Chapter Two
The four Baudelaires followed Dr. Audrey Addams inside the office, and they first noticed that most of the room's lighting was given by the large fireplace in one side of the room, and a few old light bulbs and lamps that did only so much to offer the place any light whatsoever. The overall result was that of a room in which someone could have very recently died, and the Baudelaires, each, felt this as they examined the room around them; piles and piles of asylum and medical paperwork were scattered on top of the furniture. In the center of the room, and under the painted portrait of an austere man with auburn hair - the same shade as that of Audrey Addams, and that of the man sitting behind said desk. He read what seemed to be a patient's file, his face ridden with angst. He lifted his eyes for a second, and resumed his reading, only to revert his focus on the woman and the four children across the room.
'Audrey? Who are these?' The man asked, examining the Baudelaires from afar. 'Oh, they are related to one of our recently admitted inmates. They have requested visitation.' The man frowned, not a hostile frown, but a sincere, concerned frown. The Baudelaires noticed his wrinkles, bags, and uncanny pale-ness, and messy hair, like that of a man who hadn't slept in days. 'You
did tell them visitation hours are over for today.' He said to Audrey. 'Yes, but it's a storm outside, it's autumn, and they have two small girls, they needed shelter.' Audrey paused, examining the man's expression. His eyes went from each Baudelaire to the next, examining them not in a disrespectful way, but in a curious one.
'Arthur, these are Violet, Klaus, Sunny and Beatrice Baudelaire.' Audrey said. The man rose and walked to the center of the room, where the Baudelaires stood. 'Oh, hello. I am Dr. Arthur Addams, head psychiatrist of Addams Asylum.' He shook each Baudelaire's hand one after the other - even Beatrice - as they each greeted him.
'Weren't you talking to Dr. Finch, Arthur?' Audrey asked. There seemed to be no one but Arthur in the office. 'Yes I was. He's behind you.' The Baudelaires froze, and Audrey looked back, getting scared and let out a whimper of dark surprise. 'Oh, Dr. Finch. We couldn't see you there. You could have said something, you know.' Audrey politely suggested. The Baudelaires were all brave, but it was a very dark surprise to learn Dr. Finch had been behind them, in complete silence, watching the conversation from the shadowy part of the room. 'Oh, Audrey. I was merely watching social interaction. I do research on it as you know.' Dr. Finch said. His voice was low, grave, and disturbing, almost as if it was the voice of someone with a dark secret. The Baudelaires
were equally brave, but in this moment, Beatrice Baudelaire was the bravest, as she turned her head to observe Dr. Finch.
'Sandy claws?' Beatrice said upon seeing Dr. Finch standing there, his hands holding each other behind him. Here, she probably meant something along the lines of: 'This man looks like a dark Santa Claus.' And Beatrice was right. There were much differences between the man named Dr. Finch and the mythological figure of Santa Claus, a good old man who lives in the north pole and once a year grant presents to kids who haven't been naughty the entire year. This, of course, automatically excluded each and every single child in the world, because there is not one child who has not been naughty at least once a year, so in my opinion, dear reader, Santa Claus must be having quite a vacation.
Back to the subject of Dr. Finch's appearance, he did look sort of like the goold old man of legend, but he was
peculiar. He did not wear any red, and he didn't carry a bag of presents with him, if a small bottle containing a powerful anti-psychotic, and a metal clipboard with suspicious reddish, rusted stains. Dr. Finch was also a fat man with white hair, much like the mythical grandfatherly figure, but unlike Santa Claus, Dr. Finch was, put simply,
menacing.
'What brings you four to Addams Asylum, young ones?' Dr. Finch asked. Violet turned to him and said, 'Well, we need to visit one of your most recent patients. It's urgent.' Violet said. She was not actually sure Cindry was being held at the Asylum, commited by the Sanity Squad, but it was their best - and only - bet. 'I see. Well. Visitations hours are over.'
'We know that, but we could stay until tomorrow? We'll gladly share a room if you let us stay, in this stormy night.' Klaus said. Lighting lit out the sky outside for a brief moment, followed by thunder. The sound of the rain outside was very intense and constant, and the storm showed no signs of stoping. 'Of course. We have two rooms available in our Quarter Ward. It is the area of the Asylum where the doctor and other staff live in.' Audrey Addams said. 'You all...
live here?' Violet asked nervously. She had lived in some horrible places in the past, but she could not imagine living in a dark, gloomy and ominous building in the middle of the woods. 'Yes. So do my daughter, Natalie, and myson, Nathan. They were actually raised here. Separately.' Dr. Finch said.'You raised them
here?
Separately?' Klaus asked, curious about what Dr. Finch was implying. 'Yes. They did mantain contact in school.'
'I suppose we can have you here in the Asylum for a night or two.' Dr. Arthur said. 'Just, stay away from the left, right, central, and high security wards. Stay away from all wards. For your own safety.'
'It is a full moon after all.' Dr. Finch said. A heavy silence took over the room, and then another lightning and thunder roared the skies above. Suddenly, there was a knock to the door, and a female voice sounded. 'Excuse, me, Dr. Addams. We have a situation in the female ward. Lisa and Harley are at it again.' A woman, more precisely, a nurse, came in. She was really pretty, but also very pale and with dark cicles around her eyes. Despite being rather young, she looked like she had seen more than her share of madness working in that place. 'Oh, who are these? New inmates? Such a pity, to see four young ones who are insane.' She took on a pitiful, pain-stricken expression as she observed the Baudelaires.
