Where's Scottie?

“Name, please.” The woman at the front desk said. She was an older lady with graying hair pulled back so far she had a face lit for only as much as a hair tie. Her glasses were perched perfectly on her nose in their pointy fashion.

The man cleared his throat. “Alexander James.” He replied. Never in his life did he want to be here, never. He didn’t think he would have to.

“Who are you here visiting?” She asked then, not looking up from the computer she was type, type, typing away on.

“Scott Smith.” Alexander chocked out. “But, um, I would like to speak to his doctor first, Mrs-“he looked down at the card in his hand “Feyes. I need to speak to Dr. Feyes.”

The woman’s eyes flicked up from the dying machine to the young man in front of her. She though he looked much too old for how old he actually must be. There was no way he was over twenty-five, but the dark bags under his green eyes and the faded look in his fair skin made it seem like he was three times that. She went back to typing when Alexander pushed his dark hair out of his eyes.

“Very well, Mr. James. Dr. Feyes’ office is down the hall, third door on the left. She is free now.” The woman said. Alexander nodded and quickly left.

It wasn’t difficult to find the office. He entered to see the thirty year old beauty with her red hair in a tight bun on the top of her head. Her white lab coat made her seem taller than she was, and her heels didn’t help.

“Ah, Mr. James, please sit down.” She said pointing to the leather chair while she walked to the desk. “I’d like to discuss your, uh, partner’s condition.” Alexander nodded his head but otherwise didn’t motion to continue. He thought that maybe this was a dream, a long, unforgiving nightmare that would end as soon as the words spilled out of her mouth. “Shirley is back, as well as some other . . . beings.” The doctor said shortly.

His head snapped up to meet her striking eyes. “What?” He asked, surprised and quite alarmed. “When I was here last month, Shirley was nowhere to be found. There was only Scott.”

She nodded her head. “The treatment we had attempted had stopped working. It seems he has relapsed.”

“This isn’t possible,” Alexander said, shaking his head back in forth, his hair finding a way between his fingers to be pulled on tightly. “He was getting better. He was doing great, almost cured! What happened?” He was angry now, very angry. He just wanted his Scottie back.

“Sir, this isn’t a simple procedure. I shouldn’t use that word. This isn’t a simple . . . condition to deal with. It is very difficult to find a treatment that would work. Mr. Smith is a . . . very complicated case. We had him on a routine regiment of anti-psychotics, but that didn’t seem to work. “She explained.

Alexander cringed at that word. His Scottie wasn’t insane. There was nothing wrong with him. He was perfect, and lovable, and kind, and adorable. Why was this happening to him? There was no family history! Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until a few months ago. Why now? Why him? Why us? He thought. Why us?

“So,” he asked. “What now?”

“Well, his new persona is very violent and unpredictable. We don’t know how this one works, but it seems very abundant. He comes and goes at random times, but he always comes when we try to give Mr. Smith medication to help him.” She explained.

“Scott.” Alexander said.

“Excuse me?”

“His name is Scott, not Mr. Smith. He hates it when people call him that. It reminds him of his father. He hates his father.” Alexander explained. Tears were starting to pool in his eyes thinking over the fond memories he had with his lover.

It was still a possibility. It had to be. Scottie would be fine in a few months. Nothing would be wrong with him, and they would move on from there. Alexander was planning to marry that boy, and he’ll be damned if that won’t happen all because of this little bump in the road.

“Right, Scott. I apologize if I seem uncaring towards your partner’s case. He is very much a priority to us in this ward.” Mrs. Feyes said.

Alexander looked up from his shoes. “He’s just another case to you. I don’t blame you though. You see crazy people all the time, but he’s going to get better. He will, even if you don’t believe that, I’m not giving up on my lover. Never.”

She looked over at him shocked. “Mr. James-“

“No, save it. I have to see my boyfriend now. Please, excuse me.” Alexander interrupted before quickly leaving.

He walked down the blank walls. He hated it in here. It seemed like an old prison with the rusted bars on the doors and the white peeling paint. His Scottie deserved better than this. Scott was obsessed with everything looking perfect in their home, everything. The walls had to be bright and cheerful to match the flowers they would put in the hall. This wasn’t right. The musty smell of human decay was evident in the long corridors. Did no one care for these people? Did no one care for the man he cared for so deeply that he hasn’t slept in months?

He shook his head. He didn’t want to cry before he saw Scott. That would upset him and maybe cause something he didn’t want to see come out of him.

“I’m here to see Scott Smith.” Alexander told the familiar guard.

The guard had a sad look in his eyes. He had seen this kid on too many times, and he always ended up disappointed. “I’m sorry, sir. No one is allowed inside. He has become too violent.”

Alexander was baffled, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to argue. “May I still see him?” He choked out, his voice cracking in the middle.

The guard nodded before opening the door with his many rattling keys. They walked together, the guard in front, to the familiar cell. He didn’t want to call it a room, because it wasn’t. Something this horrid couldn’t even begin to qualify as living arrangements.

“Scottie?” Alexander called into the cell. It was dark. He wasn’t able to see the boy curled up in the corner rocking back and forth, back and forth, back and then stop. Did he hear something? “Scottie?” Alexander called again.

The boy in the cell smiled an evil, malicious smile. This wasn’t Scottie. He jumped to his feet, jamming his hands through the bars at Alexander. The older was surprised, frightened even at the alarming pace of the younger one. He almost fell back, but caught himself just in time.

Scott reached for the other man, pushing his face into the bars. “Who are you?” He growled.

“Scott?” Alexander asked with a scarred look on his face. This couldn’t be the man he lived with.

The other laughed. “No Scottie here.” He sang before his terrible laugh came back.

“Where is Scott?” Alexander asked. He hadn’t seen this persona yet.

“Scottie is locked in a cage somewhere. He keeps crying Alex! Alex! Why did you put me here? Why?” The persona said with a dangerous glint in his eyes and an horrendous smirk on his face.

Alexander couldn’t say anything to that. He felt terrible, absolutely terrible. This persona was right. He did leave him here to rot in the filth of these people.

Tears started to slowly drip down his face. He tried to wipe them away, but the persona caught them just in time.

“Aw, is Scottie’s little friend sad? Did I hurt his feelings? Good!” He shrieked, laughing still.

Suddenly his evil laugh stopped and his hands between the bars went to his hips. His face changed from the scary creature to one of a dainty female. Well, as dainty you can be when in reality you are a twenty-three year old man.

“Alexander?” He asked in a feminine voice. “Darling, I haven’t seen you in ages! How have you been?”

Alexander sniffed quickly. “Hi, Shirley.”

“Why you cry, Alexander?” She asked with e a concerned looked on her face.

“Nothing, no reason.” He said with a slight smile. “Can you give a message to Scott for me?”

“Oh, of course, darling! Anything for you. You certainly do love that boy. He never stops talking about all of those wonderful things you did for him. Well, that is until, Damien tells him to shut his mouth.” She exclaimed. Scott talked to his personas in his head. They were all in there, somewhere, but only one could control his body at a time. It was unknown how many personas he was said to have. He had seen many, each time he had to pretend that he didn’t know who they really were, that they were his Scottie just in a different form.

“Can you tell him I’ll be back soon? And, that I’m sorry that I have to leave so soon?” He asked the louder version of his boyfriend.

“But of course.” She said with a smile before it turned into a confused look. His hands went back to the bars. “Who are you? Where am I? Why am I here?” A new persona asked.

Alexander shook his head, tears flowing freely now. He walked away quickly. He didn’t see his love.

There was one thing that he needed to learn to accept, something the doctors and the guards had all accepted. Scottie was never coming back.