MADMAN'S HAVEN

21

Monday, January 6th

"Make sure to take it easy, and act from a distance for a while. Even if he's pleased with you in his care, you never know how he will behave since there have been several changes in his treatment in such short amount of time,"

I listened to Dorothy's words, nodded my head carefully to show my gratitude for her advice. Indeed she was a true professional and knew exactly what she was talking about. She had so many years of experience from this place, and for that she was an inspiration. But she was no pro when it came to Brandon. He was different from the others, and I was the one who could handle him the best. Actually I was the only one who could handle him at all, and she knew that inside.

"Thank you Ms. Schwartz. I'll make sure to be careful," I smiled kindly at her. The only thing I needed right now was to keep her on my side and earn her trust.

I grabbed my supplies and began to head my way out of her office, like so many times before.

"Beverly, before you leave?"

I turned around to face her again.

The silence spoke for a couple of seconds.

"What happened to your face?"

Her frank, straight-up question made me feel embarrassed. What was I supposed to answer? This woman had no sense of personal boundaries.

One part of me got warm with the way she asked like she cared for me, while the other froze to stillness for feeling completely exposed. Like I was the one who had done something wrong.

I managed to shake off my emotions and nervous thoughts, and I laughed out with insecurity.

"It was a bit too dark in my bathroom, I leaned over and beaned the sink. Clumsy accident from being sleepy," I conceded with a grin filled with lies. Dorothy looked at me with a serious face. According to her, my clumsiness was not something to laugh about.

She sighed out loud.

"That's usually how the story goes," She mumbled as she looked down at the papers on her desk.

My heart race got faster.

"What do you mean?" I asked in curiosity. I didn't want to have this conversation, but I needed to know what she was talking about.

"Beverly, trust me I know what a pair of hands can do to a woman,"

She smiled, but not with happiness. More out of safety and awareness. It felt like she embraced me with her gaze.

She wouldn't force me to say anything, she just wanted to show me that she knew.

I looked at her in realization while my stomach twisted on the inside. I was completely speechless. What had Dorothy been through in her past? I never would've thought that a stiff woman like her would fall into a man's abusive hands. She was just not the perfect victim. She was the opposite. Tough, alert, and extremely conscious.

I remained silent, and softly smiled back at her before I forced myself to stay sealed and leave the conversation into the unknown.

"I'll see you around,"

I turned my back at her again and walked my way out of her office.

I was a coward.

There was nothing she could do either way if I told her the truth, and it would only lead to trouble since the perpetrator himself was an employee at this very hospital.

I didn't want anything to do with Donald, I just wanted to forget him and act like his existence was never there. Because I knew that sooner or later he would face justice for his actions somehow. In the end, that's what they always do.

My busy thoughts ran through my brain and led me into dizziness as I walked past the corridors. My cheek pounded with heat. The small dosage of morphine barely helped with the pain, but otherwise, I was quite stable in my presence. I was not excessively high as usual, since the rush from my excitement was already enough to satisfy my organs. The scant dose of drugs that was currently running through my veins, I only took with purpose of easing the throbbing head ache, not because I was craving a high.

I was on my way to the first official meeting with Brandon. All his files and medical protocol were handed over to me again, and I didn't realize it until now that I was actually about to undertake the dangerous man into my own hands for the second time.

I entered the ward, met with Frank's broad figure at the end of the cold hallway.

"Hello Frank, thank you for almost getting me fired. I appreciate it," I approached him with a sarcastic smile, and showed him the files in my hands.

"Is this enough proof that I'm allowed to step inside the patient's cell?" I kept my smile.

I was not mad at Frank for clyping on me, he was just doing his job properly. And since he witnessed a lot of chaotic and emotional sessions inside Brandon's cellar, and overheard sentimental and very private conversations, I was comfortable enough to joke about his disloyalty against me.

Frank looked at me with his calm countenance, and shook his head at my immature fretfulness. A tiny grin almost came through his controlled face.

"Nothing personal nurse Frazier. I'm just doing my job, and since I got concerned of you might getting yourself into danger, I had no other choice than to speak with Ms. Schwartz,"

His polite way of speaking really showed how good he was at his job. Of course, I understood why he went to Dorothy's office. He was doing the right thing, just as he was assigned.

I smiled softly as I remarked on Frank's caring persona. He got concerned for one of his nurses and went to brief the chief about it. He was a good soul, and I could use one of those in my current life filled with darkness.

"I'm joking. Of course I respect your choice of work, thank you for looking out for me,"

I winked friendly at Frank and grabbed the key chain from my chest pocket. Maybe this was the moment for a start-over. Maybe I was walking straight into the light.

It was all up to the person inside the well-known cellar to decide what my faith would be this time.