In a mental institution, patients are treated for different reasons. They are expected to be kept safe and well looked after during their stay until one day; a set of killer twins, a war veteran and a man who claims to see fictional characters begin...
At Eighty-six, Johnny had touched many. The church pews were filled with people. His family sat front row; Lauren held her three-month-old baby in her arms as they mourned their loved one.
Catherine not only cried for the loss of her father, but she also cried out of guilt for giving up on her father. She never thought she'd be like her brothers and just give up on their father.
Johnny's three sons sat in a row behind Catherine and her family, they weren't crying for their father. They just stared blankly at his Australian flag draped covered coffin surrounded by flowers and personal photos of Johnny with his family and friends throughout his life.
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Johnny's passing didn't affect the patients the way Millie's death had done, they mourned for Johnny. Most of the patients saw him as the entertainer, the one who you'd just listen to. The patients didn't care for interacting with each other unless it was by force but when it came to Johnny, they just listened.
The nurses mourned a little for Johnny, to them he may have just been a patient but some of the nurses saw him as a father figure purely because he was the oldest patient in hospital.
Doctor Mathers had commemorated a small garden for Johnny outside in the courtyard, the patients squeezed together outside as they lowered their heads giving a moments silence. The nurses that were able to, stood by the door way of the courtyard; they stood in silence as well.
The hospital was just silent. The most silent it had ever been in all the years of it being opened.
Doctor Mathers looked up at the crowded courtyard, he half heartedly smiled. In the thirty years of him being a doctor, he couldn't remember a time that patients and nurses had come together just for one single person especially in the fifteen years of being at Saint Pinnington.
"I'm glad to see Johnny had affected all of you in one way or another, I'm about to start today's session but if anyone would like to join in you are more than welcome to." Doctor Mathers ruined the silence with his words.
The nurses stepped away from the doors as patients began to scatter back inside.
"Kyle, Veronica and Billie" Doctor Mathers called out.
The three of them stopped where they were and turned to face Doctor Mathers.
"You three have a session with me, Nurse Para can you please join me with the patients." Doctor Mathers stopped next to a dark-skinned nurse.
Nurse Para nodded her head "Do I need to grab anything?"
Doctor Mathers shook his head "These three are usually pretty good." He spoke before heading towards the quiet room.
Billie, Kyle, and Veronica followed behind Nurse Para as she lead them to the quiet room. The four of them didn't speak as they entered the room, the patients took their seats on the small circle of chairs while Nurse Para sat in the corner of the room.
Doctor Mathers looked up from his note pad after he had written Alice, Millie, Johnny. Three left. "Would anyone like to speak first?"
The patients shook their head.
"How are you all feeling?" Doctor Mathers asked. "Veronica?"
Veronica brushed her hair behind her ear "I guess okay."
"Is that a good or bad okay?" Doctor Mathers asked.
"Just.." Veronica paused "okay."
Doctor Mathers nodded before looking at Billie and Kyle "What about you two?"
"I'm fine." Kyle quickly quipped.
Billie nodded in response.
Doctor Mathers wanted to push the two of them further, but something stopped him "Right."
"Maybe it's a good thing Johnny is dead." Billie bleakly stated.
Doctor Mathers furrowed in confusion as he jotted down a quick note Billie grateful? "Care to explain why you think that?" He asked as he looked curiously at Billie.
"Because he was old and boring. He already lived his life" Billie tried to think of what Millie would say if she was alive.
Kyle felt confused, he was certain that Billie had grown close to Johnny in Johnny's final days. Veronica sighed a little as she realised Billie may have had a point.
"Johnny may have lived a full life, but did he really live?" Doctor Mathers asked the three patients.
Billie pondered for a moment before nodding "He lived more than Millie did." He mumbled as he looked down at his feet.
"What was that?" Doctor Mathers wasn't sure if he had heard Billie correctly, Billie had never spoken about Millie like that.
Kyle and Veronica looked at Billie.
Billie looked up at Doctor Mathers, he felt confident with his words as he spoke "He. Did. More. Than. Millie. Did." Billie slowly spoke for Doctor Mathers to understand.
"That may have been true Billie but that doesn't mean Millie didn't live."
"she DIDN'T live. She never LIVED!" Billie stared down Doctor Mathers.
Doctor Mathers broke eye contact with Billie, he took notice of Veronica looking scared "Right. I think that's enough for today."
Veronica ran out of the quiet room.
Doctor Mathers turned his attention to Kyle, Kyle took the silent cue as a reason to no longer stay in the room "Nurse Para, can you please leave me alone with Billie."
Nurse Para nodded; she closed the door behind her as she left the doctor with the patient.
Billie crossed his arms in front of his chest, his breathing heaved as he stubbornly kept his attention on Doctor Mathers.
Doctor Mathers rose up from his seat placing his notepad and pen on the chair next to him. "Billie?"
Billie broke down crying "I miss her."
Doctor Mathers wrapped his arms around Billie "I know you do, kid."
Billie leant forward and allowed himself to cry into the doctor's shirt. Only Billie's cries filled the room, Doctor Mathers wasn't going to interrupt the young man.
"Do you think Johnny is with her?" Billie managed to find his words between his sniffles.
Doctor Mathers moved his arms away from Billie as Doctor Mathers knelt down in front of him "Of course, I think Johnny is keeping Millie safe." Doctor Mathers almost believed his own lie.
Doctor Mathers began to get lost in his own mind as he recalled the one-one sessions he had with Johnny. My Shirl, the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on. I couldn't believe she waited for me when I came home.
"Doc, is it cool I leave now?" Billie asked as he noticed Doctor Mathers facial expression soften.
Doctor Mathers pulled his attention back to Billie "The room, yes. The hospital, no."
