19 FLOORS UP

Father Forgive Me For I Have Sinned...

"You little piece of shit."

I could tell he was shocked. I could also tell, however, he had an idea of what I was talking about. He instinctively knew he had fucked up and I knew. I could see it in his face. His little snitching face. He looked defensive from the second I got close to him, "Listen Claire I can explain."

"What's to explain...that your Mrs. Thompson's little bitch. That you go and report back to her stuff that goes on here." I waved my hands around too frantically to realize it was probably not putting my point out in the seriousness it deserves. I was barely directing them in any direction. I was too frustrated to think clearly.

He waved someone off behind me.

I turned around and saw two guards a foot or two away. They had prepared to 'contain' me as I had heard them refer to it one day right before sedating a patient and taking them away.

"Oh so you have these guys protecting you." At this point I must have been shouting. I couldn't really hear myself. Most of the other patients had gathered around into a small crowd of listeners, "Roger was right. You are just one of them. Pretending you're better than us."

The small crowd mumbled a little in agreement.

"Look Claire it's not like..." he began to defend himself but I couldn't hear it.

"You're either in here like the rest of us or You're one of them"

"Yeah!!" The crowd's voice grew a little louder.

"If you think sucking up to them is going to make you different. Less sad and pathetic even with everything you've gone through I thought you would get it."
He tried to get closer and shut my hand flailing thing down but I took a step back and shoved him back against his chair

"Don't you know?? You are just as fucked up as the rest of us..."

The guards were trying to heard the crowd back to their rooms or at least their seats but they didn't budge. They just started yelling at us or him or me. I wasn't even sure where. It was getting pretty loud and I could barely hear anything over the sound of my own voice. I was getting more and more mad and the fact that he was trying to hold me and calm me was the worst part. Where the hell did this guy get off thinking he could calm my ass with everything he had done. He had ruined my chance at early release. I thought I was fooling Mrs. Thompson turns out she was playing me all the while and I didn't even know it. All because of him.

"Claire!"

I wheeled around to face Marissa.

She tried to pull me from the crowd. I pulled back hard and made her stumble and fall. They had ganged up all around but I had barely noticed. They were getting a little physical with the guards and closing in and it's then when I heard the random yells.

"I told you about my boyfriend...what he did to me..."

"Did you tell them about what I did...is that why you were so nice..."

Everyone was yelling at him at once, worried about what he had said. Worried they were exposed.

He was getting cornered fast and so were the guards. There were getting a little rough on him but no one hit him. I felt the guilt lifted and worry take over, "Marissa?!" I yelled out to her but she was already up and pulled me towards the double doors.

She seemed in control of the situation somehow. I turned back to the scene and saw more nurses and guards getting in, people being put down by some liquid in a syringe...probably tranquilizers to knock them out. As we went through the doors, I realized how fast my heart was racing. I knew this would have consequences...but I was still pissed. This place did nothing but intrude with my life. How were they making me better. I felt scared but I definitely felt it was worth it. The Warden. Marissa was right all along.