These Demons

Chapter Fourteen

The male nurses who pick me up somehow remind me of stormtroopers, only that they wear ugly blue outfits with name tags instead of the cool white uniforms.
Unlike the doctors, they are addressed with first names, and I'm not certain whether I like that.

"You will not be in contact with anyone during the next three days," one of them informs me. "No phone, calls or visitors. If you need to tell someone where you are, you can do that now before we take your phone."
"You're taking my phone?" I repeat in disbelief. "I'm an adult!"
"Everything that's a potential threat will be taken from you." How are they all so cold hearted here?
"A potential threat? What do you think I'll do? Eat it?" I ask angrily, clutching my smartphone tightly.
"Rules are rules," the other one simply states. "No phones, shoe laces, wallets and keys."
"Do I have to strip naked too?" I sarcastically want to know and to my own shock, one of them actually nods a little. "Not naked, but down to your boxers. We have to make sure you're not carrying weapons."
"Who do you think I am? Some action hero with a gun above his foot?" I half yell, my anger boiling yet again.
Maybe I really need to get that under control, but definitely not right now.
"Rules," is the only reply I get, and it's unbelievable.

Without getting any further into the discussion, each of them grabs one of my arms and they drag me to the elevator. "Let go of me!" I immediately squeal, struggling to break free.
If there is one thing I despise, then it is strangers touching me. It both terrifies and grosses me out, and it makes me deeply uncomfortable and nervous.
"I can walk on my own, thank you very much!" I huff and shake them both off violently.
When they want to take hold of me again, I flinch away. "I told you I can go by myself."
"If you do something stupid, you'll be in big trouble," the taller one says with a doubtful look, but I just roll my eyes before I turn around and head for the elevator at the end of the cold hallway, knowing that the two employees are way too close behind me.
To calm my nerves, I pretend they're just security guards of mine on the way to a show, but that actually depresses me even more because I'm letting everything and everyone down that used to matter to me.

When I pull out my phone from my pocket while waiting for the elevator to arrive, both nurses immediately react by attempting to grab me, but I raise my arms in surrender. "Relax! It's just my phone. You said yourselves I could use it." That seems to calm them down, but I still don't think they trust me when I scroll through my contacts and wonder who I'm supposed to call. I definitely need to call someone. I can't just vanish for three fucking days.

But there is nothing I want to avoid more than BVB Army drama, so I don't call the band.
That probably makes me a horrible lead singer, friend and person in general, but I don't care and spontaneously choose to call our producer John whom I haven't really talked to since the studio show, but we used to be close and he's the kind of person who can just stay quiet and not throw a tantrum or spread confidential information all over social media, unlike most of the people I call my friends and family.

"Hey," I say and clear my throat before stepping through the metal doors that have just slid open in front of me.
As I watch the nurses enter too and press the button of the building's top floor, I realize I haven't even decided what to tell him. "Andy? Hey man, I'm actually really tight right now, can I just call-"
"No, this will be quick," I cut him off and couldn't be more relived to hear that from this.
When I have to make it short, I automatically avoid any unpleasant questions or deep conversation coming up and that's exactly how I want it to be.
"I just, um, I'll be gone for a few days, so-"
"What?" he exclaims, obviously shocked, which is probably relatable. "You're kidding! Tomorrow is the day to pick the cover design! Richard will bring the three final ones and the chosen one will go right into production! Andy, for god's sake, we need to set the release date at the end of the week and talk about the tour!" he freaks and I was probably wrong about him staying calm, I realize.