You Don't Belong Here

Chapter 3

I sigh as I walk up to Salem Asylum. I hope today goes better than yesterday. Well, yesterday wasn't exactly bad, but it was rougher than I expected. 

I only got to see two of my patients yesterday because it took me too long to write the reports on my visits with them. I got lost just by taking one wrong turn. I didn't even get to eat lunch because I couldn't find my way to the cafeteria to get anything. 

"Hi, Dr. Keegan," the security guard, whose name I learned is Walter, greets as I walk up to the entrance. 

"Hi, Walter," I greet with a wide smile. At least I don't have to worry about dealing with rude people here. Everyone that I have met so far, has been extremely nice. 

I hope it stays that way. At this point, I don't need any bad energy in my life. Especially, after just getting my spirit back from my previous situation. I can't believe I let Jasper break me like that. 

"Hey, Beth," I say cheerfully, but my cheerful demeanor quickly fades to concern when I notice how red her face is and how distraught she looks. My mind immediately thinks of the worst-case scenario, and I stride over to her. 

"Beth, what happened? Are you hurt?" 

"No, I'm fine, Dr. Keegan," she rasps, but it is obvious that that is the furthest thing from the truth. 

"Call me, Kaia, and I can see that you are not fine, Beth. You can talk to me," I tell her softly. I don't want to pressure her into talking, but I know too well how damaging it can be to hold everything inside of you.

"My g-girlfriend of two years just broke up with me through text," she reveals, wiping her tears from her round cheeks.

My eyebrows shoot to the top of my forehead. Girlfriend? I had no idea that Bethany is gay. I wouldn't have thought so, but that's what I get for trying to assume someone's sexuality based off of their looks. 

"When did this happen?" 

"About five minutes ago. I'm not even supposed to be on my phone at this desk. Maybe if I followed the rules, my heart would have been spared a few more hours," she says, her voice cracking as more tears trickle from her tawny brown eyes. 

"Did she tell you what this is about?" I inquire further. 

"No. The message simply read: It's over.  No explanation was given. I thought we were happy, you know. She never gave any indication that she wasn't," Beth explains. 

"I think there are two things that you could do. You can either confront her and demand the explanation that you feel you are owed... or you can move forward without further contact and try your hardest to get over her. Neither option is easy, though."

"Well," her forehead scrunches up as she thinks, "what would you do?"

"Well, I--"

"Dr. Keegan? Beth? What's going on?" 

"Oh, Hi, Mrs. Nicks. Um... We were just talking. I should get going," I say, checking my watch. 

I walk past her, feeling like I might have overstepped my boundaries by giving my manager's daughter advice. What if I gave her the wrong advice and get blamed for it? That was stupid of me.

I probably should've just minded my business, but the look on her face looked like a cry for help. I'm always trying to help. I don't know if that is a strength or weakness of mine. 

I step onto the elevator, thankful that it is empty. Yesterday, this elevator was packed every time I stepped on. One of the times, I got queasy because of a guy's breath. I swipe my badge into the scanner and press the number two.

The elevator doors start to close right as someone shoves their hand between them. The doors come to a halt, then they slowly open back up. A man, about six feet in stature, joins me on the elevator.

The man stands beside me. He doesn't look in my direction not once. He adjusts the sleeves of his dark brown suit before crossing his arms behind his back. 

The elevator doors close, and the elevator jerks to a start. 

I open my mouth to ask the man what floor he's going to, but the words get caught in my throat. Something about this man is intimidating. The elevator opens up on the second floor, and I practically sprint out.

My foot catches on the door of the wall of the elevator, making me tumble onto the floor. Embarrassed, I look back at the man on the elevator. His dark eyes zero in on me like a hawk's eyes on its prey. 

His eyes stay on me until the elevator doors close, obscuring our view of each other. I let out the breath that I had been holding. I get up off the floor, praying that no one, other than the strange man, saw me nose dive onto the floor. 

