"Jess? Are you okay?"
Jess looks up suddenly, realizing she was staring at the floor and is in her security uniform. What's she doing here? Looking around, she's at the entertainment centre. Checking her watch, it's Thursday.
Thursday, why's it Thursday? She... went to bed eventually on Tuesday night after managing to calm down after... the things in her apartment with her. She wracks her brain for what happening Wednesday, but it's an absolute blank.
"It's Thursday, yeah?" She asks Stephanie infront of her, a human greeter and customer service rep.
"Yes." Stephanie responds slightly confused and tweaking an eyebrow. "Are you feeling okay? You've been fairly spaced out all day."
"Uh, fine. I actually just need a break for a moment." And she hurries to the lockers, pulling out her water bottle and almost gags when she tastes it. That's not water, it's alcohol.
How did she get alcohol? She's below the legal drinking age and checks her wallet, her fake I.D she has isn't with her. Maybe it's at home?
If she's drunk coupled with what happened Tuesday might explain what's happening now. But should she have total memory loss for an entire day? She takes a step back and feels herself sway slightly, vision going slightly blurry despite her glasses.
Okay, she's real drunk. Shit, she needs to go home now and not tip off the fact she is supposedly drunk? She hasn't gotten blackout drunk like this in a long time. Heading outside, while sipping the alcohol in the water bottle, not even thinking, she can't find Bella anywhere on the floor.
Then she feels really nauseous, strong colored lights, pounding boppy music, Princess is performing on stage and there is people everywhere, she feels suffocated like everyone and everything is closing in on her.
She tries to steady herself and covers her eyes with her arm when she feels someone gently touch her shoulder. "Jess?"
"Brianna?" She responds seeing her there looking concerned and then it goes dark. When she comes to, she realizes she's staring at a computer, a blank page document infront of her on it.
She still has water bottle, having not be confiscated. Do they know she's drunk?
"She doesn't look well, Bella."
"I agree, she looks pale and not well. It's probably just the flu or something, I can send her home?
But I do need to wait for permission from Maggie actually. I'm required to inform her of the situation. She likes being 'in' on what's going on generally."
"I think she's to involved at times with us, our lives here."
"Brianna, shut up. Don't say that."
"But it's true."
"I... I know, but do you want to lose your job? And Maggie's not doing it to interfere or cause harm, the owner before was hell from what I'm heard, it's good his dead and Maggie lost her kids to and was saddled with debt and problems from this company.
She's doing the best she can, her overly involved personality stems from the trauma she's been through and the fact I heard that Douglas treated the original staff like shit. They all left when he died in the fire with his kids."
"Well, they never actually found his body, Bella. The kids though..."
"Eh, don't say it. Gives me shivers thinking about charred human bodies."
"Sorry, Bella. I'm a paramedic, I've seen... things. All kinds of things."
"Yeah, you would have..."
Jess stretches a little and places the bottle down on the table and sighs when she hears stuff.
Jess, I'm here. Come say hi.
She looks around confused, who said that?
Jess, I'm here. Don't ignore me.
The voice is ghastly and she feels the hairs on her arms stand on end when she can see something beneath the table, a presence, but is daring not to look fully down and confront whatever it is.
Her breathing quickens and feels a tear slide down her cheek. A co-worker on the team across from her looks beside his computer at her.
"Are you okay?" He asks her as she starts to panic more. The guy stands up and raises a hand up, about to call out to Bella when the voice raises it's pitch, full on screaming at Jess.
I SAID DON'T IGNORE ME!
And a ghastly looking zombie thing without a face really, but glowing eyes crawls out from under the table at Jess, leaping at her and she falls off the chair, trying to crawl away from it backwards as it seizes her shoulders with it's bony hands.
"GET OFF ME!" Jesse screams, writhing around, trying to fight it off.
"Jess?!" Bella says out loud, watching Jess as she's scrambling around, clawing at nothing.
"Adam, I need you up here at the Security Office." Brianna says quickly into her walkie talkie.
"Can it wait?" He says back casually.
"No, you need to get your butt up here now!"
"They're on me!" Jesse screams, "Get them off!"
"The hell..." Adam trails off, hearing Jessie in the background. "What is that noise?" Maggie speaks up, chiming in. "Everyone can hear that yelling on the channel. Who is it?"
