Incurable

Twenty Six

After dinner, they all gathered in Jake and Alex's room to hear the story.

Scott sat on Alex's bed, his back against the headboard while Mitch sat beside him, tucked under Scott's arm.

Alex was pacing in the front of the room, wringing his hands together as he tried to word it properly. "So... There's a new counselor. I think his name is Mr. Riley. And he's taking a few patients from each counselor, so it could be any of you."

Kirstie spoke from her seat on the edge of Alex's bed, where she was seated near Scott, and directly beside Avi. "But.. That won't change our Groups... Right?"

"Yeah. It only changes who you speak to when you have to do check ins or whatever."

Jake was laying on his stomach, on his own bed, Kevin sitting beside him on the edge of that bed. Jake cleared his throat once. "So... What exactly is the problem, Al? He was mean to you?"

"Yeah. Really mean. And really... I don't know. Gross. I just.. Really, really hope none of you get him."

Kevin spoke then. "Define 'gross'. In what way was he gross?"

Alex continued to pace, looking at the ground. "I don't know... Gross. Like... Gross."

Kevin offered alternatives. "Like... Unsanitary? Offensive?  Indecent? Vulgar?"

Alex frowned, and finally sat down on the edge of his own bed, his back to all of them while he dropped his head into his hands. "All of them. He was so... Insensitive. Made rude jokes. Made sexual jokes..."

Jake moved himself to stand up, kneeling beside Alex and setting a hand on his leg. "For example...?"

"He made fun of my sexuality. Like... Right to my face. And I'd only been in the room for like, five minutes."

Kirstie scoffed. "Ugh, how rude. I'm sorry, Alex."

Jake wasn't done. "Give me another example. Tell me something sexual he said."

Alex took a deep breath, speaking quietly. "He told me that... I probably have bad sleeping habits because I spend too many nights in other people's beds."

Mitch gasped loudly, looking up at Scott in disbelief, and Jake stood up quickly.

Kevin stood too. "He can't say that to you. We have to report him."

Jake turned for a second. "But we don't have any proof."

Kirstie looked up at them. "We have Alex's word. Isn't that enough?"

Jake frowned. "No. We need concrete proof."

Avi leaned forward a little in his spot. "Alex, did he say anything else?"

Alex just nodded, head still in his hands.

Scott whispered something to Mitch, and all eyes turned to him in curiosity as to what Scott wanted to say.

Mitch nodded once, and then looked at Alex. "Did he touch you at all?"

Alex didn't respond, and the room was completely silent.

Jake took a small step in Alex's direction. "Alex... Did he hurt you?"

Alex's shoulders shook a little, and a small sniffle was heard.

Kevin shook his head and began walking out of the room. "That's good enough for me."

Avi jumped up, wanting to go with him. "Are you going to get a nurse, or one of the administrators?"

Kevin kept walking. "I'm going straight to the top of the chain."

Kirstie came up behind him, chasing Avi out the door to join Kevin as well.

Jake dropped down to his knees in front of Alex, who was still hiding his face from everyone. Jake set his hands on Alex's legs. "Alex, please... Tell me what he did."

Alex shook his head once. "I can't."

Scott got up, and sat down beside Alex, running one hand up and down Alex's back as he stared at him in concern.

Alex leaned into him a little, until Mitch got up too and sat on Alex's other side, only to hug him.

Mitch sniffled too, hating to see other people cry. "I'm sorry you got hurt. Please don't be sad anymore."

Alex smiled a little, putting one arm over Mitch's shoulders. "I'm okay, little guy. You don't have to cry over me."

Mitch scoffed. "Yes I do. I feel horrible."

Jen walked into the room then, with both a clipboard and a smile. "Hey guys! I figured I'd find some of the Reds in-- Oh my goodness, are you okay?"

Alex wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "Yeah, sorry..."

Jen set the clipboard down and walked a little closer to the group sitting on the bed. "You're... Alexander, right? A Yellow, I think...?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Please, I'm not a ma'am. I'm the Red Group Leader, and you can call me Jen just like everyone else."

Alex nodded and smiled. "Okay. Yeah... I'm fine. Thank you, Jen."

Scott continued rubbing Alex's back, although he eyed the clipboard with a scrutinizing gaze.

Jen quickly turned to grab it, noticing Scott's focus on it. "Oh, right! So, they're reassigning counselors, due to a staff change."

Jake stood up slowly, walking over to sit on his own bed as he contemplated scenarios of what might have happened to his friend.

Jen flipped a page quickly. "It seems like... The only people that are changing are Scott and Kirstie. They'll be reassigned to our new counselor, Mr. Riley. But Kevin, Mitch and Avi are to stay with your original counselors."

Scott actually looked relieved by this news, although no one really noticed.

Jen smiled at Mitch. "Would you pass that news along to Kristie? She and Scott have a meeting with him tomorrow, just so they can get to know each other a little more."

Mitch frowned. "Yeah. I can do that."

********

Kevin came back into the room with a frown, Kirstie and Avi behind him.

Jake stood up. "Well?"

Kevin shook his head sadly. "They don't believe us."

"How can they not believe us? Why the Hell would we make this up?"

Kevin just shrugged. "I wondered the same thing."

Mitch, now clinging to Alex's arm. "I have worse news. Scott and Kirstie got switched into Mr. Riley's counseling. They have to go meet him tomorrow."

Avi looked over at him with wide eyes. "What?"

Kirstie's mouth dropped open a little. "Oh no... No, no. That can't be right."

"Jen came in and told us herself." Mitch responded.

Kirstie covered her mouth with both of her hands and looked up at Avi.

Kevin was staring at Scott though. "Why don't you look worried? You should be worried."

Scott smiled a little, and shook his head.

Jake tilted his head a little, thinking Scott knew something that they didn't. "Why not?"

Scott looked down at his hands in his lap, only to speak quietly. "Glad it's not Mitchie..."

****