𝒢ℯ𝓉 ℳℯ 𝒪𝓊𝓉

𝟷𝟸.

Ana's POV
"I'm here for Jose," I tell the woman at the front counter and she tells me the room he was being kept in. Luckily this time I was dressed in my regular work attire so that no one would look at me weird that an inmate was running freely in the hospital.

Walking into the room I hear him say, "It's alright my love, I'll be home soon okay?" I assumed he was talking to his wife as no one else but himself and the nurse was in the room. "She's beautiful," I hear the nurse tell him and he smiles. "I know," he says making them both gently laugh.

I knock on the door and the nurse sees me. "Oh, come in," she tells me and I walk in. "You've been released?" She asks me referring to my clothes and reply, "Nope, just changed before anyone becomes terrified that an inmate is inside a hospital," I say and she lifts her eyebrows. "Yup," she replies sarcastically, saying that people get scared with inmates being around them.

"Sad enough, most of them have a mental illness, and they're scared of them," she says as she then grabs an empty tray and she walks out of the room. I see her also take a small cup, I assume she gave him some antipsychotic drugs.

"Look, my skin is looking great!" Jose tells me and I resisted my gasping as his skin was now covered in white bubbles. "Hurts to touch it for some reason," he says as he gently rubs his skin. "It's still healing!" I say making him stop. "Not best to touch it," I say.

His pills are probably slowly working.

I then sit down on the seat next to him. "I think it would be best if we took you to an asylum Jose," I say and he makes a confused face. "Where all the crazy people go?" He asks me and I sigh. "They're not crazy Jose, no one in this world is crazy. We're all just a little different. Jail is not going to help you, but an asylum will," I say and he stared at me.

"I need help? For what?" He tells me and I bite the inside of my cheek. "José you have a mental illness, schizophrenia, remember when I told you that a while ago when we first met?" I say and he nods his head. "I remember the chair was cold when I was crying and that's why I don't like the jail," he says. "Is that why they burned me?" He asks me and I shake my head.

"You did not deserve to be burned Jose," "then why did they do it?" He asks me and I shrug my shoulders as I shake my head. "I don't know," I say and she laughs. "You always have an answer for everything though Dr. Palvin , why not this?" He asks me and my eyes became watery.

"I don't know why people are so mean Jose, and I'm really sorry for what happened. But we're going to get you help okay? Where they won't hurt you anymore," I tell him and he smiles at the empty chair. "You hear that sweetheart?! Dr. Palvin is going to help me!" he says ecstatically.

"Why are you crying Doctor? This is good news right?" He asks me and I shake my head. "Tears of joy," I say. Although it was true, because now he would be in better hands, I was also crying because of how bad they have been treating these people.

And it's been happening for so long, and I've done little to nothing about it. "So when am I going to the asylum?" He asks me and I tell him, "After your skin heals we will take you there. You can make new friends and they have board games there and dancing and meditation, you get to be outside," I tell him and he nods his head.

"My wife and I can dance like we used to!" He tells me and I smile as I nod my head. "That sounds like a lot of fun right?" I say, he replies with a happy yes.

***

Setting Jason's paper work on top of the metal table, I ask him how he had been. I then look at him, and I notice a bruise on his face. "What happened to your face?!" I ask him and he shakes his head. "It's nothing Ana," he replies and I furrow my eyebrows.