"Hello, Raine." Swan started out, gently.

"Hello." I do not want to talk to you.

"Dr. Cullen said he found you in the woods. Is that true?"

I nodded.

"What were you doing out there?"

I pulled my face into an expressionless mask. Time to play ball. "I live there."

"Is there someone who lives with you?"

I shook my head no.

"Is there someone we can contact for you?"

No.

He visibly paused before changing tracks. "How old are you, Raine?"

I shrugged, still watching him closely. Looking closely for what, I don't know but I felt the need to do so.

"When is your birthday?"

"October 12th."

"And the year?"

I shrugged. Let him assume what he wants from that.

"I am going to assume you are a minor. Dr. Cullen and a few others told me they could guess you were around 13-14 years old. Do you know what that means?"

My eyes hardened at that. They might not know it, but I haven't needed a guardian for a few years now. "The government believes I need a guardian."

"Yes. We can't have a 14 year old alone by herself in the woods. It would be a disservice to you."

"And why can't I live in the woods by myself? I had managed fine there."

He sighed, seeming to have expected this argument from me. Well that can't do. I can't be predictable. That won't get me close to what I want which is no guardian since Dr. Cullen doesn't seem to be inclined to help me at the moment, not that I blame him. He has a coven to take care of and having a fresh human blood bag in the house all the time would test some control.

Chief Swan slowly asked me this: "What would've happened if no one had found you earlier?"

"I would've set the bone myself and dragged my ass back home to bundle up for the winter."

He shook his head. "I don't think you understand the pain in setting your own leg-"

I pulled up my gown at that and growled at him. He grew quiet when he saw the scars. "This, Chief Swan are the scars I received from a bear." I spat at him. "I am more than capable of self-tending to my wounds."

He stayed quiet for a few minutes before he softly asked, "How did you survive?"

I looked him directly in the eye while I remembered the pain from those days. "I had to cauterize parts of the wound together to keep from bleeding out. I had to make my own remedy against infection with yarrow and feverfew poultice and valerian and aspen tea. When it did get some infected bubbles, I had to lance it to allow it to drain before I moved to having maggots eat the infected flesh before cauterizing the rest of it." I harden my gaze and hissed out. "I can take care of myself and I don't need your pity."

I could see it as I told him of one of many mistakes I made, the pity in his eyes. I did not want it nor did I need it. These scars were proof I had survived by any means necessary. But sadly for me, this interview is not over yet.

"There are some questions I have to ask, Raine. I would prefer it if you are honest though I know I have done nothing to gain your trust here today." He steeled himself. "Did someone drop you off in the woods?"

No.

"Did someone harm you in any way before or after being in the woods?"

No.

"Did you run away?"

No.

"Did someone sexually abuse you?"

No.

"Did you have a bad argument with someone?"

No.

"Is there anything you would like to tell me?"

"Can I go back home?" I asked in a monotone voice.

"Where is home?" He leaped on that.

"In the woods." You knew that answer was coming chief.

"At this moment, no. Someone will come talk to you about being placed somewhere." He sighed. "I don't know when the social worker will come, probably the day you get discharged. It was nice meeting you." And he walked out.

Whelp. That could've gone better. Also, wasn't he supposed to have had someone else in here with him during this? Isn't that the general policy or did that come later? Or would a small town not be equipped to handle it?

I'm more shocked they haven't sent in a psychologist yet –

The door opened and in walked a female with a bright smile. She did not seem to have any equipment for checking vitals, bringing meds, or what have you so I put on a blank face.

"Hello, Raine. My name is Lauren. Some staff were concerned with how long you spent without human contact in a dangerous situation. Now, I will admit that this is a hospital first, but it is never a bad policy to have someone check in on the mental health of all patients."

Speak of the devil.

I didn't react. I was mildly curious on what she would ask and how she would play the game. I win if I come off as more or less okay by a typical human standard. I lose if I come off as crazy. AKA nothing gets mentioned before I woke up in the forest. It's too dangerous.

Lauren did a once over on my body language before continuing. "Now there are some questions that I have to ask as part of a general assessment. You do not have to answer if you do not want to, I would only request you tell me why. After that we can go into some of the behaviors or stories you have told others that had them concerned." The entire time I kept a blank face. "Do you have any family history of mental illness?"

Yes. "Not that I'm aware of."

"Have you ever considered killing yourself?"

Yes, but I thought I was already dead so there was no point. "No."

"Do you ever feel out of control of your emotions or actions?"

I keep those under lock and key. "No."

"Have you ever heard of seen things that no one else does?"

"No."

