Spotless Part 2 Chapter 3
Hank heard a knock on the door. It was Jamie, holding out a Swiffer sweeper.
Hank slammed the door. Jamie knocked again. Hank opened it. Jamie had laid the sweeper down. It was messy. Hank picked it up. "What do you want?" Hank growled.
Jamie held out his hands. "I'm just here for moral support. I've been affected by OCD [*For those of you who don't know what OCD is, see the authors notes at the bottom], too. I probably know as much about it as you do."
"How would you know about OCD?"
"May I come in?" Jamie asked.
Hank nodded, and Jamie walked in. "Both my parents were Obessive-Compulsive. Met at group or something." Jamie smiled sadly. "I think that's why I'm so screwed up."
"What do you mean?" Hank asked.
"My mom's was more in the way of protectiveness. If I came home later than I told her, even by a couple of minutes, when I got home she would cling to me. I mean really cling. I'd find her in the bathroom throwing up with grief or she would do this weird ritual that included her touching my door or something like that," Jamie said.
"You're speaking in past tense," Hank stated.
Jamie sighed. "She died a couple of years ago. Not by OCD or anything. Breast Cancer."
"I'm sorry."
"Hey, this is supposed to help you, not me," Jamie replied.
"Right. Sorry. So what about your dad?" Hank asked.
Jamie shrugged. "Like you, more or less. The whole cleanliness thing. Only it's not so much big things, it's little things. Dirt. Germs, you know? He's always been obsessed about that. I can't wear my shoes in the house, I can't come in after I've been dirty, it makes him feel like dirt is invading our home. He doesn't touch other people, not even me or my brother. He's never kissed us goodnight or hugged us or held our hands, even when we were really little. He's never even spanked us. I sometimes think I must be adopted, because there's no possible way I could have been conceived. But after my mom died, it got a lot worse. I guess he thought it was because he didn't do his rituals right that she died. He wears rubber gloves that he never takes off, except to change them. And when he changes them he washes his hands so much they bleed. And he's got this thing about light switches. The light switch HAS to stay down at all times. Even at night, and a down light switch means no light, he'll turn on a lamp or light a candle. And he likes the number three. If I come home and the time doesn't end in three, he'll make me stand outside until it does. I know it's really odd, but I've lived with OCD in my household for my entire life. I was 12 before I figured normal people didn't have to put plastic down on the seat before they go to the bathroom."
Hank stared at Jamie. He had known Jamie for awhile, and never had he imagined that he and Jamie were both touched by the disease.
Jamie shrugged. "Now I've gone out and bared my soul, it's your turn."
Hank sighed. "I haven't lived here all my life, you know? I lived in a town called Alexakis up until I was 13. It started when I was 8. I felt like I had to clean, or else the piles of things would suffocate me. Then came the time when I felt like everything had to be even. If I got tagged on the playground, I couldn't move until someone came up to tag me, in the exact same space, but on the other side. Needless to say, I often lost a tag."
Jamie smiled. "I'll bet."
"When I was 9, my dad had an affair. We all knew, but it was a very hush hush thing. My brothers, sisters, and I weren't supposed to talk about it. My parents took me to therapists, but they all thought I just wanted attention, or that problems at home were causing stress. I've been on just about every anti-depressant you can think of. They also tried Ridalin, and other drugs like that. When I was 11, my dad got his girlfriend pregnant. It was a miscarriage, but my mom still kicked my dad out of the house. They divorced, and he and his girlfriend moved to Kingsport. They married, and began a life here. Then some of my other obsessions came about. I couldn't touch anything colored grey. I had to count the amount of things on my plate-including individual pieces of corn and things like that. If they weren't an even number, I wouldn't eat. Things like that.
"My mom tried more therapists. When I was 13, I was sent to Florida, to go to a mental institution there. It was the scariest place I have ever been. I was there for a week, until one of the nurses finally figured out that I wasn't crazy, I had OCD. So I was flown back home. There were a number of OCD specialists around the country, but none in Alexakis- it was a very small town.
"But there was one in Kingsport. It was the only place my mom could send me. All of our relatives lived in Alexakis, and she didn't want to move. So here I came, to Kingsport. I didn't want to live with my dad, but I wanted to get better. Getting better won out. When I first moved here, I still wasn't over OCD. I tried to keep a low profile.
"As time went on, and I could stand to sit in a dirty room, I began to make friends Tyler, Val, everyone else. I didn't have too many friends before I came here; in Alexakis, I was known as the crazy kid, the one who was committed. That's why I haven't moved back, even though I loathe my father more than Tyler loathes William. That's why I haven't left even though my father works long hours, and when he isn't at work he's bar hopping and drinking, and flirting with other women, and my stepmother is busy getting drunk on wine bought for her by every single man in Kingsport. That's why I haven't left, even though my mom and 5 siblings I love like crazy still live in Alexakis. I am known here as the popular football player, as the EMT. There, I am nothing but a psycho."
Jamie moved uncomfortably. He hadn't expected Hank to tell so much. "I'm sorry."
Hank sighed. "It was fine, until now. I try to stay away from home as much as possible, that's the real reason why I joined the EMT squad. And when I go back to Alexakis for holidays and visits and such, I have great fun. My brothers Mark and Michael egg the crazy thing on, you wouldn't believe the popularity they get for having a nutso brother. I help, when I visit I act like I'm a skitzo, or I think I'm a dog. It's great, they all think I'm dangerously insane psycho-killer. "
Jamie grinned. "Now there's a side of you I've never seen."
Hank laughed, but then got serious again. "Yeah. It was fine, until my OCD re-surfaced again. Now I have no excuse to be away from the house, and the squad thinks I'm insane. It's like Alexakis again. But where do I run now?"
Jamie stood up, and ran his hand through his hair. "I don't know. I can't believe I'm saying this, but if it's any help, I'm just a phone call away. I know more about what you're going though than anyone else in Kingsport."
Hank smiled sadly. "Thanks, man." He put his hand on Jamie's shoulder. Jamie stiffened under the touch.
Jamie shrugged. "I'm not used to people touching me, I guess."
Then Jamie opened the door, and walked out.

Authors Notes: I suppose in part one I didn't make it clear enough that Hank has Obessive-Compulsive Disorder (or OCD). Well, anyway, it's a disease of the mind, where a person learns to do one thing (or several, depending) too well, and they feel they HAVE to do it, or else something bad will happen. I included some of the more common fixations in here, such as cleanliness and and obsession with numbers and/or even-ness. I've also heard about cases where people feel they HAVE to confess every tiny sin, where they have to memorize every license plate number they see, and where they can't use silverware, because they think they hurt the forks by biting down. I do know you can beat it for awhile, but then stress can cause it to come back. I don't know anything about medications you can take, or if you can beat it for good. I'm also not sure if it's genetic or not (if it is, then it's a wonder Jamie or his brother doesn't have it, huh?). If you want more information on it, you can check out Kissing Doorknobs, which is about a girl with OCD. Also, the Godspoken, who appeared in one of the later books of Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game series all had it, and Jalil of K.A. Applegate's Everworld had it. That's where all of my information came from, so if anyone here has OCD (which, by the way, I hope not, because it would be an awful thing to have), sorry if my info isn't complete!
And by the way, folks, this isn't the last you've seen of Hank's OCD! Check out the summary of the next installment of Spotless, We're all a Little Looney:

When Hank cannot face his old friends, he joins a new crowd, one he used to scorn. He becomes so comfortable with them, and he abandons everything he once was...