Memorizing the room numbers and new guests’ names was a bit complicated with how foggy Ellis’ mind was. The harsh, non-stop sunlight, a new environment, and having such random episodes of sleep over the last few days left him in a bit of a haze. He was excited that going back to bed was an option after they unloaded the suitcases and the inventory stock for the upcoming season.

With his cinnamon rolls in hand, Ellis wandered back to his room to try and unpack and get some meaningful sleep. He crossed paths with Lisle and the new guests on their tour, and the hotel owner mentioned he would stop by Ellis’ suite when he had a moment to chat about how the morning went.

So, Ellis nibbled on one of his treats and tried to find the best way to house his small collection of clothes while he waited. He carefully set the borrowed snow gear on his desk and his snowy boots on the tile floor in the bathroom to dry. While he was there, he laid out his bottles of conditioner and shampoo inside of the shower and tried to make the space look more lived in. He felt as if he were lacking with his belongings, the room felt much too large for how little he owned.

His clothes hardly filled the dresser drawers, and his bottles of migraine medications and sleeping pills felt too sterile for how opulent the room was, and he continued to feel as if he didn’t quite fit in. But he desperately wanted to.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door, “Come in!” he called quietly.

Lisle poked his head in, “So sorry, I hope you weren’t holding off on your rest on my account,” he apologized.

“No I was… unpacking but I guess I’m done. I don’t have much.”

“We can always put in an order for you anything you need that we don’t have on hand, Ellis, it would just take a month to arrive. If you need anything, please let me know before Roland leaves so we can make sure he brings it with him on his next trip.”

“I understand, I’ve never had… money so I think I’m overwhelmed by the thought of it.”

Lisle pulled his glasses from his face and slid them in his pocket, “How are you? Really? Be honest with me, I know how overwhelming this is and Grant told me you were sleepwalking last night.”

Ellis titled his head to the side, “I was?”

“Yes, you headed to the front door.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I… um…” Ellis picked at his cuticle for a bit, “I came from a bit of a rough home life and the… tranquility of this place, the abundance and openness of it is… a bit scary. Not in a fearful way, but in an uncertain way, if that makes sense?”

Lisle smiled gently and with understanding, “It does. It’s an adjustment, a major one. I came from a bustling, loud and… abundant life, with wealth and riches and massive parties every weekend. It was all very…” he pursed his lips, “Gatsby-like, I suppose. So coming here to the… utter silence, with only a handful of people, caused severe nightmares for a long while, restless sleep and awkward mornings. I was anxious and uneasy, left alone with my thoughts. I came as a patient and took over when the original owner moved onto a different project, and even now I feel out of place at times. So, while it’s not entirely the same, I do understand that this transition is jarring so don’t feel as if you can’t talk to me about it should you feel the need.”

Ellis nodded, he slid his hands into the pockets of his jeans and looked down with a bit of embarrassment.

“Would you mind taking a short walk with me? There’s something I’d like to show you,” Lisle requested.

“Sure.”

Lisle put his glasses back on and stepped out of the doorway. Ellis followed him out into the quiet hall. They rounded the corner back toward the lobby. The men stepped into the empty foyer and Lisle pushed open the glass door that led into the garden Ellis spotted when he first arrived. Ellis was excited to see what it looked like, it was the one place he hadn’t really seen up close yet, and he could feel a humid air cling to him as he stepped inside.

The sound of running water echoed through the garden and the smell of an abundance of florals hit his nostrils like a spritz of perfume. Some of the plants stretched tall above him, and sunlight beamed down through the spotless windows with a fervor. Ellis felt a sense of serene peace roll over him.

They walked along the cobblestone path and the curved walkway brought them along the outer edge of the hotel. Ellis could see the hallway he took with Luisa that held The Pink Hare and the wellness amenities through the floor to ceiling windows.

“This is nice,” Ellis whispered.

“I love it here. We actually have two gardens, the central garden at the middle of the hotel is the one everyone tends to gravitate toward since it has the piano, the gazebo, and the larger botanicals, and you can access it from three different doorways on the first floor. This garden is actually where our crops are, I like to come here when I need to reconnect with nature in a more… hands on way,” Lisle explained.

“What kind of crops?” Ellis inquired.

“Simple things that have a variety of uses: tomatoes, potatoes, strawberries, a few apple trees, grapes to make our own wine, things like that. The crops, however, aren’t what I wanted to show you. This is.”

Lisle pushed open a hidden door that was tucked up behind tall rows of bamboo, nearly hidden from view. Ellis tried to figure out where it connected on the interior of the hotel for a brief moment before he stopped to look inside of the new room with awe. A massive, golden spiral staircase sat in a rounded chamber that was made entirely of windows with golden frames. The hotel owner began ascending, so Ellis followed close behind.

“This is a spot only Grant and myself know about,” Lisle noted.

“Should you show me, then?” Ellis inquired.