"Have you had physical sensations that are strange?"

Yes. "No."

"Has anyone ever harmed you before in a way that could be considered traumatizing?"

Yes. "No."

"Have you ever had illegal drugs?"

"No." Drugs are disgusting and lead to being out of control.

"Have you ever drank alcohol?"

Not in this body. "No."

"When was your last menstrual period?"

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. "I have no idea. Not for a few months at least."

She made a few notes of things. "Have you ever had sex?"

Not in this body and I don't count anything before the age of 5. "No."

"Have you ever felt unsafe in your home?"

I gave her an incredulous look. "Miss, I don't know if you have ever been out in the forest but one can argue that it is not a safe place. Yes there have been times I have not felt safe in my camp."

She looked a little caught off guard by that but she quickly schooled her face back to passive. "And what about where you were staying before you came to be in the woods?"

That is honestly a tossup for before the void. I wouldn't call it unsafe more of a general fear of getting shot in either a drive by or campus shooting – not that they would understand at this time. "No."

"Well, that covers all the questions I am required to ask. Sally mentioned you didn't sleep much last night. Might I ask why?"

"Nights get cold and sometimes dangerous animals stumble on my camp at that time. I need to be up to tend to the fire and be alert in-case I need to leg it up a tree. Last night I had no fire, no stake fence surrounding me, and I am injured. To stay alive in that situation, you stay awake." I stated this as calmly and collectively as I could but I couldn't help the tone of well, duh completely out.

"Was it always like that in the woods?"

"No. That was only sometimes. Most of the time it was very peaceful and very freeing."

"The Chief said you wear attacked by a bear at some point. How did that happen?"

"It was early days and before I could sense other animals extremely well. I accidently stumbled between a mother and her cubs. The mother did not like that and she attacked. She batted me away and I punched her snout before scrambling up a tree. I tore up my shirt to bandage my wounds until I could get back to camp while I waited for her to gather her crew and leave. I was lucky that I had already found some medicinal herbs and had worked on drying them. If I hadn't I might've died from infection, shock, and bloodloss."

"That must've been scary."

"It was interesting, staring down death but there were times it wasn't scary necessarily. If I had died, I found I would've been okay with it. And if I didn't, I would also be okay with it. It is hard to describe." Of course, I didn't think I could die again at the time, but that isn't something I can mention.

"Was it ever lonely?"

"There were times, yes. But after a few months you become content. You become one with the mountain the longer you are out there. There is no need to 'do what is right' or follow other people's expectations. You are one hundred percent on your own and every action you do has a pretty clear consequence or set of consequences. Some people would think that it is crazy, but once you try it, it is hard to go back to a societal view of things. People are hard to predict but nature is easy." That was a word vomit. That makes zero sense. What in the world.

"I can understand that. Out there you have the ability to be who you are. But did you ever miss anyone?"

I felt my heart tug. My B. "There are a few people I miss, yes."

"I'm sure they miss you. Why don't you contact them and let them know you are alright?"

"You don't understand. They are not on this world. They are not here. I physically can't contact them."

Her eyes saddened a bit. "I am sorry for your loss. Is there anyone from your past you would be willing to contact?"

"Miss, no offence, but no. I am leaving the past where it is." I have no choice in that matter.

"Might I ask why?"

I had to think for a moment on how exactly to word this. "It isn't that I want to forget where I come from or the experiences I have had, but there is a distinct difference between before the forest and after the forest. I am no longer that person and I won't ever be able to be that person ever again. No one who knew me well would be where I left so there is no point in going back." I paused and decided to take a gamble. "If I speak about where I am from, I will be sent back where I would be coerced to act like the person I was rather than who I am now. They would not be able to accept such a drastic change and I have no reason to put myself in such a toxic emotional environment."

"Shouldn't you give them the chance? They might accept it." Lauren softly said.

I chuckled at that. "Miss, I think you work with enough broken people to understand that humans do not do well with change. And if it is a person who has changed, they have a hard time accepting that they should change to accommodate them instead of trying to force them to change back. And then, they have to make the choice to change. Choosing to change for the better is something the human race in general struggles with."

She nodded a bit at that and thought for a moment. "Thank you for being willing to talk to me. I am going to offer some advice on what I think based on what you have told me. I think you need someone to be in your court who you also trust. You don't have a support network right now from the sound of it. I know you don't know anyone here and I know you don't know where you are going to end up, but perhaps try to make some friends along the way? You don't have to resist all of the time."

I gave her a thoughtful look. "I will take that into consideration, Miss."

"That is all I ask. It was nice meeting you." She walked out and I was left alone.