Just Me, Him, and Ten Others - (Ruth Harris Series)

Chapter 13

'One week.' rang in my head as I trudged back to my dorm the next day. 'Just one more week, that's all I ask.'

Dr Westone hadn't looked surprised at my demand in our session - but then, psychiatrists in psychiatric hospitals seldom are surprised.
               'I want to leave this hospital.' I had told him. His lips parted and pursed, but that wasn't out of surprise. He was simply out of ideas.
'Leave?'
'Yep.'
'Ruth, by law that means I and an external psychiatrist have to examine you and determine whether it is safe for you to leave, within the next twenty four hours. Are you sure you're ready to ask for that? If we decide you're better off here for a little while longer, it can be a hard blow -'
'I don't care. I'll risk it. Westone, by this time tomorrow I could be a free woman. I could be by Hunter's bedside every day -'
'And how do you think you would handle that?' Westone asked. 'Seriously, Ruth. Hunter is dear to you, but what will it be like when he's not capable of holding you, and chasing after you? He's in pain, which will limit his patience and alter the dynamic between you. Bad things might happen, and I can't allow that to be the downfall of four months' hard work.'
'That's not fair!' I argued. 'I can do this! I'm an adult, I can take care of myself more than you think. You know how different I am to the others here - that's why you didn't let them sedate me the other day, when I ran up here to tell you about Hunter! I'm no threat to anyone, including myself. Everyone in my head is being so nice to me at the moment. You've really helped us all.'
'I appreciate that, Ruth. Really, I do, and I will take that into account. But what happens when one of the voices isn't so nice to you? What about Blaze? He hasn't come out since you arrived here. How do you know what he'll do when he resurfaces?'
               Blaze's last visit to my body left me lying in a hospital bed, with a 6 inch shard of glass sticking out of my femoral artery. I couldn't afford to do that again. None of us could.
               So, after a long, long pause, Dr Westone continued, more calmly, 'Ruth, legally I can't make you postpone asking for this, but I would ask you to give me one more week of your time, as a friend. Just one more week in this place, that's all I ask. And if you're doing as well then as you are now, I'll sign off on you leaving. I promise.'
'But what difference will one week make? What's the point!?'
'The point is, we still have a few things to work through: there's Bertie, other people who have taken advantage of you, Blaze, X - to name a few. I don't want to rush your improvement, Ruth. Forced sanity is the leading cause of insanity, and I will not let you fall back into that pit. If you give me some more time, I can help you. Really help you.'
               I looked into Westone's small brown eyes, and sighed.
'Alright. Alright. One more week. Thank you.'
               I walked back to my room with my tail between my legs.
'One week. Just one more week. I can do that.'
               The door opened and I saw Salieri's blonde head on her pillow, 'The Bell Jar' in her hands.
'Hey.' I huffed, collapsing onto my bed.
'Tyler. How was therapy?'
'A crap circus.'
               Salieri flipped her legs over the side of her bed, and put her book down as a gesture for me to explain. I sighed. 'I told Dr Westone I want to leave. I told him I'm ready.'
'And?'
'He wants me to put in another week before I officially ask to leave. He thinks that's all I need.'
'Really? Then, he must think your chances of getting out are pretty high.' Salieri pondered. 'If he thought the other evaluator would say no, he would have assessed you straight away. But he's waiting because he knows in a week you'll be set free.'
'That's a good point.' I said, a small smile growing on my lips.
'I know it is - I made it. A week's not a long time, Tyler. It'll go quick, you'll see.' Salieri said.
'I just wish I could be with Hunter tomorrow. He needs me.'
'Tyler, from what you keep telling me, I don't think that boy's going anywhere. Bones don't heal in a week. He'll still need you when you get out next Wednesday.'
'You're right. Yeah. You're right.' I said, sliding off my mattress and walking over to our shared vanity.
               I looked at myself in the mirror. My brown hair was tumbling unevenly past my elbows for lack of trimming, my eyebrows had grown out thick and dark, and my face held almost no tan anymore. I had a few freckles, but Salieri had more. She was prettier than me. Jodie was prettier than me.
'But Hunter wants you.'