Arkham Asylum Part II

[Mr. Handy]

"An excellent suggestion, Mr. Vecchio," says Katherine. "I was thinking along those lines myself. It sounds like he believes that he switched bodies somehow. I've never heard of such things happening before, but that might explain Father Marsh's observation. But if he truly is Henry Atwater, why would he speak with a foreign accent? I'd have thought that the accent would go with the soul, not the body. By the way, what did Peabody tell you?"

[DrPeterson]

Henry's facial expression betrays his scepticism and the incredulity of this body swapping nonsense, but he tries to remain civil.

"Peabody couldn't tell us much, sister Katherine, he's still working on a translation of an inscription we found near the site. He suspected something of European origin, but to go so far as to say our Scottish friend here and it are related might be pushing the boundaries of probability."

Henry casts a furtive glance at the patient and takes a step back.


"But anyway, I agree with the confrontation, maybe Miss Williams should try rousing him and ascertaining his identity."

[DeeJ61]

Sharon Williams


"Well alright then, I'll try ... if you think it will do any good." replies Sharon ...
Sharon walks slowly toward the bed, steeling herself on the way. As she reaches the bedside, she takes a deep breath and begins to speak gently to the poor man lying there ...
"Please be calm, It's me ... your sister Sharon, do you recognise me? you are safe and in good hands, the people here just want to help you. Do you remember dear brother ... the time that you were climbing a tree and fell out? you broke a bone, I can't remember now was it your leg or your arm ... do you remember which bone you broke?"
Sharon stands silent for a moment, waiting for some kind of response ... She doesn't really know what to make of it all. As she looks to the others in the room, she can't help but think that it is all such a bizarre concept.

[Cearlan]

The prone figure on the bed, his eyes rolled back in their sockets as he twists his head from side to side. He lifts his right arm as far as the restraints will allow him to whilst shaking his left leg from left to right and twisting his foot from one extreme to the other. Suddenly he grabs for Sharon and his long fingernails, heavily calcified and blackened scratch deep into her flesh.

[Mr. Handy]

Katherine knows that she isn't strong enough to be of any direct help. Leaving that in the hands of the men, she hurries to fetch the attendant. "Quickly, your patient needs to be sedated!" she exclaims. "He's hurting her, but I don't think he realizes what he's doing."

[Cearlan]

"GNNAAAARRROOOOONNNNN HEEEEEEELLLLLPPPUS" then in a quieter voice as he lapses once more into unconsciousness "Help us please." His blackened claws slip off the flesh of Sharon's arm and flop onto the bed, trailing blood as they land with a silent rustle onto the crisp linen sheets. A nurse rushes into the room and after checking John Doe over she starts to fuss over the wounds on Sharon's arm.

"My dear, you really need to be more careful you know ... some of these patients can be very violent and you were lucky here that you were only given superficial scratches which will heal in a couple of days or so." She continues to admonish you in this manner as she expertly dresses your forearm.

[DrPeterson]

Henry stood by, fazed, as John Doe's sudden movement triggered his horrible memory again. Not sooner than the patient has subsided does he come to his senses again.

He puts his hand on Sharon's shoulder, trying to bestow some comfort and then looks around at the others.

"What as that he was yelling, sounded like some kind of name. Garon? Aaron?"



OOC: Good to have you back, Cearlan, I hope the wedding went well.

[Mr. Handy]

"I believe he was trying to say 'Sharon,'" says Katherine returning behind the nurse. Her first instinct is to help Sharon, but the nurse seems to have her physical injury well in hand, so she settles for putting a comforting arm around her. "Are you all right, Sharon?"

[DrPeterson]

"Yes...that's what I feared...We never once mentioned Miss Williams's name in his presence.


Henry scowls, staring at John Doe, he takes another cigarette out of his pocket and sucks it pensively without lighting up.

"What do you make of this?"

