The Voices Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers, it's characters, places, etc., they are owned by Saban. Robert Montry is mine, my sole creation.

It's Sunday. One day following my failed attempt to fly the coup. Restless, these restraints completely immobilized me. A guard was watching over at every hour. Occasionally he would tug on those restraints to make sure they were secure. This pudgy man apparently took great pride in doing it with a grin on his face, or maybe a perverted one.

A nurse dropped off some food on a tray and loosened the straps to allow me to eat. It was awful. Cold butter milk, cereal, orange juice in a tiny plastic cup smaller than my hand, dripping eggs, and hard strips of bacon. I could not eat it. A swig of the juice and I was full.

The guard allowed me to remain unsecured as long as he was there in the room with me, not even going to the bathroom had privacy. Watching TV would have been a welcome reprieve. With remote control in hand, I flipped through what channels they had, boy it was interesting. One talk show had three women battling it out for one man. It was funny. Funny. Funny. Funny. Funny.

Mother and Father came in at a rush. Both were visibly shaken. Mother threw herself at me, hugging tightly. "Sweetie? Why would you walking the streets at night in Florida? Do you know how dangerous it is?"

"Yes, I know" unconcerned.

"And why were you with another man? What's wrong with Tommy?" she added.

"Mom, stop! OK, one of the men tried to kill me, then another man killed him and helped me to safety! Didn't the police tell you that?" I was belligerent.

"Honey, we understand that a victim cannot remember everything that happens in a crime" Mom ranted.

I interrupted, "Dang it, Mom, I remember everything! That man saved my life and you can't seem to understand anything!"

Mother stopped, started to get watery eyed, and walked out in a fit of rage. I did not stop her. She was gone and that was fine. Fed up, I was fed up with all the ignorance people were showing me. Sure I was a young lady, but I don't need to be babied anymore. That is one of the reasons I came out to Florida, to be on my own. No more parents, no more bickering, no more of anything but my dreams. Instead, there is a tiny little voice in my head that follows me around.

"Shesh" my head rested on the soft pillow, staring up at the ceiling. sigh.

"You know she cares for you" a voice spoke out in low tone.

"Who's there?" I asked raising my head. At the door was a uniformed man, arms crossed, leaning on the door. "Robert? Where have you been?" I sat up, Robert remained stationary, "Why did you take off like that? You were in no danger! They wouldn't have charged you! It was self defense!" I was whispering to avoid drawing attention.

"Don't worry. I'll be back. I just wanted to tell you that you will have your chance at the tryouts, trust me on it" and walked out.

The guard reentered, coffee in hand, "Who were you talking to?"

Think quickly, "I was talking to the TV" point to it showing a talk show, "They have three girls and a lover and they are fighting over him" I gave him the slip and he did not catch on.

As we waited in the room, I thought about those words that Robert spoke to me. I would have another chance. How? My next chance was tomorrow and I would miss it. Mother did love me, but she needs to learn to stop babying me. Yes, I was her child, but I had grown up, with a secret life in Angel Grove that I had left behind that matured me almost over night.

A wall clocked ticked away to noon. Several nurses came, took me off the gurney, gave me some clean clothes. One handled the rest of my belongings in a giant plastic bag, and led me down stairs to an awaiting van. There was no need to ask where they were taking me, I knew and would hate it.

Next stop, the Loony Bin.

It was a long, bouncy ride to Miami inside a mark van. It was me and a female driver. We did not strike up a conversation, I didn't have the heart to listen to anyone even remotely attached to hospitals. After about fifteen minutes listening to the drone of the engine I nodded off, laying across the entire back seat.

Miami. How I wanted to visit here once, but not like this. We got on a freeway, turned off, and pulled up the driveway to "T. C. Thompson" mental hospital. Never heard of him. Several staff members were their to greet me. One opened the door, "Hello, welcome to T. C. Thompson Hospital" helping me down. Another handled baggage. They led me like a puppy through a sliding glass door to a waiting room. Some other people were seated there, all looked differently, staring, rocking, or moving about.

"Okay"I thought, "What the heck is this?".

Ever wonder what shell shock was? Somehow I got a feeling of it as the nurses herded us like cattle into an elevator. One of the nurses grasped my hand and had to lead me. All of us were scared in some way, me especially, being the only women in the entire group.

Third Floor. DING. The door opens. An orderly stepped out, directing those to either go left or right of him. I went left. As they herded my group, about six in number, down the hallway, we passed a door that shut directly behind us with a slam and audible click of it's lock. Rooms had small windows in which to look in. Grindge. How awful. A scream. What was that? No way was I going to look into them, is this a hospital or a zoo? Wanted to get out here already. One of the men in the group started getting nervous, hyperventilating, then sprinted off in a run down the hallway. Tackled to the ground, he was taken away to another room. Wow.

