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The chipped paint was smelled like they had been dabbed in urine instead of being scrubbed with bleach; a fresh coat would have been better, and the floors - sore needs of replacing or least buffing. The yellow encased, blinking florescence lights lacked attention as well. If fact the entire building reeked for a demolition crew who cared. Moans filled the halls. Amid the muddle of shuffling house shoes, and odd inappropriate laughter a single, pitiful voice continued to be ignored, "Nurse." "Nurse." "Nurse."
The only nurse on the floor of the Institution at the time was Rachel Margret Littleton. Over worked, underpaid, seven years alone. The other staff who came did not seem to last very long.
Just as she was crushing up meds a dingy yellow gowned man shuffled up to Rachel's cart, and asked, " -------------
sweet that rocks!!!
"Okay, Mr. Stouthammer, I'm glad the music in your head rocks, but Miss Littleton has to give Becky her meds now." The man turned away as Becky Brownthers opened her mouth way back. Afterwards she -------
"Pardon me Nurse Ratchet, might I trouble you for an extra pill?" the man in the dingy gown jabbed a thumb at the empty air beside him. "Teddy has been a bit jumpy today. You see, it's his brother Harvey's birthday today and he had his heart set on an outing to see him."
Nurse Ratchet squinted at the empty space beside the little man and said,
"Sorry Mr. Jacobson, Teddy dosen't get morning meds. But - here's yours." Heading to the elderly man with a thin whisp of spiked hair who had been calling after her since last night, Rachel offered a small paper cup of stool softer and Lithium, "Okay now now Mr. Blackwater here's your morning meds." Trembling hands reached for the cup but at the last second instead of accepting his doasage, hit the nurses' hand away, flinging the pills across the floor he started screaming at the top of his lungs, " YOU! --------
"YOU! You are the one who stole my eyes last night!!! Give them back!" Nurse Rachel stepped back in fear, eyes widened. Mr. Jacobson had never given her much trouble in the past. She didn't know what had gotten in to him and she was more than a little frightened. She took a deep breath and a step back saying--------
"It's going to be allright Mr. Jacobson - Martin, if you open your lids you'll notice they are in - Oh, Okay?" Still screaming like his flesh was rotting off he suddenly stopped in mid yell, and said, " Thank you, Nurse." "Nurse." "Nurse...."
Sudden Rudy Finkler noticed the pills at his feet, edged down and scarfed them up without Rachel's notice; she had forgotten about them in the misdirection. Rudy eased back into his room and squatted on the floor.......
pulled his pants down, and took a big ole "wendy's frosty" dump, and said "yes master"... pulled up his pajamas, and smeared it all in his room, because he was pacing about.... The wretched smell filled the facility... {sounds like work, huh dave?}
Without missing a beat, nurse Littleton called down the dimly lit hallway, "Sanders - Sorry, but Mr. Finkler did his morning thing again."
Sanders was a huge black man. A retired Linebacker from some football team big in the 1960s. Sanders Graham Ellington, Jr. to be precise. His mop water was fresh hourly but smelt like it had never been changed. Sanders wore hospital scrubs and proudly displayed his plastic beaded Rosary outside his shirt. His hair had long since turned white and his back hunched from battles he bemoaned to himself while mopping. As he went down the hall to Finkler's room, he said, "--------
Getting him into the shower room was often a challenge that required a great deal of creativity. This morning's promise of extra pudding at lunch did not rise to the challenge. Finkler's counter offer was a handful of feces flung gorilla like out of his open door. It spattered the closed door opposite his with what Mr. Finkler considered a certain poetic wetness. He poked his head out the door with a satisfied grin on his face.
By way of reply, Mary Ann Riscenburger just smiled back at Rudy's brown smeared grin. She held tightly onto her precious dolly, remembering her own baby which she had accidently allowed to be burned in a house fire twenty-two years back. Actually it was one of her own dresses that she held; it was all rolled up in a bundle. From the dolly-dress she liked best but never wore; looked up into the questioning face as the nurse offered her a spoonful of pudding mixed medication.
She still talks to me you know; my baby that's is; smiling nervously to the nurse. She told me it wasn't my fault, that I didn't start the fire.
The nurse dropped the spoon as she gasped, realizing in all the years she had worked in this godforsaken place, Mary Ann had never spoken a word.
Mary Ann began rocking back and forth, back and forth, murmering to the dress dolly "It's OK, sweetheart, Mama's here" and pacing the floor. She looked up at the nurse and said lucidly, "It's so bad when the wee ones have the colic". Sanders, returning from the cessspool that was Finkle's morning game, almost dropped his mop. It was as if.....
He had seen the child himself. He stepped back with a horrid look on his face, not wanting to let any one know what he had just saw he quickly turned and walked away......
The child he had seen, was of the "paranormal", he has seen her walking next to Mary anns' bed, kissing her momma, on the cheek, and saying, " It's okay, momma" it wasn't your fault, and i love you".
Sanders made for the "break room" - a converted closet, that was the only place he knew of in the building that the patients avoided. He opened his thermos, and took a swig of his all Irish "coffee". He could NOT be seeing spirits - there were people locked up in here for just that! "Slow deep breaths, man", he told himself - and slowly began to calm down as he recalled his favorite episodes of Barney. The door flew open, and....
Their stood the little girl, he dropped his mug, with a despate look he said what do u want. The little girl replied with a screeching voice, you know what u did...
After another swig of "coffee" Saunders left the confines of the closet. He walked right through the little girl who dissipated as he did so. A chill ran through the orderly.
Saunders called out to the nurse, "Hey Rachel, you seen Kenny? How long does it take to take a break?"
TO BE CONTINUED.......
