The Mental Patient

Chapter 33 - Lock & Key

DAYS have collapsed and elapsed, the shock still outlines me in chalk. My silvery scalped fox, my silent stained foe; my slight slithery supporter strikes at my room's stoppage. All I know is he is my book bringer, my conversation giver, my gossip monger, it's Daniel. My chess piece I will move in honour of you Doc, this means war; after this, it'll be your move.

"What have you brought me today, Danny?"

His saint voice is faint and hard to perceive.

"The Great Gatsby, the Bourne Identity and Treasure Island; they're three of my favourites. So, I know you'd like um'."

"Thanks man." I kill my pens thought and push from my desks death grip, clammy soles slap with each step.

"Here you go." I still cannot get use to his broad pure Yorkshire accent. He slots through the books one by one.

"Thanks again for this, Danny."

"It's my pleasure, for all the years I have worked here; you're probably the only one who treats me like an equal... It's the least I could do, kidda'."

"Yeah and how long will it be after this new system gets up and running? It's fucked up what they're about to do to you; you're my only friend here too."

I've hooked him, now reel. The door latch goes up and locks.

"What? What do you mean?" I break a brazen smile to his question.

"You don't know, do you? At breakfast, I heard Doctor McKay and Greg the Pleb, talking about this new Hi-Tech security system, which is about, to turn this box into a vault... Anyway, they were talking about you, dude. Once this lock-thingy gets the green light tomorrow night, this whole place will not need keys, you will no longer be needed here. I'm sorry, I thought you knew." His pause is my applause.

"I have given this building forty-three years of my life, I am practically furniture, and they are just gonna' kick me out? No... No... I won't go, I was here when this place was a maternity hospital after the war, I got married to my late wife on these very grounds and I am still here; and they think I will walk away with a handshake and a pension? When I go home, I go home to nothing. This place is my real home and all I interact with are me children we weren't never able to have. I know Doctor McKay; once he has his mind set on something, he won't change it. They're going to take everything from this old lock and key and I bet you they won't care."

"Daniel, hey, Daniel... I am right here, mate. I am sure there's something else you can do with your life. What is it you always tell me? When there is no way out, keep looking for that door because we all have the key inside of ourselves. Use your own words."

"Kyle, I am not as spry as you, the only thing I am good for now is dying. At least if I do that, it'll be something I can control myself."

"Heed your tongue. Fuck suicide, what is that gonna' prove? All that proves is they won your life from you. You could always do what all of us did and truly become one of us; I mean we already look at you like one of us, like a dad, so why not?" Making one friend could be your greatest of weapons, saying that, on the opposite side of the spectrum, best friends make for the best enemies; they know all your plans.

"You mean kill people? I don't think I can, I just don't have the stomach for that sort'a stuff."

"That's cool, that's cool. There's another way but it's really far out there. Forget about it though."

"Kyle, you are my friend, I know you're only thinking of me." Am I? ...Sure. Clench that jaw and do not laugh.

"I don't think you'd be up for it, when I say it's really far out there, I mean it'll be like Mars planet far out there, it's stupid and dumb. Maybe you should go talk to the Doctor. He might give you another shitty job or refer you to another hospital miles and miles away."