They Wear Human Skin

Chapter 6: A Visitor

I wake up to an alarm that rings throughout the building. A woman's voice over the intercom says, "It's time for breakfast." The nurse at my door says, "Good morning, I'm Linda." Before having me sit down on the toilet so she can brush my teeth. I feel like a child having my teeth brushed by someone else, and the feeling grows stronger as I realize I'm fighting off thoughts of biting her hand or throwing a fit over the matter. She tells me to head to the nurse station and take my medication. Trying to avoid doing so, I tell her, "I feel all better, no dreams last night. I believe that I'm cured." She smiles and says, "Now Mr. Thomas, you have only been here a day. You are not better yet. Go get your medication." I continued to argue with her about it until two orderlys were called in, and I realized I wouldn't have a choice in the matter. After being forced to go and take the medicines, I started hearing that voice again, I think I'll call him Jack. He called me a dumbass and told me to drink a lot of fluids at breakfast. So I did as he said, and he told me, as I was urinating out a nasty colored liquid. "Still not good enough Thomas it won't affect you today, but they will continue to give you it. I'll handle it, I've found a partner of sorts on another world. He's a parasite that I've formed a codependent bond with. I will provide a food source from a chemical my blood releases, and its psychic powers will bond with mine. I can have a new listener today, wait for a visitor they will sneak you some laxatives. Hide them and take them when able, and continue to get as much of their serum out of your system as possible."

After I induced vomiting, I went into the recreational room and waited. I honestly don't know what else to do but sit and wait. Everyone here is either too drugged up or too depressed for conversation, and definitely too far gone to play any of the board games. Eventually, after sitting for about an hour watching the mind numbingly boring infomercial channel they have playing here, my name is called over the intercom. "Mr. Thomas has a guest waiting for him in the visitation area" an orderly comes over and walks with me, I'm surprised to be met by my sister, "I guess this isn't the visitor Jack was talking about." I think somewhat happy to see her. I sit down and she starts chatting, which is strange for us. we haven't been close for a long time now. I listen and nod, the orderly waits by the wall watching, then she says something, and I realize what's happening. "I went to the store earlier to buy an apple pie." She says, and I'm brought back to when we used to get car rides home from school. Our mother told us if anyone ever comes to pick us up other than her, we are to ask them, "What are we going to the store for?" And if they answered apple pie, we would know they are ok to trust, but if not, they were not safe. She continued talking, "But there was no apple pie at the store, I know it's your favorite, but I don't think there is any apple pie here either." She winking, confirming my suspicion. She's telling me not to trust anyone here. I nod and tell her "you're right there is none, but last night I dreamed about a man who I believe has my apple pie, so maybe in my dreams at least I might find comfort." She nodded and said,"I had a dream last night as well, no offense, but it wasn't anything to drive me crazy. I was out with a man who told me about a future together." I look at her knowing Jack's spoken to her as well. "Well, sis, I'm not offenend, it sounds like we both dreamed of what we don't have, and you don't have no man." I smiled, and she chuckled, then stood up saying "oh before I go, I asked if I could bring you some more clothes, I know you were kind of rushed here." She pulls out some pants and shirts. "The staff already checked them, nice group of nurses. The pants are the ones you like. They have the smoother material in the waistband that doesn't rub quite so much." It took me a moment to know what she was talking about, I've never had a problem with any pants before. Then I realized the laxatives must be somehow hidden in the waistband. So I thanked her and walked with the orderly to put my clothes into my room.