Voices of Conflict

Chapter 9

"What?"

"What kind of medication is he taking?" Gail asked hoping she could get some information that would help her to know just what kind of danger Gary might be in.

He bolted up in his chair and jerked his face toward her, his eyes wild and his movements jerky. "Don't worry about that. I have it." Jimmy seemed to be getting more alert instead of more out of it even though he had already consumed several beers.

Trying to remember her training in dealing with patients suffering from psychosis, thoughts raced through her head. She desperately needed to find a way to earn his trust. Her head pounded in rhythm with her own heartbeat from the knot that had formed when she hit her head, but with steely determination learned from her army days as a field nurse surrounded by rapid fire gunshots and exploding grenades, she continued to try to find a way to gain control of this scary situation.

Gary moaned. Gail looked over at him and without moving she observed his breathing by counting the rise and fall of his chest, slow but not alarmingly so. 'He must have given him something like a nerve tablet. Think...what would be prescribed for calming a delusional patient that could be taken daily.' She couldn't remember with the fogginess the blow to the head had caused.

"Shut up fireboy!" Jimmy barked from across the room.

Gail made soothing shushing noises to Gary that touched a place in Jimmy's heart reminding him of his Amber. Looking across at the woman on the couch it wasn't Gail he saw. It was Amber. His thoughts traveled to the time he spent in the psych ward at Mercy. Amber questioned the doctors about him.

The soft face of Amber penetrated his thoughts and floated in front of him.

Can you tell me what medication he is on?

Haloperidol. It's an anti-psychotic. We just put him on it.

He's shaking.

Yes ma'am. Unfortunately, it's one of the side effects. Hopefully, after a few weeks, we'll see a decrease in psychotic episodes as well as with the trembling.

Will it have any other side effects?

Involuntary muscles spasms, restlessness, facial tremors, some atrophy of the facial muscles.

Don't you have anything else? That all sounds horrible.

No ma'am. But if we monitor him closely, and you keep careful records, we can adjust the dosage so that all of those side effects can be minimized.

"What kind of medication is he taking?" Gail repeated, hoping she could get some information that would help her to know just what kind of danger Gary might be in.

Jimmy shook his head. The voices of Amber and Gail merged, separated, merged.

"You were the only one that cared about me," he said softly to Gail, seeing Amber. "You were the only one that gave a damn. I heard you, you know, that day…that first day when they stared the Haloperidol. I knew you were there. You didn't think I remembered, but I did."

Gail stared at Jimmy. He'd given Gary Haloperidol, an anti-psychotic. "What's your name?" Gail asked softly.

Jimmy shook his head. "What's wrong Amber? Don't you know me?"

"I hit my head," Gail said quickly. Apparently the man thought she was Amber. She searched her memory trying to connect the name with a record or a face.

Jimmy staggered to his feet.

"Don…hurt…her…"

Jimmy's face turned red. He whirled around. "I would never hurt my Amber. Never! Never! You shut up! Didn't I tell you to shut up!"

Gail moaned and clutched her head watching Jimmy carefully. She had to get him away from Gary. "Oh…my head hurts…please help me…"

Jimmy's head whipped around. "Amber? Honey? Did he hurt you?" He turned and faced Gary again. He reached down and grabbed him by the arms and pulled him upright. "Did you hurt her? Did you? Did you hurt my Amber! Tell me!" He shook Gary roughly, snapping his head back and forth.

Gail tried again this time a little louder. "Oh, my head hurts…please help me!"

Jimmy's head whipped around to Gail and then back to Gary. Roughly he shoved Gary back into the chair and then weaved his way over to Gail. "Amber honey? Amber?"

Gail moaned and closed her eyes. She felt the man's hands on her shoulders and felt herself stiffen, but she willed herself to remain pliant when she smelled his fetid breath. Think, Gail, think!

"Amber honey? Amber?" Jimmy was confused when the images of Gail and Amber separated for a moment and instead of seeing the shoulder length brown hair Amber had that he loved, he saw Gail's blondness; instead of seeing Amber's softly rounded body, he saw slim arms and legs; instead of Amber's long length, he saw a small, petite woman lying before him. "Amber? You're not Amber!"

Instantly, his memory merged again and he was once again looking down at his Amber.

Confusion rattled his intoxicated brain, but he missed his wife so much and wanted so desperately to have someone to love him. He pressed his lips against Gail's and held her tight.

Gail tensed and pushed against his chest, "No. I...I think I'm going to be sick. Please, I need to be sick." She was able to push him away.

Jimmy stumbled back a few steps and stared at the woman before him. 'She's trying to play you Jimmy. She's not Amber. 'He wrinkled his brow and tilted his head. He stepped back up to Gail. "I didn't mean to hurt you Amber."

Gary moaned and began swallowing and licking his lips and his breathing came out in gasps.

"He's going to be sick. I've seen it before. Let me help him." She pleaded with Jimmy. "Please."

'Let her remove the bandages so he can see us. It's time, before the medication wears off.'Jimmy looked from Gail to Gary and back to Gail. "You helped me."

"I tried, I will," Gail said softly.

"You can help him if you take the bandages from his eyes. We want him to see us." Jimmy stepped back and let her have access to Gary.