Dirty Secrets

Part 5

For ninety minutes in the early afternoon, Lyla enjoyed courtyard activities with the other patients. It was the best part of the day. They couldn't see the streets due to the fact that the brick hospital building surrounded the courtyard on all four sides. But the sky was their ceiling with the sun periodically shining down between patches of clouds.

Outdoor period was the only occasion, other than movie time in the Common Room when Lyla and the other nine girls mingled with the twelve male patients.

The courtyard was divided in half. On the left, a chain-link fence enclosed a basketball court. A large garden occupied most of the right side of the space. Though Lyla found pleasure in ministering to the assortment of flowers and vegetable plants, she preferred co-ed basketball, which temporarily took her fuzzy mind off of her troubles.

She leaned against the fence and watched a tall guy with PACKER stitched on the back of his green basketball jersey shooting long-range baskets in the midst of the flirty intermingling going on around him. He was long and lanky and moved with the comfortable grace of an athlete at home on a basketball court.

Natalie clumsily dribbled a ball around the perimeter of the court.

"You're bouncing it too high." Packer tried to coach her. 

She ignored him then lost control of the ball. He shook his head and lined up another shot. He bent his knees, eyes locked on the basket, and jumped. At the same time that the ball left his fingertips, Packer lost his shoe. He landed awkwardly.

"How we supposed to play with no shoelaces?" he griped at no one in particular. He slipped the shoe back onto his foot.

A guy named Eric who wore a wispy mustache and an unruly patch of growth on his chin high-fived Clover when she stepped onto the basketball court.

"Hey! Back for more." He grinned.

"Couldn't keep me away from you, boo." She blew him an exaggerated kiss, which got a laugh from patients nearby.

"She's comin' in hot!" Eric growled and grabbed her butt with both hands. "Bring it in, girl."

"Whooooo!" Clover shouted, waving her tattooed arms over her head.

The attendant, Petie, a stocky guy whose short sleeves displayed his powerful arms, jogged into the court. 

"Hands, Eric," he said with an authoritative tone.

Eric raised his hands innocently. 

"No harm, no foul, am I right?"

"Keep your hands to yourself or you're going back inside. Got me?"

Eric nodded.

Clover backed away from Eric. "Sorry, not sorry."

Petie didn't find it amusing. "How 'bout we separate you two until you cool down?"

She shook her head. "Such a buzzkill, Petie." 

"We got rules. You know that."

On her way out of the basketball court, she chirped, "Okay. I'll be in the Garden of Eden if anybody needs me." 

Eric directed his attention to Lyla. "Lola. You playing?"

"It's Lyla," she said, pushing herself off the fence.

"Whatev. You playing?"

"Yeah, I guess."

He bounced the ball to her, which Lyla fumbled.

"Haldol kicking your butt?" he smirked.

"I just suck at sports." If she were being honest, Lyla would admit that the antipsychotic drugs in her system had clouded her perception, but her athletic self-assessment was accurate.

"I'll play." AJ raised her hand but was ignored.

"What's your friend's name?" He gestured toward Shaniece who filled a watering can at the edge of the garden.

Lyla looked over her shoulder to see who he meant.

"Her? That's my roomie. Shaniece."

"Yo! Shaniece," Eric shouted, drawing her attention. 

Lyla winced. This was not going to end well. Shaniece had said on more than one occasion, "That guy gets on my last nerve."

"Need another player over here," he hollered.

Shaniece went full-tilt diva. "So, cuz I'm a black girl you think I should be over there ballin'?"

Lyla cracked up.

Eric shrugged.

"Imma break the stereotype and tend to my zinnias if that's alright with you."

"Thanks for the judgmental tone," he replied.

Lyla snickered. A fluttering turned her head. Two large blackbirds perched at the top of the chain-link fence. They stared at her with cold beady eyes. Her heart raced.

"That's freakin' weird," said Eric. "Never saw any birds in the courtyard before."

Petie waved his hands. "Shoo. Go on. Get out of here."

The birds paid him no mind, intently gazing at Lyla.

Petie's phone buzzed. He checked it then said, "Lyla Perry. Your visitor's here."

The birds watched Petie escort her into the building.