Mindscape // DreamNotFound

Chapter 18

          Crowds gathered, murmuring. The flashing of their cameras created a blinding fury of light and chaos. A lanyard hung loosely around his neck, the only thing separating him from the general mass. Elbows flew, all struggling to take his place at the front. Thousands of eyes peering as he stepped past the security line.

     " Mr. Davidson," a policeman muttered as he nodded in recognition. George took a deep breath, making his way up the stairs of the college. Police vehicles and armed officers kept the raging mob from breaking through the doors.

     The supervisor turned his head as he pushed in, greeting him with a small smile. There was a raven-haired man next to him, eyes dull from hours of non-stop questioning. George clutched the lanyard closer to his chest. The least the supervisor could do, he'd been told, was give them access to the building.

     He didn't stop to talk to them, instead diving deeper into the building. There were quite a few doors guarded by stoic officers, likely where they were holding the nurses and doctors under the employment of the formerly Big Three. That wasn't his target either, though.

     A waiting room sat at the end of the hall, and there was a significant amount of chatter coming from it. The sun streamed through the windows, giving the sitting area a soft yellow glow. The chairs, although wooden and uncomfortable, served their purpose well for the assorted few that sat in them.

     " Georgie," a happy-go-lucky voice shouted, and a large figure pounced on him. He chuckled and returned Nick's hug. " I'm so glad you came to visit."

     " He's not just here for you, moron," Tommy grumbled as he approached. Even with the annoyed edge, the boy seemed genuinely happy. Attached to his arm was a shorter brunette, whose smile lit up the room more than the sun already had. " He hasn't let go of me since we heard you'd escaped."

     " Two days, huh," Toby wondered aloud. " Seems like ages ago that the broadcast went live."

     " It was ages," George said, speaking for the first time since he'd arrived. Nick scratched the back of his neck, tilting his head to show he was listening. " Took them far too long to get the valid warrants to take over this place."

     " The legal process is grueling, cut them some slack," a new person chimed in. George smiled, turning to see Zak in the doorway. " I've been meaning to meet these guys."

     George stepped back, gesturing to Zak. " This is Zak, by the way, Darryl's fiancé. Zak, this is Nick, Tommy, and Toby."

     The three shook his hand, introducing themselves again. Zak's eyes glistened with a sensitive happiness, brief but true. With the whirlwind of events happening in the past few days, George was surprised he could remain standing. His resilience was astounding.

     Every now and again, you could hear the clicking of shoes through the halls. Nurses and doctors from nearby hospitals had been sent over that morning to take care of any patients that were still supposedly in the SDC's care. It was refreshing, at the very least, to see them buzzing around.

     Toby released Tommy's arm to step over to the window, giving his friend a moment to breath. He sighed loudly, " I can't wait until they let us see our families."

     " Yeah," Nick agreed. " They've kept us solitary to ask us questions until now, though I think they're trying to reach our folks."

     " Damn," George whistled. He glanced over to the two boys. He'd already had an emotional phone call with his parents the night before, hours upon hours of them doting on him, not like he minded. With the emotions that brought forth, from an adult who was used to being away from home, he could only imagine the thoughts going through the boys' heads.