Chapter 6
The next day was a lot calmer, but a full day with his nine remaining trainees left Karl wearier than ever by the time he escaped to the commons area between the residential wings to wait for George.
Even more than his own meager apartment, Karl was glad his mother had never seen these rooms. The scuffed and dull hardwood floors were clean enough, with sanitation crews sweeping through every few days same as in the rest of the non-patient buildings. The fireplace in each adjoining room brought a much-needed coziness even if the tools and fittings were sturdy black steel rather than his family's gleaming brass.
But the most careful cleaning wouldn't hide the sofas hopelessly out of fashion. The scratchy fabric and shapeless design were never the highest quality to start with. K
