A/N:Hello, all! I apologize for the decent hiatus. Life happened and it's been pretty crazy lately. But I'll be updating more often now! Sorry to leave you all hanging! Let's get back into the swing of things. Thank you to those who continue to read and review. It's appreciated immensely.
Ginger.
Ginger bottle, ginger tea, ginger tray.
Ginger cup warming petite pale palms.
Sophie sat across the white-walled room, her eyes locked with the mad man laying down on the bed in the opposing corner.
"How are you feeling today, Patrick?"
"Tired," he admitted, remaining in his position on the bed.
"I see you ate all of your breakfast today..." she commented, glancing at the empty breakfast tray at the foot of the bed.
"Is that so surprising?" Patrick retorted. "I am a human, you know. I do need to eat."
"Seeing that this is the first you've eaten breakfast in the time you've been in isolation, I can comfortably say that it is decently surprising."
She let the silence linger momentarily, provided Patrick with some time to explain himself if he wished.
What can I say? I'm a changed man. The sarcastic thought caused a smile to sneak onto his face.
"Something funny?"
Patrick shook his head, adjusting the blankets and bringing himself to a sitting position.
"Are you okay, Patrick?"
"No," he quickly responded. "But you know this. The wires in my head have frazzled and I'm working on repairing them." I, Patrick Jane, just said the word 'frazzled'. I must be mad.
"You've...come to terms with your slight insanity?" Sophie inquired.
"'Slight' insanity?" Patrick repeated. "My first day here I tried to kill myself. I nearly killed my roommate at first sight, was completely content with the fact I was hallucinating my dead daughter, and attacked my nurse because I thought he was the man who murdered my family." He kept his eyes locked with Sophie's. "Dr. Miller, I think we both know my insanity is more long gone than 'slightly'. Don't you agree?"
Sophie raised her eyebrows, taken aback, not exactly sure what else to say.
"...and you're recognizing that these actions fed your insanity?"
Patrick confidently nodded. "What sane person would do those things? You know as well as I do that I need to make some serious adjustments."
"This is quite the revelation, Patrick."
Potentially unbelievable as well, but you're not smart enough to read into it. You're also blinded by bias because you want me to get better.
"I've realized that the only way I am going to get better is if I want to." He looked pleadingly into Sophie's eyes. "..and I want to."
Sophie inhaled and sighed, sipping her tea from the ginger cup before collecting her belongings. "This was a good talk this morning, Patrick." She picked up the empty breakfast tray and headed towards the door. "I'll see you this afternoon."
"Dr. Miller?" Patrick stopped her with his words.
She turned toward him. "Yes?"
"Thank you," he swallowed. "Thank you for not giving up on me."
She smiled back at him with hope in her eyes. She nodded at him before leaving the room and re-locking the door. Patrick let out an exasperated sigh before throwing himself backwards on the bed. After taking a few much-needed deep breaths, he got himself up and grabbed the balled up sheet in the corner of his bed. He unraveled the sheet, confirming that the breakfast foods were still safely wrapped up in napkins among the sheet. He glanced up at the camera in the corner of the room, feeling its careful watch and potential watchers behind it.
Without warning, the door to the room flew open. Neil entered nonchalantly. "Dude, that lady said that I have to come in here and.." he noticed the sheet. "What are you doing?"
Patrick looked at Neil. He motioned with his hand. "Come here."
Neil obeyed, shutting the door behind him. He cautiously approached the mad man, afraid of what could be to come. Neil took notice of the food wrapped neatly in napkins and stored in the sheet.
"Can you take this and dispose of it?"
"Dude, why didn't you just eat it?"
"I'm not a big eater," the blonde man replied. "My stomach is actually quite small and I get sick if I eat large amounts of food and they give us so much food and I can't eat all of it. Could you just take it and you can either eat it or toss it. It's still a little warm if you really want it just..." he trailed off, glancing slightly at the camera in the corner. "Not in here."
"I'm not exactly sure if I'd be allowed to.."
