over to the window and peaked out the window and she was filled with dread.

The sky outside had turned blood red. Not like a sunrise… a deep dark blood red, nearly leaving the town in complete darkness except for the slight red light.

“What is…” she muttered, and she nearly screamed as someone grabbed her hand and covered her mouth. Looking over she saw it was her patient, having within seconds ripped off his IVs and was now pulling her down behind the bed and hushed her.

She was about to ask him what the hell was going on, but in the same moment all the lights in the hallway shut off followed by horrid shrieks and… Belle had to cover her ears as the maddening sounds she heard coming from the hallway, enough to bring tears to her eyes.

The unknown man’s mouth then opened showing rows upon rows of lethal teeth, his forced grin so wide it looked near agonizing, as a forked tongue slid out.

“I am sorry…”