Notes: I'm glad everyone liked the story, I didn't think it would get the response it did.
The florescent lights in this place made him feel as if he was half awake half dreaming all the time. Jack hated florescent lights, something about everything lacking a light source or shadow he couldn't stand but didn't fully realize why.
He grew a distaste for certain things over the past couple months. Plastic folding chairs, grey tiles, people in well ironed button down shirts picking him apart in soft voices, people crying way more then they should feel comfortable crying in front of people. All these things picked away at him, those past couple months as he sat in rehab praying the minutes away.
"I will never do drugs again your honor…please just never send me to that place again…well…I'll still smoke some weed now and then…" He laughed to himself only to realize the entire group therapy season was now starring at him, laughing to himself from his own inner monolog.
"Oh…um." He said clearing his throat as he caught onto the center stage he had just taken. "I just, I just thought of something funny…sorry, heh." He grinned, his teeth together forcing a fake smile that he was never so good at doing.
"Jack you day dream threw the better half of these sessions, why don't you share with us on today's topic?" The therapist that ran the group asked.
All eyes in the circle still on him. His cheeks felt hot, it reminded him of day dreaming in school and never knowing the answers to the questions.
"The topic of today…" He said trying to pretend as if he knew, but just trailed off his eyes darting to a space in the room that wasn't some dopey face looking at him waiting for an answer.
"Today's topic is a moment in our childhood that we think of when wanting to drink or take drugs." The therapist said his tone still calm but slightly annoyed by Jack's lack of participation.
His expression changed in a matter of seconds to a blank look , his eyes expressing an internal panic. After a long pause he licked his lips to quench his suddenly dry mouth.
"I don't see why we have to play the "when we were six and didn't get the new ninja turtles doll and it lead to a nasty cocaine habit game", now really…" His tone was defensive and shook at times, he wanted to stand up and leave but he forced himself to sit in that stupid plastic chair.
"Was it just a lack of Ninja turtles that really put you here Jack?" The doctor dryly asked smelling the anxiety all over him
He crossed his legs as he folded his arms across his chest as he covered his mouth with his right hand starring off into space.
"Jack, we set aside this time so we can all be honest with ourselves and face inner demons." The doctor said as he wrote a note on his clip board.
"I know what happened to me…I don't need to think about it." He finally spoke up, he wanted this attention gone.
"We don't know though Jack, all we see every day is a person who doesn't want to be helped."
Those words gave Jack a tight feeling in his chest, as he still looking at the corner of the ceiling.
"You think you're so much better then everyone don't you?" A different voice piped in making the Mercer's eyes snap over in the direction to which it came from. He didn't know the guys name but Jack recalled he couldn't help but speak up and put his two cents in all the time.
"Um, no." Jack responded his voice laced with annoyance, that sarcastic attitude that Bobby taught him so well rushing in.
"I just don't want to sit around every day in a circle jerk full of tears."
"Your file says you were taken into foster care at the age of eight by your now adopted mother, tell us something about before you were adopted."
Images flashed before Jack's eyes, still frames, and short clips, he could remember smells, sounds, textures. As more memories stacked up in his mind the faster his heart raced, his eyes stretching slightly wider. He stood up grabbing the back of his plastic chair gunning it at the wall, people cleared out of the way to avoid getting hit.
"Can you keep a secret Jack? Just between the two of us," He said his voice sounded ragged as if he was momentarily possessed by someone else speaking.
"You can never tell your mother because if you do I'm going to kill her…" Jack kept quoting the voice he heard so clearly in his head from such a long time ago.
"That's enough Jack." The doctor said now on his feet trying to get a hold on the situation.
"Don't worry…" Jack voice shook a fierce angered look in his eyes as if he was somewhere else. "This won't hurt a bit!" He roared his chest heaving for breaths of air as his heart and adrenaline raced making his body shake.
Everyone in the room was silent, frozen, afraid to say anything to the worked up boy in the room.
"That's enough for today Jack, you can go back to your room if you'd like." The doctor softly said after a long pause.