Michael
Chapter 3
"Michael.. Michael, are you awake?" He was lying on the soft padding of an
isolation cell, curled up in a corner and strapped firmly in a straitjacket
when Angelica entered the next morning to check on him and feed him his
breakfast. Michael opened his eyes and was greeted by her warm and friendly
smile, which was one of Angelica's many enchanting features. Although he was
still disorientated by the sedative drug given to him after his operation
yesterday, although his arms were aching and his heart was refilling with the
fear of his commission into this hell hole, he felt secure and save in her
company. "Are you hungry enough to eat something or do you want to wait a
while?" She asked compassionately, "I think you really should try to eat
something, otherwise you will go hunger for the morning." She helped Michael
to sit upright after she had watched him struggle clumsily to get up by
himself. With her soft hands she gently stroke his hair away, which kept
falling over his eyes. He is really sweet, she thought, what a shame that he
has to spent the rest of his life in here. Michael gave the nice nurse a quit
little smile and said softly; "I think I want to try some of that fine
breakfast of yours, although I cannot promise to keep it down." Angelica bound
a napkin around his neck and fed him some kind of cold watery porridge,
although the stuff was dreadful, he was really hungry and eagerly gulfed down
every spoon that she offered to him. It was only after a while that he noticed
that he was drooling. Ashamed of this uncontrolled behaviour, he hoped that
Angelica was not noticing it and he tried to lick up his salivary every time
just before she brought the next spoon to his mouth.
That was not really successful and Angelica again felt pity for him that he was
so embarrassed, so she pretended not to see him drooling and spoiled on purpose
from time to time some porridge on his face in order to wipe off his drool.
"So, are you feeling better now? If you have any pain, I can give you some
medication for it." Angelica hoped that Michael won't asked for any sedative
drugs because it was known that most of the patients in the Institute became
addicted to them. The senior staff were happy to use those drugs to keep their
control over the patients, since it kept them docile and helpless, but Angelica
was always against that policy. She thought it to be amoral and cruel to sedate
the patients just to convenience the staff.
"No I don't think I need them yet, but my arms are aching and I can hardly
breathe in this straitjacket, can you please release me from this thing?"
Michael replied. He has apparently slept all night lying on his left arm and it
felt like it would snap out of its base at any moment. The orderlies had also
strapped a crotch strap over the bandages which were covering his wounded lid
and secured it to the slots provided by the straitjacket. Because they were
fastened to tight, every movement with his arms or legs were transferred into a
sharp pain in his private parts. That's why it was so hard for him to sit up
right, in order to do so he had to stretch his straitjacket and the attached the
slots in length, causing the crotch strap to cut into into his wounded flesh
between his legs. He tried it once when nurse Angelica came in and the pain that
was caused by that action made his eyes water and he was curled up and lying on
the floor within seconds trying to stop the pain. He really hoped that Angelica
would not make him to sit up in order to eat the dam breakfast, but she was
obvious familiar with her new patient's suffering and helped him in an upright
position without hurting him too much by slightly bending his back forward a
little, letting the cotton fibers that connect the crotch strap and the slots to
relax. "She is really a nice person." He thought. "Maybe she will pity me and
let me out of this uncomfortable torture device."
Angelica gave Michael another of her gentle smiles and said; "I am sorry
Michael, the straitjacket has to stay on for a while, but if your behaviour is
good, you will soon be allowed to live without it."
" Please Michael, don't despair. It 's not that bad in here." She tried to
comfort her new patient as much as she can but Michaels eyes went watery and his
face was filled with sorrow after hearing her last words. "But, what have I done
to deserve this? I am not crazy you have to believe me!! Let me call my parents,
they live in New Jersey and they can proof that I am a nice and sane person. Or,
let me call my girlfriend Leasa Richardson, we are engaged only a little while
ago and she knows that I am normal guy, please, let me call her!!! "
Angelica did everything trying to get Michael calmed down but he kept on
rambling and pleading about his sanity when the door to his cell opened and two
black orderlies came in. Angelica seemded to expecting them because she said
softly to one of them; "Please Jakc, just be gentle with him, he has just
arrived and the operation wounds are not healed yet." The black orderly who was
supposed to be called Jake grabbed Michael by his left arm painfully and
replied; "But don't' you think he needs some tranquillisers, he's rambling like
an idiot, seems like the boy is hysteric or something."
"No I don't want you to give him any, he is just unfamiliar with the whole
situation, that's all, now please be gentle with him during bathing, I don't
want him to get hurt!!" Angelica stared with a severe look at Jake, hoping that
her words and gesture were enough to make the big black man obey her orders.
Jake was a strong and in his mid thirties, he came to work in the Institute when
he was just a teenager put on civil service for robbery and violent behaviour.
He has been working here ever since and was notorious for his cruel treatments
of disobedient patients. There where also roamers that the man assaulted and
raped male patients, and although Angelica had never believed those macabre
stories she was deep in her heart petrified by that man. She only never showed
it in front of him for her patient's sake. She could only imagine how scared her
poor patients were, since they were totally defenceless against him. Jake
however, seemed to at least respect a certain amount of authority, a weakness
she tried to exploit to protect her patients and herself from him.
Unfortunately, it did not always work.
Jake gave her a honing smile and shrugged. "Ok, If that's the way you want it,
we will make sure our little friend here will have a nice bath and we will stay
low on the drugs." he turned his face to Michael and said; "too bad nurse
Angelica don't want you to get some of those fine stuff, you don't know what
you're missing!"
Under the worried eyes of Angelica, Michael was dragged on his feet by the two
orderlies and guided out of his cell. When they were disappeared in the
corridors she shake her head sadly and silently closed the door to Michael's
cell.
