Scared

Chapter 1

Paul McCartney anxiously entered the big building he was going to work in from then on.

He entered, feeling extremely overwhelmed by everything, but smiled nevertheless at the man, his boss, waiting for him at the reception desk.

He was a man in his mid-30s, with slicked back dark brown hair.
He was wearing a nice light grey suit and his eyes were kind looking.

When Paul was close enough, he smiled and stuck out a hand for him to shake.

"I'm Brian Epstein, the boss of Liverpool Institute. If you don't mind, I will show you around and tell you the few main rules of the place" he said, all business-like, but also kindly.

Paul smiled, shaking the extremely soft hand and already liking his new boss.

"I'm Paul, Paul McCartney" Brian nodded, already knowing this, but passing it as first day anxiety.

They started walking to the staircase, quickly getting on the first floor, where all the therapy rooms were and where the patients who only stayed in the day time usually spent their day.

The walls were full of drawings, Paul getting lost looking at a few of those fascinated.

There was one that instantly caught his eye. It was a very neat looking portrait of a grass field.

It was so good that the grass looked real.

"This was made by one of the most talented boys in the institute," said Brian, sounding like a proud father.

Paul hummed, eyes scurrying around the various drawings, before posing on Brian, "Also" said the man, seemingly deep in thought, "That boy will be your key patient. You will take care of him while he's here during the day"

At that, Paul gulped a bit anxiously. That was his very first real patient he would have to deal with.

That wasn't school, but real life.

Before he could dwell too much on it, though, Brian had already walked down a hallway, and Paul had to run to catch up.

"I'm gonna tell you a bit more about him, so you will know how to act around him and also his needs and routine" explained Brian, standing in front of a door.

"Every patient, even if only here at daytime, has an assigned room with a bed and a few of their things" he explained, "Since they often have conditions that might require a calm, secluded place like..." he looked at Paul with a raised brow and the younger man quickly jumped in action, "Like meltdowns or panic attacks" he quickly said and smiled when Brian nodded, "You seem very good. Well, we only get the best here"

"Okay, about the patient: his name is John Lennon and he's 23 years old"

'Oh, almost like me' thought Paul, feeling his heartbeat a little bit more. He was more at ease with someone young, it was easier for him to bond.

"He supposedly suffers from severe brain delay. We don't really know what's wrong with him, but sometimes he acts like he's not here, like, like, he's in a catatonic state" said Brian, slowly opening the door, "While sometimes he can have violent behaviour like yelling and hurting himself by scratching his arms or banging his head. He needs to be calmed down and stabilised when like that"

The room was lit by the sun coming from the open window and Paul's eyes stopped on a boy curled up in bed.

Next to him, a woman was gently caressing his hair, "Shhh, Johnny, it's all right" she was whispering and Paul noticed that the boy was whimpering and lowly moaning in discomfort.

"What seems the problem, Mrs.Smith?"

Paul turned to look at Brian, who had gotten closer to the bed.

"Oh, nothing, he's a bit fussy" said the woman, "Probably a bit anxious to meet his new caretaker. Aren't you, love?" He said, ruffling his hair.

Brian then turned to look at Paul, "Well, are you going to stand there all day?"

The dark haired man blushed, stumbling into the room with some apologising and making the two adults smile slightly.

The woman was tightly holding the boy, your patient, pointed out uselessly Paul's brain.

He didn't look like he had acknowledged anyone, only whimpering in a broken tone.

"Mrs. Smith, this is Paul. He will be John's main caretaker"

Paul's smiled, sticking out a hand to shake and the woman took it with half a smile, "Nice to meet you, I'm Mary, but believe me, if this young man" she gave a slight pat to the boy's backside, making him squeal, "will ever talk to you, he will call me Mimi. So please, call me like that. This is my nephew, John. C'mon sweetie, say hi" she said, looking down.

McCartney was met by the most breathtaking eyes he had ever seen.

John's eyes were a warm brown, with a few hints of blue shining in them. They were slightly almond shaped, giving him an oriental look. They were also framed by rather long eyelashes.

His pale face was a bit chubby, his cheeks freckles and rosy.

He was the most beautiful man he had ever seen.

He gulped, his eyes couldn't stop looking at his new patient.

John, probably because he was started at, started making a weak sounding noise, twisting himself from his curled up position and rolling on his other side.

Mimi giggled, one hand carding through the soft auburn hair, that looked so thick and soft Paul wanted to pass his hands in it.

'Shake out of it, McCartney, he's your patient' he scolded himself, shaking his head internally.

He shouldn't think weirdly of his patients.

"Sorry, he doesn't like to be watched" explained Mimi, gently pulling John up until he was sitting up with his back against the headboard.

Paul immediately noted his faraway look. He was staring at the wall without really looking at it. His eyes looked dull.

Mimi and Brian shared concerned gazes, "He's still in a catatonic state. Hasn't snapped out of it yet"

"Is there something I should make him do while he's like this to help him snap out?" asked curiously the newbie. If he had to be John's main caretaker he wanted to know if there were things he could do to also help him.

"Not really. Try to stimulate him somehow. With some food, some games, drawing, music. It's extremely hard to pull him out of it completely, but enough for him to engage in some basic activities" said Brian, sadly looking at the still auburn haired boy.

"Anything else that I need to know? If he stays like this for long, he will need to eat, no?"

Mimi bit her red lip, "I usually spoon-feed him and use a sippy cup to push some liquids into him. He's also wearing a nappy when he reaches such a state"

Paul gulped; he knew how to change nappies, a bit because of his extended family and cousins and a bit because of the courses he had to take.

But John, John was a real human being, someone he could even find friendship with.

But obviously he was the caretaker of him. Of such a complex and interesting young man.

After a while, Mimi needed to go to work, leaving the three men alone.

"Well, Paul, I leave you to your job then" said Brian, also going away.

Paul gulped, looking at John.

For the first time, their eyes met and Paul smiled.

John smiled back, making a warm sensation from into the caretaker's chest, spreading through his body.

He was ready.