Therapy

The next morning, Alex was allowed to leave his room. He got his pills from the nurse's station then sat down on the couch in the day room. He was the first person out and eager to see something other than those stupid four white walls.

Being stuck in a room for twenty four hours by yourself was pure torture. Alex tried writing to pass the time but he kept getting stuck. Usually the words came easily but Alex must have been in a rut or something. He spent most of the time just sitting there, with nothing to do but think.

Alex being alone with his thoughts was not a pleasant experience. He thought about how he hated this place and how as soon as he's released, he's going to move out. His parents, in Alex's mind, were dead to him.

Alex also thought about Jack and how he wanted to beat the crap out of him. That kid was testing what little patience Alex had. It's all Jack's fault Alex had to serve room time anyways.

And then Alex thought about Tom. He didn't want to, but the memories of his brother flashed in his mind. Alex remembers that day three years ago, November 19th at 11:24pm. It was cold out. Alex was thirteen and Tom was twenty.

Despite the seven year age gap, the boys were always close. Since their dad worked a lot, it was Tom who played catch with Alex on summer afternoons. It was Tom who helped Alex with his homework. It was Tom who helped who taught Alex how to play guitar.

Alex looked up to Tom. To Alex, Tom was invincible. Unfortunately, Alex found out that wasn't true... In the hardest way.

"You're free!" Alex tensed up at the familiar voice. It was Jack of course. Although he was the last person Alex wanted to see, Alex was thankful for Jack distracting him from the painful memory.

"Yeah." Alex muttered.

While locked in his room, Alex decided he never wanted to have twenty four hours room time again. If he wanted to get out of here, he'd have to take Jack's advice to keep cool and smile like a jackass. He was willing to do anything to get out of there.

"So how are you on this beautiful-"

"Jack, listen." Alex began calmly. He didn't want the nurses to hear. "I don't like you. In fact, I kind of hate you. We're not, and we never will be friends so you might as well just stop trying to talk to me. I want to get out of here but I can't do that if I keep getting in trouble because of you."

"You hate me?" Jack asked. He gave Alex this hurt look, as of Alex just punched him in the gut. For the first time since they met, Jack wasn't smiling.

"Jack, Mr. Anthony told you yesterday to stay away from Alex." A male nurse named Jeff said. He walked over and struck a dramatic pose, hip jutted out with his hand resting on it. Alex wasn't sure, but he guessed that Mr. Jeff was gay.

Mr. Jeff forced Jack to sit in the other couch, farthest away from Alex. Thank god. Alex wasn't sure how long he could have lasted without going off on Jack.

Megan skipped over, plopping down next to Alex. "Hey, boo. How are you?"

"Peachy." Alex said sarcastically. "So what did I miss?"

"Not much. Cam left at noon. Oh, but they said we're getting a new kid today."

"Alright, guys." Mr. Jeff said, clapping his hands. "Let's begin."

He lead the group in their daily goals discussion. Alex didn't pay much attention to that. There was no need.

Sometime during Rian's goal, a cute, awkward-looking boy, about sixteen or seventeen, was brought in. His brown hair was cut in a sort of emo swoop with his bangs covering his eyes. He wore sweat pants and a baggy hoodie but Alex could tell this guy was thin. Like, scary thin. He was trembling quite a bit as the nurses checked his vitals. After he was done being examined , he was led over to the group.

"Sorry to interrupt." A nurse by the name of Olivia said. "Everyone, this is Ryan. I expect you to welcome him with open arms." Ryan started shaking even harder as nurse Olivia forced him to sit next to Megan.

"Welcome, Ryan. How about we have a quick introduction before breakfast? I'm mr. Jeff." He looked to his left at Rian.

"I'm also Rian, spelled with an "I" though."

"I'm Zack."

"Jack." Jack muttered. That struck Alex as weird. Jack never muttered. He exclaimed! Alex felt momentarily guilty. Did he actually hurt Jack's feelings?

No, Jack was just being a baby. All Alex did was tell Jack to leave him alone. Jack should have known Alex didn't want to be best friends. He was only being honest. It wasn't his fault Jack was so sensitive.

As the group lined up for lunch, Megan attempted to make conversation with Ryan who looked like he was going to break down crying any second now.

"So what are you in for? I mean, you don't gotta say but y'know, if you want to." She said. Ryan shook his head, keeping his gaze on the floor. She filled him in on why everyone else was there as Mr. Jeff guided the group to the elevators. Jack didn't race to push the button like usual. Odd.

Breakfast was pretty boring. Megan forced Ryan to sit with them and spent the whole half hour trying to get him to speak. All she got from him was head shakes and the occasional whisper. Alex sat silently the whole time, eating his waffle in deep thought.

Over the next couple days, Alex slowly fell into the hospitals routine. He'd gotten used to all the rules and procedures and hadn't gotten in trouble again which was good. Him and Megan got closer as friends. She wasn't the kind of person he'd normally talk to but she was pretty cool. Megan brought Ryan into their little group. Alex tried to talk to him but Ryan hardly ever said a word. He was alright though.

One day, they were in rec therapy, and it was strangely quiet. Everyone just sat there, playing with clay. Apparently it was supposed to help "relieve stress." Alex did manage to make a sick unicorn looking thing.

