Author's note: Sorry if this seems rushed but I wanted to get it up before Christmas! Thanks to Duck who beta'd my storym any complaintes bout my brill spelling - complain to her!

Life in a Loony Bin: Chapter 4

Orion's POV

Balancing the heavy box underneath my arm I attempted to close the car door. The decorations jingled as I made may way inside. It had already been 3 months and Christmas was approaching rapidly. Walking quickly down the corridors towards my office, my aim was to get there without bumping into someone, that and not dropping it. I entered my office putting the box down on my desk. I picked up my mail quickly sifting through it looking for anything important . After realising that it was nothing but bills and boring notices about hospital events and psychology conventions I'd been invited to attend, I put it down and playing my answer machine messages. Again nothing interesting, I picked up the box walking down the corridors towards the rec room.

As I entered the rec room, taking a quick glance around to see where everyone was. Adam, Guy and Dwayne we're sat round one table, it looked like they were in deep conversation about something. Julie, Ken and Russ were talking to sister Heather at another table. Everyone else was watching TV.

"Hey guys," I spoke up letting my presence be known, "Right, I'm letting you know the plans for today. We're going shopping, you have to be ready at 10 am sharp. and at the main entrance ready to go that means that you have to have everything." I paused we we're actually going at 10.30 but I knew that if I told the 10 they'd be ready for then.

"Right, later we're putting up decorations, it's already December 20th and we have nothing up! Right come on go get ready!"

With that everyone was up and heading towards their rooms. I wondered if only giving them half an hour would do or if we would even get there today.

At 10 o'clock I saw Adam, Guy and Dwayne shuffling towards us. My didn't they look a cheerful bunch. Adam looked more depressing than usual dressed in all black, his hoodie far too big made him look rather gothic. Guy's clothes hung so far off his wraith like body that he looked ill and Dwayne looked so out of it that it was going to be obvious that we were part of a psych ward.

Slowly everyone made they're way towards the main entrance, and for the first time ever I don't think anyone forgot anything.. But it was still 10.30 before we were in the mini bus and ready to go. In a way I was glad and looking forward to a day out, but in another way I was nervous, taking them out was always worrying that someone would run away, have an episode or running into trouble with other people.

"Right!" I yelled loudly as we got out of the mini bus, "Averman, Ken and Dwayne, you guys are going to be with sister Heather and me as you are on 3 to 2's. Everyone else is one 5 to 1's you guys can split your selves into two groups and one of you can take Jill or Nick and you can go off. We're meeting and the food court at 1 o'clock and then we're leaving"
Dwayne, Ken and Averman we're on 3 to 2's because they were likely to kick off and that could be dangerous if there was no one there to help so we made sure there was at least two of us with them. In the end Adam, Guy, Charlie, Dean and Portman were in one group with Nick. And Julie, Connie, Russ, Goldberg and Luis were with Jill. As they left I could hear Nick's group arguing about where they were going, in a way I was glad I was with my group, less arguments about which shops they wanted to go to. With that said

"So, where do you guys want to go?"

Adam's POV

This was not going to be fun. I was once again stuck in a group with Charlie, I mean I didn't hate him I just wasn't comfortable with him as he kept making moves on me. The first place we we're heading was the clothing store, Charlie said he had to get his secret Santa present from there. That is one thing we had agreed to do, it meant that we didn't have to spend as much money. All of us had money given to us from our parents/ guardians but it still wasn't that much. Most of my money was going on stuff for me, I needed some more clothes as my parents didn't let me have most clothing as they saw it as 'inappropriate.' As we entered we headed straight to the men's section. I started moving around looking for clothes, this was the cheapest shop so I was looking for top and trousers. As I'm not fussy I quickly found some and walked towards the counter

After paying I was about to look for everyone else when I heard a commotion going on behind me. As I turned around I saw Charlie stood in his boxers and Guy was trying to pull his clothes back on.

"Charlie, Put your clothes back on! You're scaring the woman, she doesn't want to see you naked!" Guy yelled.

"Of course she does, I bet she'll go home and brag! And she'll say to her friends, yes that guy can burn in my loins anytime!"

I glanced round to look at the woman at the pay point, luckily she just look amused rather than scared. At that point Nick decided to enter,

"Charlie! Clothes on now or your going to get the opportunity to spend the rest of the day with Orion!"

Charlie grumpily put his clothes back on and picked up present heading to the pay point, as he passed me he winked and muttered,

"Enjoy the show?"

I rolled my eyes heading towards Guy, he laughed as he saw my facial expression. When Charlie had finished we headed to the art shop to pick up the decorations. I got the opportunity to wander off as I wasn't a high risk patient. I was looking round when something caught my eye. I was a blade, I tried to take my eyes off it but it was too difficult, my old one I had had to be thrown away in a hurry to make sure that Orion didn't get it.

I picked it up and glanced around Nick was busy dealing with the decorations and Charlie and Guy were trying to add decorations and Portman and Fulton we're talking quietly to each other. It looked intense and I knew that they wouldn't notice me.

I quickly walked up to the counter and handed the blade to the cashier, luckily he only looked about 16 so didn't pay a lot of attention , if he had I'm sure that he would have noticed that we were from a psych ward. After he sold it to me. I quickly shoved it in my pocket and walked over to Nick with my head hung low.

"Hey, green or red with the silver?" Guy asked.

I pulled out my sign and pen and wrote 'neither - blue' Nick shook he head pulling a range of colours and heading to the counter.

