Alice's Asylum

Chapter Eleven

I cleaned Mary's room. It was as bare as always but I had been recently daring to give each patient a small thing to make them smile. It wasn't easy. After their treatments, they weren't feeling up to searching their rooms for goodies but once I had done it once to all of them, they warmed up to me.

I changed Mary's bed sheets and then slipped a book between the covers. Charlotte's Web by E.B White. My sister loved reading it so I was sure that Mary would like it.

"You done?" The nurse poked her head into the room.

"Yep."

"Good. Make way." She moved out of the way as a gurney was pushed into the room by a African-American male, wearing the same white uniform as I did. He easily pulled Mary into his arms and laid her on top of her sheets. The man gestured for me to leave and I did so. As I moved, I saw marks on Mary's left temple. It was just one circular brown mark but it looked very recent...

***

Each day was something different for every patient. Harry was particular fond of red hard boiled sweets. They were cherry flavored but he loved them. All of the girls loved reading books. It was simple to find slim paperbacks and hide them. For Edmund and George, I gave them both small bags of candy. Simon and Seth were harder. They were too old for sweets and had different interests. Eventually I found out that Simon liked paper and pencil to be able to write. He gave each page to me. Some time after his fifth sheet was given to me (one sheet every day), I realized it was all a story. It was a story of fantasy and romance. I liked reading them as I lay in my bed at night. Meanwhile, I found out that Seth liked motorcycle magazines. I found one every day and he had the rest of the day to read it. He enjoyed it a lot and warmed up to me too.

This continued for several weeks. I enjoyed making the patients smile. Even if it was just a weak one as they were transferred from gurney to cot. I also noticed that each patient had their own marks on different parts of their bodies. Most of the patients had the same marks as Mary. The brown circular marks all over their heads. These patients were Edmund, Cathy, Mary, Dana, George and Rose. Seth had marks on his ankles and wrists. The marks changed from thin to thick. I guessed this was the use of wire and rope. I guessed that Simon, Sophie and Harry was force fed or something because they always came back from treatment smelling like vomit. I could only imagine what happened in the treatment rooms but I had no idea it would only be a matter of time before I actually knew.