Page 60 of Ward D
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Iconsider not saying anything to Will about my conversation with Ramona, but I suspect he’s pacing his room, stewing about the blood on the hallway floor. I owe it to him to ease his mind. So as soon as I’m done talking to Ramona, I head over to his room.
Before I knock, I glance over at the room next to his. Room 905. Jade’s room. I haven’t seen her since she berated me for telling Dr. Beck about the blood in the hallway. I wonder what she would think about Will’s theories.
I have a feeling she wouldn’t think much of it. After all, she knows he’s off his medications.
I’ve barely knocked on the door when Will pulls it open, as if he were standing behind the door, just waiting for me. He looks down at me with his bloodshot eyes, and I remind myself that Will himself is not entirely benign. This is a man who has been hearing voices for God knows how long, and those voices have been telling him to kill people. He’s paranoid and coming up with conspiracy theories in his head. Although he looked fine at the beginning of the night, as the hours tick by, he’s looking increasingly disheveled.
He’s becoming unraveled.
And while he’s not exactly muscular like Cameron, he’s got at least half a foot of height on me and quite a bit of strength as well. Even without a weapon, he could easily overpower me.
I need to be careful.
“Hey,” I say. “I talked to Ramona.”
“I heard.”
Of course he did. I would be surprised if heweren’tcreeping around the hallways, listening in on conversations. “So it sounds like it was just strawberry jelly. Nothing to worry about.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” He shakes his head. “Strawberry jelly? That wasblood, Amy. We both freaking saw it! She was lying to you.”
“Why would she lie?”
“I don’t know.” He rakes both hands through his hair, and I can see how much he’s shaking. “Listen, Amy…”
“What?”
Will stands there for a moment. He seems to be struggling with some sort of internal conflict. “Nothing. Never mind.”
“You should go to sleep,” I tell him. “I’m going to do the same.”
He snorts. “You really think you’re going to be able to fall asleep?”
It seems incredibly unlikely. “Well, in that case, I’ll just read theCider House Rulesthe rest of the night.” I pause. “I would have loved to readGarptonight if you hadn’t defaced it.”
Will’s lips turn down. “You have to know, I never would’ve done that if I didn’t have a good reason.”
Of course, he had a good reason. He didn’t want to take his pills and get better.
“Good night, Will,” I say.
He gives me a long look. “Promise you’ll be careful.”
“Of course I will.”
I turn around to leave, but Will lingers in the doorway to his room. He’s watching me walk away. It’s only as I’m about to round the corner that I turn around for a moment to see if he’s still standing there.
Except for some reason, instead of 906, it looks like it’s the door to room905swinging closed. Jade’s room.
But I must have imagined it. After all, why would Will be going into Jade’s room?
37
EIGHT YEARS EARLIER
I’ve got a test tomorrow in American history, and I really should be studying for it, but instead, I’m sipping on peach iced tea and watching television.
