No Escape

The next morning, Shania was led to the courthouse, where she went before a judge, a middle-aged man with crow-like features and a bald crown. “I’m only agreeing to this to clear the matter up sooner, not because I’m guilty of sending the threatening messages,” she told the judge. “Very well,” said the judge, seemingly in a hurry to get on with the next of many cases. Shania was then taken to a holding cell where she waited and waited and waited. Finally, she was led to a waiting ambulance in back of the courthouse by two orderlies. It was now dark. “Why the ambulance? I’m not sick or injured.” “It’s just policy. I really think it would be in everyone’s best interest if you would try to relax, Miss McCarthy,” said the chubby female orderly with thick, wavy blond hair pulled back in a ponytail. Her greasy, pimply face had that doughy look that seemed to swallow up her small, beady eyes. Trish, read her name tag. “Oh, do you really?” Shania said, not attempting to hide her sarcasm. “Here we go,” said her partner, a tall, wiry male orderly, as he swung open the rear doors to the ambulance. His name tag read Bob. Although Shania tried to resist, it was no use. The orderlies hoisted her small body up into the ambulance as if she were made of air. Once inside, they strapped her down onto a stretcher. Bob then jumped down out of the ambulance, slamming the doors as he went, leaving her alone with Trish, who sat opposite her on a vinyl bench. She hunched over, hands clasped together in her lap, gazing toward the front. After about ten minutes, the ambulance pulled up to a large tan brick building with immaculate grounds of thick, freshly mowed grass. Despite the darkness, the grounds were lit up enough so that Shania could see colorful flowers blooming throughout the sprawling property. The scene clashed horribly with her mood. Her heart pounded as Bob got out to run around back and open the rear doors. He ran so fast that Shania wondered if he was in a race against time. Were orderlies expected to bring patients in at a precise time? Or could he be in competition with other orderlies as to who could snatch someone up and dump them off the fastest? On trembling legs, Shania allowed the two orderlies to guide her down out of the ambulance and into the building. Sliding glass doors opened to let them enter, then slid shut behind them, making Shania feel as if she’d been swallowed up. They stood in a circular area where three different corridors branched off. Two had metal doors with square panes of glass in them. The heaviness in her chest was smothering. She struggled to take in even breaths of air, and then she saw him! Yes, it was really him—Doctor Jonas Hoffritz. In the tumultuous last ten minutes, she hadn’t stopped to wonder if he could possibly work here. She only knew of his occupation, not his place of work. Besides, she had only met him once. He was just about to round the corner halfway down the corridor without a door leading to it when she cried out to him. “Jonas!” The two orderlies glanced with surprise in the direction Shania had shouted. “Doctor Hoffritz!” Too late. He was gone. “Ah, so you know the top doc, huh?” asked Bob, breath reeking of onions. Shania nodded. “I met him at a surprise birthday party for my boss.” “For your boss?” he asked inquisitively, eyebrows raised. His homely partner eyed her doubtfully, as if she believed no one who wasn’t part of the staff or on the visiting list could possibly tell the truth about anything. “He’s the uncle of the coworker who set me up.” She quickly explained what happened as Trish continued to eye her with doubt. “We all threw a party for our boss one day, and that’s where I met the doctor. Where are you taking me and what’s going to happen next?” asked a nervous Shania. “We’re just going to wait here for the clinical evaluator,” Bob said, glancing around impatiently as if the evaluator couldn’t arrive fast enough to relieve him and Trish of their latest catch. Shania took in her surroundings. Instinct told her to pay attention to things, and so she did. The walls and ceiling were as stark white as the orderlies’ uniforms. The flat, worn carpet was dull gray. The only wall décor was a large gold-framed picture of an older man, perhaps in his fifties, to whom the place was dedicated. Shania was close enough to read the inscription underneath the stern-appearing man’s picture: IN HONOR AND MEMORY OF DR. LEO W. HOFFRITZ 1938 – 1999 “Is this man related to Doctor Hoffritz?” Shania asked. Bob nodded. “He was his father. He founded the institution in the late sixties and died of a heart attack five years ago.” Shania gazed at an unattended desk against the wall of the round admitting area, which she assumed was occupied during normal business hours. She turned around to look behind her at the doors they had entered through. The urge to run was enormous. Then she turned back to find the orderlies watching her intently. Through the closed doors, the sound of approaching footsteps from one of the