"And that was hound dog by The king of rock! Mr. Elvis Presley himself! On record that is! Funny enough I wanted to be a singer but turns out I canny sing! Well anyways onto our final request, he's new to the building but not the illness, he's just as much of a loonie as all of us! It's Joey Herbert! Requesting West End Girls!" Campbell announced as he slide on the music and got up from the chair.
I sat and watched him as he gently swayed to the beat of the song.
"Come on Joey! Dance with meh!" He grinned as I shyly smiled and shrugged.
"I don't really know how to." I gulped as groaned playfully throwing his hands up doing a little turn before looking back at me.
"In St. Jude's you don't need to be a professional! Be as loonie and corruptive as you dance! Just move that body of yours and don't care where you're shaking it!" He exclaimed as he lassoed me gently pulling on the invisible rope. I sighed and hopped up from the seat moving towards my manic dancer.
We grasped each others hands and just swayed with each other almost like a metronome. Only we'd do two beats before swaying our arms to the other side.
"East end boys and west end girls!!"
"West end girls!" Campbell sung.
"I thought you couldn't sing." I teased as Campbell blew a raspberry at me as we stopped swaying, just holding each others hands.
"Doesn't stop me though does it!" He grinned as he let go spinning back onto his chair, sliding on the headphones and pulled down the fader.
"That's been West End Girls by the pet shop boys! And thus concludes the Loonie Tunes show!" He said playing the looney tunes theme.
"Now I don't usually do this but I want to give a shout out to my new friend Joey Herbert! He knows the illness well, just like any of us! I want you all to be nice to him, let the voices in your head greet him kindly and don't let those catatonics sleep on him! I've been Campbell Bain! Your loonie radio host!" He smiled as he soon turned off the station, a familiarity floating in my stomach.
He shoved off his headphones placing them aside as he turned in his chair, our eyes met for a brief moment.
"That was awfully kind of you." I cooed as he awed embarrassed getting up from his seat coolly.
"Ah- don't sweat it! It was nothing really! Just a friendly shout out!" He brushed back his curtain and I just nodded.
"Joe-" Ms. Isabel entered the radio station, I glanced over at her as she stood in the doorway.
"You have a visiter." She told me, I gawked back at Campbell before exiting, I was took back to my room and there I found Tilly sitting on my bed with a compact mirror fixing up her lips.
"Tilly." I smiled as her eyes followed my voice, she shoved the mirror away as she bounded up and cuddled me tightly.
"Aww Joe I've missed you! I know it's only been a day or two but I've missed you so much! How're you holding up? Are you behaving? Is anyone being mean to you cause I swear I'll-" Tilly stopped in her tracks as she eyed Isabel who was waiting by the door.
"I'll give em a right good talking to or alert one of the staff!" She said as Isabel smirked and walked off.
"So tell me what's been going on?" She asked, her voice like a whisper.
"I made a new friend." I told her, she seemed anxious but who could blame her.
"What're they like? They're not an arsehole are they? Not like that Sandor" She asked as I shook my head with a gulp.
"He's wonderful, truly! He hasn't been mean to me once! Or slashed me! Or shouted at me! Or well more playful than such!" I gushed as she smiled crossing her arms.
"His names Campbell and he's a radio host or well training to be one! But he is here at least! He's really good at what he does! Everyone's very into it- they all dance and just enjoy themselves really!" I said as we sat down on my bed.
"Well as long as you're having fun I suppose that's alright!" She said taking out a cigarette and lighting it, I gazed at her as she looked me back.
"Nurse said it's fine- the patients get to smoke so it's fine for me to do the same." I sighed and nodded twiddling my thumbs between my legs. She gently nudged my shoulder forcing me to look at her.
"What's really going on?" She asked, concern marking her face as I glanced back down towards the floor.
"Nothing." I muttered as I felt my heart picking up the pace.
"Have they got you talking to a shrink yet?" She asked as I shook my head while she took a drag off of her cigarette.
"I only just got my room yesterday- I had to share with Campbell for the time being." I told her.
"And what about pills? Are they making you take any?" She asked taking another drag.
"Not yet- they're sorting that out too." I gulped clawing a hand to the bed as she scoffed.
"Some nurses they are- it's like they don't want you to get better! Not saying you need pills and a shrink but it does certainly help sometimes- though I would prefer if you could talk to someone about your problems." She sighed putting out her cigarette on the frame of my bed and got up.
"I know I just got here but I got to love yah and leave yah alright! I'll see you soon though! Got a couple errands to run- which reminds me- you need anything?" She asked pulling out her list and a pen.
"Some roll on deodorant would be nice- they confiscated my aerosol." I told her as she shook her head.
"Unbelievable- I'm taking it they took your razor too!" She accused as I felt the side of my face, it was getting stubbly.
"Right! Anything else while I'm at it?" She asked as I gently shook my head and shrugged.
"Alright then sweetheart! I might be up here tomorrow with it okay!" She cooed shoving her list into her pocket.
She hugged me and soon left.
