Sunlight filtered through the windows, highlighting the dust floating lazily through the air and dappling the ugly linoleum floor. On the outer side of the window a ladybug crawled, moseying along the glass beside Pip, who stared at the open page of her notebook and picked absently at the cuticles of her toenails. Her mind was elsewhere, though she had intended on writing something twenty minutes ago. Whatever she thought about was interrupted when a nurse opened the door without warning, letting it hit against the wall. With the door stop missing, the door banged into the wall loudly and jolted Pip, sending her heart to hammering in her chest. Her head snapped up in bewilderment, but the nurse only gazed back impassively.<br/><br/>"Come on, now, Pip," she said in her typical monotone, "you should socialize." When the nurse saw that Pip would not move willingly, she sighed, and took up one of her hands and led her from the room. She did no bother trying to insist that she wear her shoes like she should, knowing that the girl would only take them off again once she turned her back. An odd habit, but perhaps not such a dangerous one.<br/><br/>Down hallways that were a little dirtier than they should have been they walked, past other patients and doctors who went about their regular business. They took a left turn and came into the bustling recreation room, which was really just a white room decorated with ugly, out-of-date decorations and furnishings, some books and games, and not really much else. Pip never did understand coming out there; what would she do there that she couldn't do in her own room? The nurse sat her down in front of a window that overlooked the dark lake below, the shore lined with trees turning from orange to brown as the winter season set upon them.<br/><br/>"Now go on, talk to people, Pip." The nurse waved to the other patients sitting around her, giving one last nod before turning on her heel with a<span style="font-style: italic">squeak</span>and pacing away. Looking to either side, she shrugged, then turned to her notebook and began to write.