uncarpeted corridors became audible. A second or two later, a frail, gray-haired woman came into view through the door’s square window. Once at the door, she unlocked it and pushed it open. “Hey, you still here?” asked Trish with a smile that Shania didn’t know she was capable of mustering. “Unfortunately, thanks to the crisis with the juvies,” the woman said with a loud sigh. “Anyone in evaluations still here?” Trish asked. “Don’t know. Why? Whatcha got here?” the birdlike woman asked, eyeing Shania as if she were a potential piece of new merchandise for sale. “New admittance,” Bob told her. Another dose of pungent onion odor wafted from him as he spoke. “As I’ve been trying to tell them,” Shania spoke up, doing her best to keep her voice steady, “my coworker set me up.” “Oh yeah?” said the woman, tilting her head back to peer down at her through her bifocals, making her feel small and meaningless. “That’s what they all say. Either they’ve been set up or they’re victims of mistaken identity.” Trish and Bob snickered, turning Shania’s anxiety and frustration into anger. “Hey, this isn’t funny. I’ve never harmed anyone or anything in my life. I didn’t do a damn thing wrong and—” “Save it for evaluations or the doctor,” Trish said, cutting her off. “Well, then, why don’t you let me speak with Doctor Hoffritz?” Shania’s patience was wearing thin. “They’ll let you talk to him soon,” said Bob. “How soon is soon?” Shania asked. Ignoring her, the stern woman said, “Let’s bring her to Observation first.” “Observation?” Trish nodded, reaching for Shania’s upper left arm as Bob reached for her right. “It’s where all the newcomers spend their first twenty-four hours.” They began to lead her behind the frail woman whose steel-gray hair looked more like tiny wires than real hair. They hadn’t gone very far when she saw him again, moving through a maze of corridors that led to other parts of the building. He seemed to be in a rather chipper mood, nodding with a pleasant smile to a fellow colleague who passed by him. “Doctor Hoffritz!” Shania called out. This time, the doctor glanced in Shania’s direction. “It’s Shania McCarthy, remember? From the party where your niece works?” Trish and Bob began pulling Shania away as the doctor eyed her as if he’d never seen her before. “I need your help!” she pleaded. “Your niece used my computer to send some threatening messages because she’s upset that I got the promotion she wanted.” Just when Shania thought the doctor wasn’t going to acknowledge her, he said, “I’m sorry, but I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m sure you can find someone to help you just as soon as you get settled in.” “But we have met,” Shania persisted. “At Rita Daly’s fortieth birthday party.” The doctor was now out of sight. “Let’s go, Miss McCarthy,” Trish said, her own patience dwindling as she and Bob continued to guide her through a lengthy corridor, each taking hold of an arm. Shania tried to shrug free. “My legs work just fine. I can walk without assistance, thank you.” “Hospital policy,” said Bob. “Yeah? Well, I’m not a patient here,” Shania said, coming to a halt. “You are until you’re discharged,” said Trish, greasy face shining under the fluorescent lighting. “But I need someone to help me out here. I did not make these threats. Someone’s got to be able to help me!” Shania shouted, now drained of all patience and reason. “We’re not obligated to help you get out,” the birdlike woman explained. “Then get me someone who is!” Shania demanded. “We’re taking you there,” she said, “but we need you to cooperate.” “It’s the quickest way to settle this matter and get out of here,” Trish added. To Shania, it sounded more like a bribe than anything else. She studied their faces in search of any deception but was unable to penetrate their firm, business-like expressions. Perhaps they were right—that the only way to set things straight and get to the bottom of the matter was to go along with them. At least for now. Therefore, although it wasn’t without much reluctance, she allowed herself to be led further down the corridor, opposite the direction in which Doctor Hoffritz had retreated. ________________________________________ They led her to an elevator that took them to an upper floor. Once there, they led her down a long corridor and to a large room that was very hospital-like, with drawn curtains that surrounded the beds. There were eight beds in all, four on each side of the room. There were barred windows along the back wall. Just inside the doorway, to the right, was a sitting area, and to the left was a large window where the nurses’ station was. From two different windows, the station overlooked both the observation room and the long corridor that stemmed off in front of it. The coed ward formed a long I-shape. Along both sides of it were many two-patient rooms, each equipped with its own sink and private toilet. Those in the observation area were to use the bathroom that was located at the top left side of the I. The shower room was in this