The Destiny of Ethan King

Chapter 15: Lock and Key

Ethan opened his eyes slowly to see a large circular light above him. He was lying down. His eyes watered and he blinked several times before they adjusted to the brightness. He went to wipe his eyes and found he couldn't move. He tried again. Was he paralysed? He tried to look around but the light dominated his field of vision. (Stay calm). He took a couple of deep breaths and closed his eyes. Perhaps he was dreaming. 

Then it came back to him. His mum. His stomach did flips. A huge black hole opened inside of him. An image of her lying on the couch, eyes wide and staring, flashed into his mind. He remembered the paramedics and feeling dizzy. Then it got fuzzy. He fought to remember. Yes. There had been a woman in a business suit – she had spoken to him, her words meaningless. Then another man had approached him. Then nothing. Everything had faded away. 

Ethan opened his eyes again and tried to get a sense of the room he was in. It seemed familiar, but he wasn't sure why. It was cold and there was a slightly musty, damp smell. The light overhead flickered and buzzed before returning to normal. He turned his head to the left a little to see the wall. It was bare brick – harsh and unpainted. He attempted to move his legs, but was unable to. Something clicked in his mind; he wasn't paralysed, he had been restrained. He twisted his hands and could just about feel the restraints across his wrists. Now that he was aware of it, he could also feel one across his neck. What the hell was going on? 

He struggled to get free, to no avail. 

"Let me out!" he shouted. His voice sounded hollow as it reverberated off the walls. Was this a hospital? A prison? He strained against the restraints again. He stopped. He thought he'd heard something. Footsteps? Yes – there they were again. Footsteps on a concrete floor, and they were getting louder. They stopped abruptly and he heard the sound of a key finding its way into a keyhole, then the clunk of the door unlocking. Two sets of footsteps entered the room. The other person must have been waiting outside the door. A guard? The door creaked as it was closed and the footsteps stopped at his feet. 

"Undo his restraints." A female voice, calm and business-like. A large man came into view, his face stern. Ethan felt a pressure being released from his right arm, then his left. His legs were next and then his neck was free. He sat upright, muscles tensed, ready to act. He squinted to see the woman. She stood just outside of the circle cast by the overhead light. The man had moved back too, but was watching him intently. 

"Where am I?!" 

"You're in safe hands, Ethan. Calm down, there's a good boy," the woman responded. She had a neutral accent. She took a step forwards and Ethan recognised her as the woman who had appeared when the paramedics were about to leave. "I'm Doctor Malahan, I'm a psychiatrist." She smiled. It was a smug smile, framed with too-perfect glossy red lipstick. She had to be in her early forties. Her greying auburn hair was combed back and fixed tightly in place. She tugged at her suit jacket to straighten it. 

"Why am I here?" Ethan asked. 

"Because you are in the middle of a mental breakdown. You've been through a lot and I'm trying to help you." 

Ethan swung one leg down off the table, about to stand up, but the man moved closer and he decided to stay put. 

"I don't want your help. I wanna go home," he said. 

"I'm afraid that won't be possible. You're lucky you're not in prison," she said. 

"Prison? What are you talkin about?" 

"You did a terrible thing, Ethan. But you're ill. It wasn't your fault. How are you feeling today?" 

He ignored the question. "What terrible thing? Tell me why I'm here!"