For Your Safety
#2 of Isolation
Liam was lying in his bed, violently shaking from the overdose of sedatives he was given for his perceived violent act. A quick look at security cameras absolved him of guilt, though the heavy medication had already been administered. Even worse, they wouldn't actually tell him what happened. It was "for his own protection" according to the nurses.
Breathing was difficult because of the varying array of muscle spasms and his partially unresponsive body. An IV was hooked to his arm to help reverse the effects, but once again they said nothing about the contents. Liam was sure that it was a placebo, or at least, the voice in his head thought so. In the middle of his constant thoughts and worries, two staff members lifted him from his bed and set him into a wheelchair. He was strapped down and told the same drivel about safety.
The commons area was essentially a wide open room with tall ceilings and nailed down "soft" furniture. On occasion a nurse would set up simple games like checkers or put an old children's cartoon movie on the mid-sized television hooked up high on the wall. Liam saw all four cameras in the corners and increased security around. He wanted to talk, but simply couldn't manage, "A drooling mess you've got yourself in. You know they still think you're the killer."
Liam looked up from his lap to see Olivia in usual form, seemingly vibrating on the floor, "Th-they d-don't use th-th-at st-stuff of-ten." Her smile diminished, "It's b-bad for y-y-you."
"Indeed. Of course, I can get past it. You're simply too weak."
No arguments from Liam. His extremities were still numb and he could only really blink and move his head a bit, "A f-few h-hours left. Y-you'll be f-f-fine."
"No he won't! He's weak! A coward!" A rather eccentric man shouted from across the room. Liam moved his eyes enough to see a beanbole of a man who had somehow folded a spare towel into a crown of sorts, "The likes of him are not welcome in my kingdom!"
"That's Miguel. You, I mean we, ruined his illusion several times and have put him in his place. He has a bone to pick with you but no minions left."
Liam has guessed that the voice was from when he had his break, but this only confirmed it. Miguel lifted each knee as high as he could for each step he took, "Weakling!" As soon as he got close, he slapped Liam across the cheek. Whether it was the sedatives still numbing his nerves or the lack of strength, Liam felt nothing. Olivia screamed in a short burst and before long security pinned Miguel to the ground, "Death to the weakling! Usurper of my throne! Coward!" A nurse with a sedative ended his short-lived rant.
A small plant was growing in a row of pots. Liam wasn't quite sure why this rated high enough to capture his attention, but it did. A little green stem growing from the dirt, "All patients, you are reminded to behave yourselves or desert will be taken away."
Olivia looked down, "L-like chil-children."
Horror stories from the asylum, except you can't ignore them when you're in the middle. Even while Liam was in bed when the murder occurred, he had doubts about his lack of influence. Did he lose control again but not realize it? After all, he spent a year without retaining any memory. Cameras were easy to fool with just a bit of wiring. Could he have been the killer?
"Why should I answer? You don't even know why I exist."
The sterile environment was starting to bother Liam, and he was sure that Olivia was talking the entire time, "Tell me..." He struggled to talk, "What... was I doing... when I don't rem...ember." It felt like he had just finished running a marathon.
"L-aughing. Fi-fighting. S-said a l-lot of sm-smart wo-words." Smart words? Liam expression may have asked that question, "Pro-prophec-cy. S-st-uff we d-didn't kn-ow ab-about."
So the voice in his head is apparently smart. Liam was sure that he wasn't dumb, but nobody would call him smart. He got through school because of the poorly planned classes and his decisions in life often led him to heartbreak or bonebreak. He had doubts about any prophecy that would have come from his mouth, so maybe his voice wasn't smart. Just very perceptive. Wickedly perceptive.
"I bet I can tell you who will die tonight."
"Did you... did you do..."
"Why tell and ruin a perfectly good surprise? I will say, she was profoundly doomed."
Not what he wanted to hear. Liam took in a deep breath to stretch his lungs, "Olivia, is there someone else around here that makes people angry?" It was a strain, but he could speak with some normality.
Olivia smiled, "M-Many! Mi-guel is o-one. Th-that ch-chef is o-one."
"Sometimes people want more desert. He simply asks what they're willing to do for it. Since everyone else is crazy, they aren't believed."
"Did the chef hurt you?"
She shook her head, "D-desert is b-bad for wei-weight." She wasn't skinny and frail for nothing, though learning about the chef wasn't pleasant, "N-no evi-eviden-dence a-against him."
Gatts was doing his rounds again, "Sorry about the misunderstanding early. With your past, our employees can't be too careful."
"Says the guy... with a rapist chef." Liam filled his lungs, " What killed her?"
He raised an eyebrow, "Unfortunately, both are ongoing investigations and I am not allowed to speak of them. How have you recovered?"
"Poorly." Olivia nodded in agreement, which almost felt insulting.
"The dosing was high because of your tolerance. I'll make a note to lower sedatives if they are needed again."
"They weren't needed at all."
"Please understand my position. Play a board game with your friend and try to put it behind you." He marched off, perhaps upset that his authority was put into question.
"He won't lower the dose now."
