Page 29 of Heart Sick

Her innocent comment sparks my interest. “I didn’t realize you saw me play.”

“Are you kidding me? Everyone has. You’re just too modest to see. You remind me so much of—” She lovingly reaches out, but soon stops herself and clears her throat.

For a moment, she went someplace else.

She stands abruptly, which just adds to the weirdness this day is turning into. “I will come see you tomorrow and if you agree, we can commence.”

“I agree,” I say, needing no time to think this over.

She nods, and just like that, things for the first time in days begin to make sense—well, kind of.

After today, being wheeled into the theater to watchGone with the Windseems fucking stupid, but here we are.

I did as Old Timer said and have an arsenal of drugs stowed away in my sock. This gown doesn’t have any pockets, so I had to be resourceful as there was no way they were going in my butt. I couldn’t get to Luna in time, however, and when she swallowed her stash in one big gulp, I knew I had to get her alone so we can speak.

So this is the reason I’m here because what better place to have a covert conversation than in a darkened room.

Monique wheels me to the back of the room like I knew she would while I scan the room for Luna. She isn’t here yet.

Old Timer is handing out popcorn in red-and-white plastic containers. It seems no expense was spared to give us the genuine movie feel. The fact we can’t take a piss unsupervised or that we are strapped to our chairs sadly cancels that out, however.

I can’t believe we’ve come here to “get better.” This place would drive anyone insane.

Old Timer makes eye contact with me and reads my facial charades perfectly. He continues giving entering patients their popcorn, subtly making his way toward me. I wonder what he has up his sleeve.

My question is answered when a piercing shrill fills the theater.

The excitement amongst the patients soon turns to panic because I’ve seen firsthand what chaos can do in this place, and so do the orderlies when they all run to the front of the room where a man is climbing a pillar, making monkey noises.

Monique talks into her walkie-talkie, asking for backup as she too runs toward the man.

Old Timer grins as he was no doubt behind this little diversion. The man is obviously in on Old Timer’s plan. I wonder what he gets for his efforts. But whatever it is, I realize Old Timer is someone I want on my side.

“How’d you do?” he softly says, offering me a container of popcorn.

I shake my head, but when he nudges it toward me, insisting I take it, I realize this is yet another ingenious plan of his. My legs are strapped in, but my arms are free, so I accept the box and peer inside. There is nothing inside except for golden popcorn, but it’s what I don’t see that is the key.

“Once you’re done, make sure you give the box back to me. We reuse them for next time,” he informs me, which is code for “put your drugs in here so I can collect them later.”

I assume one is to conceal their drugs in here as the pills will fit snugly once pressed into the popcorn.

“Where’s Misha?” I ask because we don’t have a deal if she isn’t here.

Old Timer glances around the room, as if only just realizing she isn’t here. He gestures to a young woman who is talking to her finger puppet of a cat with his chin. She ceases her conversation before leaving the theater.

I don’t know what they did to be able to roam around unrestrained, but I want in. I guess Old Timer was right—I have to play by their rules to win, and I assume to do that, I have to pretend being here is helping me “heal.”

Talking to Dr. Norton seems like a good place to start.

The girl and her finger puppet are back a minute later. The cat on her finger whispers something into Old Timer’s ear. He looks at me and shakes his head. When I notice Noah isn’t here either, panic overcomes me and I try to get the hell out of here, but Monique has put on the brakes.

Old Timer puts a hand on my shoulder and bends low to whisper into my ear, “You do that and they’ll make sure you never see her again. Play it smart.”

“Sitting here, dick in hand, while she is alone with that motherfucker, Noah, is not playing it smart,” I counter through clenched teeth.

“She’s all right. She’s asleep, that’s why she’s not here. I take it you didn’t speak to her?”

I shake my head. “How do I get away during the movie?”

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