My thoughts were racing. I stared at the window as he walked away, trying to make sense of the situation. He was here; he was mere YARDS away from me, yet I had no idea what I could do about it. I figured running away didn’t seem quite as necessary as it used to. I looked behind me and caught a glimpse of a half dozen security men bearing down on me. At this particular juncture, I chose the smart road. I simply lay chest-down on the ground and waited for them.
---------------
“Daddy? Daddy…I saw you…”
His voice, his face, its right in front of me. He’s looking up at me with those eyes. He wants me to come get him.
Then do it.
I can’t.
Why not?…
“Kevin. Kevin. Wake up for a minute.” A voice tore through the haziness of my drug-induced slumber. My hands were throbbing. I guess they managed to take care of them while I was out.
“What….what do you want….,” I slurred, not understanding what was going on.
“I need to get some blood from you.” Ah, yes, a vampire. Slang for the Phlebotomist that takes blood from patients in the early hours of the morning. The staff says it’s easier that way, we don’t resist as much. I guess when you’re dealing with crazy people you want as much advantage as you can get when it comes to stuff like this.
“Whatever…” I was not in the mood to fight. Last night had simply been too much for my beleaguered mind. Seeing Christian in the window and then being manhandled by what must have been the entire security staff had been enough for me to welcome the oncoming drugs.
“All done. You can go back to bed now.”
“I don’t have much choice.” I really didn’t. I was in the Quiet Room again, strapped down quite snugly. I fell asleep rather quickly, praying I’d figure out what to do once I woke up.
---------------
“Hey buddy! Get enough sleep?” Jerry’s voice was almost too chipper. I wasn’t going to knock him about it though; he was my ticket to freedom at the moment.
“Yeah, I think I got enough for the whole unit. Any way you can get me out of these damn straps?”
“Ooooooh, that’s a good question. Hold on a minute.” He walked out the door and was back in all of five seconds. “No can do, buddy. That debacle you caused last night doesn’t leave the staff with a lot of trust in you. Give it a day or two though. They’ll need this room for some new patient and you’ll probably get a chance to hightail it again.”
“I don’t want to hightail it again.”
“Why the change of heart?” I couldn’t tell him the truth. The evil that was behind Christian being in this place probably runs pretty deep. I decided to stretch the truth instead.
“I don’t see it as an option now.” It was close, anyway.
“That’s a good thing. We wouldn’t want you to leave here unless you’re a little more balanced than you are now.” Balanced, a polite word for properly medicated. “If you just cooperate with everybody, you’ll be out of here in no time.”
Not without my son.
Some fight left in you still?
“I’m kind of hungry, Jerry, could you negotiate some way for me to eat?”
“Sure, Kev. We can’t let a big guy like you wither away. I’ll be right back.” I really was starving, but what was on my mind at the moment was Christian.
How could he be in the hospital? He was kidnapped - in a limo, of all things. How the HELL could he be here?
Good choice of words.
What does that mean?
In time you will know.
Fuck you.
This situation was beginning to take its toll. For the past three years, my concerns could be broken down in to three categories: where I was gonna sleep that night, how I was going to eat that day, and what restaurant wouldn’t kick me out if I walked in to use their toilet. Rescuing my son, as well as myself, from nearly impossible situations, was going to be a job and a half. And right now that job involved getting some grub.
“Here ya go, Kev. You’re not on any low salt low sodium diet, are ya?” Jokes I definitely didn’t need.
“Nah, see, black people can eat all they want. We just dance the calories away.” Jerry unlocked my hands and put the tray in front of my face. “I can’t even sit up to eat?”
“Sorry, buddy. Maybe after another few hours of good behavior.”
“How am I going to take a piss?” It was a legitimate concern.
“You need to go?”
“I will after I eat.”
“We’ll worry about it then. So, you’re not feeling like you’re gonna bolt any more, huh?” I moved over a little as Jerry sat on the bed next to me.
“Um, its not on the forefront of my mind anymore, no.” I wolfed down French toast and sausage, wondering how I ever gave up the security of three full meals every day. There was a little cup of pills on the corner of the tray. My eyes couldn’t stop staring at them.
“Keep thinking that way. You’re much better off working out your problems here than trying to go at it alone.” I could sense honest sympathy from him. Jerry was a good guy. I was glad I hadn’t had to clock him the night before.
“Support is nice, yes. On that note, when are visiting hours?” I was very interested in talking to Dad tonight.
“7pm to 8pm. Did you want to see someone special?”
“I was hoping my dad was going to come by.” Boy, was that an understatement.
“I think that’s a safe bet, he already called this morning to check up on you.”
“What did you guys tell him?” “We had to tell him the truth, Kevin. Don’t worry though. He’s just glad you’re okay.” Jerry patted me on the shoulder.
“Is it possible that when I see him, you let me out of these damn straps?” I put on my biggest puppy dog eyes.
“We’ll see. Just relax for a while, though. Don’t forget your pills.” I kicked them back with a swig of H20. I almost choked, there was seven of them. God knew what each of them did.
