Page 42 of Ward D
“Miguel!” Ramona cries. “Where did you get all that jelly?”
It takes me a few seconds to process her words. Miguel is not covered in blood. He’s actually covered in red jelly, all over his naked body. Now that my eyes have adjusted to the light, it’s very clear what the red substance is.
“I’m sorry,” I mumble to Ramona, embarrassed. “I thought that was blood.”
She laughs. “Seriously? It doesn’t look anything like blood.”
Well, maybe she’s right. But she didn’t have to say it likethat.
A moment later, Dr. Beck sprints over to us, skidding to a halt when he catches sight of Miguel’s naked body. His mouth drops open. “Miguel!”
“My father say I go home today,” Miguel says.
Over the next fifteen minutes, Dr. Beck and Ramona piece together what went on. Apparently, Miguel stripped off all his many layers of clothing, then he urinated on the light socket, which briefly shorted out the power on the whole unit. Then he went into his dresser, where he had been stocking up on strawberry jelly for the last several days. And he went to town.
Now we need to get Miguel back into some clothing.
“Miguel.” Dr. Beck folds his arms across his chest. “Please, for the love of God, put on a shirt and pants. There areladieshere.”
Miguel shakes his head so vigorously that all his rolls of fat tremble. I should look away—I really should.
“Fine.” Dr. Beck points at the remaining one of the two seclusion rooms. “Then I’m going to need you to go in here.”
Miguel doesn’t budge. Dr. Beck looks over his shoulder at where I’m standing at the nurses’ station. “Amy, where is Cameron?”
I’m not offended that he’d prefer Cameron to me in a situation like this. If he needs to force Miguel into that room, I will be completely useless. Cameron, on the other hand, has muscles to spare. That said, he is suspiciously absent. Where did he go? Presumably, knowing Cameron, he is hiding away somewhere, studying.
“Listen, Miguel,” Dr. Beck says, “if you go into the room, I’ll make sure you go home tomorrow.”
He’s lying. He’s obviously lying. But Miguel somehow buys it. He goes into the seclusion room, and before he can change his mind, Ramona slams the door shut.
Miguel realizes his mistake almost instantly. Just like in the other seclusion room, the door vibrates as he slams his body against it. “Hey!” he cries. “You lock me in!”
Dr. Beck regards the door, his face impassive. “Just for the night, Miguel. We’ll talk in the morning.”
“No!No!” The hysteria in Miguel’s voice is escalating. “Help me!Ayudame!”
“This is for your own good, Miguel,” Dr. Beck says.
“You can’t!” he yells “You can’t keep me in here! My father say so. He going to kill me!”
“Why would your father kill you, Miguel?” Dr. Beck asks in a calm, controlled voice.
“No! Not my father!” he cries. “Damon Sawyer!”
All three of our heads swivel in the direction of Seclusion One. I haven’t heard any pounding coming from the room since the lights went out. But that doesn’t mean Sawyer isn’t in the room anymore. I’m sure he is still in there, plotting to get free. He must be. After all, where could he have gone?
I turn around—several patients have come out of their rooms to watch the spectacle. Spider-Dan is in the hallway, holding out his wrists, hoping to shoot a web out and miraculously save the day. Jade is by her room, a tiny smile playing on her lips. Will has also emerged from his room, one of his books still in his right hand. He leans in and says something to Jade, and her smile widens. She nods at him.
I wonder what he said.
Mary has come out of her room as well. She’s left her giant scarf behind in her room, but I notice in her right hand, she is holding a knitting needle. My eyes meet hers, and she gives me a knowing look.
“Damon Sawyer!” Miguel screams. “He’s coming to kill me! He’s coming to kill all of us! You have to let me go!”
“Miguel.” Dr. Beck is staying amazingly calm—I’m impressed. But I’m sure he has lots of experience with patients like this. “Mr. Sawyer is restrained right now. He’s not going to hurt anybody. I promise you.”
Dr. Beck spends several more minutes trying to calm Miguel down, but Miguel keeps screaming until his voice turns hoarse. After about twenty minutes, Dr. Beck gives up, shaking his head.
