Obscurity

Chapter 65: Not Your Friend

Alma

The yelling and shouting from the hallway wake me. I don't feel like I've been asleep very long. I feel like I just dozed off and then the commotion outside my room snaps me to attention. I bolt upright and race for the hallway.

I hear Sierra shouting and Chris growling orders at her. When I exit my room, I see Chris dragging Sierra by the wrist down the hall.

I run to catch up to where they are.

"What's going on?" the frenzied scene isn't making any sense to me.

Spencer and Nick are trailing behind Sierra and Chris and several other patients are standing in the doorways to their rooms watching the scene unfold.

Chris doesn't acknowledge me. Sierra continues to twist and pull trying to free herself from Chris's grasp.

"I said, what's going on?" I ask again, stalling my pursuit. My voice raising in concern.

Again, no answer from Chris.

"Chris is on a rampage again." Spencer speaks up.

"What now?"

"I don't know. He just dragged Sierra from someone's room." He says shrugging.

"Who's room?"

"Michelle's." Nick says.

I rush to catch up to Chris and try to intervene. Spencer is hot on my heels grabbing at my arm. I shake his attempts and keep moving hastily down the hallway.

Chris manages to drag Sierra just past the nurses station when I catch up.

"I'm not doing anything wrong!" Sierra shouts, still trying to pull free of Chris.

"You were trespassing in someone else's room, Sierra. You're going to Secondary." Chris informs her.

"Chris!" I shout trying to get his attention.

"Not now, Alma. Or else you'll accompany her." He warns as he proceeds down the hallway to the West Hall door that leads to Secondary.

My steps never falter. I keep proceeding down the hall with them.

"Chris, you're seriously throwing her in Secondary for being in another patient's room?" I ask incredulously.

He stops walking for a moment and looks me in the eyes. "Yes." There's a smug tone to his voice.

"A female's room?" Nick pipes up from behind me. It seems everyone has followed behind us. Spencer stands there next to Nick and even Jim has come out of his room and trailed behind this impromptu mob.

Everyone's eyes bore into Chris but he doesn't seem to care. It seems as though he likes the attention.

"Yes. Even if she was in a female's room. She had no business there." He says, spit flying from his lip. He's becoming aggravated by our inquiries.

He finally reaches the door and we all stand right behind him. Sierra is still pulling, but losing her will with every tug. She's probably getting worn out. Chris is much bigger than she is and I can imagine the strength it's taken to pull and fight against his grip. I've been there.

"If you take her through that door, I'm coming too." I warn him as he keys the door. He shrugs giving no other response.

"You're not going in there." Spencer says from behind me.

When Chris opens the door to enter, he quickly pulls Sierra through behind him and I reach out and grab Sierra's free hand.

"Let go Alma." He warns me.

"No."

"You really want to do this?" He says, his eyes wild.

"Do you?" I ask stubbornly.

Spencer grabs my free hand, "Alma, please let her go."

I whip around and face Spencer, "No. He has no cause for this!" I shout. I direct my attention back to Chris is pulling Sierra again. Sierra is trying to plant her feet, but it's no use.

Spencer yanks my arm hard pulling me back into the unit and the door slams shut behind Sierra.

"How dare you?" I spit at Spencer.

"Are you crazy?" He asks, catching his breath.

"I can't believe you just did that!" I shout as I begin to pace the width of the hallway. I try to peek into the window of the door Chris and Sierra just passed through but it's blacked out. I can't see anything.

"Alma, you need to calm the fuck down." Spencer scolds me.

"You piss me off, Spencer!" I screech at him.

Everyone seems to be going back to whatever they were doing before the scene with Chris and I'm left standing in the hallway with Spencer. Nick isn't far away. He seems to be waiting for Spencer.

"Alma, getting yourself thrown in there too does nothing!"

"Chris is out of line..." I say trying to excuse my rash behavior.

"We all know that." He agrees.

A nurse from the nurses station comes down the hallway towards us.

"Can you all please go about your business away from the West Hall, please?" she asks politely.

"Piss off." I snap at her.

"Sure thing." Nick says trying to cover for my rude response. Nick nods his head in the direction of the day room as the nurse turns to go back to where she came from.

"Come on." Nick says as we begin walking back toward the day room.

I walk with my arms crossed and a permanent scowl on my face. Chris won this battle and I don't like defeat. I debate for a moment whether I want to be in the day room at all. I'd prefer to be alone, but there's nothing to do in my room. I can't fall back to sleep after all this.

"Sit down." Nick says as we approach a table near the windows.

"What?" I ask. "Now you're ordering me around?"

Spencer sits, and Nick just shakes his head.

"What?"

"Please sit?" Nick counters.

I flop down into my chair and look at him. Nick is rubbing his neck, like there's something he needs to say but he isn't sure how to say it.

"Alma. I've got something to tell you. Something you need to know." He starts.

Spencer sits there staring off into the nurses station. He doesn't seem to be involved in whatever Nick wants to say. But I wonder if he knows whatever it is that Nick is about to share.

I look over to Nick who's sitting there choosing his words carefully.

"What is it Nick? Spit it out." I snap at him.

"It's about Sierra." He pauses for a second.

"I know you hate her. That's not national news." I say rolling my eyes.

"No, it's not that. And I don't hate her." He argues.

"Then what? Damn it Nick."

"Calm down, Alma." Spencer interrupts.

I glare at him and wait for Nick to speak.

"I don't know how to put this properly. You're going to be pissed off, but you need to chill and let me finish before you start throwing chairs or whatever you feel you need to do." He prefaces.

I glare at Nick.

"Sierra is not your friend, Alma." he says. "Now hear me out..."