The Institution

J

Jovian

Guest
Original poster
It was beautiful day; warm but not stifling, sunny but with a little cloud cover, and best of all - that meant the courtyard was open at the Rehabilitation Hospital. At least, that's what they called it. It sounded a lot nicer than calling it a mental health institution, at least that's how Tyler saw it. He was here often enough, and after his latest stunt he would be lucky to be here this time. They'd wanted to jail him, because resisting arrest after deciding it would be fun to break into a sports store to steal a kayak to go kayaking in the dark didn't seem to be looked upon favorably. But the judge had been his judge in the past and knew his history, choosing to give him one more opportunity for help before the cops would get their way. He was sure breaking that one's foot certainly didn't help him win their favor...


But, he was here once again and that didn't really bother him. They'd wanted him to join the groups in a game, but he was too restless. Even after a week, he was still unable to calm his need to do something extreme. Knowing they wouldn't change his mind, the others in his age group were led to the activity room in another area, a secure area, and left two staff members behind to keep an eye on him. Alone now, except for the two members of the staff who were seemingly ignoring him, he looked around; there was the door to the medicine store room which was locked at all times, the doors to each room, the door that led out of the living area, and then the door to the courtyard.


"I'm heading outside," he told the staff members, and one of them stood up slowly. For any other member of the group that was in here right now, they'd have just sat there and let them go - it wasn't like they could scale the buildings that surrounded the courtyard. But Tyler had to be watched in the courtyard; there were too many trees for him to climb and do something stupid. That didn't mean they held his hand. He stayed in sight but didn't really have that babysat feeling, because they weren't overbearing about their presence.


The courtyard wasn't small by any means, but it wasn't a vast expanse of land either. It was an interesting shape if seen from the sky; at least, that's what Tyler figured after having explored the edge of the courtyard. The building wrapped around it with varying edges; it curved in some places and went diagonal, or maybe straight, in the others. There wasn't a gate or anything that led straight to the "outside world" from the courtyard. If someone needed to leave the complex, they had to go through the building. None of the trees were close enough to the buildings that Tyler, or anyone else, could jump onto the roof and escape either. It was a fairly secure area.


Walking leisurely, Tyler was just enjoying the weather as he neared the center. There was a gazebo there, just a small one, and he felt like sprawling out and taking a nap there. As he approached, though, he could see someone on the bench that sat there, and slowly he realized it was a girl that he'd never seen before. Curious, he slowed his pace and studied her.
 
Megan sighed running a finger over the top of the pigeon's head. The staff had told her not to play with the birds, but she never really listened. The birds never hurt her so why ignore them.

"Columba livia, the rock pigeon." she muttered softly stroking the large bird's feathers softly. It looked at her with hungry, questioning eyes, and she couldn't help but shutter.

Her hand that wasn't holding up the large bird was playing with thick brown curls that were copped off here and there in a messy attempt to hurt herself again, but as usual failed.
Feet bare as usual she pulled a hand of bird seed from the bag of sunflower seeds she'd gotten from the nurses, and staff encouraging her to get out of her room. Scars still pale from hiding so long stood out starch white against the tan she'd had.

Two months, three days she'd been here, and today was the first time she had left her room having been under constant surveillance for self inflicted pain, bleeding, and other such injuries.

Doctors didn't know what she had that caused her to suddenly lose it one day, and the next come walking into the rehabilitation center with her grandmother dragging her in. There was a few theories, and it hadn't been the first time she'd been in this particular hospital in fact, but she kept coming back. Day after day, month after month, and year after year.

Megan noticed some new comers at the appeal of food and put the seeds by her feet so they could feed. It was enough to make her smile at the portly aves. Than her glasses where picked off by the bird she'd been holding and she screamed.

"Give me my glasses!" she squealed standing up sudden enough to make herself fall over on top of the bird holding her glasses.

It released as demanded and coed at her pleadingly not to be mad.

"You're Loki. The trickster. That's you're name now." she said still laying on the ground exposing the darkly scared half of her face to the world. The one she had gotten in the fire that had probably started all this.

That's when she noticed the guy walking by slowly and she squeaked as all the pigeons hopped over, and on her to get the spilled seeds pretty much hiding her from anyone's view.

"This can't be happening..." she muttered softly to the bird now named Loki.
 
Tyler watched her interact with the birds, a small grin on his face. Interacting with the birds wasn't really permitted, but he didn't see any harm in it. Until he remembered his tail, and turned to leave before she was discovered. However, he didn't go far when he heard the girl squeak and turned back - she was covered in the birds.

"Well... shit," he mumbled before rushing over. "Oi!" he yelled, kneeling down and scattering the birds. Running a hand through short but messy black hair, he grumbled over the birds and then turned to the girl. "Are you all right? I hope they didn't hurt you." He stood and offered a hand to help her up. "I'm Tyler."
 