area as well, for everyone to use. There was also a lounge where patients could fix themselves tea or hot cocoa and snacks consisting of things like fruits and crackers. There was a solid metal door that led to the adolescent ward in this area. In the middle of the long corridor was a short walkway that led to an enclosed courtyard. Shania wasn’t sure what was at the top and bottom right sides of the I, but she would quickly learn that the bottom left side was where the therapists met with their patients. It was also where the door was located, through which Shania had entered the ward. A young but hard-looking nurse, bearing the name tag Cathy, acknowledged them with a nod from beyond the Plexiglas window of the nurses’ station. A moment later, she opened its door and came to greet Shania and her captors. A smile radiated from the woman’s plain face. Maybe she wasn’t as mean as she looked. “Have a seat,” she said, motioning to Shania. Shania began to plead once again as she sat down in a hard plastic chair with an armrest on one side. She tried to explain that she had no history of mental illness, that she was innocent of sending any threatening messages, and that she wanted to speak with Doctor Hoffritz, an acquaintance of hers. “I can’t help you with that at the moment,” the nurse said, dropping her smile. “Besides, I think Doctor Hoffritz has gone home by now.” The orderlies turned to leave the way they had come while the birdlike woman went through the solid metal door that led to the adolescent ward. “Then who can I speak with to get this mess cleared up?” Shania demanded. The nurse shrugged with indifference. Maybe she wasn’t so nice after all. “All I can do is leave a note for the day shift supervisor to let them know you’d like to speak with the doctor. For now, all I can do is take your vitals and get you into bed.” “I don’t need to get into bed!” Shania shouted. Two more staff members appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. “I need to go home.” “Fine,” the nurse said sternly, losing her patience. “Just for tonight, you’ll get into bed, then you can speak with the doctor about going home in the morning.” Her expression turned serious once again as she began to take Shania’s vitals. A sense of helplessness began to seep through Shania’s veins, though she knew that no amount of pleading and begging would help get her out of there anytime soon. Instead, all she could do was try to suppress the tears of frustration that threatened to spill forth. “I want my mommy!” Startled, Shania gave a slight jump. A woman of perhaps sixty was standing just a few feet away, steely gray hair in disarray, clutching an old, worn, and faded teddy bear. Her hair obviously hadn’t been combed or washed in days, and the foul odor that emanated from the woman made Shania’s stomach turn. “Martha,” said one of the older nurses who had been observing Shania for the last several minutes, “it’s way past your bedtime. Now come along with me.” She gently guided Martha down the hall and into a room that was perhaps five doors down. After Nurse Cathy finished with Shania’s vitals, she was led into the observation room. As if she thought it would somehow make her feel better, she pointed out that only two of the eight beds were occupied. “With just three of you in here,” she told her, “you should be able to get a good night’s sleep.” “Fat chance,” Shania muttered. Ignoring her, the nurse put on a pair of plastic gloves as Shania glanced at the two sleeping forms on the opposite side of the room. “They’re not dangerous in any way, are they?” Shania asked. “Larisa and Allen? No, not at all.” “You’re putting me in here with a guy?” Shania asked with concern. The nurse cracked a smile of amusement that only served to infuriate her even more. “They’re harmless,” she said. “Besides, someone’s always keeping watch from the station.” Shania’s gaze swung to the station window. “There’s no one watching now.” “That’s because I’m in here now, and Becky’s on break.” Shania thought about trying to outrun Cathy and bolt for the door, but she knew that even if she could get down to the door, it would be locked tight. Instead, she was led to a bed by the back wall, opposite one of the sleeping forms, though she couldn’t tell which one it was in the room’s dim lighting. The other form was closer to the door and the nurses’ station. That’s when Shania noticed the gloves. “What’re those for?” “I need to search you.” “Jesus! I feel like I’m some sort of criminal all of a sudden!” “Hush!” said the nurse. “I don’t want you waking anyone up.” Shania heard a moan coming from the bed opposite hers. At least she’d be closer to the woman and not the guy, judging by the sound of the moan. Shania didn’t hate guys just because she was gay, but even a straight woman would no doubt feel rather odd about sharing a room with a guy she’d never met before, wouldn’t she? Cathy frisked Shania and then ordered her to remove her clothing for inspection. “You want me to strip?” Shania asked incredulously. “Hey, lady, I