Episode 10: Voices- Anger displaced on Pat Benetar

Episode 10: Voices

The minute you walked in the joint
(du duh du duhn)
I could see you were a man of distinction,
A real big spender.
Good looking, so refined.
Wouldn’t you like to know what’s going on in my mind?

Judy propositioned Grant while chair dancing with red feather boa and top hat. She was quite talented, and could flip her hat down her elongated fuzzy leg peaking deliciously from beneath her portly green gown. She had nice stems for a fat man. Grant always enjoyed her Thursday rendition of “Flashdance” dance breaks complete with water and folding metal chair.

Jenkins admired rapturously; Judy was a star.

Judy may be my lucky star
But I’m the luckiest by far.

“You did it again. You changed the words. You’re making serious progress, Jenkins. We should tell the Doc.”

Secret lovers that’s what we are,
We should not be together,
But we can’t let go cause we love each other so.

Jenkins did his Axel Rose snake dance sliding about the hallway in fuzzy slippers. He was in an exceedingly good mood. Everyone was. They must have put something in the juice, or changed the meds for the day; smiles erupted from every face. It might have been waffle day in the cafeteria, but Grant missed breakfast. Syrup put the boys in a positive frame. Even Carl grinned hunching in the hallway with dangling red thread on his lips. The birds chittered outside the bars open to the blueness of the afternoon, and the air felt comfortable for the first time this year.

Grant was not smiling; he wanted to fuck the Doc before and after exposing his dream, but she denied him. Grant understood jealousy in women. He knew he wouldn’t be getting laid after dropping the ex-wife dream bomb in the office. The Voices fucked him this afternoon, and he internally imploded with frustration. Jenkins was an easy target.

“Pipe down, Douche McSecret.” He immediately regretted the tone escaping his lips.

His face pained and scrunched with deeply furrowed forehead, Jenkins frowned and turned dejectedly from Grant.

Oh, so, so senselessly cruel
Oh baby, you were so senselessly cruel.

From the beginnings I suspected the worst,
And you didn’t disappoint me.

“Are you shitting me? Lou Reed? When have you been listening to Lou Reed? Now you ARE being a Dick. Trying to, what? Stump me? Be obscure? WHAT?”

Grant’s outburst drew the eyes of orderlies and patients. His hand waved menacingly at Jenkins who began to sink and cower into the ground. Once he began berating, he couldn’t stop. The Voices weren’t dissuading his choices.

“Fuck, man. I can’t deal with you anymore. The drooling, the singing, you’re never on key. You follow me around. Fucking leave me alone!” He swiped a foot in Jenkins direction and stalked off to his room slamming the heavy door.

Go back to sleep.

“Fuck sleep. Fuck this place. Fuck fucking Jenkins!”

Grant threw Jenkins’ bed across the room blocking the door. He ripped sheets and flung clothing and tried to destroy anything that wasn’t his. He seethed and screamed and attacked the walls. The walls won as his hand began to bleed and throb. He smeared his bloody knuckles on Jenkins’ favorite poster of Pat Benatar giving her a mustache and devil horns.

They’re coming. Sit down.

“Fuck you! Shut up! I’m not going to sit or sleep or smile like everyone else! I have to get out of here! FUCK!!!” His guttural screams echoed down the hallway.

GRANT! We have to work together to save your daughter. Calm the fuck down or you’re going to be out for another six days. Pentobarbital fucks with you. We need you. Sit.

The wind magically disappeared from Grant’s body as he crumpled to the floor in a heap. He wailed and curled into a fetal ball waiting for the happy hypodermic army to medicate him into nothingness.

“Twenty, twenty, twenty-four hours to go- o- o,
I wanna be sedated.
Nothing to do, no where to go-o-o,
I wanna be sedated.”

Grant whispered escape; they did not oblige.

We need you awake.

Caring faces appeared in the window and slipped away one by one as Grant openly wept. He didn’t see Dr. Jill’s hand caressing the door; he couldn’t see her tears.

“Don’t worry Grant. We’ll save her together.”