★·.·✶·.·★·.·✶·.·★ 
Stephanie

Swirling, foreign chatter fills the canteen; I'm circled by a blur of unknown faces; consequently I feel like a lily floating in a river – who is lost and unknowing of its destination and what the surrounding organisms on the horizon are.

They all look half dead, draped in white meaningless gowns. We're all stuck here, hospitals never failed to make me feel alone. I wondered why any of them even bothered to communicate with anyone else, when it all just seemed so fake and pointless.

Together we are unified in these irritatingly uncomfortable robes. I have lost the aspiration to eat and drink; the medicine has vanished that desire, along with my craving for companionship, which has melted away like cubes of ice on a summer's day.

Somehow I feel like a puddle of hope that has swirled down the plug hole and will never resurface. I've stopped concerning myself with my wellbeing, leaving that to my superiors.

All the nurses waltz around with their ruby cheeks and disgustingly fake smiles. I hate it here. What even is here?

"Hi. You look awfully lonely here missy, mind if I take a seat?" inquired an unidentified face behind my shoulder, I spun around and was greeted by a vibrant masculine face.

"Sure-always space for one more," Stephanie confirmed in a half-hearted tone, she was never a morning person. although this might soon change from the delightful relfection that she had encountered with.

"You're Stephanie, aren't you? My cubicle is just across the hall from yours, and I'm pretty sure we have the same Doctor. How long have you been here for?"

"Yeah ... that's me; I prefer Steph if you would; um... well for a few weeks. And you?"

"I'm Jim a good couple of months, not that I keep count." He grinned.

She enjoyed his company a great deal, her usual monotonous mood had risen significantly in the past couple of hours that she had been aware of Jim's existence ; they chatted till their conversation ran dry, which took a while, as their personal chemistry grew entwining their newly formed friendship.

Steph could not believe this. A handsome young man was living across from her and she had not noticed; she was shocked with herself and made a mental note to start paying more attention to the daily routine of the hospital.

Gradually as she grew more comfortable in his company - she plucked up the courage to ask the question which had been troubling and consuming her thoughts for weeks.

"So, I feel like I can confide in you, can't I?" Steph's voice began to quiver and her bottom lip began to oscillate and wobble, as she attempted to spit out her question.

From the corner of her eye, sneakily she kept watch to see if anyone was eavesdropping on their conversation; she had learnt that the doctors and nurses had eyes and ears everywhere.

"Course Steph. In all honestly you're the only patient here I've properly spoken to in a while, without feeling socially awkward." Jim chuckled under his breath.

"Okay, well I would just appreciate knowing what's wrong with me? I mean there must be something. I've been here for a little while and I've just had examination after examination and I just want to understand why all my questions are left open ended?" Steph started to shed soft silk tears down her melancholy face.

Jim wiped a droplet from her cheek, soothing her with the gentle touch of his empathy and leaving his palm under her chin so she felt reassured.

"The thing is Steph, this isn't a normal hospital, so to speak." Jim whispered, " Physically you probably can't tell much is wrong with yourself, maybe some side effects but mentally there's something not quite right with any of us." He scoffed dryly.

"If you want the truth, I figured it out by constantly nagging and being a pain in the ass," Jim kidded, before lowering his voice. "Take a deep breath and try not to over think about what I'm about to say,"

The silence that enveloped them was like a vacuum and scarily made Steph feel nauseous from the deathly silenced that had diffused into her body; gently it created an overwhelming sense of betrayal." Say something, respond, what's going through your mind?"

Steph's mind began to flash with speculation as to why she was imprisoned in a hospital, when she could see nothing was wrong with her.

"I was angry at the start; it's hard to get your head around the bigger picture that you had so much before you got here, but that'll pass, trust me.
Now I feel that having that decision made for me, has actually really helped me move on. Better off than being dead, ey?"

Jim thought he could try and lighten the sullen mood he had generated; sympathetically he stared into Steph's disappointed sullen eyes.

"But I never asked to be checked in here. It wasn't their choice to store me away for the rest of my life. " Steph began to tremble with frustration; she was like a volcano on the brink of exploding.

"Steph you just need to calm down; you've worked yourself up into a state; just take some deep breaths and try to calm down!"

Jim soothingly stroked her back; Steph continued to shake her head, anger rushing through her veins.

"That's exactly what they want you to think: relax, don't worry about what we do to you!" Steph spat the words out.

"We have to get answers from somewhere! Is there anyone here who isn't brainwashed –completely?"

Their conversation's quick turn of events had interested patients nearby; Steph began to breathe, settling into a normal rhythm-attempting to compose herself.

Whilst doing so, she scrutinized the pale lips belonging to Jim, waiting for the identical duo to part ways and voice a plan.

  ★·.·✶·.·★·.·✶·.·★ 

✶ Please comment,
vote & add to reading lists;
if you enjoy reading this book.✶

― Do not swear by the moon, for she changes constantly. then your love would also change. ―

― William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet ―