“Are you going to tell me what happened?” Ms Baites asked. “Well?”
I shook my head too ashamed to talk to her, even when she was sworn to secrecy by law. I kept replaying it in my head. Why did I do it?
Ms Baites sighed. “Perhaps you would like to talk about something else?”
I shook my head again and stared out of the window while Ms Baites stared at me with her understanding eyes. I knew she thought I was crazy. She probably already knew the story but wanted to hear it from me. She quickly glanced at the clock on the pale yellow wall.
“Our time is up Nicole. Hopefully you will be more open next week.”
I quickly got up and ran out the room. I was so sick of all those councillors thinking they could fix me but they couldn’t. I have those awful memories burning inside my head.
Two nurses were at the other side of the door ready to escort me back to my room. They seized me by the shoulders with an iron grip and took me across the courtyard. I gazed up at the big sign saying The Capio Nightingale Hospital as I got whisked into the building.
I hated my room. It was bare and dreary as we weren’t allowed anything from home in case you had something that could hurt someone. I hadn’t been here very long but I knew we wouldn’t harm each other, only the nurses. I hated all the nurses, especially Mrs Powell and Miss Cook. They had to keep an eye on me at all times. Mrs Powell and Miss Cook wore matching light blue dresses with a white little hat. They both tied their thinning hair in tight buns. I sat on my narrow bed and looked at them fiercely.
“Nicole it’s time to take your pills.” Miss Cook said softly. My mouth clamped shut.
“Come on dear, open your mouth.” Mrs Powell ordered.
“No!” I shouted.
“You know it’s for the best darli-”
“No it isn’t! You don’t know what is best for me! You don’t even care!” I screamed, getting myself worked up. One nurse held me down while the other tried to cram the pill down my throat. Everything was a blur. I wriggled free of Miss Cooks grasp and lunged for Mrs Powell. She screamed and screamed.
Two men burst in. They were much stronger than my nurses put together. They crammed me into a strait jacket and hauled me out of my room.
“No please don’t take me to the padded room! Please!” I screamed as they hauled me along the corridor. I thrashed and kicked but the strait jacket I knew so well was keeping me imprisoned. The two men, who must have been guards, took me to the padded room and propped me up against the wall. I spat at them, seething with rage. They looked at me with disgust just before they bolted the door. I screamed and screamed until my throat was raw. I started to sob. Out of all the patients at this hospital I was the one who was put in here the most. Why was I so stupid? I shouldn’t have let him get to me, I thought. It was too late now; I couldn’t go back and change it. I was trapped in a mental hospital, locked in a padded room, imprisoned in a strait jacket and I was all alone.