“What am I gonna do for the next few hours?” I asked, honestly curious.
“I wouldn’t worry about that too much.” He was right, I was out in less than two minutes.
---------------
“Daddy? Daddy…I saw you…”
His voice, his face, its right in front of me. He’s looking up at me with those eyes. He wants me to come get him.
Then do it.
I can’t.
Why not?…
“Kevin. Kevin. Wake up for a minute.” A voice tore through the haziness of my drug-induced slumber. My hands were throbbing. I guess they managed to take care of them while I was out.
“What….what do you want….,” I slurred, not understanding what was going on.
“I need to get some blood from you.” Ah, yes, a vampire. Slang for the Phlebotomist that takes blood from patients in the early hours of the morning. The staff says it’s easier that way, we don’t resist as much. I guess when you’re dealing with crazy people you want as much advantage as you can get when it comes to stuff like this.
“Whatever…” I was not in the mood to fight. Last night had simply been too much for my beleaguered mind. Seeing Christian in the window and then being manhandled by what must have been the entire security staff had been enough for me to welcome the oncoming drugs.
“All done. You can go back to bed now.”
“I don’t have much choice.” I really didn’t. I was in the Quiet Room again, strapped down quite snugly. I fell asleep rather quickly, praying I’d figure out what to do once I woke up.
---------------
“Hey buddy! Get enough sleep?” Jerry’s voice was almost too chipper. I wasn’t going to knock him about it though; he was my ticket to freedom at the moment.
“Yeah, I think I got enough for the whole unit. Any way you can get me out of these damn straps?”
“Ooooooh, that’s a good question. Hold on a minute.” He walked out the door and was back in all of five seconds. “No can do, buddy. That debacle you caused last night doesn’t leave the staff with a lot of trust in you. Give it a day or two though. They’ll need this room for some new patient and you’ll probably get a chance to hightail it again.”
“I don’t want to hightail it again.”
“Why the change of heart?” I couldn’t tell him the truth. The evil that was behind Christian being in this place probably runs pretty deep. I decided to stretch the truth instead.
“I don’t see it as an option now.” It was close, anyway.
“That’s a good thing. We wouldn’t want you to leave here unless you’re a little more balanced than you are now.” Balanced, a polite word for properly medicated. “If you just cooperate with everybody, you’ll be out of here in no time.”
Not without my son.
Some fight left in you still?
“I’m kind of hungry, Jerry, could you negotiate some way for me to eat?”
“Sure, Kev. We can’t let a big guy like you wither away. I’ll be right back.” I really was starving, but what was on my mind at the moment was Christian.
How could he be in the hospital? He was kidnapped - in a limo, of all things. How the HELL could he be here?
Good choice of words.
What does that mean?
In time you will know.
Fuck you.
This situation was beginning to take its toll. For the past three years, my concerns could be broken down in to three categories: where I was gonna sleep that night, how I was going to eat that day, and what restaurant wouldn’t kick me out if I walked in to use their toilet. Rescuing my son, as well as myself, from nearly impossible situations, was going to be a job and a half. And right now that job involved getting some grub.
“Here ya go, Kev. You’re not on any low salt low sodium diet, are ya?” Jokes I definitely didn’t need.
“Nah, see, black people can eat all they want. We just dance the calories away.” Jerry unlocked my hands and put the tray in front of my face. “I can’t even sit up to eat?”
“Sorry, buddy. Maybe after another few hours of good behavior.”
“How am I going to take a piss?” It was a legitimate concern.
“You need to go?”
“I will after I eat.”
“We’ll worry about it then. So, you’re not feeling like you’re gonna bolt any more, huh?” I moved over a little as Jerry sat on the bed next to me.
“Um, its not on the forefront of my mind anymore, no.” I wolfed down French toast and sausage, wondering how I ever gave up the security of three full meals every day. There was a little cup of pills on the corner of the tray. My eyes couldn’t stop staring at them.
“Keep thinking that way. You’re much better off working out your problems here than trying to go at it alone.” I could sense honest sympathy from him. Jerry was a good guy. I was glad I hadn’t had to clock him the night before.
“Support is nice, yes. On that note, when are visiting hours?” I was very interested in talking to Dad tonight.
“7pm to 8pm. Did you want to see someone special?”
“I was hoping my dad was going to come by.” Boy, was that an understatement.
“I think that’s a safe bet, he already called this morning to check up on you.”
“What did you guys tell him?” “We had to tell him the truth, Kevin. Don’t worry though. He’s just glad you’re okay.” Jerry patted me on the shoulder.
“Is it possible that when I see him, you let me out of these damn straps?” I put on my biggest puppy dog eyes.
“We’ll see. Just relax for a while, though. Don’t forget your pills.” I kicked them back with a swig of H20. I almost choked, there was seven of them. God knew what each of them did.
“What am I gonna do for the next few hours?” I asked, honestly curious.
“I wouldn’t worry about that too much.” He was right, I was out in less than two minutes.