Grey: A Novella

Chapter 31

Work had turned into a living hell. I was used to everyone else bad mouthing me, but Dave was usually there on my side. Now he wasn't speaking to me at all.

After work, I decided to visit a place I hadn't been to in a long time. It was quite a ways out of San Francisco, so it took me a couple hours to get there. I finally saw the familiar portico and arch, with the words Serysville Sanitarium printed on top.

A pretty looking nurse led me to a room full of white beds. I saw him splayed out on one of them: my brother, Jacob.

We shared the same brown eyes and black hair. He had higher cheekbones than me. He got those from our father. His face was an emotionless mask, and had been for ten years, maybe longer.

"How's he doing?"

"The same, sir. He just lies there and stares off into space. We've tried every medication we could think of, along with electroconvulsive therapy. No response to anything. He's been the same since you brought him here."

"That's all right. I just wanna talk to him a bit."

"Go ahead. I don't think he can hear you."

The nurse left us. There were other nurses milling about the room, but they seemed to be minding their own business.

I lit a cigarette. "Good to see you, Jacob. It's probably been what... four years? Yeah, about that. I think about you always, you know that. Sometimes it seems like it's gonna drive me over the edge. But I got it in check, don't you worry.

"Well, Jacob, it looks like I'm heading straight down to rock bottom. There's something strange going on here and no one will tell me anything. My wife's gone loco and a dame by the name of Susan is trying to replace her. I don't know what to do anymore, buddy." I chuckled. "Maybe someday I'll be in the same boat as you. I wonder if it's peaceful in there. I sure hope so. I hope they didn't make you suffer too much."

I put out my cigarette and got up. I tapped Jacob on the shoulder. "Don't worry, buddy. I'll get even for what happened to you. They're gonna pay. You have my word."

I walked out and never saw him again.