lost cause

“I know right? Hospitals are good.” It was a quick statement, used to sum up quite a few thoughts. Hospitals helped people get better. Then the people could go back to being regular. Then they could go outside!

Lacy had vague feelings from outside, but all her memories were in braeille. She’d heard about what they did outside, though. Parks and dance and DISNEY LAND. Where you could actually meet all the princesses! It all seemed like a Dream to her. A dream that only the promise of getting better would realize.

“You sure? I mean, I might be able to help you if you want to talk about it? But good to hear! I wish i could say the same”

“Wait, you work here? Sometimes I forget there’s staff and not just patients roaming around with security guards.”

She laughed lightly. “Yeah, I guess we can sometimes make ourselves seem invisible.” Cass joked slightly. “What are you here for?” She wondered before she paused, wondering if that was rude. “Sorry, you don’t have to tell me.”

“Y’know, that’s surprisingly nice to hear out loud. The not being crazy thing…”

“I’m Tasha, med ward.”

“Cassidy. It’s nice to meet you. I work in the psych ward but I’m sure we’ll run into each other.”

“yeah, lots and lots and lots. but i’s okays. cuz soon im gonna be all better.” soon was a gross overestimation of her healing ability. “I’s got a type two… pull-man-ary blast-oh-mom.” it was certantly an attempt to explain. “my lungs are broken.” was a better simplification. “but i’s here. so that’s… awesomazing.”

“yay!” she said, moving first. and then she allowed cassidy to move, talkning as she did the game. “so. you’s a doctor. are you a feelings doctor or a body doctor?” translation: was she here to help psyciatric patients or medical ones? lacy was curious.

“i’m a body patient. that means being good while you waits, which is funny, cuz im waiting for the body doctors to make me all better. chair time gives you lots of waiting. funny, right?” chair time, chemo. she was really just making convorsation.

“i is!” she agreed, running along to teach her. they sat and she smiled, ppulling out the board. 

“I’m white, and you’re black. you put all yours on the black  spaces, and I go on the white ones. like this…” she started lining all hers up. “you can move em forward an backward, but only on ‘quares of the same color that touch in the corner.” she moved one of her peices to the diagonals. “if yous have a checker right in front, you can skip over it… and if there’s multiple you can double or triple hop.” Lacy was good at that. “if you hop over somebody’s peice, you take it off and keep it in your brielle.” she called it brielle instead of prison. “and the last person with a peice on the board wins! easy.”

“…Someone.” She answered, narrowing her eyes slightly. “Does it matter? I should be able to call anyone.” 

“Well, I need to check if it’s allowed and I can’t do that if I don’t know.”

“Oh, did I scare or startled  you? I was just asking how you’ve holding up? You know, mandatory checks and stuff.” Lance said while looking at the woman, still waiting for the answer.

Cassidy shook her head though he kind of had. “I was just caught up in my head a bit.” She assured him, pushing the thoughts of alcohol out of her mind. “I’m.. holding up perfectly fine, yeah.” She nodded, working up a smile. “Everything’s all good here.”

Winnie let out a dramatic sigh and rolled her eyes. “I thought therapists were supposed to be good listeners,” She muttered dryly. “I just asked if I could make a phone call to someone…”

“Who is it you’re wanting to call?”

Elliot quickly shook his head and tried his best to give her a reassuring smile. “No thank you, I’m all set!” He clenched his jaw and went back to writing ‘ideas’ for his story. Really, he just wanted to make it look like he was busy so she’d go away. However, when she stayed in the doorway and asked the second question, Elliot could feel the frustration and anxiety bubbling to the surface. Why couldn’t she just leave him alone? It wasn’t like he was doing anything wrong. yet. “It’s going– fine, I’m just… trying to concentrate, if that’s, um– if that’s alright with you.” Despite his words being somewhat polite and civil, he was hoping his tone didn’t show what he really meant which was ‘leave me the hell alone’

Cassidy was just relieved to see that he hadn’t done anything. Not that she’d been overly suspicious but if she didn’t follow these things up then she wasn’t doing her job properly, was she? Not in the slightest. Cassidy worked up a smile, though she did spot some tension in him and wondered what that was about. Should she try and find a way to stay in the room? She didn’t want to agitate anyone. “Alright.” She nodded, glancing round the room for a moment. “I’m sure someone will pop back in on you later for the pen.”

With a few big gulps the young male downed the juice into his throat looking up to the other as he finished. “Thanks for that… Much much better!”

“You’re welcome!” She smiled. “I’m glad it helped.” Some pills weren’t great to take with only water.