I fix my shirt, then I head to the office. I unlock the door and walk into the office, letting the lemon scent that the cleaning lady left behind calm me. I sit my bag down on my desk, then I sit in the white, leather rolling chair. 

I start up the computer, and I sigh when the computer moves at a glacial pace. My fingers drum against the desk of their own volition as I wait.

"Hey."

I flinch at the sound of Leanne's voice. "Leanne, you scared me," I say breathlessly. I place my hand over my chest as if it can steady my racing heart. 

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," she apologizes earnestly. "I just wanted to personally thank you. For helping Bethany out, I mean." 

"Oh... so you're not mad about that?" 

"No," her eyebrows knit together in confusion, "I'm glad that she had someone to talk to. She would have never listened to me if I had told her that, and you gave her some solid advice."

"Well, you're welcome. I'm glad that I could help," I reply, unable to contain the smile that spreads across my face. 

"Okay, well I'll let you get back to work. Your first session is in a few minutes," she reminds me while glancing at her gold Rolex. 

She walks out, and I lean back in my chair feeling good about myself. Before I came here, I didn't feel like I could do anything right. Jasper had instilled it in me so much that I had started to believe that I was useless. 

I didn't really start to believe otherwise until I moved here. This seems like the best decision I've made for myself in a long time.

The computer finally hums to life, and I key in my password. I check a few emails and answer the ones that required a response just to pass a little time. When I have no more time to spare, I push away from the computer desk, grabbing my patients' files as I stand. 

I leave from my office and make my room through the halls to room 212, praying that I make a breakthrough with Emily. I know my job here is mostly just to monitor the patients mentally, but I want to delve into their minds. I want to actually help them improve mentally. 

I knock on her door as soon as I make it to her room. "Come in," her timid voice calls out like the day before. I walk into the room, and this time, she is sitting on her bed looking out of the window.

"Hi, Emily. Would you like to join me at the table?" I ask her softly. 

She doesn't answer me, so I walk up to her and touch her shoulder. "Don't touch me!" She yells as she scoots away from me on the bed. She looks unmistakenly frightened, so I step back a little to give her space. 

"Emily, I'm not going to hurt you. Can you come to sit with me, please?"

"The demons always hurt me. T-they tell me not to make a sound when they come to me at night."

"Come sit at the table and tell me more about the demons, Emily," I coax.

"N-no. You're a demon, too. Get out!" She screeches before diving under her bed like a frightened bunny. 

"Okay, Emily. I'll go," I say while walking back to the door. "See you tomorrow," I say before opening the door and gently closing it behind me. 

"Damn it," I whisper as I head to my next appointment. I have to find a way to get through to Emily. That was only my second visit with her, but I feel like a failure. This is my career, and I'm not even doing it right. 

I shake the nerves away before knocking on my next patient's door. Collin Phillips. He suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder. 

I read that he has a total of five personalities, and one of them snapped and killed his parents. That fact makes me nervous but also curious as to why he is not on the third floor. Maybe he's not as dangerous as the patients up there. If he was, I doubt they would have him down here. 

"Come in," I hear after knocking for a little while. 

I walk into the room, not knowing what to expect. This room is the exact same as Emily's room. I thought for the men it would be slightly different. 

"Well, you're new."

I flinch and clutch at my heart as it starts beating uncontrollably. This is the second time this is happening to me today. I close my eyes briefly before opening them and turning around with a smile.

"Hi, Collin. I'm Dr. Keegan." I reach my hand out for him to shake. Instead of shaking it, his face scrunches in disgust. 

"I am not Collin. My name is Adrian, and do you know that you probably have millions of germs on your hand? I'm not shaking that," he says as he goes to sit on the bed. 

"I'm sorry, Adrian. Are you a germophobe?" I question, intrigued how the personalities take on a life of their own. 

"Amongst other things. I have the obsessive-compulsive disorder," he answers honestly. 

"Does Collin have that as well?"

"No, I don't. I have dissociative identity disorder. Do you want to know if I scratch my ass, too?" Collin answers this time.

