“When are we gonna get out of here?” Ginny asked.
“I’m sorta comfortable living here,” replied Sarah.
“You keep eating that crap they feed you, so you must like it.”
“It’s okay.”
“I can’t stand it. It’s horrid. Pigs eat better than we do!”
“I don’t believe you. Do pigs eat hot dogs?”
“Pigs will eat anything you put in front of them.”
“I doubt that.”
“And what about this room? Four walls and a ceiling painted puke green. The floor a dirty brown colored tile. Do you like that too?”
“I can live with it.”
“You’re pathetic! No guts, no goal, not going anywhere. How can you stand yourself?”
“I’m sorta comfortable with myself.”
“Do you have any regrets? Any regrets at all?”
“Regrets for what? I’ve done nothing.”
“If you’ve done nothing, then why are we locked up in this hell hole?”
“I’m…I’m not sure. I think they’ll tell us eventually.”
“Eventually! How long do you intend to wait? A day, a week, a month, years?”
“They’ll tell us soon. I feel sure of it.”
“I feel sure of it? I don’t believe this! You have got to be the weakest, most pathetic human being in existence. You wouldn’t have a clue if they handed it to you on a gold platter!”
“I’m sure they’ll tell us soon. Regardless of what you say.”
“Every day we spend in this hell hole, is a day we could be enjoying life…outside. You know where the wind blows, the birds sing…and the Sun shines. Do you see any of that in here? Do ya? Huh? Do ya?”
“I sorta like the quiet.”
“What the hell is wrong with you!? Did you get a bump on the head? Did you drink yourself into a stupor and it affected your brain? I’m at a loss to believe you want to spend another minute in this God forsaken place!”
“I’m not keeping you. You can leave if you want to.”
“Ha, Ha, Ha. Now that’s funny! I haven’t had such a good laugh like that all day. Where do you come up with crap like that?”
“Really. Leave if you don’t like it. I sorta like the quiet.”
“Oh no, you can’t get rid of me that easy. I know what an introvert you are. You never argue with anybody about anything. You never defend yourself on nearly everything. You give in rather than stand up for yourself. I can’t let people take advantage of you like that. I have to see that you get what’s comin’ to you.”
“I never thought you cared for me like that.”
“I don’t care about you! I just don’t like people to get over on you and get what they want. I want to deny them what they want. You don’t see people getting over on me do you? Hell no! I stand up for myself. I like to argue! I like to yell and scream my point at them. You should know!”
“Yes. I see now.” Sarah moved from her sitting position on the bed to the small cheap desk on the adjacent wall. She sat down and stared at the tablet where she kept some of her writings. She wrote to soothe her injured feelings. The tablet was nearly half full.
Sarah heard the key in the doorlock and the squeak of the door as it opened.
“Sarah,” the nurse said, “It’s time for your therapy session with Dr. Kane. How are you doing today?”
“We’re fine,” Sarah said as she got up from the desk and joined the nice nurse as she led her down the hall to the Doctor’s office in Gateway Sanitarium for the Insane.
Author: Victor Olmstead
Cowley Student
Spring 2022
