Billy's Freedom

The hall outside Dr. Spivey's office was quite. All the other patients were busy doing chores, and the only other person there was McMurphy. McMurphy was just sitting on a bench outside of the office, whistling, and looking surprisingly innocent. Of course, he had to have done something to get sent here, but just sitting there, he looked like a schoolboy that had to 'have a talk with his parents' because he'd done something naughty.

Billy nervously walked down the empty corridor and awkwardly sat next to McMurphy.

"Hey there, Billy! How's it going?" McMurphy yelled. Billy winced at his loudness.

"F-f-fine. I g-guess." He replied meekly. McMurphy just grinned at him.

"Well, you had to have done something more than just 'fine' to be sent up here!" he laughed. "What didja do? Finally make a move on that skinny nurse that you've been eyeing" He winked at Billy and gave him a playful nudge.

"Actually, I h-have to go here once a month, for a ch-checkup." Billy stuttered.

McMurphy didn't reply for a moment, but stared at Billy for a few seconds before asking, "Why do they keep you in here Billy? What could have possibly done wrong to get locked up in this loony bin?"

Billy looked down at his feet. Sighing, he answered, "Well, I g-g-guess it's probably because they d-don't want other p-people to hear my st-st-stutter."

McMurphy frowned. After thinking about it for a minute, he replied, "Locking you up in here just because you sound a bit funny is kinda stupid, don't ya think? I bet there are plenty of other really crazy people that should be in here, instead of you."

They sat side by side in silence for a couple of minutes before Billy said something.

"M-maybe they keep me here because my Mom doesn't want me going off on my own.

McMurphy just looked at him like he was crazy. "You're Mom wants to protect you by putting you in here? Now that's crazy! These people could fry brains just for looking at 'em funny!"

Billy just blushed shyly. "I l-love my Mom, but s-sometimes she gets too controlling. She wouldn't even l-let me marry the woman I l-loved!" He sighed. "All I w-want is a little freedom."

McMurphy just smiled at Billy. "Well, you're never going to get it in here, that's for sure!" He chuckled. "If you want freedom, then when you go into that office, you tell Dr. Spivey, and you get out of here! Prove that you can make it on your own!"

"I wish I could, Mac, but I'm just t-too much of a c-c-coward. I w-would love to try and make it on my own, but how c-could anyone take me s-s-seriously with this stutter? Everyone just keeps telling me that I could never l-live on my own. I h-have to b-b-believe them, because what ch-choice do I have?"

Before McMurphy could reply, the door to Dr. Spivey's office opened. The doctor poked his head out and said "You can come in now, Billy."

Billy smiled at McMurphy sadly and walked into the office, leaving McMurphy alone with his thoughts.

'I'm going to give that boy some more confidence if it's the last thing I do!' he silently vowed. Immediately, he started making plans for a party, and possibly even an outing. 'Now, if only I could find a way to get some girls in here...'