Jack In The Box

Jackson had tried to commit suicide, but thankfully we’d reached on time to save his life. He lay in the hospital bed breathing through an oxygen mask, an IV connected to him. As his nurse, I felt responsible for what happened to him. If I hadn’t let him out of my sight, maybe this wouldn’t have happened at all.

I watched Jackson as he slept peacefully, despite how chaotic his life had become. His chest moved in a constant slow rise and fall. Any normal person would easily peg him as Hollywood worthy. He should have been at one of the movie sets; sitting in his private room, reading the lines he was supposed to recite and sipping on fresh juice that the errand boy brought him, instead, he was. Bat-shit insane and convicted of murders. Besides that, he was so damn unpredictable and that’s what made him even more mysterious.

I doodled in my diary; Mysterious, Unpredictable and Drop-dead gorgeous.

Instinctively, I brushed the dark locks of hair away from his face. It was almost past lunch time when Jackson opened his eyes. His breathing was normal so the ventilator was removed. He stared straight ahead; any signs of amusement were non-existent.

I checked his vitals and told him about the extra medication doses that he was supposed to start from the next day. He just nodded once, his face masking nonchalance. He was then transferred from the ER to a normal hospital room on a stretcher where he was going to be under observation. This room in particular had a flat screen mounted against the wall.

The silence in the room was getting awkward so I decided to break it. “Would you like to rest some more? I think it’s best if you slept through the night. You will feel better by tomorrow.” I suggested.

Jackson regarded me with his dark stare. “All I’ve been doing for the past six months is fucking rest. What I really wanna do is get outta this goddamn institution.”

I didn’t say anything to that, instead I asked him. “Did you really kill Dave?”

“Nurse Riley, not you too!” He said. “Someone’s obviously framing me.”

“But all the evidence is against you, Jackson.” I said. “The murder. It is similar to your previous ones.”

“I. Did. Not. Kill. Mad- Dave.” He said with a raised voice. “If there’s anyone I’d like to kill, it would be Paul-Fucking- Bennet.”

“Shhh.” I said. “Lower down your voice.”

“If I told you something Riley, would you believe me?” He asked, his voice mellowed just a tad bit.

He’d called me straight as Riley instead of mocking me with his usual ‘Nurse Riley’ which spoke volumes that whatever that he had in store, wasn’t joking business.

“What is it?”

He sat up straight, and looked me in the eye. “The murders before. I...I didn’t kill any of them.”

it took a long while for his words to sink in and the shock to actually register on

can’t change the truth.” He said with so much sincerity that even the Pope would believe him but I knew better than

cards well, toss down all the barriers and leave a person unguarded enough to make

what I see.” I said. “I saw the

to be only about Seventy percent accurate while the examiner would disagree. Those morons had nothing better to do, but

to mock me.”

framed.” He

what do you want from

He said

raised my eyebrows as he began reciting the favor he wanted from me. When he was done, I took a step back instantly. To say I was furious would be an understatement.

“You won’t?”

as you? I could lose my job!” I

Sweet and

a finger on my

different, who knows we’d have something different than a mere Nurse

and opened them; taking a

he’d asked of me. Sometimes I spaced out and got an earful from the head nurse because it was hard to concentrate on my work. I sneaked into the operation theatre, pulled on some latex gloves and pushed one

I reached the fourth floor, I stepped out. Dr. Paul was in the hallway as usual. I suspected if he rarely sat in

Paul usually gave me the cold shoulder which I really appreciated since I was avoiding drama. Occasionally I caught him staring at me, just the way he was staring at me right now, but I knew that had to be out of pure hatred

Riley!” He called out

stopped short, hoping like hell he didn’t suspect anything. I passed him my most fake smile. “What can I do for you,

was dubious. “You seem to be in a hurry. What’s

is a hospital.” I laughed. “There’s always an

up

hallucinating.” I said in a rush as I turned on my heel when

his hand holding mine. Suddenly, he let go. He cleared

stared at him incredulously,

I walked into another dimension? Was it another one of Paul’s strategy to get some

He sighed. “Nevermind.”