Anomalously Black

Chapter 3

"Do you know why you're here Adeline?" I shake my head no. I shift my arms again, attempting to get at least a little comfortable in the white straight jacket. I've only had to be in these things once before. But I don't remember exactly what happened, or what I even did to have to be place in it. But the only thing I remember clearly is the relief that I felt once it was taken off of me.
     

My lips are chapped, my throat is incredibly dry, and my stomach hurts. As punishment for attacking Maddy, the doctors refused to feed me. It's been almost 3 days since I've last had food. I feel like I could pass out at any moment. I lick my lips, trying to get moisture, but I only succeed in feeling a sharp pain on my lips, and I taste the metallic flavor of blood.
     

"Well," Dr.Sullivan says, cutting off my thoughts. "Due to our little incident yesterday, I'm afraid that this will have to have to happen in order to keep you from hurting others, and potentially, yourself." I nod even though I don't really care what Dr.Sullivan is saying at this point. I did what I did to Maddy because she was a threat to me. I sigh and close my eyes. "Adeline, I really do wish that you would speak to me. Due to your current predicament, I'm sure that you've realized that you can't write. So there's no way for you to communicate with me."
    

I shrug nonchalantly. Dr.Sullivan sighs. "I know that what Maddy did was dangerous, but you do know that there was a way that you could've handled the situation differently." I turn away from Dr.Sullivan partly because I don't really want to talk to him, but mainly because I know that he's right. I could've just ran to Henry A or the bald man, and request to go back to my room. Or I could've just got up and left. Instead, I chose to engage, and now it's me in the straight jacket. I hunch over and slightly sulk. "And I'm very disappointed in you Adeline." I look at him, silently asking him what he means. "I found the blood stains on your sheets. You know the rules about self harming." I quickly shake my head, letting out quiet whimpers. I look at the man with wide eyes. It was an accident I swear! He ignores my panicked look though, and continues talking. "Why else do you think that we haven't given you any meals for so long? You should be very grateful that it was me who found the stains, and not anyone else." I continue to shake my head. My heart is thumping hard against my chest and my breathing is heavy. When I see that he is not going to pay my actions any mind, I shrink in my seat.
    

Dr.Sullivan notices my change in mood and position, and takes out his clipboard. "Besides that, me and my colleagues here have finally decided on your current condition." I perk up and look at him curiously. In the 3 years that I've been here, I haven't been told why I'm here. Well I mean I know why, but they never gave me a direct name for the condition. Dr.Sullivan smirks at me. "Would you like to know?" I nod my head quickly.
    

"Well due to your antisocial behavior, your violent tendencies, and obviously, the murder that you have committed, we have diagnosed you as a sociopath." I look at the man, confused. I don't know what a sociopath is, and I've never heard of the word before. Dr.Sullivan ignores my confusion and continues to talk about the medicine that I'll be taking, even though I have no idea what they are. All I know is that it's a lot. A beeping suddenly echoes through the room, and Dr.Sullivan looks at his watch. "Well it seems that our time together has run out. See you later Adeline."
     

Henry A and the bald man move from their positions of standing against the wall, and walk with me out of the room. Before I can make it completely out of the door, Dr.Sullivan calls my name. I turn to look at him, and he smiles. "You should get to packing your things. You'll be going soon." Before I can do anything, I am pushed away from Dr.Sullivan's office, and back to my room.

        +++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Henry A bandages my knee gently as I sit on the bed in my room. I had just gotten my new treatment, a long needle that was filled with some kind of green substance. I hate needles, and Dr.Sullivan and the other doctors kept trying to hold me down, so I did the first thing that I could think of: I kicked and scratched them all until they let me go, and ran away as fast as I could. Of course one of the other doctors grabbed my ankle, making me fall and scrape my knee. While I was whimpering on the floor at the sharp pain in my knee, the doctors and Dr.Sullivan strapped me down to the table, and put the needle in my neck. Whatever was in that needle made my throat dry, and it made my stomach hurt. I couldn't stop vomiting. But because I was laying down, I ended up choking on my own puke, all while the doctors watched me. Dr.Sullivan wrote something down on his clipboard, then told Henry A to clean me up and bandage my leg. Although the freezing cold shower that I took cleaned off the vomit, I feel like I can still smell it.
    

I wince when the alcohol stings the wound on my knee. "Sorry," The man apologizes. He smiles kindly at me, then proceeds to clean the wound a bit more gently, all the while telling me that it'll be okay.
    

Henry A is a confusing man to me. He isn't like anyone else here. And he certainly isn't like that bald partner of his. Sometimes, I wonder what made him want to work here with all of these crazy people like me. I take my notebook and pen off of my desk, Henry A watching me curiously. I write down my question, and turn the notebook around allowing the man to see it. He reads it carefully, then sighs. "It's a very long story Adeline." I write something else down and show it to him.
    

"I have time."
     

The man chuckles, and pats my head, and I scowl at him. "Maybe one day I'll tell you." I nod, deciding not to say anything else about it. Soon, he is finishes wrapping up my knee, and smiles. Before standing up, Henry A does something that surprises me. He leans down and gently kisses the bandage covering my wounded knee. I jump back in surprise, and stare at him. Henry A looks shocked at me for a moment before apologizing. "I'm sorry. It's just something that I used to do with my daughter. She said that it made her feel better." I stare at the man. He sighs, and walks towards the door. "Goodnight Adeline," he says, and leaves the room.
    

I look down at my bandaged knee, and remember what he said. My mom used to do that whenever I hurt myself...
     

Tears sting in my eyes, but I quickly wipe them away. I promised myself that I won't cry again. Tears only mean weakness, and here, I can't afford to be weak.
     

A few hours later, I'm standing on the metal chair in my room, looking outside the window, when the door to my room opens. I turn around to see Dr.Sullivan walk inside, of course, smiling. "I have a very nice surprise for you Adeline. I'm sure that you'll love it." Suspicion sets in, and I watch the man carefully. He steps inside the room, and two other males walk in. They stand next to Dr.Sullivan, and my breath gets caught in my throat.
     

Black hair, blue eyes, slim bodies, and identical faces. The tears are coming again, and I have to pinch myself harshly to force them to stop. My knees feel weak and my chest is tight. Without warning, my legs fail me, and I fall off the chair, onto the floor. The men both gasp, about to rush towards me when Dr.Sullivan stops them. They both look at him angrily, but he only smiles.

"It's best to leave her be. It just the shock." I sit on the floor, breathing heavily, and I put my hand over my racing heart. I look back up at the men, and a dozen emotions rush through me. Anger, confusion, hurt, but the main one is sadness.
     

I look up at the men, and they both look back at me. Part of me wants to lash out at them. I want to hit them and scream at them. I want to make them feel so much pain. But another part of me wants nothing more than to collapse in their arms, and let out all of the tears that I have been holding back all these years. I grit my teeth. I've never had so much trouble with my emotions before. Why now? Why did they have to come back?
 

They abandoned me here years ago, so why did my brothers suddenly want to appear?