The Insignificants

Chapter 1-Fresh Starts

    Anna walks up to the huge, extravagant brick building the cool winter breeze blowing her mousey blonde hair. She pulls her long tan coat tight around her body in attempts to block out the frigid Iowa air. She finally reaches the wide semi-circular steps leading up to the large mahogany door. She timidly pushes open the door stepping into the main entrance.
    Anna's large grey eyes spot a small, white sign pointing her in the direction of the main office. She pulled off her long, tan jacket putting it with the others in the rack to her left. Following the directions she turns to her left and walks down the hall. Her black flats softly padding against the detailed, white and black tile floor in the eerie silence of the building. Her attention is instantly stolen from her feet as she hears a large thump and a scream from the floor above her.
    She furrows her brows suprised to find their day already starting, but she looks down at her thin black leather watch noting the silver hour hand on eight realizing she was slightly behind schedule. She rushes over to the office and walks in. A muscular man with a blonde, crew cut sitting behind a large oak desk peers up at her with bright blue eyes. He flashes her a set for perfectly straight pearly whites in acknowlagment of her exsistance. He stands up holding out his hand, "Nice to finally meet you Mr. Crawford. Glad to have you join the Cherokee State Hospital." His deep melodic voice pulls her into his warm, inviting presence. "I'm David Mason, the head doctor here," He adds. A blush graces her cheeks as she shakes his hand.
    Anna pulls away folding her hands behind her back. She allows her long glossy hair fall in front of her face.
    "Thank you sir. excited to get started," she responds softly her grey eyes meeting his and then darting away uncomfortable with the intimacy of the act. A sly grin crawls onto his face as he look back at his paperwork amused by her shy, awkwardness.
    "Normally we don't specially assign someone a specific patient, but the Hughes as you know can afford to spare the expenses. James Hughes will be on the second floor of the left wing room 212," Dr. Mason said motioning the directions with his hand as he looks intensely at the paperwork. Anna tilts her head confusion just briefly crossing her face. This couldn't possibly be the movie star, when reading over the paperwork she never took in consideration that it could have been him. From what she knew he already had a wife and kids. It has never been mentioned that he had an older son. She dicarded the idea with the justification that he was probably someone else or a cousin.
    "I assume you read all the paperwork," He continues glancing up at her for a response. She nods her head recalling the packet she got in the mail that she read over quite possibly a thousand times. "Well then you know, severe multiple personality disorder, male, 26. The whole works," David sums up shrugging his shoulders putting the file down looking at Anna.
    "One last thing before you go. James can get pretty violent and he has a big build. He could easily overpower a woman, especially someone like you," He says gesturing toward her thin, lanky frame.
    "So don't be afraid to ask for help. We wouldn't have asked somebody of your nature if it weren't for the last guy screwing up so completely. The Hughes family wanted to go a completely different direction in hopes to reach him better. We think a woman could do a better job of the tedious nursing jobs. Besides we need the men doing the real work" He says finishing up.
    Anna tried to keep a straight face. She knew when she chose to venture out into the great big world, as her parents so kindly put it, she would run into people who so firmly stick with the notion that men were superior and although Dr. Mason had a point about size she couldn't help the anger rising inside her, but she pursed her lips and stayed silent unwilling to cause conflict especially on her first day.
    "I will send someone by in a little bit to show you our daily check up. That will be all Mrs. Crawford," He says pulling Anna out of her thought process. Anna rises from her seat silently recognizing her dismissal.
    Following his directions to the room Anna makes her way shoving her hands in the large pockets of her light blue nursing dress. She makes her way up the large spiral stairs at the front entrance of the Hospital and turning to her left towards a hallway of doors. Several men and women were roaming around. Many looked distraught and unhygienic many were even mumbling incoherent thoughts under their breath. Look of pity crosses her dainty face as she watches the neglected patients. Anna takes a deep breath as she walks forward ignoring the horrors taking place around her.
    Finally she arrives at her destination. Anna places her hand on the cold, light oak door pushing it open. To her surprise the room looks empty, but before she could deem her patient missing a chair turns around carrying a chubby boy. The boy's small brown eyes seemed to only shrink in the skinfold surrounding it and his large boyish head supported a small flat nose. James is not what she expected at all.
James got up slowly his eye twitching slightly and his hand stuck in a uncomfortable stuff position as it was raised towards her. His lip twitched as he got closed his empty eyes looking back at her.
    "Turn away now," he rasped finally reaching her. "Or they'll ruin your mind just like me!" He grumbles grabbing on to Anna's arms as she attempted to step back out of fear.
    "I can't let them do that to another one not again," James continued shaking her.
A/N: The picture is Anna little older than she actually is but you get the idea.