Psycho Hot (BoyxBoy)

EIGHTEEN

"Dr. Baker?" she finally speaks, her eyes are red.

"Yes, love?"

"Is it too much to ask for you to hold me?" she sniffs.

"U-Uh-"

"Nevermind," Rosie takes back her request. "I shouldn't have asked that."

"N-No, it's okay! It just caught me off-guard."

"My mother used to hold me whenever I got upset. I miss the comfort of her arms around me. I haven't felt loved in a long time." She pauses for a moment, lost in thought. "And now, I've screwed it all up. I'm here, stuck in a crappy mental facility."

I try to ease her pain, "Rosie, you didn't mess anything up, okay? This is a temporary setback. You're the strongest patient here."

"I'm never gonna get better, am I?" she whimpers.

"Of course you will, but it's not something that occurs overnight. Healing takes time, especially if it's of the mind. You just need to have patience."

"Thank you for helping me." Her facial expression is frail.

Yesterday I promised Darren that I would get him out of here. Have I figured out how? Not quite yet, but I have faith I can do it. I think Rosie could get out as well. She deserves to be back with her family. This is no place for a teenager.

"I think I could get you out of here," I say. "But you have to tell me what you meant the other day. You said that I helped you more than the previous psychologist? Why is that?"

"I shouldn't say these things." Her face turns sour as she shakes her head.

"Why not?" I wonder. "You shouldn't keep valuable information from me. I'm here to support you."

"I could get into huge trouble," she claims.

I persuade her, "No one will know besides me. It'll help get you away from this place."

"I can't tell you why or how, but there are some super messed up things happening here, Dr. Baker. If you check patient 317's file, it'll give you a name. Talk to them, and you'll get the truth. I can't say more," Rosie instructs.

"How do you know all this?"

"Because patient 317 was my best friend..."

"Thank you so much for telling me this." I get up off the ground. "And, I promise that, no matter what, I'll get you out of here."

"You swear?"

"I swear."

***

     When I arrive at Edward's office, the door is wide open, begging me to come inside. I pop my head in. "Hey, Eddie!"

"Hi Ken," he prompts me to enter. "What's up?"

"Well, actually, I have to discuss something important with you," I respond, shutting the door behind me.

Edward rests on the edge of his desk with his legs stretched out in front of him. "Whenever you're ready."

With a deep breath, I question, "Who's patient 317?"

His face switches from welcoming to shocked. "Where did you hear about this?"

"That information will remain anonymous."

"I can't disclose anything either."

"So, you know?" My eyebrow lifts in curiosity.

"Everyone who has been working here before you knows," Edward tells me. "We were told never to let a single soul know, or there would be... consequences."

"What kind of consequences?" I pry, desperately searching for more clues.

"You know I can't tell you that either."

"Edward, what the hell are you so afraid of?" I cackle.

The fact that I'm the one employee in the asylum that doesn't know the past, bothers me. It's entirely unfair to be so clueless.

"It's not what I'm afraid of..." my friend trails off.

"Then what is it?"

"It's who I'm afraid of."

"Catherine?"

"I didn't say that."

"It's what you're implying," I point out. "There's always been something about her that I didn't like. What is she hiding, Eddie?"

Edward doesn't answer. Instead, he walks behind his desk and digs through one of the drawers. After a few seconds of searching, he pulls out a manila folder then hands it to me. The file has the number 317 on the front of it.

My coworker shoves his hands into the pocket of his trousers. "This will give you all of the answers that you have questions to. If you tell anyone I gave you this, something bad will happen to you. As much as I know you'll want to, you can't even tell Darren."

"Are you threatening me?" I scoff.

"No, Kenneth, but if she finds out that you know about patient 317, then you'll be dead. I'm not kidding."

"I'm sorry I attacked you." I pout.

"I understand that you're curious and confused. It's okay. You have good intentions, Ken. But I'm trying to protect everyone here. That file could do a lot of damage. There's a lot of powerful and vital information in there," Edward discloses to me.

I begin to rethink my actions, "Now that you say that, maybe I shouldn't take it."

Everything he has told me about this folder shakes me to my core. It sounds as though it contains many sensitive details that could either make or break my plan.

Even if I don't know exactly what's in it, I know for sure that it's something very sinister, something confidential. I'm frightened either way.

"At first, I wasn't so sure, but I think you should find out the truth."

'If you say so."

"And, maybe, we can go for a coffee tomorrow to discuss all of this outside of work," Edward suggests.

"That'd be nice," I agree.

"Trust me. You'll need to talk with someone after reading it."

I send him a nod then head towards the entrance of his office. As my hand begins to turn the knob, my friend intercepts, "Ken?"

"Yeah?"

"Make sure you hide that inside your coat. Wouldn't wanna get caught," he warns.

"Right."

With his last words, I slip the folder into my uniform then button it up. I race to my own office as fast as possible, my mind running a hundred miles per second. It's a chaotic mess up there.

Holmes Chapel Asylum, what the hell are you hiding?