lights out » d.h [INACTIVE; INCOMPLETE.]

Missing Friend Alert

Back and forth I mop the lounge. Classical jazz plays softly in the background along with mini whispers and screams. Everyone seems to be bored expect for Jill and patient Lester. They were sitting, facing each other, playing checkers. Patient Lester seems to be focused on the board while Jill seems to be focused on his blue eyes.

"I-I don't know if I'm gonna win," A drip of sweat slides down Phil's forehead, but he catches it with the back of his hand.

"Don't worry Phil, I promise you if anything I'm losing," Jill gives him a reassuring smile.

"You're my favorite," I can hear Phil whisper from his metal chair.

Everyone soon gets interrupted by the sound of Miss Grundy's voice, "nurse Bowman, we need you at the medicine counter at this moment."

"But, I'm currently with a patient Miss.." She stands from her seat.

"No buts; this is far more important than a game of tic tac toe with a patient who doesn't even know how to play," her stern voice becomes more aggressive.

"It's checkers," Lester speaks up.

"Nurse Bowman." Ms Grundy furrows her eyebrows in anger.

Jill nods, walking my way; "can you please continue the game with Phil. Please, if you don't he'll be upset all day about it, pleassee," she whispers near me as Miss Grundy waits in the corner.

"Uh, yeah, no problem," I place the mop back in it's bucket, smiling at Jill.

"Thank you!" She gives me a quick hug and jogs to Miss Grundy.

This was my first real interaction with a patient here, things could go really really well, or really really bad... I place myself in the seat Jill previously sat in, smiling at patient Lester.

"Hello!" Phil waves, smiling big, showing his teeth

"Hello Mr Lester, how are you today?" my eyes gaze over the checkerboard, and Jill's placements. It was certainly obvious that she was letting him win. She had pieces all over places that didn't make any sense.

"I'm good.." he sighs as he makes his move, a terrible move too.

"Are you sure about that?" I bite my lip, pretending to be confused at the board as I make my next move.

"Well, there is this one thing that's been making me very sad," he pouts at me. I place my elbows on the table, "What's been on your mind Mr Lester?"

"I sort of miss my best friend... They took him away from me," he looks down at his lap.

"Who's your best friend? Where is he?" I genuinely look concern at him.

"His name is Dan, that's my best friend!" He smiles after he says his name. "He got too angry one day, he started hurting some people, so they took him from me. The people took my best friend downstairs, they wouldn't even let me say goodbye to him," Phil goes back to frowning.

For some reason that name ringed in my mind, I feel like I've heard of a Dan. Most patients kept downstairs were the dangerous kind, but I didn't know what to tell him.

"They promised me they'll bring him back up for a play date, but they never did. Nurse Bowman told me Dan is still upset and needs more time outs," Phil starts to twirl little pieces of his hair. "Can you help me get my best friend back?" Phil frowns, playing around with his piece, making his next move, capturing one of my pieces.

"I don't know Mr Lester, I'm not allowed that type of access to-"

"PLEASSSSSSEE," he folds his hands together, pleading. His lips start to pout and he whimpers.

"I'll try," I nod at Phil letting him win in these last few minutes. "Oh look, you won!" I gasp.

"I WON!!!" Phil stands up, jumping with excitement, hands up in the air. "Did I win my crayons back?!" He pouts in my direction.

I giggle, nodding, "of course Mr Lester."

✱✱✱

"Medicine check can be so boring, and repetitive," Jill sighs, closing the employee lounge's cabinet.

"Sounds like a lot of fun, actually," I say sarcastically, giggling after my last word.

"Super, anyways, how was the game with Phil?" She pours some tea in her J designed mug.

"It was good, he's really adorable, but now I owe him a new box of crayons. I was originally gonna give him the ones we previously had, but Patient Kendall had broke all of them," I sigh, rolling my eyes.

"Ugh, Chris, again," Jill laughs to herself while stirring honey in her tea.

"Jill...?" I sit on the wooden chair, placing my elbow upon the rounded wooden table.

"That's my name, what's up?" Jill continues to stir.

"Who's Dan?" My thumbs wrestling each other as I speak softly.

Immediately she stops stirring her tea, and turns, facing me. Her mug was placed down as she started making little uncomfortable movements.

"We don't talk about him here anymore," Jill speaks quickly.

"Why is that?" I raise my brow at the petite nurse.

"Because we just don't okay? Look I'm sorry, I know Phil probably said something about him, but we don't speak of him anymore. There's no reason to try and find out, but if I were you I would stop myself right now from trying to find out about him." Jill's voice fastens as she gets closer to the end. She grabs her mug, leaving me by myself in confusion.

Nothing intrigued me more than this mystery. From this moment on, I know I have to find out who Dan is, and why does everyone keep him as a secret? Who knows, maybe he's just another shattered piece of hope, another nobody. 

— unedited.