IC-Ep 3-A Day at the Asylum(Everyone else)

[Mr. Handy]

Maxwell's Sanitarium - London, England
11:00 AM - Tuesday, September 10, 1940

Madeline Steadman left with Archie and Anna, leaving everyone else behind in the sanitarium. If anyone wanted to follow them in secret, now was the last chance.

[jp1885]

Eugene watches Archie and Anna leave with the witch, hoping that their ruse works. He turns to tge others and tries his best to smile.

"Shall we find a nice, secure and brightly lit cell we can lock ourselves into? We have time to prepare before it gets dark."

[aine]

Phyllis looks at the hall clock, “We still have most of the day but I suppose it’s best to be prepared. You and that poor home guard need to be in the same ward so we can all keep an eye on each other. And don’t forget, if there’s an air raid we’ll have to go somewhere safe for that too.”

[Mr. Handy]

"What are we going to do during the day?" asked Brook. "We have about eight hours before it gets dark. I don't think we should wait around for a monster to show up. We should be doing something."

[jp1885]

“We should prepare, I suppose. I’m no engineer, but could we rig up some flashbulbs to pull-switches? That way, if the generators fail or we can’t keep the lights on due to the blackout, then we might be able to fight back with.”

[Mr. Handy]

"That's a good idea," said Elizabeth. "But, um, who among us can do it? Because I sure can't."

"I might be able to help," said Charles Davis. "I'm not an electrician, but I have some experience with electric lighting."

"Okay," said Brook. "What do the rest of us do? Are we just going to wait here for the enemy to come after us, or do we take the fight to them?"

[aine]

Phyllis has been sitting, thinking. “If I were the enemy, I would attack during the air raid when we were all at sixes and sevens; on the way to the shelter perhaps. It would be dark and we’d be limited to lights we could carry.

We’d be better off preparing a room we could survive the air raid in and then we wouldn’t have to move. And, my dear,” She says looking at Thorn, “We could take the fight to them but we can’t endanger these two gentlemen, nor do we know where the enemy is hiding.”

[jp1885]

Eugene nods in agreement.

"My bet is they're hiding in their warehouse Mrs. C, but I agree: I don't think it's wise to move the sergeant or myself, and as much as sitting around here must be frustrating, we need to be careful and look to our defences."

"Charles, if you think you can set up something, I'm happy to help. I have in mind some sort of emergency pull-chord system that sets off flashbulbs. Certainly in our room, but if possible, also in the corridor outside?"

"Perhaps we could lay our hands on some strong sedatives? I've no idea what will happen when that thing starts to emerge, but would knocking out it's host slow it down perhaps? At any rate, if any of the Steadmans turn up, we could always give them a jab."

[Mr. Handy]

"I'll get to work," said Charles.

"Anna would have access to sedatives," said Elizabeth, "but she's not here now. Maybe when she gets back."

"The Father of All Bats will not be so easily defeated," said Story. "It is different from the Jaegerschreck, which is dangerous enough. I have the means to banish the Jaegershreck, but not the Father of All Bats. Still, we know it is also vulnerable to light, as Brook here demonstrated so aptly."

Brook beamed. "Should some of us go over to the warehouse while it's daylight, then?" she asked. "It'll be trapped there while the sun's out, but if we wait until it gets dark, it can go anywhere."

"Some more research might be in order too," added Elizabeth.

[aine]

Phyllis can see that inaction is frustrating the young people. "I would have thought the warehouse would be safe enough in daylight, if you wanted to explore it. I had better wait here with Eugene and the sergeant; I can just see the Steadmans walking in here and collecting them for some obscure reason. Charles, I don't think there's any point in securing a room if the hospital staff are going to insist we leave it during an air raid."

[Mr. Handy]

"Well, that's a good point," said Charles.

"Let's do some research first," said Story. "There will still be enough daylight left after that to go to the warehouse if we want." Elizabeth and Brook nodded agreement. "Does anyone wish to accompany us?"

[aine]

“I”d like to come along but I wouldn’t be comfortable leaving the sergeant and Eugene here by themselves. And I don’t trust the staff here; they don’t know what’s really going on.” Replies Phyllis.

[jp1885]

“I don’t think they’d let me out either, even if I was in much of a state to do anything useful.”

[aine]

Phyllis thinks, “The trouble is, the enemy know that you and the sergeant are here at the hospital, whatever we do they’ll direct their attack here. What about if we were to smuggle the two of you out and tonight hide you somewhere else; maybe at the church?”

[jp1885]

“That’s not a bad idea Mrs. C,” muses Eugene. “Assuming the sergeant will come quietly. Let’s have a quiet word with him.”

[aine]

Phyllis follows Eugene to the sergeant’s bedside.
“Sergeant, may I introduce Eugene; he’s had a similar experience to you and we think you are both in danger here. The enemy know you are both here and we think they may attack tonight. We want to take you somewhere else, somewhere safer with lots of bright lights to keep the dark away. What do you say?” Phyllis speaks kindly.

Persuade,70 [dice]0[/dice]

[Mr. Handy]

The sergeant instantly perked up when Phyllis mentioned bright lights. "I'll be happy to go with you, ma'am," he said. He smiled at Eugene. "Hello again, mate. We've met before. I think they'll let you leave since you checked yourself in, but I don't know if they'd let me go. If not, maybe I can sneak out of here. We had an escape and evasion exercise in the Home Guard. Of course, I didn't do too well..."

[jp1885]

Eugene smiles.

“That’s the spirit Sergeant! Perhaps we should take you for a constitutional; then we can work out an escape route.”

[Mr. Handy]

"Aye, they let us walk about the courtyard during the day," said the sergeant. "That's the perfect place."

[jp1885]

"A gentle stroll then, by way of a scouting mission?" Eugene replies. "Would you like to join us Mrs.C?"