"The Jackal is in complete control of his mental faculties!"
I hate the pleading tone in my voice as the medical one slams the door of the padded cell behind me! What do I do now? The Blonde Ones are in Fair Lulu's room. Did they see him accost The Jackal? Will they be able to liberate him?
I can't be doomed to spend the rest of my life in here! No, that will not happen! If Maximista and The Blonde One cannot aid The Jackal, most assuredly Stone Cold will; Maximista will notify my Master of his Grasshopper's predicament.
Stone Cold! The Jackal cringes as he envisions his Master's response to his latest escapade. What will he think? The Grasshopper only ever intends to be worthy of his master's tutelage. He only intends to assist those he loves. But his good intentions and attempts at following The Stone Cold way only serve to cause events to spiral out of The Jackal's control. His last attempt cost him his spleen; this attempt has caused him to literally be confined in a padded cell.
It's so quiet in here. No one can hear me; the walls are sound proof! All I can hear is my own breathing and my pounding heart! I can't panic; that won't help me.
Nothing and no one will help me!
"Stop! Didn't I just say not to panic? Take a deep breath. Relax."
The voice in my head, the one ordering me not to panic, sounds very much like My Master. Stone Cold would not panic and neither will his Grasshopper. I will practice the Stone Cold Way!
This is not an inhumane institution; they will, in time, assuredly provide the Jackal with sustenance. Maybe once they come with the food I can convince them that I don't belong here. The simple act of nonconformity should not lead professionals to assume that The Jackal has lost his proverbial marbles!
Poor, distraught Lulu! She thinks she's crazy. The Jackal fully intends to prove that someone is only trying to make her think so. Who would commit such a heinous act against such a wonderful girl? If The Jackal did not know of its impossibility, he would point the finger of blame at The Crabby Commando.
The Jackal is not adept at behaving normally, but what will they do to me in here? Will they force me to conform? Will they shock me? They've already slapped a straight jacket on me and put me in this padded cell.
The Jackal fully comprehends it all now! How many times has he read "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest?" How many times has he seen the movie? Now he understands exactly how those poor, unfortunate patients felt!
Oh my God! Will they lobotomize me? The Jackal cannot lose his brain, his only area of excellence! He must escape! He must flee! He must be the Chief and fly over the Cuckoo's nest; break the window!
There is no window to break! There is nothing to use! I can't break a window with no weapon and no window!
Stone Cold's voice in my head instructs me again, to The Jackal's great relief. His voice is stern, a bit irritated and even annoyed, but perfectly calm and reasonable. His Stone Cold logic, though merely filtered through The Jackal's imaginings, is a most reassuring presence, even if he cannot be here to assist his Grasshopper in person.
"Stop panicking! You're not McMurfy, or the Chief, or Billy! This is not a book or a movie; it's real life, and in real life things like that just don't happen! Maxie and Lulu will come for you; just settle down!"
I wonder briefly if Stone Cold has ever seen or read this particular piece. If he were really here with me, would he understand the references? Would he be able to identify with The Jackal's musings, or would he look at him with puzzled annoyance, wondering what his Grasshopper is talking about, as so many people do?
I feel so powerless! I hate feeling this way! Stone Cold would not feel helpless, but he also would not have allowed himself to get into this situation!
How long have I been in here? It seems like forever.
It's only been about four minutes, according to the Jackal's watch. How can such a short amount of time pass so slowly? I don't even have a laptop for company; it and my cell phone are in my manly shoulder bag, which is in Lulu's room. Even if I had it, the padding would most likely prevent me from accessing the wireless connection.
Does this place have a wireless connection? No matter; my current position would prevent me from using a laptop, with or without access to the Internet. My hands are confined behind my back. Sadly, The Jackal is physically unable to commune with his Cyber Companion.
A cell phone would be similarly useless; if The Jackal could free his hands, he could call Stone Cold for help, if he could receive a signal through the padding.
How is it that they have mistaken The Jackal for a resident of Shadybrook? He attempted to masquerade as one, but they've never seen him before, except the few who saw him when he visited the Fair One earlier.
Something feels wrong here. Someone is gas lighting Fair Lulu and no one has checked to discover whether or not notes have been left for her. Everyone is simply assuming that Lulu is writing these notes to herself. Now they're unfairly detaining The Jackal in this claustrophobic space when he's not even on their patient list!
Didn't they even check the list? Certainly there must be a master patient list and cautionary protocols in place to prevent mistakes such as this outrage.
That doctor didn't even ask my name. How can he know who The Jackal is if he doesn't inquire? Well, he did ask who The Jackal is, but he doesn't know I'm Damien Spinelli; he only knows me as The Jackal and thinks I'm a patient. How can he jump to that conclusion without even checking?
The Jackal must not lose his composure and he must not become angry or indignant. He must utilize his formidable mental capacity and think of a plausible, workable and safe escape strategy!
I can't think! Fear and panic are clouding my thoughts! The Jackal feels so alone! Where are the Blonde Ones? I know they'll help me; I know they wouldn't leave me in here! They would not desert The Jackal in his hour of need.
This straight jacket is chafing, even without my beloved spleen.
That was another situation I could have avoided. Stone Cold was right; I should have stuck to the handbook.
Well, that's not exactly what he said, but had I done that Maximista and The Jackal would not have been in that alley. I would not have had to push her out of the way and the car would not have hit me. This is merely another variation on the same theme, except this time The Jackal is more in danger of losing his mental acuity rather than any more internal organs.
Yes, The Jackal's mind may be at risk, but I'm sure the fair ones will rescue me before that happens. Won't they?
How long does it take for a mind to crack and then break? How long before I start hearing voices and hallucinating? How long before my own thoughts overwhelm me and the panic becomes too strong to fight?
Did they really find it necessary to wrap me up so tightly? What's the purpose in that? It's not like I can get out of here, even if I could get out of this confining garment! I'm not an animal! I'm not some rabid creature about to run amuck throughout the facility! Please, get me out of here!
The Psychological One is returning! Maybe I can reason with him!
What? He wants me to tell him about my childhood? Why would he want to know about The Jackal's formative years? That's not gonna help me get out of here!
Ah, relief beyond words! Lulu's coming; she's requesting to speak to the doctor. The Jackal knows that his most cherished, loyal and fair Maximista can't be far behind.
"Run, Spinelli!" Maxie yells.
I comply without question as she and Lulu push the doctor into the padded cell.
As I run, my beautiful, blonde saviors following close behind, I laugh, cackling like a maniac. Bad choice of words! But I can't help my laughter! I'm so relieved! Never again will The Jackal be placed in such a lonely and defenseless predicament!
As we reach lulu's room, I vow to myself that I will take every precaution never to be left alone with someone who can overpower me in any way without a means of defense or protection. Somehow, The Jackal will find a way to overthrow any future would-be captors!