But no one responds, as Bella and Brianna are over at Jess trying to calm her down. "Jess, nothing's there or on you." Bella tells her.
"Get them off! They're hurting me now, he went."
"Who went?" Bella responds confused.
"Jess, what do you feel or see or hear?" Brianna asks her.
"Get the spiders off me!" Jess yells back, now scratching at her skin and trying to swatt away what doesn't actually exist.
"Bella, it's likely a psychotic break and I don't know why." Brianna tells her, taking one of Jessie's arms so she doesn't scratch her own skin more and Bella takes the other arm.
"No, let go! They're hurting me, I have to get them off!" Jesse yells at them.
"Jess, listen to me. There is nothing there, you're likely experiencing hallucinations, okay?" Brianna tells her.
They pin her arms by her side down as best they can and hold her down. "Can someone get her legs, please? Don't just stand there!" Bella scolds everyone.
Two boys join in and hold Jessie's legs down as she continues yelling at them and trying to get out of everyone's grasp. Adam arrives and takes over from Bella. Bella stands up and catches a whiff.
Picking up Jesse's water bottle, she smells it. "Ugh, that's alcohol." And coughs a bit, placing if down on the desk.
"She's drunk?" Brianna says. "Jesse, look at me. How much have you had to drink today or even yesterday?"
But Jessie can't respond. Then Maggie comes running in, followed by a man and a women wearing paramedic uniforms.
"Hi Denise, hi Greg." Brianna says. "You call?" Bella asks and Maggie nods her, not saying anything and taken aback.
"What's her name?" Denise asks.
"Jessie Thompson." Bella tells them.
"Hi Jessie, I'm Denise. I'm here to help you."
"Get them off me!" Jessie yells.
"I'm afraid we can't do that till your calmer. Do you think you can calm down for us?" Denise responds.
"Get them off! They're biting me! He sent them!"
"Okay, we're going to help you. Don't worry."" Denise says, and she takes Jessie's shoulder to hold her still more while Greg approaches, holding a needle. Denise swabs the sight quickly with an alcohol swab and Greg gently inserts a needle, pushing down and gently pulls it out.
"Jessie, this is going to calm you down, alright?" Denise tells her, but she's not even listening and still shaking.
"Transport bed?" Greg says. "Yeah, we're transporting her." Denise responds and Greg heads outside, bringing back one.
Jessie's calm now, and not moving all over the place. She's trying to keep her eyes open and fight sleep.
"Okay, on account of three. One, two, three." And she feels herself move onto a bed and a sheet and straps applied over her body.
"How much did she have to drink? Someone said something about alcohol?"
Jessie can't make out who's talking and the last thing she sees Maggie appearing over her. "Can I accompany her? She doesn't have any family."
"Uh, sure. I guess."
And then Jessie's eyes close completly, falling asleep from the drug. It's officially knocked her out.
---
Jessie's eyes flutter softly, a hospital room coming into view, can hear beeping and foot traffic. She's back in the ER...
Her security uniform is missing, replaced by a hospital gown and her long hair is down, no longer into a plaited ponytail. She goes to move her arms and sit up when she can't, and her brain immediately feels foggy and numb.
"Jess? I'm here, it's okay."
Jess let's out a breath and looks beside her, Maggie.
"Maggie?"
"Yeah, I came with you. How are you feeling? Do you feel better?"
"Where am I?"
"The hospital."
"Why am I like this? Let me out." Jess says, getting upset and tugging on the restraints. No, no, no. It reminds her of what Douglas did.
"I'm sorry, I can't do that."
"Why not?!"
"Staff gave you some medication. You... You we're seeing and hearing, feeling things Jess that we're not there."
"You're lying."
"I promise you I'm not, and there was indication you had been drinking before and during work. I'm not going to lecture you on how you got alcohol when you're to young to legally buy it.
But you likely had a psychotic break, Jess coupled with what is a clear indication you've been drinking."
"Get a member of staff."
"Uh- OK." And Maggie stands up and leaves. She comes back with a man.
"Hello Jessie, I see you're awake. How are you feeling?
"Call me, Jess. And who are you?"
"I'm Dr Alexander. The on-call psychiatrist, we met earlier, but you we're so out of it when paramedics bought you in."
