So... I have writer's block for Once a Brother Always a Brother. This is what happens when I get writer's block. Yeah...
It's silent as I walk down the dark, grey corridor of the building. Perfect. Pulling out my clipboard, checklist, and pen, I walk from one cell to another. Each cell is labeled with a number, in an order only the Boss understands. Usually, the patients are so far gone they don't even remember their own names. Of make up new, random ones. First stop: Patient #23. She's actually made a lot of progress. She's beginning to remember her real name, and her boyfriend. I open the steel, metallic door, and walk inside, boots clacking against the concrete. #23 is looking out of the window, thinking again. Best to use her real name.
"Hello, Willa. How are you doing?" I ask, and the ginger turns toward me. Instead of the frown and headaches we would have seen earlier, she smiles at me, and sits up on her bed.
"Oh, good morning Officer Validity. Can I go now?" She joked, but my face stayed the same. I shook my head firmly, and put my hand on my pen, ready to begin my checklist.
"Not quite. You still have the occasional migraine, and we're worried that you might assault Robbert, or "Robbie" again. However, with your progress, you might be able to leave next week. Let's see... do you have anymore strange visions?"
"Nope!" She was being cheerful. Maybe too cheerful. Nevertheless, I check off the top box.
"Any feeling that you're being watched constantly?" It was her biggest problem when she got here. In her usual tone, she replies,
"Nada."
We go through the motions easily and fluidly. I pity her, she is just a teenager. Sometimes, people go crazy for the simplest thing. The usual, any symptoms, phantom pains, assuring her she's safe. All goes well. Until I look down, and see the final question. The ones she never answers. I swallow the spit in my mouth, and speak clearly,
"Do you remember anything about Patient #618?" She froze, smile gone. Suddenly, a look of pure venom laced her pupils. Right before she began what was an all too familiar scene started to occur, I held my walkie-talkie to my mouth, and said, "Security to Cell Block 6A! Security to Cell Block 6A!"
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?! YOU MONSTERS, ALL OF YOU! WHER-" She got up, and was about to attack me, when she was cut off when a tranquilizer was injected into her arm. Security guards. Thank goodness.
"Take her to solitude." I say, and each of the two guards picks up an arm, dragging her feet across the concrete. "A pity. She was doing so well." I put an "X" through the last box, for the twentieth time. On to the next one. Patient #33. To spare the details, it was quiet. He never talks, and his eyes are always blank. Mentally retarded is on his record, and he'll be here until he dies. It goes so on and so forth. Patient #00, I can't even go into his room, he's very dangerous, but somehow he's sad when he sees me.
Lunch break is quiet and easy. It's my only free time on work days. Today is Friday, thank goodness. Right after my last patient, I can go home. Unfortunately, the end of the day is the best and the worst. For one, I get to go home, relax, and maybe go see a movie with my boyfriend. He's the sweetest. But second...
I hate Patient #618.
He's the worst of all of them. Living in his own delusions, always trying to bring people into them. He even manages to convince others he's right! Well, not me. It seems like I'm the only one who actually doesn't go into his craziness when I'm in there. Or so Boss says, but Boss is always right. Begrudgingly, I pack up my lunch and head over to his "special" room. A small set of silver-looking keys dangle from my key ring as I pull the first one on the chain out, and unlock the first lock. Then the second one. Then the third one. There are six locks in all, all for his safety. I push open the door, and see the small brown-haired boy in the corner.
"Hello, Alex. Do you want to start the easy way, or the hard way?" He's quiet, until...
"Please." He whispers, almost desperately. I ignore him, and begin my checklist.
"So, any problems?" Silence.
"Hear any screams?" I say, almost as a joke. He told me that he heard screams the first day he came here. Silence.
"Did you-"
"I heard Wendy scream. What's going on?" He said, urgently.
"Patient #23's name is Willa. WIL-LA. Want me to repeat that? Quiet again. Much better.
"Do you stil-"
"Mabel, please listen to me!" I can't stand that! Every time I come in here, he calls me "Mabel". What kind of name is that?
"My name is Mary Validity, thank you very much. Now-"
"No! You're Mabel Pines, my twin sister! We're in Gravity Falls, Oregon, and y-"
"Your twin sister?! I'm six years older than you!" It's almost funny, his strongest attempt is a long shot. Instead of arguing, he slumps back again, and says,
"You have to fight him, Mabel. Don't let him get to your head." Who- who's him? No, don't fall into his mind games...
"That's nice. Anything else you want to say?" No response. Looks like he gave up.
"Well, goodbye Alex. I, Mary, will see you again next week. Monday." I turn to leave, when he seems to pull something out of his pocket.
"PLEASE! Just listen to this! Everything will make sense!" He tries to shove two small, white, plastic dots into my ears. I push him down, and the white cords disconnect from the device.
'Disco girl!
Coming through!
That girl is you!
Oo, oo! Oo, oo!'
Iput my hands to my ears and scream. Music.
"Electronic devices are not allowed!" I yell, and crush it with my boot. "Security to room 1!" I say, knowing guards would come at any second, as the room was watched.
"Mabel, listen-" he starts, but I interrupt.
"SHUT UP!"
"...all I want is my sister back." Then, security rushes in. I know the drill all too well. He goes to a different confinement, and usually for the week. He's gone before I can blink.
It looks like my shift's over. Just a normal day at work.