The next morning, Adam showered, attempting to wash away residual fatigue from a bad night’s sleep. He pulled on his jeans just as a knock sounded from his door.
“Good morning!” the nurse called.
“I’m decent,” Adam said. “But give me a sec and you may get lucky.”
The young nurse poked her head in cautiously. “I’m Lily.” Her eyes darted over his naked torso. “I’ll be your nurse today.”
“You’re new,” Adam remarked. “Adam Blackwood, resident psycho.”
“Nice to meet you, Adam,” she chuckled. “Your session with Dr. Leo is scheduled for ten-thirty AM this morning.”
“Ah, yes. Session. My favorite part of being here,” Adam said. He pulled on a T-shirt. “Aside from the food, of course.”
“I’m on duty until two PM if you need anything.”
“A television would be nice. And a couch for all my visitors. Maybe a fridge stocked with some import beers.” He ticked off on his fingers. “A razor so I can shave my own face without asking a nurse to do it, shoelaces to keep my shoes on, sheets that don’t feel like sandpaper…”
She hesitated, seemingly unsure if he was joking or not.
“Kidding. Thanks, Lily.” He sized her up. “Those are very nice scrubs you’re wearing. Pink is your color.”
“Oh.” She smoothed her uniform top. “Thank you. They’re…new.”
“I like them. Not like the blue scrubs the others wear. What is it with the color blue? Is it supposed to be calming? Because it’s not. Blue is the color of the sky and I don’t get to see that except through a two-by-two foot barred window.” Adam glanced out the window before returning his attention to Lily again. “But pink is nice. Pink makes me think of my mom. I loved my mom, rest her soul.”
Lily stood, openmouthed, before she composed herself. “Well…I need to check in with the other patients.”
“You need help?”
“Um…no.”
“Patients can be a pain in the ass, especially to you ladies. Just because you’re new, does not mean they can treat you badly.”
“Thanks.” A smile played about her lips. “So…there’s a buzzer by your bed if you need me.”
“The buzzer, yes. I promise to use it if I need your help,” he said with a wink. “Give me a call if you need mine.”
She gave an embarrassed titter and left.
Adam flopped onto his bed. “What to do, what to do?” He stared at the ceiling and contemplated not showing up at his session, just to be difficult. But he had done that before and it never put Dr. Leo in a good mood. Not that he cared. He stood and yanked the sheets off the bed, balling them up and shoving them into the garbage. Sometimes, it took cycling through a couple of sheet sets before getting to the well-worn ones, which felt a little less like sandpaper. Adam kicked the garbage can over. “See ya. I’m off for a stroll.”
Walking past the nurse’s station, he spotted one of the regulars.
“Levi, you still here?”
The emaciated man turned. “Adam, you back again?”
“What can I say?” Adam held his arms out. “I love this place.”
“Dude, you gotta run faster when the cops come for you.” He chuckled and gave Adam a hug.
“How about you?” Adam eyed the man’s arms, dotted with scars and red sores.
“I’m still pickin’ and grinnin’,” the man said with a rueful smile. “Can’t help myself.”
“Rock on,” Adam said. “You still seeing Dr. Horvath?”
“Yep, he’s got me on…” the man frowned. “Something. Says I have issues with authority.”
“Who doesn’t?” Adam said. “Hang in there, man. You can do this.”
The man rubbed at his arms and sighed. “I get tired of it all, you know?”
“I hear you. Hey, I got session in a couple, meet you afterwards? We’ll shoot the shit and watch some television. Just like old times, man.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
“How’s your daughter, by the way?”
Levi looked away. “My daughter doesn’t visit anymore.”
“Maybe she’s busy, Levi,” Adam said, sobering. “You know how it is.”
“Maybe.”
Adam checked the clock on the wall. “I gotta get going.”
Levi gave him a smile. “Thanks, Adam. See you later.”
Adam punched the button to the elevator and waited several seconds. Changing his mind, he made his way to the nurse’s station. “Hello, my darling Beth. It’s so nice to see you again.”
“Oh, Adam,” she said with a good-natured sigh. “What do you want?”
“I’m enquiring as to why Levi’s daughter hasn’t visited him lately?”
“I have no idea,” she replied. “And that’s not your business.”
“Oh, don’t be like that. When you frown, it makes you look like my high school teacher, Mrs. Dinwittie.”
“Mrs. Dinwittie?” she said, dubious.
“Mrs. Dinwittie was a lovely woman. Never smiled, though. Had a little crush on her until I realized that nothing I said or did would make her smile. Even tried showing up to class naked.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Look,” he said, sobering. “I’ll talk to Levi about long sleeves. I know his daughter doesn’t like looking at his shit.”
Beth studied him for several moments. “Okay, Adam. I’ll give her a call. I can’t make her visit though.”
“You can tell her I’m back.”
“And that’s supposed to help?”
He considered. “You’re right, maybe not. Just call her,” he said. “She means the world to Levi.”
“Will do.”