Page 100 of Exile
I can't decide if I'm broken or just messed up.
Jillian and I step forward together, one of the counselors noticing and meeting us halfway. The woman looks to be in her late-twenties, all smiles like her colleagues in a tie-dye rainbow shirt and white cotton shorts.
"Hiya! I'm Marissa, but you can call me Ris. Are you guys bunking together?"
"Yeah," I answer at the same time as Jillian.
"Fab! Full jinxing mode—I like it. Follow me and I'll get you checked in," Ris announces, heading to the reception desk and being handed two swipe keys from the older gentlemen behind it. He beams at us, blue eyes twinkling and for a second, he reminds me a little of Dr. Markel.
Ris holds out the keys toward us. "One each because even though sharing is caring, everyone deserves their own."
Sharing is caring, indeed. But this isn't what I want.
We're taken down an open corridor at the other side of the room, my eyes finding portraits and photographs of laughing patients, families and painted artwork of seemingly important people. Well, at least I assume given they have gold engraved plaques beneath them.
"So, Ridgeview Home isveryopen plan like Dell mentioned," Ris says, acting as tour guide. "All the rooms are scattered through the facility rather than centralized in one area. You'll notice on your keys that there's a letter in the top right corner."
Glancing down, I see the uppercase C, nodding to confirm I'm following along with her spiel.
"A Block starts over to the left, and it goes in order," she pauses, glancing at my card. "You lucky ducks! C is the middle block which is where we are now. But these rooms," she points to the open doors as we pass, our eyes spotting peopleinside. "Are some of our rec rooms. That's arts and crafts, this one is music, and over there is sewing."
"You let people handle needles," I ask, confused.
Ris blinks at me from over her shoulder. "Well, of course!" she answers bubbly. "As long as they pass the counselor check and get a tick of approval and we know they will be safe, patients are free to do what they like. We're here to help heal, not hinder."
Jillian grumbles under her breath. "This is… weird."
I nod, watching Marissa's reaction but she just laughs coolly. "Totes understand why you feel that way. We heard that Lilydale was a little strict."
"Strict doesn't quite cover it…" I say. "So, we have mandatory checks and sessions?"
Opening an unlocked door for us, she points with her thumb to motion us through. "Sessions, yes. But they aren't completely mandatory. Some days, you just don't feel up to chatting and we understand that. But we find most patients are happy to take advantage of our mental health program."
"Are the patients here involuntarily?" Jillian asks.
We enter a large airy corridor, immediately blinded by sunlight. Squinting, I realize it's from the large windows overlooking a courtyard, people wandering around enjoying the warm weather.
"We get patients from time to time who are on a mandated holding period. But before they finish, we offer them a place to stay voluntarily. Most do."
"I can see why," I mutter, shaking my head in disbelief. A young woman in the courtyard who could be our age is licking an ice cream, laughing with two guys. It's hard to grasp that they are patients at first, dressed in summer clothing and sprawled out on a picnic blanket.
What the fuck even is this place?
On the other side of the courtyard, we trek down another corridor with closed doors, and as I take note of the numbers and compare it with the key card in my hand, I realize we've arrived at some of the bedrooms.
"So, what number was it again?" Ris asks.
"317," Jillian answers for us.
"Perfect! Here we are," Ris announces, stopping in front of the door. "Who wants to do the honors?"
"You can do it," I tell Jillian.
She nods, swiping the card. "No code?"
Ris laughs. "No code. Just a single swipe."
The light flashes green and Ris pushes it open while standing back, letting us explore first. My mouth nearly lands on the light blue floor when I focus on what I'm seeing.
