Room 00 by Paola Aliedo

Room 00 by Paola Aliedo (Finished)

March 18

"Doctor, Room 00 is ready." Carmina's assistant nurse informed her before she gave her the folder that she was holding. 

"Is the patient already inside?"

"Yes, Doctor. He is waiting for you." She nodded and stood up from her swivel chair.

"No calls. No interruption for an hour for me. This patient is a special case. Understood?" She said with an authority.

"Yes, Doctor. See you after an hour."

Carmina walked out of her polished office.

***
Room 00 is Carmina Sytiangco's interrogation room. She requested it and the board of Regino Hospital gave the facility to her. She has been a resident psychiatrist for more than seven years and the hospital's behavioral department became popular because of her. She was one of the most sought-after psychiatrists in the Philippines especially with the mental depression and growing suicide cases today.

Carmina's three inches heels sounded in the quiet hallway. It was ten in the morning and the staffs were busy but not in this corridor. It was isolated. Carmina used her access card and open the door in Room 00.

"Good morning, Doctor Sytiangco."

"Good morning, Felix." She smiled at the staff nurse and he knew what it meant.

He went out of the room and left her with her patient.

"How are you today, Gerard?" Carmina was a few feet away from his chair. 

The patient was grasping his hands on top of the table. He ignored her question. The usual Gerard... Carmina stepped her shoes going to the back of the chair.

"Are you a good boy?" She whispered seductively to her patient's left ear.

He sighed and she heard his slow breathing. "You know I am."

"Good, so let's start the session." Gerard's right bicep moved an indication of his impatience. Carmina wrote it down on the clipboard.

"You've been here for a week. You've been mad and tried to look for an escape in your room. Not until yesterday. My staff reported that you were behaving and quiet. Why the sudden change?" 

Carmina observed Gerard's body language.

"I want to leave this place. I don't belong here."

A smile formed on her lips. "You cannot leave this hospital. You need our help." She emphasized the last part as she sat down on the chair in front of her patient.

"I don't need help." Gerard looked intently at her with his eyes full of rage. "I'm not insane!"

Carmina's left eyebrow quirked up. "I'm familiar with that line. Every patient of mine would tell me there were not crazy but in the end, my diagnosis was correct."