Between Stripes

F I V E

Over my week of recovery I learnt a couple of things:
  • porridge gets boring
  • Aaron could eat porridge 24/7
  • infirmary beds aren't comfy
  • Aaron thinks that the infirmary beds feel as soft as clouds
And, the only voice in my head was Jerome's. That was by far the weirdest part. For some reason Up and Down weren't there anymore. The Jerome-in-my-head told me they'd completely gone but I wasn't sure about that. I didn't trust him all the much.

Gosh, I sure love you too kiddo.

He wasn't at all like Up or Down. In fact all he did was just make little comments now and then. It wasn't too bad. Sometimes he had civilised conversations with me but that was when Aaron slept.

Wait till you get outta here, the real me will be ecstatic. He's missed you.

Only slightly did I shake my head. Just to shut him up a little, it did the job. In that moment I decided to call him Little Jerome. Ha ha, I know you're thinking of something else called that but that's just bad manners, honey!

"Come on Georgy, we can get outta here now." That familiar, gruff voice snatched me from my thoughts. It was Aaron, he was stood at the end of our beds.

"Let's get to it Helzinger, apparently they've introduced a 'free time' for us all to socialise in." I let out a low laugh as I joined Aaron.

"Georgy, I was the one who told you about that." Aaron stated and I just grinned. No new news meant I repeated stuff. I was glad that it was time to get out the infirmary.

"Yeah but the ideas fresh and stupid. Someone will end up dead and it'll be stopped." I said glancing behind us. We were indirectly being guided to some room.

"Don't you get any ideas Georgy." Aaron murmured, his tone slightly firm. I rolled my eyes as we neared a glass door.

"Through there is the room. Let me get the cuffs off you guys." The guard said and walked closer to us. He took my cuffs off first, then Aaron's.

"Thanks Marty, see ya round." I chirped as Aaron pushed the door open for me. I grinned and stepped inside to see quite the scene.

There were many tables that rested in neat lines. People was scattered everywhere.

A cluster of women and a few men sat in the left corner. Hair accessories and such were atop the table. It was like a small hair salon.

Opposite the hair salon there was a series of logical games and books on the tables and shelves. A game of chess was set up between a couple of people at the end. Along the table others read books quietly.

On my right, people were being somewhat creative. A few paint sets were being used to decorate the tables. Several pots of nail varnish were collected in a mess at the end of the table. They weren't in use.

And that was it. There was a few empty tables but they almost acted like barriers between the three groups of people. Obviously this wasn't the entire asylum population.

"Hey Aaron, fancy me painting your nails? I think you'd look great with a rainbow!" I laughed.

"Eh, I'd prefer a mixture of green and pink." He smiled as I hurried to the nail polish collection and picked up the colours. Aaron found an empty table. It was opposite the creative bunch and next to the main door.