Psycho

Chapter Two: First Impressions

"Be careful, he can be very unpredictable."

  Great..

"How so?" I could help but ask, afraid of the answer.

"He's moving from Melbourne, nurses and doctors at his previous institution couldn't help him, he's a troubled boy,Scarlet." He sighs.

"Oh," I managed to choke out "When is he arriving here?"

"He'll be here just after 3, if not before. He'll be escorted out a van by two guards from here and he'll be placed in a wheelchair and you'll wheel him to his room." He says - I nod in response.

"Don't worry, he'll be wearing a straight jacket." He reassured me.

That didn't even cheer me up in the slightest.

"Ok, I'll see you later." I smile at Dr Cartridge.

I walked back over to where I was before, my locker. I got out everything I needed. Even they silly blue plastic wraps you put over your shoes.

"Hey Scar!" My co-worker, James, said as he came in the locker room - he worked in the psychotic ward as a cleaner.

"Hey James!" I cheer back.

"How are you this morning?"

"Pretty nervous," I gulped.

"Oh yeah, I heard about you and the new psycho patient." James shot me a sympathetic smile.

"Yeah. Not so much a good start to a Monday." I laughed.

"Puh-lease Scarlet, everyday here is like a fucking Monday - we don't get a weekend." James said. He's right.

"Yeah, I know" I sighed.

"Anyway, I need to get to work" James sighed "I'll see you soon probably- good luck with the patient, you'll be fine" James smiled.

I waved him goodbye with a forced smile. As soon as he left, I let out the biggest sigh. I know it sounds like nothing, but you don't know about my fear.

You're probably thinking 'why'd you take a mental Heath nursing as a job' well, I just like to help people, that's the type of person I am. But the psychotic people I had never intended to be involved, ever since I heard stories about them attacking nurses.

My first patient I had to help today was a little 12 year old girl, Isa, pronounced as 'eye-a', she has paranoia, OCD & is developing a serious case of being suicidal. Isa was really cute too, but when the therapists told me about her engraving little spiders onto her arms with her fingernail spooked me out a little.

"Hello, Isa." I smiled as I walked I to her cell, shutting the gate closed behind me.

"H-Hi Miss Rose" her small fragile voice spoke. She was on her bed hugging her knees. That's the most common position they all sit in, casually rocking themselves back and forth.

"Please Isa, call me Scarlet." I smile warmly at her shaking frame.

"S-Sorry, S-S-Scarlet." She said.

Oh yeah, she also has a pretty severe stutter.

"How are you feeling?"

She shifted in her bed a little before looking up to me. Her small once light blue eyes were now dark and bloodshot. Her short brown hair was in high bunches and her fringe was down. She reminded me of a grown up 'Boo' from Monster Inc.