My lips part at his tone. I try to keep my face neutral to show that I am unaffected, but I don't think I am that convincing. "I'm sorry if I'm being intrusive, but I just find your personalities curious," I tell him.

"We're not sideshows at the circus, here to appease your curiosity," he snarls, making me shiver nervously. 

"I-I'm... that's not--"

"You can leave. I'm tired," he dismisses me with a flick of his hand.

Shocked, I clutch the manila folders to my chest tightly and turn to leave. 

Strike two, I think when I leave from the room. I check the time on my watch and only an hour has passed. It's not even time for lunch, yet. I have two more patients to see, but at this rate, I'll be done early.

I head back to my office to type up the notes--what little notes I have--on the first two patients. This job is proving to be more difficult than I could have ever imagined, but this is what I went to school and studied for. I just have to get out of my own way. 

I walk into my office, and my eyebrows knit together when I see Leanne and the strange man from the elevator waiting in my office. 

"Oh, Kaia. I wanted you to meet Nicholas James. He is the Chairman of the board of directors," she explains. 

I look at the man with a forced smile. His dark hair and dark eyes, along with his harsh features, make him look sinister. Something about the man seems... unhinged like he has a few screws loose. It's intimidating. Nonetheless, when he reaches his hand out for me to shake, I place my small hand in his much larger hand. 

He grips it firmly like he is shaking the hand of another man. "Nice to meet you, sir," I force out through the nerves. 

"Likewise," he says, but I doubt that he is being sincere. "Listen, Leanne can you follow me to my office. There are some things that I need to discuss with you," he says turning toward her. 

Her face turns a bright shade of red, and a bright smile splits her features. My eyes narrow as I try to make sense of her reaction. "See you later, Kaia," she says as she follows the man out of my office.

That was strange. I hope I never have to see him again. 

***************

"See you tomorrow, Dr. Keegan." 

I wave to my last patient of the day, Lauren McKenzie. Well, night. Somehow, I managed to kill a bunch of time. 

The visits with my last patients were much longer than the ones with my patients from earlier. Now, I have to go to my office and complete paperwork, then I am free to go home. I just hope the house is warm. I'm still not used to the snow and below zero weather. 

As I make it to the hallway that leads to my office, I hear a commotion. I know I should walk away from the commotion, but if a patient is in distress they could need some help. Although I've been striking out with my own patients, I still want to offer my services.

One of the rooms' door flies open and one of the male nurses fly out. Another nurse follows after him landing on his back. My mind is screaming at me to run the opposite way, but my feet still move towards the room. Besides, my office is at the end of this hall.

The nurses stand as I approach them. "You... you shouldn't be in this area right now. It's not safe," one of the nurses grunts as he rises from the floor. 

"Yeah, I gathered that. Is there anything that I can do to help?" I ask anyway. 

"No, this happens often with this patient," the other nurse explains. "It'll end soon as Mr. James makes it up here."

"Who is that?" I question curiously. 

"It's W--"

"I'll take it from here, gentlemen," I turn around quickly at the sound of the familiar, cold voice. 

My heart accelerates when my eyes land on Mr. James's dark orbs. The male nurses leave instantly, but I find myself stuck. 

"Do you need help with something, Dr. Keegan?" He asks with a raised brow. 

"Um... no. I was on my way to my office. I'll be on my way now," I say, quickly turning and leaving. 

I glance back at the man, and he is rooted to the same spot still watching. I focus my attention on the door of the office. My skin is crawling at the feeling of his eyes still watching me. I walk into my office and close the door, locking it behind me. 

I glance out of the little blinds covering the window of the door. I watch as he finally enters the room, but not without one last glance in my direction. I swear it's like he is looking right at me, but he couldn't be. He can't see me through this small opening. Can he?

When he disappears, I go sit behind my desk and lean back in my chair. My heart is still racing. I don't even feel comfortable being here while he is here.

There is something off about him.