Mental [#Wattys 2015]

Chapter 3

"You," Eye Doc said, pointing an accusing finger at Ricky. I could hear the hate in his voice as he spoke.

"You pulled the fire alarm, I know it. There's no hope for you and your useless pranks. Keep this up and you'll be in prison for the rest of your life."

Ricky sat there and stared at him.

I felt like I should say something, but I didn't. Later, I knew, I would regret that.

I looked at Ricky, and his blank expression had changed. The boy I saw in the utility room, or holding his breath wasn't there. His expression was almost-scary.

"What did you just say?" He snarled.

The Eye Doc smiled.

"I said, you'll be locked up forever. You're hopeless."

He turned around, and started walking away.

With his back turned, Ricky yelled at the top of his lungs,

"Fuck you!"

But the Eye Doc didn't stutter.

That did not please Ricky.

In one motion, he was up, and grabbed the Doc's shirt tail.

He was shaking, not from fear, but anger.

His blue eyes were now stormy, and the boy he was-was no longer.

"I will kill you. You hear me? I will snap our neck in half. And I'll enjoy every minute of it. Watch what you say to crazy people, shitface."

Ricky started laughing this cynical laugh; one that could have been in horror movies, or end up in my nightmares.

Everyone else stayed silent and in their place. No one dared to move.

Ricky had his hand bundled up on Eye Doc's shirt. Patients and nurses looked scared; but nothing compared to the Eye Doc.

It was obvious he was trying to keep a calm face, but the threat definitely hit him.

"Put him in the box. I want him there for 24 hours."

Two burley male nurses grabbed Ricky's arms and dragged him-Ricky swinging and punching the whole way in.

****

"Lights out, everyone." A voice cracked thorough the intercom.

I sat in bed, listening to my own breathing, and subconsciously thinking about Ricky.

I wondered about his state of being. If he really meant those words. When I had my last breakdown, I knew it wasn't me saying all those things. It was the voices inside my head-telling me this is it, this is the end of you and me as we know it. The annoyance I once felt towards Ricky was no longer there. I felt for him. Because I knew what it was like; to not have control of your body. To be on the outside, looking in.

I got up just after Cathy came in to check on me. As the door shut behind her, I grabbed it, careful not to make a sound.

Everything was still and quiet in the hall. I tipped toed around the corner, and once clear, sprinted to the room Ricky was in.

There was a small square glass in the middle of the door that I knocked on.

After several moments, a light switched on, and Ricky appeared. He smirked that childish grin, and came up to the glass. I looked around him and saw that the "box" was a spongy room-all white.

Ricky, despite his grin, looked horrible. He had deep purple dark circles under his eyes, his hair was a mess, and his hands were cuffed together in front of him.