by Matt L. » Wed May 08, 2019 8:37 pm
6.
Kay was in her office near the nursing station, an opposing corridor from the patients.
There was a couple knocks on her door and before she could give permission to enter, Rita stormed in.
“Miss Crawford isn’t in her room and her chart doesn’t mention a transfer!”
“That’s because she’s in the basement”, Kay unemotionally replied, “Those padded cells downstairs aren’t just for show.”
“Why wasn’t I notified?” Rita fervently inquired, “I’m her primary care nurse!”
Kay’s eyes remained focused on her computer screen, addressing Rita impassively, “Miss Crawford will be returned to her room in a matter of days. You can resume your duties toward her then.”
Rita stormed out of the room, making tracks to the elevator which took her to the basement.
The forbidding astrosphere gave Rita goose-bumps, barely lit, the tall shadows against bleak walls, reminiscent of a dungeon.
The guard at the Iron Gate was a tall, overweight African-America man, Rita showed him her ID badge, he permitted her entry.
A short walk ensued, there were 4 padded cells, Victoria was in the last one.
The heavy door held a small window in which Rita gazed through, Victoria was garbed in a generic hospital gown, circling the room, mumbling to herself.
Rita tapped on the window, obtaining Victoria’s attention.
Victoria zigzagged slowly to the door, snorting a couple times as she peered into the window, “I…..I’m….hungry…”
“When was the last time you’ve eaten?” Rita asked.
Victoria rubbed her face, “No…remember..”
“How do you feel? How did you end up here?”, Rita calmly inquired.
Victoria shrugged her shoulders, “Headache…get me food, please.”
“Of course”, Rita shook her head, “I’ll be right back, I need a key to open the door…”
Rita turned around, slamming into Dr. Evans who was lurking behind her.
“Something amiss, nurse?” Dr. Evans half-smiled.
It took a moment for Rita to regain her composure after being startled.
“Why is Vicky in a padded room?”
“The patient was upset last night”, Dr, Evans said in a crisp foreboding tone.
“She’s fine now and hungry”, Rita pled on Victoria’s behalf, “Can I take Vicky back to her room and get her fed?”
Dr. Evans turned to the glass window, tapping it to arouse Victoria’s attention although her face was pressed against the plastic.
“You hungry there, Miss Crawford?”
Victoria nodded her reply.
Dr. Evans turned to Rita, “You wait here, I have to conduct this business with Kay, I’ll return straight away.”
Dr. Evans walked away; Rita spoke to Victoria through the glass.
“This is very unethical, I’ve never heard of anything this extreme. But don’t worry, Vicky, I’m going to keep a better eye on you.”
Rita continued conveying her concern and to put a little more effort in looking after Victoria.
__
Dr. Evans returned, bringing along a posse of people.
Kay, two security guards and a pair of nursing assistants.
Dr. Evans stepped to the side, Kay took center stage.
“Okay, Miss Crawford may return to her room provided she wears this….”
Kay held up a straitjacket, “….these girls will take her back to her room and feed her.”
“The straitjacket isn’t necessary”, Rita exclaimed.
Dr. Evans spoke up, “If the patient wants to be feed the straitjacket is certainly necessary.”
Dr. Evans moved into Rita’s space, causing her to back away, he peered into the window, “You hungry, Vicky?”
Victoria nodded, her eyes glassy, her lips in a fragile grin.
Dr. Evans instructed the security guards to open the door and to put Victoria into the straitjacket.
Victoria at first hesitated but eventually complied, knowing that unless she wore it, she wouldn’t be feed.
Kay told the nurse’s aids to take Victoria to her room and feed her; her food should be available by the time they got to the room.
“You’re dismissed for the remainder of the afternoon, Nurse Adams”, Kay told Rita, “Have some time to think things through and your role at this…asylum.”
Rita reeled back her head, particularly surprised, “Dismissed? For what? Showing some compassion which is integral to our profession.”
“I don’t care for you attitude, young lady”, Kay sternly lobbed at Rita; “In my day a nurse manager was respected.”
“What about showing some respect to the patient?” Rita winced, “There was no reason for Vicky being held in a padded cell.”
“You’re very sweet calling the patients by their first name…” Kay condescendingly smirked, “….you have a lopsided idea of authority.”
Rita stood in a defensive stance, “What the hell does that even mean?”
“It means as a professional you should not be treating these lunatics as if they’re on the same level…” Kay huffily responded.
Dr. Evans stood between the females, finally interrupting the quarrel.
“Kay, please, go easy on Rita. She’s an independent thinker and her ethics are fresh, not spoiled by such tenure as seasoned nurses like yourself.”
“I don’t need you to defend me”, Rita austerely told Dr. Evans, then returned her attention to Kay, “I’m going to see Mrs. Mannering about this.”
“Yes, of course”, Dr. Evens spoke up before Kay could manage a reply, “We should have a staff meeting.”
Rita wagged her head to the negative and began to walk away, Dr. Evans calling out, “Wait a minute, Rita; I would like to show you something….”
Rita paused, “Show me what?”