didn’t do anything wrong here, so don’t expect me to obey any commands of yours unless you can convince me you’ll shoot me if I don’t.” “Well, I won’t shoot you, but I’ll certainly be glad to toss you in seclusion for the night if I have to.” Once again, Shania felt both overpowered and powerless and realized that she had no choice but to do as she was told. She’d heard enough talk about secluded rooms in psych wards. Trying to hide her embarrassment, she stripped and allowed the nurse to inspect the pockets and seams of her clothing. “For tonight, I’ll issue you a hospital gown. It’ll be more comfortable to sleep in,” said Cathy. “No thanks. I’ll stay in my own clothes.” “Suit yourself. If, for some reason, however, you don’t get out of here as fast as you’d like, you should have a friend or a family member bring you more clothes, plus whatever books you may like to read. We do have some in the lounge, but it’s not a very big selection.” Shania remained quiet. “You’re allowed to pull your privacy curtain around your bed, but only when you’re changing,” Cathy continued. “If you’re still here at this time tomorrow night and are found to be stable, you’ll move to a more private room with just one roommate. Those rooms have their own bathrooms. No showers, but they’re equipped with sinks and toilets. For now, if you need to use the bathroom, go to the one across from the station until you’re moved.” Oh, I won’t be here for the move, believe me, Shania told herself with confidence. I’ll be long gone and no doubt talking to a lawyer about what sort of lawsuit I can file. “Now, just get into bed and try to rest up, okay?” Shania nodded slowly, feeling defeated in every way possible. She peeled down the brown blanket and asked, “Can I turn off the light behind the bed?” “Yes, you may. Only the ones in the center stay lit.” Cathy motioned to the two long fluorescent bulbs in the center of the room before she turned to leave. Shania was then left with her thoughts as she redressed herself, opened her curtain, turned off the light, and slid into bed. The element of shock still filled every core of her body. How could this be happening? She had to talk to Jonas. He would help her. Especially after the way he came off at Miss Daly’s party. Tim, Gary, Maureen, and she herself had gotten together to discuss the surprise party they’d ultimately delight their boss with. Each of the coworkers agreed that the more people who attended, the merrier. So, each person had secretly gotten whoever they could to attend. Shania had invited Mindy, Tim had invited his girlfriend and her friend, Greg had invited two male friends, and Maureen had invited her uncle Jonas. They were to arrive and be snuck into the building while Miss Daly was in the bathroom, something she always used right before it was time for her employees to leave. It was while she was in the bathroom that they quickly smuggled in their party guests and the refreshments. After all, if they’d brought them in earlier, Miss Daly would surely see them and know that something was up. It wasn’t long into the party and, once everyone was introduced, small cliques began to form. Mindy had gabbed with Gary and one of his friends while Maureen chatted with his other friend. Miss Daly herself fell into pleasant conversation with Tim, his girlfriend, and her friend. Meanwhile, a slightly inebriated Jonas Hoffritz had sauntered up to where Shania stood cutting herself a piece of chocolate cake. He appeared to be in his early forties, about six feet tall, with an average build. He had red hair like his niece, though darker and with a slowly receding hairline and thinning crown. There were a few scattered strands of gray threaded throughout his beard. He wore a brown business suit and silver-rimmed glasses. Dull brown eyes, the color of weak tea, observed her movements. She could tell that the doctor liked her despite the gold wedding band he wore and the fact that he never actually said anything suggestive. Instead, he had asked her about the job itself before he turned the discussion to her personal life. What did she do in her free time? Was she currently dating anyone? Shania thought back to when she’d first been brought into the clinic and how he hadn’t seemed to know who she was. Could a doctor be that forgetful? It’s probably because of how you’re dressed, Shania told herself. He didn’t see you in such casual attire the last time, and it was over a year ago anyway. On top of that, doctors see so many people. But still, wasn’t it a bit odd that he should fail to remember her? Though she didn’t wish to fall asleep in such a strange place, it wasn’t long before the tendrils of sleep began reaching out for her, snaring her in its web, pulling her down under and into a restless sleep. She dreamt she was running. She was running and running and running. Someone was chasing her down a dark, damp tunnel. The further she ran, the smaller the tunnel got, trapping her in and leaving her vulnerable to whatever was chasing her.