insanity [l.t]

VI.

"It's doctor Greene! Something awful has happened!"

The room fills with murmurs as the old woman stands in front of us with blood on her hands.

"What happened?" Althea's voice comes low and worried as she speaks to the frightened nurse.

"Her-her throat has been cut. Someone used scissors to kill her! Oh, God! She's dead!" The nurse cries hysterically into Althea's shoulder. Her eyes are wide with disbelief as she ushers the woman to the nearest restroom.

"Holy shît. I told you! It's him. Everyone should listen to me. I know everything." Liam puffs out his chest and stalks over to some other patients who are crowded around each other in a circle.

"Everyone stay calm. We need order." The male guard speaks loudly over everyone's voices. I walk slowly and wait for the guard to turn around. Once he does, I scurry around the corner and stop when I hear sniffling.

"I-I just don't understand! We have high security where all the patients are! Scissors! Someone slit her throat with scissors! You know what's the worst part, Althea? I asked her to try to find more batteries. That's where she was going! To go get batteries! I could've went! It's my fault she's dead!" The nurse cries hard once more and I hear Althea shush her soothingly.

"Mary-Ann, it's not your fault. You can't think like that."

I slowly tiptoe in front of the open door. As I pass, I see Althea crouched down, comforting the old woman as the silent cries rake her body. I walk down the corridor and follow the droplets of blood splattered on the floor as a path leading me to the body of Doctor Greene.

The path disappears as I reach an open door with carpeted floors leading into it. Her body lies cold on the hideous blue carpet. The blood is still trickling down from the wound on her neck. The scissors are laying next to her, covered in the same liquid seeping from the lifeless corpse before me.

"What the fuçk are you doing, Louis?" I spin around to see Althea's eyes, wide and nervous, staring holes into me.

•••••

"I was just curious." Louis answers.

"Well you can't be back here. Especially since this is a crime scene now."

"Right. I'll just be going now."

He rushes past me and I'm left alone with Doctor Greene's lifeless body on the floor. Mary-Ann didn't exaggerate when she said this was obviously not an accident. The wound on her neck is deep. Blood seeps onto the carpeted floor. The scissors are lying close to her body.

"Excuse me? We need to dispose of her body now. You can go back to your post in the Window Room." I turn to see three guards standing in the doorway.

"Aren't you going to call someone? We need to report this."

"Althea, can I speak to you outside for a moment?" The guard who's been showing me around asks.

I walk out of the room as the other two guards brush past me and start unfolding the body bag.

"Listen, we can't report this."

"Why not? This was a murder."

"Yeah, but we also have a reputation to live up to. If the press gets ahold of this story, we will be shut down. If we get shut down all of the patients get released and we are out of paying jobs and places to live. Do you want to be stuck all the way out here with no job and no roof over your head?"

"Well no, but-"

"Exactly. So please, for the sake of everyone else, keep your mouth shut."

I huff as I walk back to the Window Room. Everyone is calm and either lying down or chatting quietly.

"Hey, Althea!" One of the nurses calls out from behind me.

"Yeah?"

"There's a patient who keeps asking for you. He's over there." She points to the big window on the far side of the room.

I walk slowly over to the corner. The room is dark, only a few occasional flashlights shine. "You asked for me?" I speak hesitantly.

He comes out from the dark and I see his face. Louis. "What do you want?" I ask annoyed when I notice who it is.

"So what are they doing with the body?"

"That's none of your business."

"Really? Because the last time I checked, I am stuck here and I deserve to know what the hell is going on."

"You don't deserve anything actually. You're a patient. You're here for a reason."

"So who's going to be the head doctor now? You? Mary-Ann? One of the guards?"

"That's none of your business." I repeat.

"Why are you here, Althea? You could be at an actual hospital, not this hell hole."

"I'm going now."

"Don't brush me off like I'm like these other lunatics in here. You know I'm not crazy."

"Yeah? Look where you are, Louis. A fuçking mental institution."

"Please humor me, you think I actually am crazy?"

"Yes I do. You murdered your family and you act as if that doesn't bother you."

"I'm not crazy."

"And yet you're here, lonely and confused. You need all the help you can get." I turn to walk away, but he reaches for my arm.

"You know, we all go a little crazy sometimes. It's what keeps us sane."