Dr. Evans placed both hands in his lab coat pockets, gesturing with his body which he slanted down the corridor.
“I have made advances in electro shock therapy; I think you can appreciate my new technique.”
“I’d rather not”, Rita said frigidly.
“Oh, I insist, it will give you a better idea that the patient’s benefits are my top criteria!” Dr. Evans enthusiastically stated.
“Kay dismissed me, so this is my time”, Rita flatly refused, “But you can tell Mrs. Mannering about it at the staff meeting.”
At first Dr. Evans looked disappointed but a grin subsequently hopped unto his face, “This way, Rita”, he removed his hand out of his pocket, waving Rita on, “You too, Kay!”
Kay nudged Rita’s back, “This is very crucial, young lady, pay attention! Now be a good girl and heed the doctor.”
Rita followed Dr. Evans with Kay behind her, down a path that grew darker by the step until reaching his intended destination.
Dr. Evans entered the cold room, Rita paused at the doorway.
The sight of the long black wooden table, leather straps and a huge shiny electrical machine gave Rita the creeps.
“This is state of the art, Rita; the technology I invented is miles beyond what they use at other asylums….” Dr. Evans began to brag,
Rita interrupted him, “Electro shock therapy of any kind is outdated, I certainly don’t believe it has any benefit.”
Dr. Evans cracked an eye, his smile especially maniacal, “It doesn’t just zap the patient, depending on what’s needed, I can completely wipe away a persons…um, patients memory or combined with other procedures, can manipulate somebody’s behavior and personality.”
There was a moment of silence, Dr. Evans invited Rita to take a closer look, “…you shouldn’t be afraid, young lady, there are no ghosts.”
Rita sneered at Dr. Evans, “I’m not afraid of ghost but I’m afraid of you, and so should every patient in this hospital.”
Rita turned around as Dr. Evans said with a hint of a giggle, “You sure you’re not afraid of ghosts?”
Rita walked around Kay, not bothering to reply, making a quick bolt down the hall and toward the Iron Gate where the security guard stopped her.
“Where you going miss?”
This was a different security guard, not the same fella at the gate when Rita first arrived, but just as big and mean looking.
“I’m a nurse; I want to leave, now!” Rita remarked, a little miffed.
“I don’t see no badge”, The security guard retorted, “No badge, no entry!”
Rita looked down, her ID badge was missing. Deducing it had fallen off when she bumped into Dr, Evans, she left to retrace her steps, it was probably outside the padded room where Victoria was kept.
On route Rita ran into Kay, her facial expression and tone of voice remaining grumpy, “Something up, miss?”
“Yes, I seemed to have dropped my ID badge, I think when I accidentally bumped into Dr. Evans”, Rita tensely smiled.
“Without an identification badge you can’t leave this facility”, Kay uttered straightforwardly.
Rita glimpsed Kay with a - no shit - expression and began resuming her trek, only for Kay to signal her with a wave of the hand.
Rita shrugged her shoulders and followed Kay from a short distance away.
Kay was within mere steps of the gate when she yelled, “Security guard! Why is this patient in a nurse’s uniform!”
Rita stopped in her tracks, “Have you gone fucking crazy!”
The security guard was just as shocked as Rita, mumbled his reply, “I didn’t know she was a patient!”
Kay screamed, “This girl probably snuck into the nurses locker room and stole the uniform!”
The security guard stared at Rita who wagged her head, “I’m not a patient…”
Kay interrupted Rita, vehemently shouting, “Apprehend her this instance or I’ll see Mrs. Mannerings about your lack of professionalism!”
Rita backed away, the security guard moving forward.
Rita took off, running down the dark corridor, making a turn; she again bumped into Dr. Evans.
Their eyes connecting, Dr. Evans increasing the strength of his embrace, “You’re just a mixed up girl, Rita…”
Dr. Evans removed a syringe from out his pocket, “…you enjoying pretending you’re a nurse…?”
Using his thumb, Dr. Evans knocked off the cap, Rita struggled to get free.
Rita didn’t even feel the pinch from the needle as it entered her neck, an eccentric look took to Dr. Evans’ face, “…and so afraid of the scary ghosts.”
At that moment Dr. Evans let Rita go; she spun around, Kay and the security guard swiftly approaching.
“Help me strip this girl out of that uniform, and put her in the shower!” Kay demanded the security guard.
Rita grit her teeth and made a fist, “Why are you doing this to me! I’m not a mental case!”
Dr. Evans motioned to Kay and the guard to pause, stopping a few feet away Rita.
“Don’t come near me”, Rita wagged her fist at them, “I want to get out of here, I want to get out of here now…I’m Rita Adams….I can prove I’m a nurse…”
Rita leaned against the wall, digging into her pocket for her cell phone as the sedative was beginning to take effect.
Kay folded her arms over her large pigeon breasts, her tone ridiculously stern, “You have no respect for authority, young lady. Patients are not on the same level as the staff!”
Rita grew dizzy, lowering herself downward just as she managed to pull the cell phone out from her pocket.
