Cotard Curse (#Wattys2016)

Chapter 4

The day went on in this manner up until 4pm when visitation hours opened. 

All patients please make your way to your rooms. If you have any visitors someone will come and accompany you to the visitation centre. A speaker announced. Nichole walked beside Alec to his room.

"Don't follow me into my room please. My friends don't like you and I don't want them feeling uncomfortable," Alec said to Nichole rather politely. 

"Okay, that's fine," Nichole replied. "Though I'm going to have to check in every ten minutes or so to see if you're okay in there." Alec huffed but didn't complain, walking into his room and closing the door behind him. Nichole leaned against the door and watched as patients walked by, many looking happy and excited that they had visitors. They were all so happy. 

After ten minutes of silence from Alec's room, Nichole poked her head in. Alec sat in the middle of the room, his eyes closed. Immediately, she noticed the tears that stained his face. 

Nichole mouth fell agape and for a second she wasn't sure what to do. Her instincts moved her into the room. "Alec, is something wrong?" 

Alec opened his eyes, but he didn't face her. "My friends didn't come today. They said they're sick of travelling all the way from the cemetery to see me," he whined, seeming to talk more to himself than her. "I should be dead, I should be dead and in my grave."

Alec suddenly forgot she was in the room as he continued talking. "But... It doesn't make sense that I am." He muttered. "I am dead, but the logic doesn't make sense!" 

Nichole's heart sunk. She had once heard a case of someone with Cotards where they realised it wasn't logical but were convinced they were dead anyway. Alec seemed to have that too. She thought she should leave, but her feet moved her closer into the room. "Alec..." 

His head snapped up, he realised she was still in the room. She thought he would send her away, but all he did was give her a pointed look. "Well, why?" 

"Why what?"

"Why doesn't the logic add up?"

Nichole felt startled. "That- that's not up to me tell you. You have to figure that out for yourself."

"What? But if you know the answer why won't you tell me?" Alec said as if she was dumb. 

"You won't believe me if I tell you," Nichole said sadly. 

Alec glowered at her. "Leave. My friends could still come." Nichole said nothing as she walked out the room, closing the door behind her once again. 

She thought long and hard about what he had said. He could logic why he wasn't dead, wasn't that a start to him realising? Why weren't the physiologists using this?

If they won't, I will. Nichole decided, sitting on the floor outside the door. 

***

Nichole pulled out the keys for her front door, relieved she had remembered them this time. They jangled as she turned them in the door knob and stepped through, feeling sore and tired. Is this how other people who worked felt?

"Mum, I'm home!" She called. The house was dim and when Nichole heard no reply she assumed her mum had gone to bed. It was 8pm after all, her mum didn't like staying up after dark. 

Nichole made her way to the kitchen, craving a big bowl of spaghetti. She turned on the light and found a container on the bench. She made her way to it and found a note attached. 

Wasn't sure when you would be home, made you a cobb salad. Went shopping too -mum 

Nichole grinned, feeling a shiver of delight run through her arms. Cobb salad was her favorite and it was even better when her mum made it, though her mum hadn't made it- or anything much- for months now. Was she getting better? Was this a permanent thing?