Did Nicole believe her? She couldn't seem to make up her mind. Jane didn't strike her as a liar, but the Institute had fucked with them enough that lying was par for the course with most of them. The ones who spoke their mind were the ones who sounded crazy.
"That's the plan," Nicole said. "Figured I'd do something worthwhile in the meantime. Mercy was short-staffed, so..." She shot a glance toward the hospital entrance just as the double doors slid open to disgorge a pair of nurses heading home for the day. They looked toward Nicole and Jane, and waved. Nicole's smile was instantly on, perfectly calibrated, as she waved back.
It was okay if they thought she looked tired. It would not be okay if she came across as aloof.
Once they were out of sight, she dropped the pretense. "It's weird being back," she admitted to Jane. "Sometimes it feels like Point Pleasant's exactly the same." Like the Institute could still be out there, lurking, churning quietly in the shadows while its neighbors went on in blissful ignorance.