Patrick brought himself to his feet. "Please. Help a guy out. Plus it is food. I'm not sure how much they are paying you here, but you can always use a free meal. I didn't do anything to it or nothing. Just take it."
He extended the balled up sheet to the young man.
"Dude, I don't know. What if I get caught?"
"You won't. These cameras are only video and no audio. They will only see that I have given you a balled up sheet and assume it is dirty laundry."
Neil cautiously took the sheet, examining its contents. He nodded at Patrick and obediently took the sheet wrapped food through the door, locking it behind him.
Thank god. No way I'm eating any of that bile.
Patrick sat peacefully in his usual chair by the window, glancing down at the children playing below. For the past few days he had remained on his absolute best behavior to guarantee his release from solitary. They had extended his one hour 'free' period to two hours (which was a plus). Neil sat in the opposing chair, remaining busy on his cell phone.
An administrator appeared from around the corner. "Neil?"
The duo both looked to the origin of the voice, seeing the administrator wave a firm hand at Neil. "Come here for one moment, please."
Patrick observed at Neil obeyed. He couldn't tell the extend of the conversation, but he had found Neil decently easy to read. Quick to slump his stature, holding himself poorly, nodded obsessively, down trodden expression...They're analyzing his ability to do this job.
Upon noticing Neil's slow return, Patrick whipped his head back toward the window to continue his watch of the children. He eyed the familiar blonde girl playing on the swings as the young nurse returned to his seat, exasperated sigh leaving his mouth.
"You're doing a fine job," Patrick spoke up, keeping his watch on the girl.
Neil was taken aback. "W...What?"
Patrick met his gaze. "Over there," he gestured with his head. "They were criticizing you because you were being anti-social and playing on your phone."
"Dude, you wanna chill? It's none of your fucking business what they were talking to me about, a'ight?" Neil shuffled down in his chair and firmly crossed his arms over his chest.
The blonde man scoffed, returning his gaze to the window. "Well fine then if you don't want me to help you..."
"What was that?" Neil shot at the man.
Patrick raised his eyebrows and shifted his eyes quickly to Neil. "Hmm? Nothing." He took his gaze back to the window.
They sat in silence for a few moments. C'mon, Neil. You know you want to ask. Don't screw this up for me.
"What do you mean?" Neil spoke softly, leaning forward toward Patrick. He rested his elbows on his knees.
"Hmm?" Patrick looked toward the slender man. "I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you." However hard he tried to resist, the arrogant tone still slipped through.
"What do you mean..." Neil looked around to check if anyone was listening to their conversation. "...you can help me?"
Patrick lifted his right leg to rest it on his left knee and rested his hands in his lap. "I know they've got you in here as a sort of community service. You watch the crazies for a while and you're golden. Not to mention you've stolen from the pharmacy to get that special feeling in your head that you're addicted to."
Neil fell silent, unsure if he should defend himself or let the man have at it. His breathing quickened and immediately an uncomfortable air struck between the two.
"It's okay," Patrick continued. "Nothing to be ashamed about. We all have our downfalls." Patrick leaned in, lowering the volume of his voice. "But I can help you. As long as you help me."
"Help you?" Neil was taken aback. "What do you mean help you?"
"The only way they're going to let me out of this place is if I put on my happy face and make them believe I'm stable."
"Okay, so what does that have to do with me?"
Patrick's eyes remained locked with Neil's. "You tell Sophie and any other doctor who may come speak with you about my condition that I am progressing well, no issues, no outbursts, and that you are reassured I will do fine back in the mix. Then I'll tell them what a great watchman you were and I'll get you all of the Valium and Ambien you wish."
The watchman was hesitant. "I...I don't know, man. I can get it just fine by myself."
"But how much longer will the excuse of asking for Dr. Miller's pass because you misplaced yours not seem suspicious?" Patrick inquired. "You're walking on eggshells with that excuse and will have to constantly come up with different ones."
