Birds of a Feather

Chapter 3 -Jon-

  I put on my coat that was sitting on the back of my office chair and picked up my notes. The patients should be heading to the group room with their nurses. My new patient Brendon would definitely feel uncomfortable if he was alone, so I figured starting with group would be easier for him. 

  It had been 7 years since I started working at the Palm Mental Hospital. I worked with the kids with schizophrenia mostly. Ryan was here as long as I have. He sees this place as a camp. It was hard to diminish the truth from his imagination, but he was getting better.  

  I looked at my wrist watch and headed over to the room. The halls were so pristine sometime I thought they wanted everyone to go crazy. If I could I would put some color in this place. I walked inside the room and looked around. Ryan was sitting by himself playing with his fingers and looking down. Brendon was shivering and was sitting like he was hugging someone. 

'It seems like both of them have one person they imagine.' I thought to myself as I sat down. 

  When Ryan noticed I had come in he got up and pulled his chair next to me. 

"What are we doing today? Spencer is really bored." He said pouting. 

"We'll be introducing everyone so Brendon can meet the group. So Spencer has to be patient." I said flipping to a blank page. 

"Jooooooonny." He whined. 

  I gave him a look and he sighed.  

"Ok, ok." 

"Thank you." I said looking over to Anna who had stepped inside and closed the door behind her. She gave me the nod and I started. "Good afternoon everyone. Today we have a new patient with us. Brendon, would you like to introduce yourself to the group?" 

  Brendon fidgeted and took a minute before standing up. 

"I.. I'm Brendon Urie... Um.. I'm 17... And Pete follows me everywhere. Even here. My mom asked me to come here so he can get scared off and leave us alone. But he doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon..." He looked at me nervously and I gave him a reassuring smile, which seemed to ease him a little. 

"Thank you Brendon. You may have a seat now." 

  He sat down and played with the bottom of his shirt. Ryan tugged my sleeve and I looked at him. 

"Who's Pete?" He asked in a whispered voice. 

"He's like Spencer. A figment of his mind." 

  Ryan made a face and I knew he was going to defend the realness of Spencer. But instead he rested his head on my shoulder and looked across the room at Brendon. 

"Who would like to go next?" I asked. Gradually everyone introduced themselves and Ryan sat up when his turn came up.  

"I'm Ryan Ross. I'm 17. Spencer is my best friend, but … He's not real."  He shot me a look for validation and I nodded. He continued, "My parents Amy and Jordan sent me here when I was 10 cuz they thought it would be better for me. And I guess it is since Jonny helps me." 

  I shook my head and began the therapy. When it was over the nurses took the patients back to their rooms, excluding Ryan and Brendon. 

"Brendon, do you understand what's going on?" I asked looking at him , and ignoring the little pinches Ryan was giving me as he pulled on my sleeve.  

"Pete... isn't real. He's never been real right?" He was concentrating heavily on the situation. 

"That's right. He's a hallucination made by your brain." 

    He frowned and got up sitting in the chair on my other side. 

"So he can't hurt anyone?" He looked up at me concerned. 

"No, the only one who can be by hurt by him is you. And only mentally." 

"Yeah, I'll send Spency on him if he does that. So just tell me." Ryan added leaning forward and smiling. 

  Brendon smiled and nodded. 

"Can you walk us back to our room Jonny?" Ryan asked. I looked down at him to decline, but wasn't expecting, though I really should have, to be looking at his puppy eyed face. I sighed. 

"Fine, fine." 

  Ryan grinned and hopped up. He walked around and stood in front of Brendon. I stood up and closed my notebook. Once Ryan had helped Brendon up he linked his arms around Brendon's and my own. I walked with them through the hallways listening partially to Ryan explain that I was apparently his favorite doctor here and that Anna was his least. 

  As we walked I noticed the president of the Palms walking with someone that was dressed as a doctor but clearly not. I stopped and the boys looked at each other, then me. 

"Jonny?" Ryan asked looking in the direction I was. "Is there something wrong with those guys?" 

"No, it's nothing... Come on." I led them the rest of the way quickly and held the door open for them. 

"Are you sure everything is alright?" Ryan asked his face filled with concern. 

"Yes. Please lay down both of you and pretend to be asleep is anyone else comes before lunch." 

  Brendon and Ryan looked at each other before walking inside and laying down. I closed their door and went to the entrance to the ward my patients were in and locked it. I wasn't sure if I was just as crazy as them, or if something was really going on. But no matter which it was, I was going to protect these kids.   

  Once it was locked I headed over to the spot the two men were last. I stayed out of sight and listened. 

"Are you sure these medications will work?" Albert, the president of Palm Mental Hospital asked looking in a box. 

"Positive. These loons will stay crazy and with each dose they'll become so mindless that you'll be able to control them."  

  Albert laughed with excitement. 

"Oh Bilermen you are a genius. No one will expect a bunch of crazy children to be the culprits. We're a step closer." 

  What kind of evil is going on here? 

"And once you get a handful of the doctors on board, getting them to take the pills will be a piece of cake." Bilermen said. 

"I know exactly which doctors to ask. This will make us millions." 

  Albert and Bilermen shook hands and went their separate ways. The kids were in trouble. But unless I could figure out who they were going to give the pills too, there wasn't really anyway  I could do anything. If I went to the police, they'd want proof. And I'm sure Albert would make sure they never found any and claim I was crazy.  

  I walked to my office and kept my eyes on the monitors. These kids didn't deserve anything Albert had planned for them. I'll be damned if they become mindless drones to that bastard. I sat at my desk and thought about what to do.