"Columbia livia doesn't really hurt you..." Megan said sitting up quickly tugging at the longest length of hair standing up on her own. She looked down at her bare feet hoping the man didn't notice the scars.

"Unless you have food, and won't share." she said with a soft giggle to herself as the same Loki hopped around looking for scraps.

"Megan.... or patient fire as they call me..." Megan tried to look at him noticing the hair, and the eyes, and the mouth actually talking to her.

"Were you the one who stole the kayak?" she asked as Loki flew up to land on her shoulder.

She looked at the man's chin silently freaking out inside. This had been the most social interaction she had in weeks.
 
Falling back so that we was sitting on his rear, Tyler attempted to ignore the birds - the Columbia lava things. He grinned, almost sheepishly, at the mention of what had put him in here. It wasn't odd that he'd been talked about, but having someone he didn't know, know of him seemed a little odd. How was he going to interact with a good response in regards to her?

"Ah, yeah, that was me. It seemed like a good idea at the time," he answered, rubbing his neck. After a few days here, he'd started to realize how stupid that stunt had been, something that never really occurred to him for a couple weeks after doing something. Looking up, embarrassed and unable to meet her eyes, he asked, "So, ah, I haven't seen you around, did you just get here? Or, are you the girl that's had the staff on their toes?"
 
Megan chuckled quietly at the comment about the kayak, "Love to do that one day. Kayak."

She blushed putting herself into a comfortable sitting position on some of the garden stones beneath her rear end. One of her hands went up to cover the scar on her face, pulling everything in to hide sort of.

"Yeah... that's me. The pathetic attempt of a suicidal maniac." she felt Loki pressing his feathered wing into the side of her neck cooing softly at her.

"I've actually forgotten how long I've been here this time...." she said nearly whispering nibbling on her lip in fear of being judged.
 
Tyler frowned. "You aren't pathetic. We all go down at some point," he pointed out, dropping his face to look at her. He saw her defensive position, as though trying to hide everything from the world. Looking at her face, he caught a glimpse of a scar and reached out to put a hand softly on her leg. "You know, just cuz you had a moment of weakness, or even several, doesn't mean you can't become strong. That's why you're here, right? Someone loves you enough to want you to feel better, so that you can find that reason that will keep you alive."

He laughed and retreated.

"There's not a damn person out there like that for me. I was ordered here by the court. My dad could care less if I was out kayaking in the night on a river that could easily kill me."
 
"Actually my parents died when I was young, and my grandmother doesn't much care for me. Its more the neighbors saw blood..." Megan said softly relaxing a bit at the touch sad to see it go.

She looked at Tyler concern creasing her face. This was new. Sudden liking to a guy like him.

Megan scooted, sort of, over closer to Tyler batting the pigeon off her shoulder.

"I could be that person... if you'd like. I don't want you dead on a river some where. You were kind enough to talk to a birder with scars." she said with a faint smile wrapping her arms around his shoulders not sure why she did that before squeaking softly.

"I'm sorry.. shouldn't have done that." Megan said releasing Tyler.
 
Tyler was surprised when he felt arms around his shoulders. He looked at Megan and smiled gently.

"I'm glad you were found, then. And if you're that person for me, I'll be that person for you." He pulled her into a hug. "After all, you seem to wonder to suffer like that."

He didn't hold the hug too long, not wanting it to become awkward. And then he stood and held a hand out to her.

"Come on, let's go inside! I'm sure the staff member that was following me is about ready to head in by now. I'm surprised he hasn't dragged us back in by now," he told her with a bit of mischief in his eyes and grin.
 
She smiled fondly at getting a hug back. Almost moaning at the fact it ended. She liked the hug. It felt right to be held.

"So was I. Found. Now ornithology and anthropology is my middle names. I want to study the nature of love... and birds." Megan said with a dorky smile up at Tyler before taking his hand and standing.

"Did you know Columbia Livia lives everywhere in North America except northern parts of Canada?" she said with a dark blush before notice the look of mischief.

"But in we shall go, and keep you out of trouble even though it would be fun to do random things every now and than." she patted away a bird that had tried to land on her head.
 
He grinned as she began talking about things with words he didn't understand. It was pretty cute, he thought. And so was the blush that followed.

"Nah, I'm not trying to stay out of trouble," Tyler commented, not releasing her hand as they walked towards the building together. "I think it's going to be time for meal time soon, and they get really weird when you don't show up for that."

He looked over at her. "I used to fight it a lot, when they sent people to look after me when I wasn't with the group. Almost killed myself in these trees once; nearly fell from the branches." He shrugged. "That was during my last time in here."

"It's kind of cool you know a bunch of stuff, with the birds and all that," he said before they walked inside. "I don't think I know what all you were talking about, but it's pretty cool."
 
