Mental

Prologue

"How are you today, Phillip?"

The cart is squeaky. The way it's sad whine sounds as it rolls off the hospital walls is rather depressing, but the drugs that ride it contradict depression. That's what the lab coats say.

Phil laughs. Something he does a lot for someone so sad. "Despondent."

"Why?" The nurse asks. She starts to organize the carts contents.

Phil stares at it's squeaky wheels.

"White is such a lonely color, don't you think? It's simply a reflection of nothingness. The sheets of the hospital bed, the pills that put you to sleep instead of the blue ones that they promise will make you happy again. The color opposite of black. A lonely dove."

Phil's nurse, Linda, sighs. "This is why you're getting a new doctor."

Phil laughs again. "Why? Did I say something crazy?"

Linda shakes her head. "You didn't have to. I already know that you are. That's why you're here."

Phil rolls his eyes. "I don't think there's anything wrong with me."

"Tell that to your new Doctor. You meet him Monday."

"Ooh. Is he hot?" Phil says laying down with his arms behind his head like he always does.

Linda's face flushes red. "That has nothing to do with your health, so I am not required to answer that."

Phil smiles in the insane way he does. "That means he's probably hot. Can't wait to meet him."

Linda sighs again. Phil likes how frustrated she gets around him. He finds it funny. The fact that she calls him Philip makes him feel like a prince, and he finds that funny as well.

He's the prince of Cynthia Hall Mental Ward.

"Philip, you are not to harass this doctor as you did the last one."

"Why? Is it because you got a crush on this one?"

"Here, take this." she says, ignoring him. She hands Phil his daily medicine. He downs it all without water.

She smiles. "Good job, Philip. Most patients throw their medicine against the wall."

Phil laughs. "I like the irony of it all. Taking pills that will never actually help me. I find it amusing how easily deceived normal people are by addiction, and doctors. You know, the worst things."

Linda's brown hair seems to fade to gray the more time she spends with Phil. She doesn't know how to answer what he says half the time, so she just nods. This is what it's like to work with nutjobs.

"Speaking of things that never help me, who is my new doctor anyway?" Phil asks.

Linda smiles gently. A question she can answer. "He's new to Cynthia Hall. He's pretty young for his occupation, and I heard that he was very intelligent. His name is Doctor Daniel James Howell."

Phil nods, ignoring her swooning. This doctor was all his. This is going to be fun. He smirks at her, "Sounds sexy."