By 2 o'clock we we're back in the rec room and the decorations were being split up and handed out for everyone to put up. Me and Guy were given tinsel. Dwayne had gone into a catatonic state and looked like he was about to dance the 'walking like an Egyptian' by the bangles. I headed out of the rec room toward the class room, rummaging through the draws I found cellotape, I paused for a second running my hand over the blade in my pocket. I know I shouldn't have it but knowing that I had it there and I wouldn't have to go through my normal anxieties was a massive relief. I pulled it out of my pocket checking no one was around, I was nervous that someone would walk in but I also knew that Orion was keeping an eye on me and I couldn't afford to have him find me. I held the blade to my wrist pushing down lightly I thin trail of blood appeared. I pushed down harder pulling it along. Seeing the blood and feeling the pain I knew that it would have to do. Pulling my sleeves down I shoved the blade back in my pocket and picking up the cellotape I walked quickly back to the rec room.

As I entered I a strange site hit me, the Christmas tree looked smaller than I remembered, that and it only had two branches. As I looked closer I realised it was Dwayne covered in baubles and tinsel. I was a strange site. As I continued to look around I realised that under the mistletoe Portman had just leaned over and kissed Fulton. That made me do a double take. I think they must have noticed me staring as Portman looked at me and smiled pointing up.
"You got to obey the rules!" I looked up and saw mistletoe. Nodding I went to turn around but something else caught my eye. I realised that Fulton was wearing stockings on his feet. Now I knew that I was in a loony bin. Shaking my head thoroughly confused I went to help Orion untangle Dwayne from his decorations.

The rest of the week went quickly and before I knew it Christmas eve was upon us. Everyone was in the rec room. I had to admit it was beautiful and had me in the Christmas mood and I was looking forward to Christmas tomorrow but I was also nervous as my parents would also b e here tomorrow.

"Right guys, I just thought that for the last night that we'd get together and we'd you know go over what we're grateful for this year. One good memory!" Orion announced

Thinking Carefully about mine I picked up my board and began to write. Charlie, Luis Connie and Ken's were spending time with their families. Most people's were something they did with their friends. Fulton and Portman's was meeting each other, which was kind of sweet in a weird way. Finally it was time for mine:

Coming here getting away from my parents and making the best friends I've ever had

I looked down I didn't want to see people's reaction I was kind of embarrassed but I knew that we'd soon have finished and I could go back to my room.

When I got up the next morning I found that no one else was awake but I knew it being Christmas it wouldn't be long until people started to rise from their pits. I got dressed, grabbed my sign and headed to the rec room where Sister Heather was sat reading a book.

"Hello Adam," she smiled at me, I nodded to show that I had heard her.

I sat down picking up my book I had left in here. I was currently reading a book called Cut it was a bit depressing really but the character reminded her of me only she chose not to talk and I didn't choose.

Before I knew it everyone was sat around we had finished breakfast and I was now anxiously waiting around for my family to arrive. So far most people's parents had arrived it was only Fulton and I left waiting. I was dreading meeting my parents, they didn't care about me and were embarrassed that I was in here. Butterflies jittered in my stomach and I tapped my feet on the floor and I waited.

"Hey Adam, you ok?" Sister Heather asked me, I nodded. "You look a bit nervous." I nodded again.

"Hey Adam, Your parents are here!" I heard Orion yell from the other side of the room. I looked around as my parents walked into the rec room. Also a pleasant surprise my brother was here.

"Hey Adam!" he smiled, he was the only one that didn't think that he was absolutely crazy, "How have you been?"

I put my thumbs up to signal I was ok.

"Good so you'll be leaving here soon then!" my father snapped I just turn to glare at him. It was Christmas day I couldn't be bothered to deal with his disapproving attitude I got so fed up of being the pathetic son

"Dad, I think that we should give Adam enough time to get better, he needs to get his head sorted!" My brother smiled.

"Aaron, I think that you should stop encouraging your brother to act like this!" this quickly turned into an argument and I was trying to ignore them, my mother turned to me.

"So what have you been doing?" she asked me.

I picked up my board and wrote 'ok lessons, did shopping, activities etc etc - nothing amazing!'

"Good Good," she muttered. Well that was uncomfortable and so were the next 2 hours of my family making small talk. My brother informed me of stuff I was missing but he wasn't in my world he was at uni so all he could do was tell me about what was going on there. My dad continued to insult me and let it well knows how much of an embarassment I was to him and that I shouldn't let anyone know that I was in here. Like I'd do that who would I tell I didn't have any friends outside of here. Although I did wonder where my dad was telling people I was.

The entire group was sat around in the rec room the decoration sparkling and the faint tune of 'deck the halls was playing causing giggling from Fulton and Portman. They had put up Charlie's underwear and were singing a rendition of 'deck the halls with Charlie's undies'

It was now time for the secret Santa, I had Fulton I had bought him a Meteora by Linkin Park which Portman had introduced him to. As we started exchanging gifts I saw that Fulton smiled when he opened his he had only mentioned it once and I'm not sure he even known that I had heard. I had a present from Guy, it was a toy wolf and third eye blind CD which he knew I didn't have. I smiled I didn't even know how he knew wolves were my favourite animals. Not talking meant that not many people realised what I liked and didn't like,

I know that this wasn't the exact Christmas that most people would want, but I loved it. Sure I had to spend a few hours with my parents but these people were now my family. They were so close and even though I didn't know some of them that well but I was finally in a place where people understood me and know what I'm going through and they don't judge me. And on this Christmas I am grateful to have these people around me.

Dex