Disclaimer: I still don't own Mort or his sexy body…though I wish I did!
AN: This is it, the moment people have been waiting for…when Mort meets Kayla! Well, not really, but you get the idea. Oh, and I don't know how stuff works in a mental hospital, so please remember that this is fiction and works according to what the creative voices in my brain tell me. I hope you enjoy this chapter and please review as a birthday present to me!
Chapter 4: When Dreams Meet Reality:
Official First Day of Employment: Kayla's POV:
Rolling out of bed before dawn was not what Kayla had in mind on a Friday morning, but if that's what it took to pay the bills, then so be it. Too bad she wasn't the coffee-drinking type…
"Maybe now would be a good time to start," she muttered as she turned on the shower.
Last night, before she went to bed, Kayla had tried to figure out her morning schedule. Technically, it took her an hour to drive up there, and she didn't have to be up at the hospital until 9:00 a.m. If it took her less than an hour to get ready, she'd have to get up at seven o'clock to make it on time. So why the hell was she up at six in the morning?
"Stupid force of habit," she muttered as the smell of her citrus shower gel and the hot water began to wake her up. It was summer vacation, so school was out, and yet she was still up at dawn; it was as though she were getting ready for class! "How retarded can I possibly be to keep doing this when I don't have to?"
'Better too early than too late,' her father's voice whispered in her head. It was one of the few good pieces of advice he had ever given her.
"Well, might as well get this party started," she muttered, turning off the shower and hurriedly drying off. After her long red hair had a ten-minute meeting with the hairdryer, she was off towards the kitchen for breakfast, wolfing down a toaster pastry and a glass of milk.
Once finished with her food, Kayla headed towards her room and rummaged through her closet, searching for something professional to wear. She didn't have any dress pants to wear, and she didn't have the money to buy anything new, so she'd have to stick to continually wearing the only professional-looking skirt she had. Since the skirt was black, she could probably make it last until her first paycheck, considering she had two-dozen tops that could go with it. She hoped that she didn't look desperate or cheap by wearing the same skirt every day, but she had no other choice.
Shaking her head, she decided on a forest-green knit-top to go with the skirt. As she slipped on her black heels, Kayla was very thankful that she didn't have to walk around a lot…these shoes were not made for walking, so she'd definitely have to buy some comfortable walking/standing shoes, just in case. Finally heading out the door, Kayla hoped that today would be as uneventful as the previous one had been. Well, as uneventful as a mental institution could be, anyway.
That Same Morning: Mort's POV:
'She's gone,' he thought, thoroughly shocked. 'She's really gone…'
After he had awoken from his dream, Mort had felt a sense of emptiness, an incompleteness within his heart, all of which told him that she had indeed left him. He had been abandoned by the only source of comfort and love in his time of need, and now he was alone…there was nothing left for him anymore. She had promised that they'd see each other again, but would that really happen? Should he spend the rest of his life waiting for her to come back, or should he simply end his life now so that he could hopefully follow her to wherever she was now?
"I need her," Mort whispered to himself. "I can't deal with this by myself…I have to be with her."
But how? They were always watching him, and they would never allow him to have any sort of instrument that could prove harmful to him or to anyone else. Medication time was carefully watched, so self-poisoning was out of the question. The windows were barred, so there was no way to jump to his death…maybe if he acted out enough, they'd sedate him to out of his misery? It could work…
So why not try it?
Lunchtime: Kayla's POV:
After nearly falling asleep for what felt like the millionth time that day, Kayla felt a hand on her shoulder. Thinking that she'd been caught falling asleep on the job, she spun around, bracing herself for a dismissal from a superior. Instead, she met the friendly blue gaze of Holly, who looked like she was about to burst out laughing.
"Easy, Kay, I'm just here to tell you it's lunchtime," she said, grinning broadly. "Sam will cover the desk for you."
Kayla let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness; I'm starving!"
Standing up and stretching cramped muscles, she gave a small wince of pain as Holly led her out of what they called "the cubicle" and into the hallway. It was a short walk to the staff dining room, but a fun one. Talking with Holly was like talking with a person's best friend, and Kayla enjoyed it very much. She didn't have very many friends in college, and this chance at a new friendship was one she was not going to pass up!
After they'd picked up their lunches from the servers (burgers loaded with everything, fries, and sodas), the two women sat down and eagerly dug into their food. After every bit of their lunch had been consumed, they sat back and sipped on their soda refills. Ten minutes of digestion soon led to the two friends to compare their mornings.
"Uneventful," Kayla said, twirling her straw in her drink, listening to the bubbles fizz within the cup. "No visitors and no patients came even close to the desk." She took a sip of her Dr. Pepper. "How about your morning, Holly?"
Blue eyes rolled. "A few aggressive patients, but nothing we couldn't handle," she answered, sipping her drink. "Mr. Rainey's been unusually aggressive today, and we have no idea why." She shrugged. "Nothing we can do until he starts having visits with the doctors."
Kayla nodded. "Why is he in here anyway?" she asked. "Or is that doctor-patient confidentiality?"
