Footsteps

You can hear the footsteps outside your room. If you listen carefully you'll know who it is. If you hear the squeak of shoes on the polished floors its one of them. Nurses. Doctors. Case workers. There is a bunch of them. But if you hear the soft sound of socked feel, its one of you. the patients. We cant have shoes. Only God knows why. But it isn't too bad. Close your eyes and for a brief moment its like you're standing at home. I don't like wearing shoes anyone. But at the same time, its just one of the things that sets us apart from them. It helps show who is the prisoners here and who are the guards. Back too the footsteps. Listen for the quiet spin of wheels. Do you hear them? softly spinning on the ground. Vitals. Soon a door will open. They'll go in silently. And just as silently come back out with the soft click of the door closing. If you hear the footsteps but no wheels, they are checking. Checking to make sure you're still alive. They will step in a room. Standing there. You can hear them breathe. They watch your chest rise and fall. Once. Twice. Three times. Then they turn and disappear out the door. If they walk more than three steps into the room however, they are giving you medicine. Some of it too calm you. Some of it to silent your demons. Its the same. Every morning. Every night. The same footsteps. The same paths. Different people.