Chemistry

The Firts Meeting

Michael

Sleep, pretend to eat, therapy, support group, pretend to eat, therapy, sleep, and repeat.

I was on a ridiculous schedule that was supposed to "help" me. Lots of therapy, and support group multiple times a day.

"Alright! That brings us to the end of our session today group, i hope you all found that inner hope that you need to make it through this. Together, we can conquer anything."
Theo, the instructor, ended as my escort approached me.

"Ready go back?"

No

"Yeah."
I replied, knowing that my compliance was really the only option.

She led me back to sterile-white room. This is only my fourth night here, but i'm already getting stir crazy. These bland walls that cramp me up so tightly are making me more crazy than i was before.

I climbed in bed and my escort stepped into the hallway, locking me inside.

I hadn't been asleep at all, but about half way through my nap, the secretary unlocked my door and walked hastily to my bed.

"Michael, you've got visitors."
She whispered in my ear.

I lay on my side facing the opposite wall.

"Who?"
I ask quietly, and in shock honestly.

"Two young people. Um, Mia and Luke i think."

I shot upright.
"S-send them in."

Mia

The secretary returned to the desk a moment later.

"He's eager to see you. Follow me."
She said with a smile.

Luke and I looked at each other with shared surprise.

We walked down a long corridor and passed many patients that looked far more disheveled than Mr. Clifford ever had, with the exception being the day he yelled at me.

As this thought went through my mind, a shiver was sent down my spine.

"You ok?"
Luke whispered as his hand touched my shoulder.
I nodded.

"This is it!"
The secretary stopped and pulled out a key.

When the door opened, i expected to see Michael in bed, but he was sitting in a recliner that was next to a two-seater couch.

Luke thanked the secretary and we headed toward him.

"Well this is certainly unexpected."
Michael said as soon as the door closed.

"And so was this scare. And this finding."
Luke replied pulling out the empty Rispersal bottle.

He held it up between his thumb and middle finger.

"Please explain this."

I said as we took our seats on the couch. Mr clifford covered his face with this hands for a moment, then ruffled his hair.

He let out a huge sigh before he spoke.

"I uh. That's Rispersal. It was prescribed to me by my doctor. What more do you need to know?"
He retorted looking at his lap.

"Why it's empty."
I spoke quickly.

"It was an old bottle."

I cocked my head.

"So that's why the date reads two weeks ago on the sixth right? Makes sense."
Luke replied.

"Must have been a misprint."
Me. Clifford said. I could tell his blood was starting to boil.

"Michael be honest please. We're not here to poke fun at you, we want to help. We need answers."
I said in attempt to get him to open up.

Michael let his head fall back onto the head rest.

"I'm schizophrenic. I belong here. I can't control my thoughts and actions sometimes and it... It makes life really hard sometimes. I think of death a lot, and i finally got the courage to take almost the whole bottle. I was going to take the whole thing but i dropped some of them down the drain on accident and-" he was starting to get emotional. "If i had taken the whole bottle then i wouldn't be suffering anymore."
He finished as a single tear fell from his eye.

"So, if you wanted to die, and you were anticipating death, then why did you come to do the lecture?"
Luke asked.

"Simple. I wanted to see you again."
He replied as he pointed to me.

|| shorter chapter ik. Sort of getting writers block!! What do you think should happen next?? Ilyasm! Thanks for reading! .•Madie•.||