Megan was called out of the room after a while by the head doctor, coming back almost twenty minutes later with a huge grin on her face.

"I might get released tomorrow! I might get released tomorrow!" She sang, plopping back down next to Alex. "The doc said they're going to watch me today but they think I'm 'cured.'" She used air quotes. Alex tried to smile but he was a little bummed. If Megan left, he'd be alone.

"That's great, Megan." Alex said and continued working on his clay unicorn thing.

Later during group, they discussed anger management techniques. Mrs. Elizabeth even taught them a few yoga poses. Alex would never admit it out loud but he kind of enjoyed that.

The rest of the day was pretty boring. Alex ate a grilled cheese sandwich during lunch, laid on a mat and listened to Mozart in music therapy, and played checkers with Megan during free time.

But at seven, when everyone split up for family therapy, Alex was left alone with Jack in the day room. Instead of being annoying and in his face, Jack sat motionlessly, staring at the TV as he'd done the last few days. He had this weird expression on his face, like he was in pain or just ate a lemon or something.

Jack had been acting weird all week. He barely spoke, well to anyone except himself. Every now and again, Alex would catch him mumbling to himself as he paced back and forth but Alex was always across the room so he had no idea what Jack was saying. A few times Alex wanted to ask if he was ok but that would imply that he cared for Jack's well-being. Which he didn't.

Alex stole glances at Jack every couple minutes to see he barely moved at all, if any. Nurse Angie came over and asked if the boys would like something to drink. Alex declined but Jack said nothing. He was like in a trance or something. Nurse Angie had to snap her boney fingers in front of his face to get his attention.

"Jack, sweetie? Are you ok?" She asked tentatively.

"Ok? Yeah, just tried. Kinda dizzy." Jack had been complaining of nausea and dizziness for a couple days now.

"Well would you like something to drink? Chocolate milk maybe?"

"Chocolate milk?" He said it like it was some foreign object he'd never heard of. "Um- yeah sure."

Nurse Angie kept her eyes on Jack as she walked over to the refrigerator in the mini kitchen near the nurses station. She brought back two chocolate milks.

"Just in case." She told Alex as she handed him the brown and white carton. Alex tore it open and chugged it. Jack stared at his intently with that same weird lemon-eating face.

Jack eventually shook his head and lifted it to his mouth. He got halfway there when he sighed and dumped it in the trash an near by. Alex was completely confused at this point.

Why was Jack being so weird? Well, a different kind of weird than his usual self. Did he have a personal disorder or something? Was that why he was here? It made sense.

Megan did say he was sent here after trying to commit suicide. People with personality disorders were often suicidal right? Alex didn't know much about psychological disorders but Jack seemed to fit the mold.

After the hour was up, the others bid goodbyes to their family and came back out to the day room. Except for Megan. She was no where to be seen.

Ryan dawdled over and sat on the couch with Alex, leaving a huge gap in between them.

"Your mom looks really young." Alex said, trying to make conversation. He'd seen Ryan hugging a woman that appeared in her mid-twenties.

"T-that w-wasn't my m-mom." Ryan whispered, tugging at his jacket sleeves. "C-cousin."

"Oh." Alx didn't try to pry. He knew that only your parents could visit unless they were out of the picture. That must have meant his cousin was his legal guardian. It obviously was a touchy subject and Alex wasn't going to force him to talk if he didn't want to.

"W-why..." Ryan cut himself off with a squeak and hid his face in his hands. Alex concluded Ryan had severe social anxiety. He only spoke in a stuttered whisper, never looked anyone in the eyes, and just seemed really uncomfortable when spoken to.

"Why what?" Alex encouraged. Normally he'd get annoyed with people like him but Alex was learning to be patient. He couldn't get angry with Ryan. He was too... Small. Fragile.

"Y-you o-out here..." Ryan managed to say in a voice that was barely audible.

"Are you asking why I'm out here and not with my family?" Ryan nodded. "Well my first night here, my parents came in and I kinda freaked out on them so now they're not allowed back."

Ryan was shaking again and Alex figured that was all the social contact Ryan could handle. He ended the conversation there and turned his attention to the TV.

Not long after, Megan walked out with a duffle bag. "I'm being released now!" She exclaimed.

"But you said they were letting you out tomorrow." Alex said with a frown. "You're leaving me?"

"You have Ryan here." She said then smirked. "And of course you still have Jack."

"Shut up." Alex stood up to hug her but stopped himself. No physical contact. "Fuck it." Megan pulled him into a quick hug. Luckily none of the nurses noticed.

"Do you have a Facebook? I'll add you. What's your last name?"

"Gaskarth. G. A. S. K. A. R. T. H."

In the handbook Alex received his first day, it stated patients couldn't keep in contact after being released. It was stupid and Alex had no idea why. They had no right to do that, right?

"Alright. I'll miss you, Alex." She said. "You too, Ryan." Ryan squeaked in acknowledgement.

"Megan? Come on, sweetheart." A deep voice called. It was her dad. Megan grabbed her bag, gave Alex one last smile, then left the ward.

Alex sat down with a sigh. There goes his one chance at actually staying sane in this place. Sure he had Ryan to hang with but Ryan wasn't exactly the easiest person to talk to. He doesn't even talk! But Ryan was better than no one and he'd have to deal.

Alex just want to get out of there.