“Yes, I feel like I should. The Planet is a place of healing, as I’ve said multiple time, but it offers healing in different ways for different people. It’s not my place to disclose my staff’s journeys, and I think you’d enjoy listening to their tales in your own time, but for myself I needed a place to… decompress. To really rationalize life and how small I was compared to the vastness of the world. This place does that for me.”

Lisle breached the top of the staircase and extended a hand for Ellis to help him onto the walkway. As Ellis set foot on the golden flooring, he gasped in shock as he took in the scenery. They were nearly three stories up, and the tundras stretched out for countless miles through the tall windows. He set his hand on the clear panes and gazed out at the stunning view of the world around him. The domed ceiling offered a brilliant vantage point of the endless sky and behind him he could see the larger, powder-covered dome that covered the botanical garden in the center of the Lonely Planet.

“Wow…” Ellis whispered.

“It’s beautiful during the dark seasons, too. I hope you’ll stay for the Aurora Australis, it’s breathtaking from here. The observatory is just small enough to stay hidden when you look at the hotel from the outside, so nobody really knows that it’s here. The former owner showed it to me, it’s a special place I visit when I need to relax if seasons got too hectic. I’ll grab books and a tea with a throw blanket and simply exist. You are more than welcome to do so, too, so long as you’re careful not to let anyone see. It does get cold, so I suggest bringing a blanket,” Lisle explained.

“You’re good at your job, Lisle.”

“Oh? You think so?”

“I do. You seem to know what people need without even really knowing them.”

“I’m observant. I’ve also been doing this a long time and Grant is quite adamant that I try to do my best and actually tend to the guests’ health since we are, at our core, a health and rehabilitation center.”

“Are you together?”

Lisle chuckled, he hid his grin behind his hand and nodded, “Yes, he started out as my doctor and ended up as my husband. He didn’t stand a chance, poor thing. He’s protective and stern, but he means well. And yes, before you ask, I am unwell and I get tired and sick easily, so there may be periods where I am unavailable. I am the owner of this hotel, but I am first and foremost a patient. A permanent one.”

“What happened? Can I ask?”

“A fire broke out in my apartment, a bad one,” Lisle pushed up his sleeve and showcased the pink scars that covered the majority of his arm, “It was the smoke inhalation that really caused an issue, but I have severely sensitive skin because of the burns. This arm and almost everything from my hips down is patchy like this, but it was over a decade ago so I’m healed as much as I can be. That’s why I sound like a serial smoker and I cough a lot. I used to be an opera signer and a pianist but my career ended rather abruptly after the accident.”

Ellis studied the patchy burn marks across Lisle’s pale skin. He was starting to get a better understanding of why the hotel owner was so passionate about the business and people he employed. He understood why the time spent at The Planet was so important to so many. It saved him, and he knew it could do the same for others. Ellis hoped it could do something for him, too.

“Remember, you are as much a patient as you are an employee. Take what you need while you’re here, Ellis,” Lisle urged.

“I need help,” Ellis admitted, almost in tears.

“Okay, tell me what I can do to help.”

Ellis parted his lips to speak but the words escaped him. Lisle waited, but he understood that it may not have been the right time to be so honest. It had only been a mere twenty four hours since the young man stepped foot into the hotel, and trust had yet to be established.

“When you’re rea—”

“I’m starving, Mr. Hawthorne,” Ellis admitted sheepishly, fully breaking down into hyperventilated sobs, “I have been for… so long, I don’t have any money, and he… he… he wouldn’t let me eat.”

“Shh, you’re alright, what do you want to eat, Ellis?” Lisle soothed as he wiped the tears away.

He could feel his blood boiling. He didn’t want to assume, didn’t want to believe, but he had guessed that Ellis came from a less than healthy home. Now that he had confirmation of it, it enraged him. He was glad Ellis was here, in a safe environment that would nurture him and build him up. He was certain Ellis had never been offered support and care, he needed a new home and a new start.

“Tell me what you want for lunch and I’ll have Janine make it for you in abundance, Ellis,” Lisle promised.

“I don’t know, I don’t know…”

“It’s alright, if you need something to eat then we’ll find it for you. If you need to sleep first, then sleep. Today is an easy day.”

“I’m hungry.”

“Then let’s go to the kitchen. Dry your eyes, Ellis, and eat your fill. You never need to ask here, it’s yours. All I ask for in return is you try your hardest to learn and do well here, because I believe this place can help you thrive, but we need to get you healthy, first. And rested, does that sound acceptable?”

Ellis wiped his eyes and nodded, “Yes.”

“Good, then let us head to the kitchen. We’ll find something to your liking, then it’s off to bed with you.”

Ellis chuckled, “Thank you.”

“Of course. I’ll make some tea, and you can tell me all about yourself while we’re at it. Your hobbies, what you were doing at uni, and I’ll answer anything you’d like to know in turn. Let us talk like old friends until we become them, shall we?”

“Yes.”