[Mr. Handy]

"I think we must consider the possibility that they did indeed switch bodies," says Katherine. "Sharon, which limb did your brother break?"

[Priest]

I stay well back in the doorway, all this spooky stuff is beginning to bother me and try as I might I keep hearing the rustle of wings.

[Cearlan]

The nurse, having dressed Sharon's scratches shoos you out the room. "This John Doe might get agitated again because of your presence - he needs his rest now so I'll ask you to leave and take your conversations elsewhere. Bear in mind that we have a missing patient as well so I'll escort you to the stairs where you can be taken back to Dr Hardstrom's office." Giving no room for argument, she hustles you down the long corridor when the lights go out. The cries and screams from the patients becomes deafening as their rooms become suddenly dark.

After about thirty seconds, though it seems more like five minutes the lights splutter and come back on and you get the impression that the nurse is more concerned about having you down here than she is about the lights. "That happens all the time down here ... not to worry ... this way please." As she unlocks the door she speaks to a passing orderly and asks to take you up to Dr Hardstrom's office.

[Mr. Handy]

"Of course," says Katherine, going back to Dr. Hardstrom's office with the others.

[DrPeterson]

"Lead the way, nurse."

Henry follows too.

[DeeJ61]

Sharon Williams

When the lights go out Sharon stops dead in her tracks ... she seems unable to move ... as if rooted to the spot.
'Oh no I don't like this ... don't like it one little bit!' she's thinking.
Putting her hands over her ears, she tries to block out the pitiful screaming and crying.
'I really don't want to be here right now!' she thinks.
Sharon can feel the panic overwhelming her, all of a sudden the lights splutter back on again, she looks to the others and pleads ...
"Please can we get out ... quickly!"
As the group make their way to follow the orderly, Sharon makes to follow them.
"WAIT! ... PLEASE WAIT!!! ... HELP ME!" she shrieks.
"My feet! please help me ... I can't move my feet, Aaaargh ... my arm it is so painful, I can feel his nails digging into me ... I must get out of this horrible place now!"

[DrPeterson]

"Miss Williams!", Henry exclaims and quickly turns to face the young woman.
He puts his arm around her shoulders and tries to makes some soothing sounds.

"It's alright, Miss Williams, it was just the lights, there's nothing wrong, everything is ok, you'll be just fine, we'll just go upstairs now..."

Rolling,In case I need to roll for either Spot or Psych, here's a roll: [dice]0[/dice]

[Priest]

The lights going out and the whimpering of patients was bad enough but with Miss Williams' scream of pure terror I start moving up the stairs fast. I'm sure that amidst all the other noises I can hear the beat of feathery wings.
"Ugh, I'll wait upstairs guys"

[Mr. Handy]

"Sharon!" cries Katherine, rushing to her side and examining her, trying to help her as best she can.

[DeeJ61]

Sharon Williams

Sharon ... Still very shaky but feeling rather silly at this point, just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.
"Oh I'm so sorry ... I don't know what came over me. Thank you for helping me."
She says to Henry and Sister Katherine;
"I think I can move now ... I'll be alright if we can just get out of here ... I do apologise for being so silly and holding everyone up."

[Cearlan]

You all assemble at the top of the stairs and are pleased to feel the cool air from outside wash over you, chilling those who may have perspired in their recent exertions.

Hardstrom's secretary waits at the door for you and ushers you into his office.



Hardstom does not look up as you enter and still without making eye contact he gestures for you to sit as he finishes off writing something on a report. The silence stretches until he finishes, ignoring any comments you make until he is done and with a flourish, puts the lid on his pen and lays it down and closes the file before moving it to one of the trays on his desk. He leans back and steeples his fingers as he looks at the group in general.

"Well my good people ... what did you make of our John Doe then? An interesting case study if naught else. The delusion that he is Henry Atwater is of course preposterous, and we will start to treat him for this in the next day or so, once his body has recovered somewhat."