Holly looked around the room. It was mostly empty except for an orderly or two, but they were too busy reading their newspaper or magazine, and they were far away enough so that what the two women said wouldn't be overheard. Leaning in closer, Holly motioned Kayla to come closer so she could fill her in.
"I could get in trouble for telling you this, but since you handle the records and stuff, you'd find out eventually," she whispered. "Plus, you signed that confidentiality form, right?" Kayla nodded. "Okay, here it goes." She leaned closer. "Turns out Mr. Rainey went through a nasty divorce after finding his wife in a hotel room bed with another man. After that, he went into seclusion in a cabin in the woods in upstate New York, and flat-out refused to sign the divorce papers. Suddenly, his wife and her lover disappear, and Mr. Rainey suddenly appears all happy and chipper with a new story for his publisher and agent."
"So what happened?" Kayla whispered, gripping her cup and wondering what could cause a man to lose his mind in such a way…not to mention abandoning reality along the way.
"Well, his agent noticed him acting kind of weird and talking with a Southern accent that he'd never had before, so he called the cops," Holly explained. "In the end, Mr. Rainey got put in here because the doctors thought he was suffering from split personalities or schizophrenia. After he started getting better, he started having dreams, or 'visions', of a young woman and became obsessed with her. Eventually, he started to think that she was really out there. We decided that such an obsession could be a danger to the public, meaning those who resembled the object of his obsession, and voted to keep him here. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be doing him much good." She took another sip of her drink.
"So remind me again of why I'm still here if I resemble the girl from his 'dreams,'" Kayla said, gesturing around. "I mean, if I'm going to make him worse, I can always try and find another job."
Holly shook her head. "No, we plan on keeping Mr. Rainey in one of the isolation wings until we're sure about his condition," she replied. "There's a chance we can cure him, and by the time we do, you'll probably be off working somewhere else." She grinned. "Or, more likely, in Europe writing a book about the Renaissance or something like that."
Kayla snorted. Holly knew all about her background, education, and dreams. "Yeah, right, I should be so lucky," she said, rolling her eyes. "I've got to pay my own way through my last two years of college first, though, then save up the money and get the experience to actually do that."
"You'll do it," Holly replied, grinning to show her support. "I believe in you."
"You do?" Kayla felt her eyes mist over. "You're the first person to actually say that to me."
Before Holly could get out a reply, a soft male voice interrupted. "So what are you two ladies up to over here? Not plotting against us guys, I hope."
"Hey Alex," Holly replied. "And yes, we are planning on a huge assault on the male population of the staff." She gave him an evil grin that basically screamed 'conspiracy'.
"Then I'd better get out there and give them all a warning," Alex replied, brown eyes sparkling. "Would it help if I surrendered right now so that I'd be spared later?"
"Nah," Holly said, waving her cup nonchalantly at him. "We'd have to take you out, first."
"Thanks, Holly-babe," he said, patting her on the shoulder.
"Call me that again, and I'll send Tony after you," the nurse replied, pointing her index finger at him in a threatening manner.
"I'll go then," Alex said, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "Right after I give these to Kayla." He dumped a small bag of peanut butter M&Ms in front of her. "Two fell out of the machine when I got mine and I thought you might like them."
"Thanks, Alex." Kayla blushed at the attention the handsome orderly was giving her. She didn't know why he was giving the candy to her when there were a dozen others who were a lot prettier than she was.
"No problem," he said, winking at her as he walked away.
"Ooo, I think he likes you!" Holly said in a sing-song voice. "He doesn't do that with any other girl here, you must be something special, Kayla."
"Yeah, as special as green grass," she said, laughing. "Let's get back to work."
"And let's hope that things manage to pick up a bit before we die of boredom," Holly said as they tossed their trash.
That Afternoon, Mort's POV:
"NO, let me GO!" he screamed. "Please, just let me…"
"Mr. Rainey, for the last time, we can't allow you to harm yourself."
For the entire morning, the staff at the hospital had tried to convince him that he had everything to live for: he had fans, his work, and his agent who were waiting for him to continue what he had left behind. When he had tried to steal the sleeping pills of another patient, the orderlies had caught him and stuffed him into a straightjacket, right before they threw him into a padded room. Now they were transferring him to a different wing of the hospital so that he couldn't hurt himself or anyone else.
"I just want to be with her!" Mort screamed as he struggled against the four men holding him. "Why can't you just let me be with her!"
"Because she doesn't exist, Mr. Rainey," Nurse Holly replied. "She's just a hallucination, a figment of your imagination, and you have to let it go."
"No! She's real, I know she's real!" he cried, trying to get away from the orderlies.
"Please calm down, Mr. Rainey," Nurse Holly said as she prepared a syringe of sedative for him. As soon as they reached his new room, she'd give it to him to help calm him down so he could sleep peacefully.
Mort's eyes widened when he saw the needle full of sedative. He didn't want to sleep if she no longer visited him when he needed her. If he was going to be sleeping, he needed to be able to see her as soon as his eyes closed. But if she had abandoned him now, when he so desperately needed love and support, he never wanted to sleep again unless it was the permanent sleep of death. No, he couldn't let them do this to him!
