Castaway || mgc

31

mess

the nurse comes to my room and opens the door for me to go to my first ever activity here.

they say that a therapist has been assigned to me but every tuesdays, he has a group session with all his patients together in one room. i wonder if he's ashton's therapist, too.

luke clearly doesn't have one, and when i walk past his room, i find him sitting in a corner silently as his eyes stare into space.

his room is a mess, the walls are clawed at and the bed toppled over. i can't stand seeing him like that, knowing that one day i might end up like him.

two nurses lead me to the psychology wing of the enormous hospital, one guiding in front of me and one following suit.

they made me look into a mirror this morning and told me that if i ever want to take a shower, i can use the patients' restroom a few hallways away from my room.

gee, next time inform that to me when i've been here for a year.

i look horrible, with dark circles around my eyes due to my lack of sleep and my pale skin has a dark tinge to it. i'm getting skinnier, too, lacking food.

my collarbones are obviously protruding from my baggy hospital gown and my hair has faded in color. i'm a mess.

"this is your session, mr. clifford. it's one hour long and you'll only go back to your room when a nurse comes to take you." one of the nurses speak and i give them a small nod before stepping into the room.

it looks like a classroom, only the chairs are arranged in a circle.

the therapist sits there with six other chairs surrounding him, three on each side. four out of the six chairs are occupied (none of them being ashton) and i take a seat, awkwardly.

"and you must be michael clifford, right?" he questions and i nod again, not really wanting to speak. "you can all just call me harvey."

one more patient is missing and soon enough, in comes the last person i would think about to show up at a therapist's group session.

"sorry i'm late," he says. "michael?" his eyes widen once he spots me looking at him.

"calum."