Kass pulled up in front of Broadmere Psychiatric Hospital and heaved a sigh. Her anxiety was high and she was terrified to go inside. She hated hospitals, and this one housed people who were mentally unwell and dangerous. People who were unsafe to go back into society.
She could do this. She had to. For Beck. She shivered and walked to the entrance, her hands clenching in fear. She strolled to the front desk and the nurse smiled at her.
"Hi, darling. Are you here to visit someone?"
Kass placed her hands on the counter. "Yes, I'm here to see Braylon Burgess."
The nurse's mouth fell open in shock. "Well I'll be damned. Usually his brother comes to visit him. He's never had any other visitors before!" She exclaimed with a hint of an accent. "You just sign in here, darling." She handed Kass the visitor's log and a pen.
Kass signed her name and gave the clipboard back. She noticed the last visitor the hospital had was over a week ago and she felt a pit of sadness in her belly. The residents basically came there to die all alone. It wasn't their fault they had mental illness and she wished people had more awareness in that regard.
She followed the nurse through the halls, the nurse chatting away at her. "Bray is going to be excited to see you! He might even show you some of his drawings. He's our little artist, that Bray. So, are you family of his?"
"Yes, we're family," Kass slid her hands into her pockets as they walked deeper into the hospital.
"Well, my name's Dot. I usually look after Bray. He's the sweetest. When he talks. He doesn't much. Talk that is."
They reached a metal door where a burly man stood with a set of keys and a taser. The man gave them a nod when they reached him.
"Hank, this young lady is here to see Braylon." Dot informed him. "When you're ready to leave darling, just let the orderlies know or knock on this door, alrighty?" Dot left Kass with Hank.
Hank unlocked the door for her and let her inside. The room was large, and white. There were a few bench type tables bolted to the floor and there was a long hall off to the side where she guessed the residents of this area slept. Hank asked an orderly for Bray and he motioned her to a table where he was sitting alone.
There were a few residents milling about. One was walking around in circles and another was sitting against a gated window. Others were watching television in an area off to the side.
Kass approached Braylon carefully. he sat across from him at the table where he was furiously drawing with a crayon. He was so much thinner than his brother, his skin pale and hair matted to his scalp.
"Hey, Bray," Kass said softly.
He paused his drawing and looked up at her. He blinked his empty blue eyes as he stared. The lack of emotion in them had her jarring.
"Do you remember me?" She asked, swallowing the ball forming in her throat.
He blinked at her once before continuing to draw.
"Remember we used to play together when we were kids? Me and you used to hide from Beck and your brothers."
Kass watched him as he drew his picture. Dot had mentioned he didn't speak much.
Beck was one of four kids- quadruplets and identical. He was the oldest, born first and Braylon was born last. No one knew where Brick was as he had taken off to places unknown over a decade ago. As for Bromley, well he was dead.
One summer, the last summer Kass visited, a fight had occured which resulted in Bray pushing Brom into the well in their family's backyard. Brom died upon impact, his neck broken with the fall he took.
