𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐲 [Ratched X Reader]

8 | Medication time

━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━

After the incident in Dr. Hanover's office I'd walked with an empty gaze and a quite intense and lasting sadness through the hospital, at first not realising that I'd begun to build a wall around me. I'd neither looked at anyone, nor spoken to anyone and instead had spent most of the time either in my room or the restroom thinking about what I'd myself got into.

Especially when it came to medication time in the day room the restroom for the hospital's visitors was my safe place where I could hide and avoid Nurse Ratched, which surprisingly did work quite well: Since the convicted mass murderer Edmund Tolleson had been committed to this hospital and brought to a cell in the basement no one had cared about my absence at medication time. It had gone completely unnoticed so far. Apparently not only every staff's attention had been drawn to the murderer from the day he'd arrived but he'd also caused a stir among some of the patients. Having been acquainted with the fact that I had to sleep in the same building as a mass murderer a queasy feeling had spread through my body but as he was behind bars he couldn't harm anyone, right?

In the meantime, I'd tried to avoid any possible occasion to encounter Nurse Ratched since I'd quickly learnt she would always roam me with her cool vision when she was around like a reminder or rather a threat to better keep my mouth shut about her dark secret.

With Ratched's obvious hatred for me I'd lost the essential spark that had been pushing me since day one in this hospital. Nurse Ratched had been the reason I'd felt my heartbeat quicken when I'd stood up in the morning, always hopefully anticipating to see her. I'd longed to be in her arms, comforted by her warmth, being able to shut out the devastating thoughts of my mother, Mrs. Underell, and all those toxic people in my town who still judged and despised me for who I was. She'd been the one who'd brightened my dark days here. I'd felt like I could trust her.

Now yawning void had replaced my tiny spark of joy causing me to feel lonelier and more helpless than ever. Her painful words had hurt me deeply and after the horrible event I'd lost all my trust in her. The problem was that my strong feelings I'd developed for her were more present than ever regardless of what she'd done to this poor patient: One side of me saw her as a manipulative, power hungry woman who was capable of terrible things in order to get her way. But another side still felt drawn to her as the reserved and polite woman she'd been at my arrival. Are my feelings clouding my senses? Does this side of her even exist or was it just feigned?

I was torn. I'd never wanted to become her enemy...

In the evening I sneaked to the restroom as usual and waited until medication time was over. Just in case I added a few extra minutes before I scurried to my room and grabbed my book. I assumed that by now Ratched had to be in the nurses' room and would soon head home so I tied my hair and strode with quick steps to the day room, the book firmly pressed against my chest as I walked past assistants and nurses with my head lowered.

When I arrived in the dim lit room only two patients were sitting here: An old woman in a wheelchair half asleep, and a man on a couch in the corner reading the newspaper. Taking a seat on the soft orange couch I observed a nurse advance towards the woman before I opened my book and was about to dive into the story but it didn't take more than a few seconds until I perceived a movement out of the corner of my eyes, which instinctively made me look up but I wished I hadn't as I spotted Nurse Ratched with a thin smile on her face approaching me. Just with her gaze on me I was already caught in a state of panic and fear, too overwhelmed to react quickly and opt for flight.

"Good evening, Miss Y/N", Nurse Ratched spoke calmly and her painted smile immediately disappeared as soon as the other nurse had walked past her. For a moment she just towered in front of me, glaring down at me menacingly and that was when I sensed I was in big trouble. "What kind of silly game are you playing? Skipping medication time again?"

As I didn't say anything she continued, her voice low but sharp: "Did you really think I would let this ridiculous attempt to avoid me pass that easily? You are to be prompt like everyone else. There are no exceptions. Do not force me to remind you who you're dealing with"

"You can't just bend people to your will like that", I hissed, making her frown. Her brown eyes flashed with anger.

Nurse Ratched leaned over me, the anger that had build up inside her reflected in her loud tone as she pointed her finger at my chest: "I do not tolerate this tone, young lady!"

A shocked gasp escaped my mouth and when I anxiously looked around I spotted the patient with the newspaper who'd lifted his head and observed the scene in discomfort. Nurse Ratched realised her thoughtless action had caused unwanted attention so she sat down next to me, very closely so that our thighs touched and continued with a breathy voice, fumbling for a pillbox in her uniform's pocket. "I would have never anticipated such a young soul like you would constitute such a huge problem to me but since you've snooped around and dug your nose into my business you're really getting on my nerves. If you keep this bratty attitude I see myself forced to take action, am I clear?"

Fixing the pillbox tensed I made a careful attempt to shift away from her but her hand quickly reached for my thigh like stung by a needle and her long fingernails dug through my dress into my skin.

"I said am I clear?"

I pressed my lips together, seeing there was no point in arguing and eventually gave the slightest of a nod without looking at her.

"Words would be appropriate, don't you think?"

"Yes", I mumbled.

"Yes what?" The satisfaction she got out of this power over me was sickening.

A moment of hesitation passed before I finally gave in and looked at her. "Yes, Miss Ratched. I understand"

"Good. Now open. You still need to take your medication", she demanded and fixed my lips, a red pill between her fingers.

I have no choice, have I?

When the nurse guided it to my mouth my lips briefly brushed her fingers, sending a jolt of electricity through my body. "Swallow"

Satisfied she stored the box in her pocket and made her way around the couch leaving me confused until I felt two hands on my shoulders and her minty breath brushed my ear when she whispered: "I'll see you tomorrow for medication time. Be prompt...and do not ever test me again"

━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━