A forceful hand pushed Red forward, his feet stumbling on concrete. With his bands bound, he found it difficult to maintain balance and buckled over on his knees. He sat there for a moment, trying to calm his anger. Life had a funny way of showing him how worthless he was. Even with everything he had been through up to this point, he was surprised at how low things turned out for him. His chest rose in an infuriating breath of air, his teeth clenched and his fist balled up in complete frustration. A shadow loomed over him and he relaxed his muscles, lifting his head and gazing up at the perplexed face of long haired girl that seemed about his age. [i]Pretty[/i], he thought to himself. [i]What’s she doing in this place?[/i] She spoke to him, something he wasn’t use to. At first glance, he wouldn’t have pegged this girl to be the one to approach him. No one other than the guards had talked to him since his arrival. Then again, he had not been let out too much since. They didn’t allow him near the others until today. Something about evaluation.

Red cleared his throat and gave a forced smile. [i]Oh god, she probably thinks I’m insane[/i]. “I’m sorry if I disturbed you,” he apologized, adjusting himself so that he could stand up easier. "You shouldn't have to listen to all that." Once up on his feet, Red glanced down at the cuffs, his smile fading. She was right, the cuffs helped. But still, the voices remained, whispering in his ear. He didn’t understand how they worked to suppress his ability, hell, he didn’t even understand the source of his ability. Somehow the cuffs could tap into it and nullify it to an extent. In that moment it occurred to him: Karla was gone. He scanned the courtyard for her in the most subtle way possible but to no avail. He couldn’t see her. For the first time since the accident, he couldn’t see her. Still, he could hear the voices, soft as they may be. He returned his attention to the stranger and gave her a weak smile. “I guess these cuffs are the only merciful thing about this place,” he added. “How long have you been here?” he asked. Perhaps she’d know more about the hospital.