The little boy of 8 years, Johan, spent the next five days recuperating. Having been bedridden for over month, a little rehabilitation was necessary to make sure the accident hadn't impeded his movement.
After all necessary tests were done, he was led by Dr. Ilene to another place within the facility. She first brought him to a large lobby, as she gestured with a smile,
"Johan, welcome to the Arcanum Helix Institute… your new home."
Johan was stunned speechless as he gawked at the place. This was just a lobby, a small part of the facility, yet it was so large. This was the first time he left his room since he woke, and only the word 'huge' could describe this facility. They passed through some hallways, and he marveled at the steel wall many inches thick, and other state-of-the-art features that made it a natural haven for science and innovation.
The security here was another frightening aspect of this facility. Guards were stationed at every door while some patrolled the facility. Johan noticed that for one to enter a room within the facility, they had to do so with a keycard, and in some areas, additional features like a fingerprint scan and retinal scan was required to gain access into them.
Still on the topic of security, Johan's group was made up of five people, and besides himself and Dr. Ilene, the rest were guards. To an eight-year-old, these men were frighteningly huge, all wearing body armor with their heads covered by helmets and rifles slung across their chest. Their disposition indicated that they were ready for action at any time.
Johan was led through halls where he saw different parts of the facility, until they arrived before a huge steel door. This door was about 18 feet both in length and width. At a corner beside it was a security terminal. Dr. Ilene walked up to the terminal, as it turned out that it required a keycard access, retinal scan, and a fingerprint scan to gain access into the room. After Dr. Ilene was done, the steel door creaked as it parted from the middle, revealing a large room.
This room can be described as an expansive utopia designed to accommodate creative young minds. Shelves stretched toward the ceiling, filled with colorful toys, puzzles, and games. Every inch of the floor was covered with plush carpets of different vibrant hues. Quirky paintings were plastered across the walls, depicting fantastical worlds and creatures that seemed to leap off the paint. In the center of the room was sturdy, wooden play structure perfect for a variety of games, reading, and sleeping too. In summary, this room was made to be habited by children, and at this time, the room was alive with the laughter and chortle of children who played and conversed.
Johan just stood and gawked at the room. This was every child's dream, and everything within this room was calling to him. The children then noticed the group that had just walked in and turned to them with smiles,
"Dr. Ilene!"
They all shouted in unison and ran toward her.
Dr. Ilene smiled warmly when she saw them running to her,
"Please don't knock me down. I'm not as strong as you are." She said as she caressed the children that hugged her.
She then gestured with her hands, and everyone became quiet as she introduced Johan.
"Everyone, this is your new friend, Johan. He was involved in an accident and got infected by the deadly virus. Please be nice to him."
The children responded in unison with a nod.
Dr. Ilene turned to Johan as she patted his head,
"This is where you'll be staying from now. I know it'll be hard to adjust but try to make new friends. I'll be back tomorrow to start your treatment."
After that, Dr. Ilene said her goodbyes and left.
Just as Dr. Ilene told them, the children were nice to Johan and introduced themselves. From the introductions, Johan found out that most of them were his age, a year older and least was two years younger. After introductions, everyone dispersed to what they were doing before.
Johan decided to take a look at this place. He walked up to a shelf filled with stuffed animals and robot toys. His eyes gleamed when he looked at one of them.
"I know right? It's super cool…"
A boy walked up to him.
"Hi, I'm Lenny. I'm eight years old too."
"I'm Johan. I just arrived."
"I know. And I also know a lover of Captain Lightyear super commando action figure when I see one."
Lenny's eyes gleamed with wonder when he spoke about the toy Johan held.
"What's a super commando?"
Lenny turned his gleaming eyes to Johan as he started to explain with fervor.
"It's only the best toy in the nursery. I tell you, if hoarding toys weren't banned, I would have started my collection a long time ago."
"I'm sorry, you said nursery?"
"Yeah. We call this place the nursery. It's like a hospital but without the smell of drugs and a lot of toys. Kinda like the best place ever."
Lenny was a plump boy a little shorter than Johan. His cheeks always formed into dumplings that covered his eyes whenever he smiled. He was very friendly to Johan and showed him around the nursery, giving his opinion about different things even when Johan didn't ask for it. Lenny also showed Johan the dorms where they sleep. It was a different section but still connected to the nursery.
After a while. Johan asked out of curiosity.
"The treatment… how is it?"
Lenny heard the question and froze. He didn't reply until a little time passed,
"Honestly, the treatment isn't exciting. I can only tell you to get ready to feel a lot of pain. But Dr. Ilene says it's for our own good. She said the virus inside us is very stubborn and has to be taken out by any means before it's too late."