"You're lying." Neil retorted. "You...you're crazy. You're just saying that to convince me to help you."
"Neil, I want you to look into my eyes." Patrick remained sharp and focused on the man. "Do I look like I'm lying?"
Neil hesitantly shook his head.
"Do you want me to help you or not?"
Neil nodded.
Patrick extended his hand to the man. "So we have an agreement?"
Their hands met, shaking in comradery.
"Good." Patrick smiled.
"You're one manipulative son of a bitch."
Patrick shrugged. "I do what I have to."
Two days later, Patrick and Dr. Miller sat succumbed with silence. His plan had worked so far-Neil basically doing everything Patrick requested of him in exchange for his drugs and Sophie slowly falling to believe the gag. Almost to the point of disbelief.
"Dr. Miller?" Patrick began. "If you don't mind me speaking up."
"No," she motioned. "Please, go ahead."
"Dr. Miller, you've been sitting in here for a few minutes now and have yet to say anything." He observed. "Is there something wrong?"
She inhaled and exhaled before proceeding to speak. "Well, you've just...your condition has progressed significantly over the past few days."
Silence lingered before Patrick spoke up. "...is this a bad thing?"
"No! Oh, no. No, it's...ahm.." she looked down at her clip board and sifted through the papers. "It's actually quite good, to be honest."
"So, what's the problem?" C'mon, Sophie. You want to believe it. You have to. Stop doubting yourself.
"It's not so much a problem," she began. "Just a concern."
If I have to keep working this hard to get information out of you, I'm going to request a different therapist. "A concern about...?" He could tell she didn't want to tell him, but he didn't care.
"Most patients of your mental instability don't progress this quickly. Usually it takes weeks, sometimes months or longer for them to reach a point of revelation. You displayed this in a matter of days."
Patrick shrugged. "Everyone copes and heals differently. You should know this."
Sophie nodded. "Neil tells me that you continue to respond well during your time out in the community room."
Good to know he's holding his end of the bargain.
"Do you think you're ready to go back out into the unit with the rest and continue your group sessions, activities, and interact with everyone else?"
"I don't think I truly have a say in that, Dr. Miller." Patrick replied. "Because if I say that I'm not, you'll keep me locked up in here. If I say that I am, you'll still keep me locked up in here. It's not truly up to me."
A sly smile slowly creeped onto Sophie's face before vanished just as quickly as it came. "You have a point."
"Do you think I'm ready to go back out into the unit, Doctor?"
The woman sighed, looking up at Patrick with hope filled eyes. "I have faith in your recovery as well as your progress. I believe that you are no longer a risk to our nurses and patients or to yourself. That being said, I do believe it would be best to put you back into the regular swing of things. Is that okay with you?"
"Whatever you believe to be best for my recovery." Success! Patrick held a celebratory party in the memory palace.
"Alright then." Sophie stood up, her clip board in hand. "A few guards will be in soon to take you back to your room. We will start back up with sessions tomorrow morning. Head to dinner and then get some rest."
"Yes ma'am." Patrick agreed, watching as she left. A smile creeped onto Patrick's face slowly, basking in his success.
The guards came, took Patrick back to his room where Peter anxiously awaited his arrival.
"Pat! Pat! They brought you back!" Peter was overjoyed at the sight of his roommate. He lept from the bed, running to tackle the blonde man in a hug.
"Yes, Peter!" Patrick began before getting hit by the body, knocking him backwards making a loud BANG as his head hit the corner of the wall and fell to the ground. Peter scrambled, falling on top of Patrick.
"Oh! Oh no! Patrick! Pat, are you okay?"
Peter scrambled to his feet. Once he realized his roommate wasn't getting up, he yelled into the hallway.
"Help! Someone help! I killed a man! Oh god, I killed him!" Peter began to panic, pacing back and forth in the space.
Sophie entered the room, staring down at the limp man. "God, Patrick. Never a dull moment with you."
Patrick blinked slowly, trying to speak. The back of his head throbbed violently as his vision began to blur to dark.