At some sort of intersection of hallways, the group stopped, then milled about like some cavemen, "Ooog". A short, black nurse came in and fetched me out of the group, taking me to the nearby nurse's station.

"All right, sweetie" she said offering me a chair to sit in. "You must be Kimberly, right?"

"Yes," in a defeated tone.

"Okay, we have arranged for you to have a room all to yourself. We also prescribed a doctor to give you an examination first thing in the morning. But first, we need to give you a physical." In quick order she took my height, weight, asked if I had any injuries, illnesses, diseases, or allergies.

Finished, she escorted me to my room. On the way, we passed a lumbering old man, virtually bald, tall, wrapped in a blue bathrobe. He shuffled down the hallway using a hand rail attached to the wall as support. He had a blank stare in his face as though he had seen something frightening. "Pay him no attention," the nurse whispered to me as we approached my room, "that is Mark. He's an alcoholic" patting my arm. Room 34, Kimberly Hart inscribed. It was the best they had, if it was I was sure they were going bankrupt. Another gurney underneath a high window, a tall cabinet for me to put my stuff in, a bathroom, great, a bathroom. In accordance to their rules, all newcomers had their belongings locked up in that cabinet and they held the key. No razors, scissors, or nail clippers. If they were needed, you had to ask.

"Are you hungry?" the nurse asked.

"No" I replied, sitting on my bed, removing my shoes.

"All right then, lunch will be at 1200 precisely" putting my bag into the cabinet before locking it, "If you need anything, just asked for Nurse Judy" departing.

"Oh, God" I mumbled then collapsed on the bed. "This is going to be a long three days" If it came to three days even. People outside walked around uncoordinated. Wanting privacy, I shut the door. when familiar sound hit my ear, the unmistakable hum of a television. "Oh joy!" I followed the sound to a small room adjacent to the nurse's station, there a big screen TV. Clusters of people were in there as well. Some sitting, other walking. They paid me no attention, so I slipped in unnoticed, found a chair and sat in it. Next to me was a large man, a thick beard growing in, also in a blue robe, guess it's the standard uniform. Not uttering a word, he sat transfixed on the TV. sigh we were watching a movie, I missed the opening so I just watched what was left. The large man next to me erupted into laughter. I screamed, leaned to the opposite side of the chair, bracing the arm rest. The man continued laughing, then talked to himself before getting up and leaving.

God I hated this place already.

The only peace I seemed to get was being in my room. No television, phone, magazines, or books, it gave me an opportunity to think clearly.

Missed my meals, fine with me. Those creeps out there? gag no way. On the cabinet was a small pad of paper and a ball point pin. Perhaps it was best to write my thoughts down to sort them out. Every name was put down.

Trini, Mother, Father, Tommy, Robert, then beside them I wrote down all of their impurities. Trini was hyperactive, nosey, Mother was too caring, Father was uncaring, Robert was a mystery. Finished, I lay back in my bed, now what are their good side.

Well, Trini was caring, gave attention to everyone she came across, never self centered. Mother brought me into this world and always gave me the proper life she could, Father was always there for me after they divorced, taught me self reliance by not always being there. Tommy was loving, caring, always there as well when trouble erupted. Robert, saved my life twice. When stopping to reflect, the pad was nearly blue with pen marks, all of these thoughts were on one page intersecting with one another. chuckle that was great. What else could I write down.

It was the only way to pass the time till tomorrow. Hugging my only soft pillow tightly in arms, what else? Zac, Billy, Zordon, Alpha 5 were all mentioned. These were my friends, my family, I never wanted to leave them, but I felt compelled to move on. Did I miss them? Heck yes! I kept writing till my arm gave out, then weeped myself to sleep.

My dream was about time, the first time I saw him in high school, his smile, his hair, I tried to touch him, he placed a firm hand on my arm, a firm shake and I was awake.

"What time is it?" I groaned.

"It's 9:02" Nurse Judy said. "You've over slept. Officers are on their way up for your court date"

"Court date? Oh no" I completely forgot about it. Better hurry and clean up. Soap and water, scrubbed my face to try and erase that image. Without a mirror, there was no way to tell if I succeeded.

Nurse Judy provided me with a fresh change of clothes, they were no formal but will do. Outside, two officers were waiting. Placed in another cruiser, thought to myself, no way was I going to make things worse by speaking. Just drive.

At the court room, they took me out and immediately, a camera was placed right in my face, "Mrs. Hart, do you feel justified?"

"Huh?" I paused. The police pushed me forward.

Several cameras were aimed at me as we went up the court's steps where they wavered. I was taken to a court room. Surprisingly, it did not appear the same way they do in court room dramas. Rather plain, no nicely varnished wood or wide open areas for lawyers to carry on in. Hmm. There I waited...