"Was I actually... Was I actually drinking and hallucinating? I don't... I don't remember anything. I can't... remember the day before as well."
"That is concerning. We're waiting on your test results, tox-sreen and other stuff."
"When can I leave? I want to leave."
"I'm afraid we can't let you leave right now. Your workplace, Maggie here had us bring you in. We want to know you're okay, and we want to help you."
"I don't need help! What I need is you to let me go!" She yells at him, thrashing and the restraints bruising her skin.
"Another dose of Ativan, please. She's becoming upset again." He says.
"I'm not getting upset!" She yells, as she sees a Nurse push a needle into a tube connected to herself. "Maggie, I think it's best you leave now. I'm sorry. We're going to transfer Jesse here up to our inpatient psychiatric floor." Dr Alexander tells her.
"Of course... Bye, Jess." Maggie says.
"No! You can't leave me! Maggie! Maggie!" Jess yells despretly as Maggie walks away. "Maggie..." She says one last time, feeling sleepy and Dr Alexander and the nurse before her swirls and she closes her eyes.
---
It's hard to ignore the chatter of everyone and the TV that is going, but at the same, it's so easy to tune it all out, struggling to stay awake from the extra dose of medicine she was given.
She's lying on a couch under a blanket in a common room, surrounded by other patients. She got taken up to the psych floor.
"Evening all, how we doing?" Says a voice and she hears footsteps enter the room.
"Evening Dr Anna." Say a few. This must be the on duty Psychiatrist for the evening, this place is nicer than most psych wards she's seen online.
For a public one anyway.
"And who is this?" Says the Dr coming over to Jessie, bending down slightly. Jesse pulls the blankets over her more to hide.
"The new one to join this house of freaks! She was bought up here a few hours ago." A female patient sneers. "Ren, we've already discussed your behavior. You and neither are any of the other patients here, 'freaks'". The Dr scolds this, 'Ren'
"I want to leave, I don't belong here." Jess speaks up. "Can I see your face, and have your name, please?" The Dr asks Jess gently and Jess removes the blanket a little.
"Hello there." The Dr smiles.
"Jessie Thompson..."
"So, Jessie-"
"Call me, Jess."
"Of course, Jess. Let's have a look here."
She's browsing a tablet. Where is hers? Hopefully Princess has it.
"It says here paramedics bought you in from your workplace and you we're drunk and having hallucinations. You're on a 72 hour hold."
"I want to go home."
"I'm afraid that simply isn't possible at this time."
"I have rights."
"You're right, you do. Access to medical and psychatric healthcare, laundry services, bathing amenities, a room that has a bed with warm blankets and a pillow, place to store your belongings provided it's safe for you to have them, access to food and drink, outdoor time although it is somewhat enclosed for patient safety and last, you have the right to see a judge, and received legal counsel should you wish to appeal your section.
Did you understand?"
Jess looks at her mildly shocked. "Do you understand, Jess? Would you like to go to a private room with a Nurse and they can go through this with you again?"
"I understand..."
"Okay. So, how did everyone enjoy dinner?" Anna speaks up. There is a few dissatisfied voices, but some saying they enjoyed it.
"As good as hospital food gets." Ren sneers. There is a guy near her. "I hate it, it has calories." He says.
"I hear you, but it's really important you keep at it. You're doing great, Louie." The Dr tells him.
The Dr looks to Jess. "Did you have anything to eat?"
"I feel like I am going to puke." Jess responds, teeth gritted.
'Uh, OK. We can give you some medicine for nausea and to settle your stomach. You're going to be sleeping off a hang over for a bit, you still have some brutal hours ahead of you.
Your chart here says you had quite a few drinks of alcohol. There was also indication you had consumed an unknown substance, but we didn't get a clear reading on it."
"Just give the meds and send me to my room." Jess says and a Nurse helps her leave the room as the Dr remains behind and people have snacks and their own meds before bed.
Jess is lying in her room, the lights off, meds running through her and a largic plastic jug beside her full of water and some plastic cups.
It's hard to sleep, intrusive thoughts running through her mind while feeling violently ill.
How long is she going to be here? Does Princess have the tablet? And she doesn't have her phone and stuff. The longer she goes without checking in with Douglas, he might get angry and set up a bomb and kill everyone like he threatened.
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