The board game selection was limited at best. Liam had no idea how a place that was supposed to help people heal would treat them like kids that didn't know shapes or colors. Nothing was stimulating, "Visitor Liam, come on." A male nurse pushed his chair even though Olivia protested with her frown. The sterile meeting room with the same stark white tables and benches. It would have been overwhelming if it weren't so irritating.
An atractive young woman in a fashionable jacket sat on one of the tables and smiled weakly at Liam, "Hello Liam. Do you... remember me?"
His mind hurt a little, but he did start to remember a bit. It was a blur, he was making breakfast because he didn't have classes. He ate, then his brother's phone buzzed. The family was pretty close and nothing that early in the morning was usually private, so he hit the button to see the text, "Vicki..."
She looked down and away, clearly riddled with guilt after all this time, "I'm... really sorry... I always meant to say that..."
The text's exact content wasn't there, but the message was. Vicki had performed oral sex on Liam's brother, and not just once. She was asking if Liam had caught them in his brother's car the night before and that her fur was still messy, "Why?"
"I don't know! I was being stupid, and he was being nice, and you weren't around, and things just led into it... I'm really sorry Liam."
"Want me to beat her senseless? You might feel better."
"No." Liam could breathe a bit easier now that the sedatives wore off, "Why are you here..."
She was still looking away, "I wasn't mad when you hit me, when you broke your brother's legs. I realized that... it was my fault." She set a bag on the table, "Your family wanted me to stay with your brother, but I fucked up enough. I got these before your stuff was thrown out. Remember when you taught me how to play?" She tried to smile again, but the half-hearted attempt was fruitless, "These are yours."
Realizing that Liam was still bound, she opened up the bag. It was his card collection, something he started to pass the time and meet new people, "She's just trying to get you to forgive her so she can live guilt-free. Even you can see that."
"Thank you... for my stuff. I'm sorry I hit you, but I will never forgive you. Security, take me away."
"Not so fast, this is a good opportunity. Young lady, please call me Dr. Gatts. Vicki, correct? I was hoping you could shed some light on the incident a year ago."
"Demonizing bastard, ain't he?"
Vicki explained everything she could in detail, including the rage and mad laughter that had consumed Liam. She was spared the worst of the violence, but she still earned a cracked rib, "Sorry, that's all I know." Vicki was depressed, and the voice in Liam's head was right. She simply wanted to be rid of her guilt.
Gatts jotted down some notes, "You shouldn't feel too bad. Cheating can cause a brief episode, but something like this had been a long time coming."
"My turn." The voice in his head left through his mouth, "Oh yes, the illustrious doctor has absolved you of guilt my child. Run free, ready to destroy more lives. Just know that while you may not be the sole cause of this man's pain and suffering, you were a key element." Liam's body broke free from the straps and stood up, "No god will forgive you, so wallow in your self pity you heartless bitch." Liam's body shivered and collapsed into the chair.
Security was already swarming, "So that's... what you wanted to yell..." Liam felt as though he was merely a spectator for that outburst, not the one yelling.
"The patient is not to be restrained, bring him to my office. We have much to discuss." Liam saw Vicki in tears. For whatever reason, she felt more hurt hearing the truth and not getting her way. Sorrow or anger, that was an answer only she would be able to answer. In any case, Liam was quickly rushed to Gatts' office and restrained even more, "Out with it."
"Out with what? Be specific."
"You know damn well what I want to know!" Gatts was breathing heavily and had to sit and pause for a few seconds to regain his composure, "That voice. Who was it?"
Liam wasn't going to lie, "It was my voice." Gatts rubbed his elbow through his coat, "A doctor shouldn't be afraid of his patients."
Gatts flinched and set both hands on his mahogany desk, "I don't believe treatment has been a success. I'm going to recommend a higher dosing. If that side comes out again, I won't be responsible for how our employees react."
"A doctor also shouldn't threaten a patient."
Gatts chuckled, "You're in my home now Mr. Jones. I make the rules."
"I don't care about the voice. I want to punch you too." Liam's voice did not help his situation, but Liam knew he couldn't say those things. They needed to be said, and Gatts needed to be punched, "Why don't you just confine me to my room again? Not like you know how to treat me."
The suggestion was taken seriously and Liam was confined to his tiny room. The bag of cards was there as they passed through a security check and were deemed safe items. He was unbound and the door was firmly locked behind him, "You did the right thing. Someone else will die tonight."
"And are you the one planning on doing that?" If he was going to be insane, he was going to be all that it meant, "Because that door is locked tight and doesn't open from this side."
"You need to look at the bigger picture. This place is a prison where death is the escape."
Liam was getting frustrated, "Just answer me since you seem to know everything."
"I know many things, but it's no fun if the answer is handed to you."
The voice was useless, but Liam didn't expect an answer. If someone was going to die tonight, then someone would probably unlock his door. It was almost as though someone was trying to frame him, using his violent past as a motive. Only employees could open the door, and the nurse was hated by a lot of the patients. Miguel was the only other person he knew that stepped on a few toes, and it wouldn't take much to kill him. He was in the same wing and ranted and raved at night, but he didn't seem the type to take on a real challenge.
Someone was going to die in a few hours, and Liam was going to get the blame again.