That night I couldn't sleep. I couldn't get that conversation out of my mind. I couldn't get him out of my mind. I hated the internal battle I fought. One side of me said it was stupid and reckless to think about this any longer, but the other side was intrigued and excited. It was like a little burst of adrenaline every time I thought about it. He was a boy and he seemed to like me...but did he? The warden had warned against their smooth words and deceptive ways to make them seem appealing and norma. Jerome definitely wasn't normal but that entire conversation made me want to know more about him.
The next few days were filled with the same process, but a different patient each time, I hadn't even seen Jerome. Not even when I walked through the cafeteria, not even when I performed psychiatric evaluations.
"Warden Pane," I approached my supervisor. "I was wondering something about a specific patient."
"Whom about?"
"Jerome Valeska. I haven't met with him again in over a week. I was wondering-"
She cut me off. "Jerome Valeska has been moved to solitary for the past week, he was put there after stabbing another patient in the eye. He will be back out on Friday." she started to turn away and then paused, "why are you so interested in him?"
A sudden panic went through me "I'm not. It's just that I've been seeing the same patients each week and I only saw him once, I just thought that for psychiatric evaluation, a consistent weekly session is a key component into really evaluating a patient's psychological improvements."
She paused, she looked as if she was thinking. "You'll meet with him again on Monday." She turned and walked down the hall, but before turning the corner she looked back and called "Q, be careful, he's more dangerous mentally than he is physical." and with that, she was gone.
The week went by fast, especially after the meltdown Aaron Helzinger had when he saw Barbra flirting with another man. Apparently his overbre=earing love for attention and approval got the best of him in the situation, apparently, he has some bizarre mommy issues (or at least that's what Jess, the other Intern told me).
On Friday when I was completing my last run of delivering files and other undisclosed medical supplies for the day, walking back through the activity room to stop by and say hello to some of the patients I had been meeting with, I always noticed how much they liked it or seemed to like it. They could very well just be playing me, but I try to do more than have one conversation across a cold metal table in a dark damp room once a week, I try to show them I want to help. And on Fridays at 3, there is mandatory arts and crafts in the activity room, so I like to stop by.
Walking In, it looks as depressing, no one actually wants to be doing this, except for maybe Laryssa Cloak, who I found out the hard way one Friday loves glitter. I want to say hello to some of the patients I had been meeting with and as I was about to leave, I saw a head full of red hair sitting in the corner smirking at me. A flutter went through me, I hadn't seen him in about two weeks. I walked over toward him.
"My dear Harley, how I have missed you so," he said in a very dramatic way
"I've heard you've not been playing nice with others."
"Yes, but he deserved it."
"Well we can talk more about it on Monday, we have another meeting."
"Oh Doctor Quinzel, you do make me restless"
"I'm no doctor, just an intern. I'll see you on Monday, try not to stab another patient, I am looking forward very much to this next meeting."
"As am I Harley." He winks and I walk away.
Until Monday.