Several weeks have gone by with me in this…mental hospital, and I have been cooperating with Dr. Sweeney, Aunt Jane, and…my…father, in the hopes that they’ll let me out of here soon enough. Even in my private thoughts, I’m trying to approximate the perception of reality they’re all imposing on me, all of them working for a certain…spirit, in the hopes that she, too, will be fooled. Then I can be freed of all of them.
My subterfuge seems to be working. Sweeney and the staff are pleased with my cooperation and lack of belligerence. I haven’t worn the straitjacket since it had been taken off me; I’m not even in the padded cell anymore. I’m in quite a pleasant-looking, well-furnished room.
They’re letting me take walks outside, where there are trees, there’s grass, and even a pond with ducks I can feed, as long as my…father…accompanies me and I chat with him. I’m going along with all of it; I’m being patient about it. I even smile and call him…Dad…without wincing. I actually entertain the thought of him being my dad in my thoughts, not only to fool that…spirit, but also to test the waters, as it were–to see if I like it.
Not really.
Dad is so lame.
I want a heroic father, not this loser.
Still, I must keep up appearances, even in my thoughts.
After all, it’s quite possible that I’m succeeding in keeping…her…at bay. I haven’t seen anything blatantly surreal over these past few weeks, and I see flames only in the distant horizon when I go outside with…Dad. The…ghost…isn’t fucking with my head as a reward, I surmise, for cooperating with the others.
Still, something’s going to happen, some fresh trap to be sprung on me while I’m here, so I have to be careful and hope I get discharged as soon as possible.
Then I can find my chance to break free and run from them all.
Oh, here he comes–Dr. Sweeney. Time to act like a good little patient. Cue my fake smile.
“Good morning, Roger,” he says with a fake smile of his own.
“Good morning,” I say.
“How are you feeling today?” he asks.
“Oh, fine,” I say. “I had a really good sleep last night.”
“Good. I trust you’re still enjoying your walks with your father, then? You’ve fully accepted that he is your father, haven’t you?”
“Fully.” My acting is so good, I’d fool myself.
“I’m happy to hear that, Roger. In fact, I have some good news for you.”
“Oh?” I’m trying hard to suppress my anticipation of what he’s about to say. If I overreact to what I think he’ll say, I might be exposed as faking my recovery.
“I think you’re well enough to be released from here.”
“Really? Are you sure I’m well enough? This could be premature. I might have a relapse.”
“Well, if so, you know where you’ll return,” he says while writing something down on his notepad. “In any case, I’m confident that you’ve made sufficient progress, to the point where you can be put under the care of your aunt and father. They’ll report back to me on your continuing progress, or any problems you have, and we’ll react accordingly here.”
“Oh, very well, then, Doctor,” I’m still restraining my enthusiasm. “When will I be released?”
“Tomorrow afternoon.”
“Oh, OK.”
****************
Now, it’s the early afternoon of the next day, just after lunch, and I’m getting ready to be taken out of here. I’m bracing myself, taking deep breaths, and trying to stay calm. I’m thinking over how I can find an opportunity to break free of my aunt and…father, how to know when it will be safe to do so.
I don’t want to wait until I get home, whether that home is mine, my aunt’s, or…his. Firstly, will either of them be watching me, or having someone watch me, 24/7, so I can’t get away any better than here in this nut house? Secondly, I’m so eager to get away from them that I simply can’t wait any longer. It’s a foolish risk I’ll be taking, but I’ve run out of patience.
Ah, there’s my door being opened!
There they are, the shrink, my aunt, and…him.
“OK, Roger,” Sweeney says. “You’re all set to go.”
“Come on home, Son,” says my…dad, smiling.
“All the paperwork’s been signed, so we can just go,” Aunt Jane says, also smiling.
“OK,” I say, getting up with a sincere smile of my own, and I leave the room with them.
As we’re walking through the front doors, and I can see the streets and buildings out there (as well as the blazing fires all along the city’s horizon), Dr. Sweeney stops me for a moment.
“Now, remember, Roger,” he says in a kind, avuncular attitude. “Your father may not be the great hero you’d always fantasized of him as being, but he’s a good man, and that’s enough. You, too, are good enough, and that’s all you and he need to be, OK?”
“OK,” I say. “And thank you, Doctor, for all your help.”
We all say goodbye to him and walk out of the hospital and on the sidewalk surrounding it, my aunt to my left, and my ‘dad’ to my right. There’s a nearby parking lot, on the other side of the street, that we’re approaching.
My mind is racing, and my eyes are darting all over the place, looking for an opportunity to escape.
I find just such an opportunity.
I see a man parking and getting off of his motorcycle. His keys are still in it, and he’s a short run from where I am. My aunt and…he…are looking away, distracted. Lucky for me.
I suddenly break into a sprint for that bike.
“Roger!” Aunt Jane shouts.
“What are you doing?” he shouts.
I reach the bike, shove the rider to the pavement, and get on it. The keys are still in the ignition switch. I kickstart the bike.
“Hey!” he shouts. “What the fuck you doin’?”
“What does it look like?” I say, then ride off.
“Asshole!” he shouts. “Stop! Thief!”
“Roger!” my aunt and ‘dad’ shout several times.
As I’m distancing myself from them, surprising myself at how well I’m riding the motorcycle without any crashes or much of any obstacles on the road slowing me down, I see the flames quickly return all around me, burning every building in sight. I’m also seeing those giant, brightly-coloured, polka-dotted mushrooms again.
Yes, Mama’s back to her old tricks. But that’s no matter: I’m now free to go back to trying to stop her from destroying the world. My chance to be a hero has returned.
Infinite Ocean 