The Fifth Horseman

You are, and you're gorgeous

Dr Julie had memorized every bump and scratch on the imperfect varnishing that coated that headboard. Some of those scratches were from her own nails. She rested both her palms to cover them, while her sore knees pressed into the hard mattress, maintaining position. 'Slow down, that hurts,' she uttered, uncomfortable, and frankly disappointed. She had to repeat herself twice more while waving her hand until she finally caught his attention. 'What?' Mr Jamal responded. The television was probably too loud, or maybe his age was just showing. She pulled herself off, turned around dropped flat, looking at his sorry drained out expression. Mr Jamal pulled up his greying hair, and stood up, zipping up, buckling his belt.

'So,' she started. It was the first word she had uttered since she walked in 20 minutes ago.

'So,' he replied, nodding his head repeatedly.

'I noticed the headboard,'

'What about it?'

'This is your personal on-call room, and nobody comes here but you,'

'Well, and you...'

'Exactly! Which only means ALL those nail marks are ALL mine.'

'What's your point?' Mr Jamal was getting impatient.

'There's just too many, and I'm getting self-conscious,'

'You could always walk out. I told you that from the start.'

She knew to expect such a response but she didn't want to. She felt that even the inanimate objects in the room were starting to judge her. She knew she didn't belong, but she desperately tried. She knew she was being used but she ignored everything for a little wishful thought; a fairy tale where she gets to be the one up in the castle tower who is swept off her feet, and it didn't matter who came with what baggage, just a promise of a happy ending.

She left tearing just a little, swallowing the rest, keeping her head up heading straight for the elevator.

At precisely 2 pm, she approached the ward. A friendly figure came close and walked beside her. Dr Satya, the Psychiatrist. He smiled and nodded. 'Heard you have bipolar case for me?' he engaged her.

Dr Lucy collected her thoughts. 'Yes, and she is a dangerous one, please do what you can Dr.'

The conversation ended as they entered the ward side by side, each taking a diverging path from then on.

Dr Satya read the ward register and quickly rushed to the patient, his arms behind his back, his fingers rubbing against each other, ruminating on how he would make an entrance. He understood the weight of a first impression and he did not want to mess this up with his new case.

'Hello,' he said, from outside the curtain. May I come in?'

'Yes, yes you may,' replied Sheila unexpectedly.

Dr Satya came in drawing close the curtains after him. He was surprised to see the young intern in a worn out white coat sitting patiently. She wasn't really doing anything. 'Just talking,' she said, 'she's all yours,'

'Very well,' Dr Satya replied. Sheila got up and exhaled, as though she was trying to internalise something. 'Must have been some talk,' Dr Satya retorted. Sheila chuckled just a little. She patted the patient on her restraints and they both smiled at each other before she walked out. 'Hello, I'm Dr Satya. Those restrains must be tight, you want me to take them off?' he started.

There was a lot on the list today and she was on top it all but Sheila typically always felt as though she had forgotten something. 'SHEILA!!!' Dr Julie yelled from across the ward. She immediately ran to her call.