'We're not insane.' Violet said, defending herself and her family. 'Excuse me, Baudelaires. It seems like I'm needed. You can talk to me about whoever this relative of yours that is a newly admitted inmate later. Let's go, Nurse Ratched.' He said to the nurse. She however stopped him. 'Actually, the three of you are needed there. The nurses are having troublecontaning Lisa and Harley, and they have managed to set a trash can on fire.'
'Not again!' Audrey complained. Apparently, it was more than common at the Asylum for that to happen, and not only Audrey, but everyone else, had grown weary of such events. 'We can't leave the Baudelaires alone.' Dr. Arthur said. Dr. Finch smiled, and then spoke.'Natalie and Nathan could make the Baudelaires some company, perhaps take them on a tour around the asylum.' He suggested. Arthur and Audrey suddenly stopped on their steps. 'Um, I don't think that is a very good idea, Dr. Finch. With all due respect, of course.' Audrey said. 'Come on, Audrey. Natalie and Nathan only ever have the company of each other now they've been expelled from school.'
'I actually brought them with me. They're outside.' Said Nurse Ratched. Audrey and Arthur showed her an aprehensive, but contained expression. 'Well, let's go, Arthur. We don't want the Baudelaires alone with...Um, alone for very long, do we?' Audrey said, hesitatingly, as she aprehensively looked at Dr. Finch. 'Yes, my sister. Do forgive us, Baudelaires. We'll be back shortly to resume our conversation.''Let's go.' Nurse Ratched said, leaving the room, followed by Audrey and Arthur, and very slowly, by Dr. Finch, who eyed the Baudelaires with singular determination as he left. 'Natalie, Nathan. Come in and meet your new friends.' He said, with no enthusiasm whatsoever, and left. Moments later, two people entered the room.
These two people, as few knew, were
not identical twins, as many so often mistook them for. The boy was taller, and had short, light blonde hair. He was very pale, with dark circles around his eyes. The girl had very long hair, which was as blonde as the boy's, and also had dark circles around her eyes, complete with mascara. They both wore nearly identical school uniforms, only the girl wore an angle length black school skirt, but had short, puffy sleeves that reached almost to her elbow, and a black bow-tie, complete with a black hairband. They were disturbingly close in appearance, and one could only assume they were twins upon seeing them, but not all things are what they seem.
'Hello. I am Natalie Finch. This is my brother. Nathan Finch.' Natalie Finch said. Violet and Klaus extended their arms to each, but they were left hanging, an expression which here means 'Natalie and Nathan Finch did not shake hands with the Baudelaires, which can be considered very rude'.
'So, are you from the city?' Nathan asked, breaking his silence. He looked at the Baudelaires almost as if they were exotic pets, like iguanas. With an interested, but condescending attitude. 'Yes, we are.'
'I don't like the city. I like it here, it's quieter.' Nathan said, a sentence that sounded very strange and unexpected to the Baudelaires. 'Okay...' Violet said, a bit bewildered by the weirdness of their two new hosts. 'Did you know we were expelled from school?' Natalie asked. 'Yes, we were just told, by your...father.' Klaus said.
'Do you guys want to go to the high security ward. There's a cannibal locked in there. You can talk to him and stuff.' Natalie said. The Baudelaires were stunned. A
cannibal, for a lack of a better term, is a person who thinks that other people are food, and must be immediately be locked up so we all don't end up in a pot with a an apple in our mouths.
'No, thanks.' Violet refused. 'Gross.' Sunny said. She like to eat and bite as much as she enjoyed cooking, but the thought of cannibalism sent a chill down her spine. 'Okay. You're being chickens. We go there all the time. Mr. Han is very nice, despite being a cannibal.' Nathan said. Natalie smiled and nodded in agreement. The Baudelaires noticed they were both holding hands, and were too close to each other.
'We'd rather not meet a cannibal.' Klaus explained. 'Then why are you here for?' Natalie asked. 'Well, see..' Klaus was then interrupted by Violet. 'We are actually aspiring psychiatrists looking to learn of new therapy techniques.' Klaus, Sunny and Beatrice looked at Violet, a bit surprised by this.
'You are? Well, I want to be a psychiatrist too. Father says I have the makings of a great psychiatrist.' Natalie said, adding; 'Nathan too.' Nathan then nodded in agreement. 'You call your father
Father all the time?' Sunny asked, as it seemed a rather distant way to address one's male parental unit.
'Yes.' was Natalie's blunt answer. 'Please, come with us. We must show you around the asylum.' Nathan said, breaking his silence. 'We can show you the ruined ward. It's where Dr. Abner Addams died years ago, in the lunatic riot.' Natalie said. The Baudelaires were not looking very forward to seeing or going anywhere near said ward, and frankly, they much would prefer staying in Dr. Arthur's office where it was warm.
'We can later bring you back here, of course.' Nathan added. 'Let's go! We have a lot to show you.'
And following the opposite path which they so desperately would rather choose, they followed Nathan and Natalie Finch out of Dr. Arthur's office, and ventured into the dimly lit halls of Addams Asylum. Natalie and Nathan gave them the creeps, but not anymore than the entire Asylum did. Forgetting not for one second where they were, the Baudelaires decided to just get it over with. But it was not over. It hadn't even begun.