Dr. Evans took the phone out of Rita’s hands, she gazed upward as he told Kay, “I’ll find whoever this belongs too.”
Rita noticed the budding smile over Kay’s face.
“I’ll tend to the patient, Dr. Evans”, Kay’s tone almost exuberant, “I’ll have her hosed down and placed in a padded cell. Any other instructions?”
Rita felt completely drained, her head feeling fuzzy, and she began breathing heavier, “….Please…why,,,what are you…”
Dr. Evans gave Rita a quick glimpse, subsequently addressing Kay, “Well, she does look very undernourished but we can correct that later…”
Rita hung the best she could to the wall as the security guard scooped her up in his arms, the sound of Dr. Evans voice causing her to whimper.
“Prepare her for electro shock therapy, and make sure she’s in disposable adult undergarment, I don’t want her making a mess!”
___
Kay walked behind the security officer, finally reaching a shower room where he plopped Rita onto a plastic chair. Rita blinked a couple times, Kay telling the guard to get back to his post.
“The patient is sedated; she’ll be no threat to me or anybody else!”
The security nodded, “You won’t say anything to administration about this?”
“You’re new on the job, I don’t want to get you in trouble, just be more attentive at your work!” Kay replied.
The guard walked back to his post at the gate.
Kay took her time undressing Rita who was too doped up to put up any kind of struggle.
Collecting her thoughts was difficult but she did manage to sigh, “Kay, please…you…know..this is wrong..”
“I don’t cotton to patients calling me by my first name!” Kay then tugged on Rita’s hair, “its Nurse Edmonds to you!”
Rita grunted angrily, “Stop…that hurts!”
“That hurts what?” Kay peered deviously into Rita’s eyes.
Rita had no choice, “Nurse Edmonds”
Once Rita was stripped naked, Kay removed her off the plastic chair and placed her in the shower.
“You’re heavier than you look for being a lean girl!”
Rita was just that, in beautiful physical condition, adding to Kay’s warped sense of humor, “Let’s see how lean you are in six months after being treated with different meds and their side effects, and kept dormant in a padded cell!”
Rita cringed but it was soon eclipsed by her muffled groaning and whimpering as the cold water splashed over her body.
Kay walked away; fully aware Rita was fully wiped out due to the sedative.
Searching through a cabinet, Kay found some disposable adult undergarments and a hospital gown, quickly returning to Rita.
Dragging Rita out of the shower stall, Kay quickly dried her off, then placed her in the clothing and undergarments.
Rita noticed the shadow looming over her, her eyes lifting upward; there stood Dr. Evans with a wheelchair.
“Kay”, Dr. Evens uttered pleasantly, giving aid as they lifted the limp Rita into the wheelchair, “How’s the patient?”
“One lunatic is no different from another…” Kay harshly grumbled, “But as long as Miss Adams cooperates and obeys the rules….”
“I surely hope so, the asylum will be her home for a very long time…” Dr. Evens concurred.
Rita saw the room of horror in the direction she was being pushed, nasally grunting, “You..you…you..can’t…please….this is….is..is..crazy!”
Dr. Evans slowed down the speed in which he pushed Rita, softly tapping her cheek, “You’re confused, that’s all. The first treatment might be a little painful but after a while you’ll get used to them.”
Rita gazed at Dr. Evans in terror, “Pleezeee nooo”, she slurred her words.
Kay brazenly inquired to Dr. Evans, “I suspect the patient will be regularly scheduled for electro shock treatments?”
“Quite right, Kay. I’m afraid her delirium dictates treatment every other day for the foreseeable future”, Dr. Evans firmly vowed.
Rita wagged her head to remain alert, she tried to speak but the best she could do was incoherently whimper, “..stop…wong….you no can…pleeze…doc…wha…what..why?”
Entering the room, Dr. Evans sadistically grinned, “Maybe next month depending on how well you respond to the treatments we can have a nice chat about how much you like pretending you’re a nurse.”
Dr. Evans turned around and removed Rita’s ID badge from his pocket and tossed it into the trash can.
“Okay, Kay, let’s get the patient on the table.”
“Of course, Doctor, my pleasure”, Kay’s grouchy temperament momentarily suspended.
Rita was narrowly conscious as they eased her out of the wheelchair, unable to fight back while setting her on the table.
“This is one patient that really needs psychiatric help”, Kay melodiously chattered while helping Dr. Evans strap Rita to the table, “I’m only happy to assist you in any way I can.”
Dr. Evans tighten the straps that held Rita’s body at bay, “Ahhh, I wouldn’t worry about it, this girl is nobody special….”
Rita’s blood curdled upon Dr. Evans concluding his remark, “….She’s no different than the other patients under your watch!”
As Dr. Evans placed the head gear onto Rita’s head, Kay steered her eyes into Rita’s, “Correct you are, Doctor, what’s one more drooling lunatic. I swear they’re indistinguishable!”
Rita closed her eyes, Dr. Evans stating in a loud, stern voice, “I can’t say this won’t hurt…”
Rita’s screams flooded the corridor.
__________