Peer Pressure

Trigger Warnings: mental illness, swearing.

“We’re not alone.”

“Don’t be crazy. There’s no one else around.”

“They’re watching us. I'm sure of it."

“Well, they watch us on the security cameras, but that’s just for security … they said.”

“They don’t trust us, we can’t trust them either.”

“Well…”

“Oh, my dear, nothing bad’s gonna happen. Everything will be alright, my love.”

“Thanks, Honey. Can you keep talking to him, to calm him down?”

“We should prepare for when they attack. We need weapons and a plan. They can’t know we’re on to them. Ted, can you make us some weapons?”

“Sure thing, mate. Do you have a pen? … A toothbrush? … A comb? … Do you think I’m a bloody magician, you cuckoo head?!”

“Come on, Ted…”

“Oh, my darling! Ted didn’t mean that. Did you, my love? He’s just tired of being here, like we all are. But there’s no one else around, dear. We’re all alone and quiet, there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Listen to Honey. Nothing to worry about.”

“What if we eat? There’s nothing like a full belly to drift away from the worries of the world. What you say, my dears? Are you hungry?”

“We shouldn’t eat this food, it might be poisoned.”

“Damn whack job! If they wanted us dead, we’d be dead already. We’ve been here for more than twelve hours.”

“How can you tell? … Well, but some food sounds like a good idea. I’ll go get it. Honey, will you see if Thelma wants to eat? She’s been curled up since we arrived.”

“Yeah. Food! Let’s hope at least while we eat that weirdo shuts his dam pie-hole.”

“Thelma, my love, do you wanna eat? Or at least drink something? Let me help you get up, my darling.”

“Looks like we have lasagna for dinner. Doesn’t look half bad. And yellow jelly.”

“Oh, jelly! I love jelly. Don’t you love jelly, Thelma?”

“Is there a knife?”

“No, Ted, no knife, just a plastic spoon.”

“Thelma, you wicked girl, you almost smiled. You’re my kind of crazy girl!”

“Shut up, Ted. Can’t you see Thelma’s not well? She’s an angel, aren’t you, my love?”

“Relax. Relax. No need to get angry. There’s plenty of Ted to go around, ladies.”

“Someone’s coming!”

“Fucking bastard! If you don’t shut up, I’m gonna…”

“Wait, Ted! … I think he’s right. There’s someone at the door. I heard footsteps. Honey, try to keep Thelma quiet.”

“It’s a man … With a limp ... Must be middle-aged…”

“It’s the cleaning man. How can you tell all of that just by the sound of his feet?”

“He also has a broom.”

“… yes, he does.”

“I bet that broomstick could have another use, Ted.”

“Hmmm … maybe you’re not as crazy as you seem, cuckoo-head.”

“No Ted, please … we don’t need weapons! Guys, come on! Listen to Honey: everything will be alright. Let’s just relax, maybe sleep a bit. Tomorrow…”

“Shut up, man. Let’s listen to tin-hat, over here. Maybe the cleaning man really wants to keep us company. Everyone just lay down and pretend you’re Thelma. Quiet!”

“Love you, Ted!”

“Shush, Thelma! Ted’s not for you.”

“Ted, I think we better not cause any problems, because…”

“Shut up, man, or I will. Shut. You. Up.”

“…”

“He’s … at … the door … Ted…”

“…”

“Quiet, tin-hat … I got this…”

“…”

“Ted … I think he’s gone.”

“Of course he's fucking gone, man! Next time you do as I fucking tell you, or I’ll cut your other wrist!”

“Ted, don’t say that! No more cutting, please. Let’s just enjoy the lasagna, like a big happy family. With love and … Oh Thelma, dear, you’re making a mess eating with your hands. Let me clean you up.”

“I’m hungry.”

“I can see that, dear.”

“We should use the plastic spoon to make a shiv, Ted."

“Yes, tin-hat. I’ll use the fucking spoon. I’ll use it to get some of this lasagna because this hot body doesn’t live off fricking air.”

“You’re so hot, Ted…”

“This is a good lasagna, guys. Nothing like food to make you feel better. Maybe now we can get some sleep. And tomorrow will be another day.”

“Haha. Ted … I don’t want to sleep…”

“Quiet, Thelma, dear. We need to sleep. We’ll be sleeping at our end and let the handsome boys sleep at their end.”

“Oh, Honey, no need for that. I’m man enough for both of you girls.”

“We shouldn’t sleep. They might attack us when we're vulnerable.”

“No one’s attacking us. Let’s just sleep and recover from this awful day.”

“I can’t sleep with the lights on.”

“Just close your eyes, Thelma, sweetheart. Sleep will come.”

“Yeah, what’s up with these damn lights?”

“Don’t worry, Ted. I know why you want the lights out. But I’m not letting go of Thelma all night. You’re not doing anything nasty with her tonight.”

“Oh, Honey, I told you that’s not a problem. You can both curl up together with me...”

“They want to break us. Sleep deprivation. We need to be alert … Wait! Someone’s coming.”

“At this time of night? Who can it be? It must be someone to turn off the lights. It has to be.”

“It’s a white-coat.”

“White coat?... A doctor? At this time of night?”

“Look, Ted, he’s signing something at the door.”

“I see it, tin-hat.”

“He’s bringing the pen.”

“No, Ted, please don’t…”

“Shut up, man!”

“Love you, Ted!”

“Honey, be a sweetheart and go rub the good doctor's back.”

“Really, Ted? You want my help?”

“Of course, Honey! You’re my girl.”

“You want me to rub his back?”

“Yeh, Honey. See if you can get the pen for your ol’ Ted.”

“Oh, Ted!

“Honey! No! Don’t listen to him! Don’t you join them, too!!!”

“Shut up, man! Look at him! It’s the guy that brought us here and gave Thelma that kryptonite that knocked her out.”

“What? He is? He is! But … I don’t know, Ted.”

#

The cop walked slowly, nodding his head from side to side, as if trying to see over the security guard’s large shoulders, but not too much. Beat cops know what they don’t need to see anymore. Detectives’ payroll, detectives’ nightmares.

“Jeez! How did this happen? Wasn’t the guy supposed to be alone?”

“Yes, officer. He was alone!” replied the security guard. “But the doctor said he had to see him. That he was a psychiatrist. I told him not to go in, Officer, but…”. The words were flying out of the young man’s mouth as if he was still running to save someone.

“It’s ok, Ron. This wasn’t your fault. He was a doctor, right? He knew what he was doing,” the officer said, and then lowered his voice. “Or at least, he thought he knew.”

“Yes, but…”

Officer Jack knew how to turn off all the buts of shocked victims and witnesses. He offered the usual victims’ support card and smiled with trained empathy. His notebook retained all the relevant facts: “March 5th, doctor entered patient cell with a pen”.

He looked at the curbed man lying in a fetal position against the wall of the cell, blood splattered all over his clothes, rocking and mumbling.

“The voices in my head… The voices in my head… The voices in my head…”