Room 303

Chapter 6

                                    Stella

  Stella marched up and down her room hyperventilating. This wasn't the first time it happened to her. Every time she thought that she got used to it, she'd be proven wrong. Her mind never got used to all that she was going through. She needed some space. She wanted to run the fields surrounding the institute. She wanted to scream her lungs out and say enough is enough. She wanted to pound on every wall and break down every door. She had so much rage and anger inside her. This wasn't the life she wanted, but it was the one she chose. No body forced her into this. She wanted to be part of this psych. Her resume was a classic. Any health care institute would take in a nurse with her qualifications in a heartbeat. Stella excelled during her academic years and never missed an honour list. She was very passionate when it came to medicine. Her adoptive parents always wondered how a girl with such potentials refused to be a doctor. Settling for being a nurse was her choice, and they respected that. Her devotion and dedication to helping and caring for others was beyond comparison. She shook her head desperately. She needed to stay focused. She contained her composure by breathing in deeply and slowly. Her breaths count dropped to normal and her heart rate was out of the danger zone.

  Ring.Ring.Ring.
  She leapt at the sound of her phone ringing in her pocket.
  "Stella speaking, who is it?...Hello?"
  Probably another prank call from some kids. They have a habit of calling and not saying anything at all. She straightened her hair leaving no strand astray. She tucked in her white shirt, put on her lab coat, and carried herself out of the room.

  The garden was swarmed with patients. All of which lived in their own bubble. They walked back and forth, left and right, and wandered around in circles. Their random motions and mumbles were what completed the picture.

  "How are you doing today Andrew?"
  He looked at her silently with his brown droopy eyes. His grey hair still very well intact with his skull. His weak bones barely supporting his thin body. 
  "Are you having a good time?"
  He shook his head with discontent.
  "What is it Andrew? Did anyone upset you today?"
  He continued to stare sulkily at the sky refusing to look at her.
  "Who was it today Andrew?"

  He didn't answer her. Stella felt a gulp in her throat. He rested his head over his right shoulder fidgeting with his thumbs. His legs clung together and his teeth gritted. His glance towards Maria confirmed Stella's hunch. It was definitely her. Andrew loved looking at birds in the sky. They probably reminded him of freedom. He smiled every time he saw them and that brought joy to Stella's heart, but today he refused to smile. He stared blankly at the sky with no joy in his heart. Stella felt angry. She wanted to walk up to Maria and give her a piece of her mind. She wanted to tell her to back off and stop treating patients like shit. She wished she could punch her in face and insult her. She hated Maria so much, but of course the thoughts were just in her mind. Stella could never hurt anyone the way she wanted to and that made her sad to an extent. Maria was on supervision duty. Everybody hated when she was on duty. She wouldn't allow the patients to enjoy their time. She always picked on and bullied everyone. She got satisfaction out of the patients' misery.

  "Okay Andrew, here is a game for you. I'll ask you some questions and you'll respond by nodding your head. If your answer was yes, you nod once, if your answer was no, you nod twice. Do you understand the rules?"
  He nodded once.
  "Excellent, let us begin," she said.
  "Did Maria come to you earlier?"
  He nodded once.
  "Did she bring your medications along with her?"
  He nodded once.
  "Did she give them all to you?"
  He nodded twice.
  "Was it because of something you did?"
  He didn't nod his head.
  "Was she alone in the room with you?"
  He nodded twice.
  "Who was with her?"
  He didn't nod. He was just sitting still staring at the sky.
  "Was it Patrick?"
  He nodded twice.
  "Was it doctor Janet?"
  He nodded twice.
  "Was it doctor Steven?"
  He nodded once.
  "Did he torture you?"

  Stella could see him starting to sweat. He was feeling uncomfortable.
  "Don't worry Andrew I won't tell."
  He didn't seem convinced.
  He began trembling and panicking. Sweat was covering his forehead. His fidgeting worsened.
  Maria noticed that and made her way towards them.
Shit! She's coming.