"Why can't you leave me alone?" he yelled as they hauled him down the hallway towards his new room.
Nurse Holly led the way, clearing the hall as they walked past the receptionist desk. As they passed the desk, Mort saw something red flash as a person got out of the way of the passing party. Struggling to turn around and see who (or what) they had passed, Mort managed to turn around and get a glimpse of the person they had passed.
And time seemed to slow down…
Standing there by the desk, wearing a green top and black skirt, her red hair cascading down her back, was the angel of his dreams. Her brown eyes followed him as the orderlies hauled him further and further down the hall.
Going completely slack in surprise, Mort simply stared at her, his eyes never leaving her form. She was beautiful in the sunlight coming in through the windows, turning her hair into a river of copper. Mort felt his throat go dry, and he felt unable to speak or act against those holding him in their arms. Instead, he let them take him where they wanted to go. He felt them stop a moment or two, but didn't bother to see or ask why. Instead, he kept his eyes on his angel until they turned a corner and she vanished from his sight.
That Same Moment: Author's POV:
The four men in charge of restraining Mort Rainey were shocked when the fight seemed to drop out of him. From their experience, Mr. Rainey was not one to give up easily, and they couldn't quite understand why he had suddenly stopped resisting them. Frank, who was the head of the orderlies and one of the strongest, was currently attached to the patient's left arm, and was able to follow the patient's line of sight.
There, standing by the reception desk with a manila folder in her hands, was the newest staff member, Kayla Baker, and Frank didn't like where this was going. If Mr. Rainey had focused his attentions on Kayla, then the girl was in trouble if he got loose. Frank would most definitely have to tell the nurses and other orderlies to keep an eye on Mr. Rainey, and to be sure that he was kept far away from the new receptionist.
"Okay, boys, let's get this guy to his new home," he said, nodding to the hall.
The others nodded and proceeded down towards their destination.
Kayla's POV:
Watching the orderlies drag the ragged-looking man down the hall was alarming for one who hadn't seen it before. As the man gave her a wide-eyed look of what looked like fear, panic and desperation, Kayla felt a stab of pity for the patient. He didn't look insane, just in need of a friend.
'But then again, I'm not a psychiatrist,' she thought as she once again turned her attention back towards the folder in her hands. What was really weird was that the patient looked at her as though he already knew her from somewhere. 'But how likely could that be?'
She snorted in amusement. Yeah, what were the odds that someone she knew ended up in a mental ward? True, some of her friends acted like maniacs that should be put in here, but it was all fun and games. They were just acting, and usually had had way too much caffeine or sugar. During those times, it was normally Kayla's job to calm everyone down before they got tossed out of the mall or wherever they were hanging out that day.
'Guess you could say that I have had some experience with the insane,' she thought, smirking to herself. 'Yeah, dealing with weird mental friends might qualify as experience, though probably not to the doctors here.'
Still, the guy (or, more correctly, patient) was kind of hot for someone who was insane. Messy, chin-length blonde hair, dark-brown eyes, nicely chiseled features and facial hair…what a combination! His nurse certainly was lucky if she got to work with that guy every day!
'Eww, now I sound like a love-struck teenager,' Kayla mentally gagged. 'I mean, the guy is insane! He has to be here for a reason, and here you are analyzing his good looks. Now that is sick and twisted.'
Shaking her head, she opened the door to the reception area and stepped inside. The remainder of the day was spent doing her normal duties and trying to avoid looking at the patients who tapped on the plastic surrounding her. As she got ready to head home, Holly came in and motioned her back towards the desk. Kayla felt ready to panic when she saw the look on her friend's face.
"Holly, what is it?" she asked the nurse. "Did I do something wrong? You look like you're going to fire me or something."
"Kayla, did anything unusual happen today?" Holly asked, ignoring Kayla's questions.
"Well, I saw a few orderlies carry a patient to the isolation ward, but that's pretty much it," she said. "Why do you ask?"
"Did he look familiar in any way?" Holly pressed. "Have you seen him before?"
"No, I haven't. Holly, what's this all about?" At this point, Kayla was starting to get worried.
"You've seriously never seen him before? Never seen his picture anywhere, or seen him on television for guest appearances or book promotions?"
Kayla shook her head and Holly let out a tremendous sigh.
"Kayla, that was Mort Rainey."
Kayla literally felt her heart stop. "Oh, my God…he saw me?" she whispered, clutching her purse tightly to her chest.
"Obviously he did, because he immediately stopped fighting the moment he saw you standing there." Holly laid a hand on her shoulder. "He knows that you're here, and he obviously thinks that you're the girl from his hallucinations." She let out a shaky breath. "You have to be extra careful from now on, Kayla, because now that he knows you're working here, he's very likely to come after you."
'Oh, my God, I'm in trouble.'
AN: I know, kind of a crappy ending to a chapter, but I didn't want it to be too long, or the next chapter would be shorter than this one. The next chapter will have a better ending, I promise. Review!