The scrubs weren't itchy, but they were a bit courser than Beatrice liked. And they were a bit large for her. Her hair was still damp from the disinfecting.
So far they had taken her clothes, shoes, headband and her mothers necklace. What Beatrice didn't understand is why. But after it all the two men who'd driven her here, led her down a stark hallway and into a small room. It was as sterile as the rest of the place, albiet perhaps a bit more comfortable. The room was set up like an unlived living room, with two couches and a coffee table.
"Wait here." One of the men said, and they both left.
Beatrice stood dumbly for a moment before slowly taking a seat. She wish'd she'd been allowed a binder, so her long hair would stop falling around her face. She wasn't sure why she was here, or why she was being forced to wait, and the longer she was kept waiting the deeper the pit in her stomach grew, and the more she felt as if she was being watched. Observed.
One thing that everyone knew about Dr. Emily Russo was that she rarely did anything without purpose. She sat behind the one way mirror that gave her a look into the office the young girl had been brought into. Her name was Beatrice Waters, and she was their newest acquisition. The poor thing had apparently caused an accident with her powers, killing both of her parents in the process. It was sad enough without her uncle deciding that rather than take care of her, he would agree to essentially sell her to their organization.
She finished flipping through the files and set about watching the girl for a moment. She was sitting on one of the two couches, her feet flat on the ground as she shifted occasionally, pushing her hair back or looking around the room. She was anxious. Most of the children they acquired were anxious the first time they arrived. Although, Emily thought about one small boy, more than a decade ago, who had looked unflinchingly into her eyes as he had sat on that same couch.
This girl might have potential, the way he had. She had a background in medicine, after all, and her files indicated a significant amount of medical texts in her room. Maybe she would be useful inside the lab like he was. With that, Emily set aside the folder and stood, smoothing out her sweater and skirt under her lab coat. She made her way around the corner and through a doorway before turning toward the door that led into the office.
She gave a gentle knock before opening it, a soft but detached smile on her face. She stepped into the room, all of her movements calculated to be soft and to help put the girl at ease. There was nothing quite so good at easing the children into being there as a relaxed and easy going demeanor. She took a small breath, holding it for just a moment before smiling a little bigger.
“Hello! You must be Miss Beatrice Waters. I’m Dr. Emily Russo. You can call me Emily, if you’d like. I’m here to explain everything and welcome you into the program. If you have any questions, now is the time to ask them. Don’t be afraid of asking anything dumb, because there are no dumb questions. Now then, let’s start with you telling me how you are, shall we?”
Beatrice regarded the woman. She was tall for her age, and Emily not so much, but she still had an overwhelming presence that made Bea feel small. She forced herself to politely look a the woman, meeting her eyes.
"I'm ok, Ms- Doctor Russo." Beatrice answered. "I'm just...a bit confused."
Uncle Amos had told her that morning he had decided that it was pointless to keep her homeschooled, and had arranged for her to meet her teachers at her new private school while he was in meetings. Beatrice thought it a bit strange that he was finally letting her go to school again, but had been too excited at the possibility to argue a whole lot. One of the men from the school would drive her there and introduce her to everyone. Then he said he'd see her later, and left for work.
Beatrice hadn't thought much of it until they had actually arrived. No children. Disinfection. White walls and antiseptic smell. They'd taken her things. She still did her best to stay level-headed.
"My uncle didn't explain a lot...what is this place?"