  "Andrew listen to me you need to answer me please."
  "No...will...hu..rt....mmm....eee"
  "You need to talk to me Andrew if you need me to help you. I need to know everything."
  "Leave....she..... co..mmm...inggg."
  "Okay Andrew just nod please, just nod. Did he torture you again?" She asked forcefully.
  Andrew still trembling found it difficult to respond.
  "Andrew please, you need to tell me before Maria reaches us."
  He nodded his head once before collapsing on the ground at the feet of Maria.

  "Well, well, what happened here?" Asked Maria.
  "I don't know I was just checking on him then this happened."
  Maria looked at Stella suspiciously.
  "Is that so? Why did he seem as if he'd seen a ghost?"
  Stella let out a small sarcastic cry.
  "You tell me," she joked.
  "What do you mean?!" Roared Maria.
  "I do not mean anything."
  "You think you are smart? Do you think you know everything just because you got yourself some shitty degree from some prestigious university? Your degree doesn't mean shit. It doesn't make you anything over here, so fucking watch your language."
  "I wasn't trying to be offensive. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go. It is time to take the Patients back to their rooms."

   Stella directed her patients into their respective rooms. Each person on duty was assigned five patients to keep an eye on. Andrew was one of her patients. She liked him a lot. He reminded her of her father. She missed home. She wanted to go back so badly, but she knew she couldn't. Her task in the asylum wasn't over yet. She still had a lot to do. She felt a lump in her throat every time she closed the door and watched her patients look back at her dejectedly. She wanted to open all the doors and let them all free. She wished she could do that, but she knew it was the wrong thing to do.

  "Come on Andrew," she said directing him into his room. He froze in his place as Patrick strapped him back into his straitjacket.
  "Come on move into your room," ordered Patrick.
  Andrew refused to move.
  "Oh man, not again!" Said Patrick angrily.
  "I am going to call someone to clean this mess up. You should learn to ask for the bathroom when you want to urinate. This is insane!" Patrick cursed his way through Stella and Andrew.
  "Why did you do that Andrew? I think we are over this. You could have asked for the bathroom," said Stella.
  He looked at her with watery eyes unable to say a word.
  "You couldn't control it could you?"

  He nodded his head twice and looked down to his thighs embarrassed. Stella knew what was going on. It was the effect of what he had been going through. It was them that caused this. This was all Maria and doctor Steven's fault.

  "It is okay Andrew. This will be cleaned up don't you worry about it."
  "I am going to help you. I promise I am going to do whatever I can to help you," she said resting her right hand on his left shoulder.
  "Come on Andrew. Let's get you washed up," said Patrick frustrated. Someone is on the way to clean up the puddle you left behind."
  "Ste...ll..aa."
  "Yes Andrew?"
  "Care...ful" he said before marching with Patrick.

  Stella felt uneasy. She knew she still had a lot of patients to care for and a handful of tasks to complete, but she couldn't stop thinking about what Andrew had told her. Careful. Why would he say that? What had he heard? Had he witnessed anything out of the order? This was the first time he ever spoke to her like that with concern in his eyes. Something was wrong and she needed to figure it out before it was too late.

  Back in her room Stella closed the door and made sure that she locked it. In such a place, locking every room is standard procedure. You wouldn't know when someone can pop into your room. Therefore, better safe than sorry. She knelt down beside her bed and stretched her arm to reach a piece of timber under her bed. It was embedded as part of the flooring, but she had removed it to hide the file that held her most precious secret. She took out the file and carefully placed it on her lap. She flipped through the papers and came to halt at a picture that made her tear up. Cleaning the dropping tears with the back of her hand, she held the picture close to her chest and took a deep slow breath.

  "I miss you. I miss you so much," she kissed the picture and placed it back in the file securing it in position. She replaced the timber back to fit perfectly with the flooring. She stood up adjusting her clothes with her palms, straightening her skirt, and dusting off the dirt. She looked at the mirror, managed to fix a smile on her face, and shut the door as she disappeared into the corridor.

Chapter 7 coming next week.
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