She was fucking crazy.

She was fucking crazy and every last one of them worshiped the ground she walked on.  Well, maybe not every last one.  I didn't.  Daisy didn't, but she was psycho enough for all of us; she didn't really count.  I don't know, Lisa was like some... ward phantom, or relic, or... something.  She had this supernatural sixth-sense sexuality that surpassed the fact that she was a woman (I'm being generous with that term, naturally), knowingly seducing every other woman she ran across.  Maybe just in the emotional sense, but that hardly made it any less intense.  They all looked at her the same way.  Fear, certainly – but more than that; it was a craving.  I even saw it in some of the nurses – and as if that thought wasn't scary enough, she was always watching me.

Or maybe I was watching her.  There wasn't much else to do in this godforsaken hellhole.

There were the rumors, of course.  I don't remember actually hearing anyone say it, but it was obvious Jamie had been more than anyone was letting on.

I saw it, sometimes.  Rarely – she could never sit still – but sometimes.  She'd be staring off into space, until you realized she was actually staring past the hallway into my room.  Jamie's room.  It'd be empty, but somehow you'd know, to her, it was like staring into some past life.  Melodramatic, maybe – but to her, it really must have been like another life; she had to keep it just that distanced.  She couldn't risk letting anything show.

On the other hand, I had no idea what I was talking about.

Maybe I was only whipping up these ludicrous emotional histories to make her easier to tolerate.  For Christ's sake, she read over my shoulder.  She had her own set of keys.  She provoked the weak ones, flirted madly with the rest, and manipulated everyone from the catatonics to the top nurses.  Everything and everyone was a gamepiece to her – could be moved, readjusted, taken off the board altogether – all with whatever dice happened to be rolling around inside her head.

Except with me.  Something was always different.  I kept waiting for my turn.  She hadn't truly snapped, insulted, injured.  She hadn't performed.  She watched me, and she cornered me, and she gave me these looks that I couldn't read; I didn't know if she wanted to fuck me or just steal a pack of cigarettes.

I wasn't sure I wanted to find out.

But, as I would soon learn... I wouldn't have a choice.

Susanna - phone call, booth one.

You'd think they'd be better at phone monitoring, but by this time I'd stopped being surprised by the staff's inadequacies.

Hello?

Muffled, an accent... Italian?  German?  So where were you last night?

Jesus Christ, somebody noticed.  Already, on the first try, somebody had noticed.  Who is this?

A small, victorious cackle.  You know, sweetpea, you're the first one who couldn't even recognize my voice the next morning.

My eyes fell shut in relief.  Lisa –

You're forgiven.

What are you doing?  I – we – someone might hear us here!

As opposed to that soundproof suite we had at the Plaza last night.

We shouldn't be –

Y'know, babe, you say it was your first time with a woman but I have my doubts.

My eyes darted out of the booth, scanning across the ward.  Lisa –

No one's ever kept me going till four a.m. before.  I'm impressed.

Every reproach that had been on the tip of my tongue was quickly, unintentionally, swallowed... and I actually felt myself blush.  Who kept who going? I reminded her roguishly.

Well, well, well, she drawled.  I think we might just need a rematch to settle this, what do you think?

After we practically ran over John on our way back up here this morning?  Are you crazy?

Of course not, I'm just here for the free food.

Lisa –

Suit yourself.  Click.

I scrambled out of my booth and she was already sauntering down the hall in the opposite direction.  I sprinted a few steps, caught her arm, and opened my mouth - I'm assuming, to speak.

She spun around with a devilish grin already dancing across that unforgettable mouth.  I'll see you tonight.

One long, teasing finger traced my lips for an instant – and then she was gone.

She was crazy, yes.

But I was the one who followed her out of the phone booth.