"Oh tell me about it. You stay in your room alone for five minuets and they think you hung yourself with your tee shirt. Which I wouldn't do by the way." Megan said at the gentle pull of Tyler's hand.

"You remind me of the story of the Owl. I can tell you about it at some point. All I know is right now I hope they have the tomato soup today." she giggled softly gripping tighter to his hand. Again something new to her. Someone holding her hand. She'd always been dragged by her arm, or her shoulder, or something.

"Just try and be careful. Trouble as long as you don't go to jail... I can't lose a friend already." she said softly wrapping her arm around the one that was holding her hand. Bare feet slapping on the occasional stone.

"Although sometimes knowing something is cool, just that's what happens when you're alone. You learn about things you like, like birds. Columbia Livia is just a pigeon, the rock pigeon. The fat grey birds always stealing your bread. I've always wanted to see a morning dove, Zenaida macroura, but there isn't that many of them around..." she paused realizing she was rambling again, "Sorry if I start to ramble... stop me... What's your favorite meal?"
 
Tyler thought it was cute, the way she sort of rambled. It didn't bother him at the least, but instead of telling her so he let it slide this time. Instead, he thought over an answer to her question.

"Well.. I'd probably have to go with grilled cheese, if I'm totally honest," he answered. "I mean, I love the stuff most people say, like pizza and stuff, but I love grilled cheese." Remembering her comment about wanting tomato soup, he chuckled. "Goes well with tomato soup, too!" he said with a wink.

They were in the common room, now. The staff member that had been keeping an eye on Tyler walked over to the other staff members, all of whom were back since the activity was over, and pretty much ignored them entirely. Looking around and realizing there wasn't really any place for the two of them to sit together except at one of the tables, he led her over there and pulled out a chair for Megan.

"Looks like it's not quite time," he commented quietly before taking a seat beside her.
 
Megan blushed servilely at the wink trying not to squeak like a little school girl. So he supposedly liked grilled cheese or was he flirting with her? Meg couldn't really tell.

She took the seat when Tyler pulled one out for her sitting down crossing her legs like she always did even when other patients said how it made he look older.

"How old are you Tyler?" she asked with a smile looking at the man sheepishly hoping he wasn't ten years her senior. She was after all only nineteen. Missed most of her high school carrier doing harm to herself.

"I'm nineteen." she said with a smile taking his hand again looking over at one of the many staff members.
 
Tyler was a little surprised at her age. Many of the marks he'd caught glimpses of had to be a bit older, so he'd assumed she was at least early twenties, and even still closer to 22 or 23.

"I'm 24 this year," he answered. He considered commenting on her age, but chose to let that go. It wasn't that big of a deal, after all. "Say, do you play any card games?"
 
"I use to til the staff busted me for counting cards when we were playing poker even though we weren't suppose to. Ever since they haven't let me play. Although I think its just fear of loosing their pocket change." she said with a deep blush thinking about how old that made her sound.

"When's your birthday. We should celebrate." she said bouncing slightly in her chair.
 
"I've never really played poker," Tyler said with a slight frown. Then he shrugged. "I'd snag a deck if you wanted to play something later. It wouldn't be too hard. Not many of the others will want to play a card game, and the staff won't say anything to me. I think they're afraid to set me off...." He shrugged again.

"My birthday was actually a little over a month ago," he told her with a sorry grin. "When is yours?"
 
"Sure." she said with a smile to deck comment before frowning slightly, "That doesn't give me a date to spoil my friend next year."

She chuckled lightly leaning against his arm for some reason just to feel someone else there. He was so warm it hurt almost to move away."

"And mines in May, May 1st, only a few weeks away. Although its always forgotten usually."
 
"It won't be this year," Tyler promised, shifting so that he was sitting closer and put an arm around her. Tucking her under his arm and into his side, he smiled. It was nice to be able to hold someone like this. Hell, he was enjoying just sitting here! That was an unusual thing for him, since he was always so active with something. It's the reason he went outside. It didn't explain why he wasn't able to go to the rec room with the others, but that was more because of the structure of the games. He just couldn't take that.

"I'll make sure I remember," he told her softly. The other inhabitants of this wing returned, and the staff announced it was dinner time. Reluctantly, Tyler pulled away from Megan and offered to help her get on her feet. He wasn't going to leave her side, he decided, until they forced him to. And even then he was afraid he'd put up a fight.
 
"Still." she smiled, "I'm going to do something special." Megan couldn't help but smile up at Tyler as he pulled her closer. The only real word that came to mind was, 'Safe.' It was odd, but she loved it. Normally she preferred to be alone for the night or something by this time of day, but there was just something different about Tyler. something that made her wish she had more time with him.

When dinner was called she happily took Tyler's hand standing up something out her skirt with her free hand.

"I beat I know a way they'd let us hang out later at night." she said with a soft mischievous grin.
 
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