Chapter 6 - Damion

The director wasn't joking when he said the new intake was a handful. He's only been here three minutes and already I've seen him talking to himself, trying to bite not one, but two of the guards, he licked a nurse, and when asked his name, he gave two. I haven't got the chance to read over the intake paperwork, since technically, we aren't supposed to, but I've always had a morbid fascination with why people are brought into Melford.

I knew Amri tried to kill herself before she ever told me. I know Mary tried to kill the husband she's always talking about, and Steven actually did kill someone - they both pled insanity, though. I know Joseph is schizophrenic and he was brought by his family. I know Kathy is wildly depressed and self-admitted. I know the initial story of everyone here.

I'm curious to know what Zain's story is.

I stand in the back of the room, watching as his eyes scan over the large group around him, not unlike the formation we had around Amri last week, and wonder if this is how she looked from a distance.

Angry and confused.

Up close, all I could focus on was the hurt in her eyes and wondering if I could stop that hurt from adding any more pain to her already painful existence. I didn't have to read her files to know she was hurting from things she hadn't told me. At that point, we had only known each other for three days, and I wasn't even sure if I wanted to break the rules and pursue something with her.

But when I saw her standing in the middle of the road…that semi headed straight for her…I realized I would have died with her. I know most people would say three days is too soon to know how you feel about someone, and I'm not saying that I love her, but I do feel something very strong for her. Something so strong that it almost scares me because I know how fragile her mind is right now, even if the rest of her is the opposite.

A scream brings me back to the scene in front of me and I see Zain struggling against his bindings the guards put him in after he snapped at the first one.

"Let me go!" He screams, the veins in his arms sticking out and straining against the handcuffs the guards put on him.

"Calm down, Callyx, you know this is what he wants." His voice slightly changes, becoming softer compared to the rough and tense voice he was speaking in before.

"Zain. I don't like this. Fuck him. He knew what this would do to me, and he pushed us to do it anyway." His voice goes back to the rough, deeper tenor, and his body shakes with tension. It's like watching two people fight for dominance inside one host.

Oh.

As the guards are distracted with getting him under control, I slide my work phone from my pocket and type in his name. Zain Vaviri.

Vaviri has been admitted to Melford Mental Institution by local authorities. He has been at four other institutions before but has been discharged by each one due to his violent outbursts. He was originally admitted due to an insanity plea and his court documents have been sealed. Vaviri suffers from severe Multiple Personality Disorder. His other documented personality, Callyx, is violent in nature while Zain is more peaceful. No other personalities have been documented. Vaviri is to be treated with extreme caution and to always have an experienced psychiatric nurse with him.

And there it is. Looks like Zain, or maybe Callyx, will take the place as the craziest one here at Melford. I feel bad for the nurse that will be stuck with him.

I shake my head and slide my phone back into my pocket. Deciding to make myself useful, I walk over to the side of the room and start getting the intake packet together to take to the nurse who does the intake check-up. She's a sweet old lady who's been here longer than I've been alive, and she doesn't show any signs of slowing down either.

All his background medical information from the other institutions he was at looks normal. No body mutilation on file and no excessive weight gain or loss, not like Amri in fucking solitary. I swear when I saw how much weight she'd lost in the past week I wanted to drag her into the cafeteria and shove food down her throat myself .

By the time I'm done with the paperwork, Zain is calm behind me, and it looks like he calmed down just in time, too. One guard has a strait jacket in his hand, and he looks ready to use it. Once that jacket goes on, the patient gets an automatic two weeks in solitary. Which, if the past twenty minutes have been any indication of how Zain will act on a daily basis, I feel like he'll get acquainted with solitary very quickly.

"Blide." My manager on duty, Marissa, calls me over to where she's watching the guards and Zain. I walk over to her, knowing what's coming next. If I'm on duty, I'm usually the nurse who takes new patients to their check-up.

I've been here a few years. Not as long as some other nurses but I'm damn good at my job. I should be, considering I was top of my class in medical school.

"Yes, Miss Collins?" I come to stand beside her and look in the direction she is. I watch as Zain stands still, his head hanging down, and his lips moving as he continues to mutter to himself.

"I need you to take Mr. Vaviri to check-up. After that, he will need 24/7 watch when he is not in his room. I expect you to be our front man on that."

My mouth drops open. Absolutely fucking not. "Excuse me, Miss Collins, but I'm not sure I'm the most qualified. I've only been here four years. There's plenty of other nurses who have more experience."

She shakes her head. "Nevertheless. You are one of the best here and considering all the hours you've been wanting to pick up lately, you're clearly the best choice. Mr. Vaviri needs stability, which means he needs someone who will be around often. When we get more staff and you have to work less overtime, we can figure something else out."

I stay silent for a moment. Yes, I did just say I was damn good at my job; but good enough to handle a nutcase like Vaviri? That's debatable. Plus, it would take away from time with Amri, and the only reason I even picked up extra hours was time with Amri. Marissa has been begging me for months to pick up some overtime since we've been understaffed but I always refused, wanting to keep a good work/life balance. It seems my plan is backfiring.

"What about the cameras? Miss Glass is also supposed to be under 24/7 suicide watch, and you told me she was fine because cameras were on her all the time. Couldn't we do the same for him?"

She shakes her head. "That won't work, they tried that in his last institution. We need someone so if he gets violent, he can be stopped immediately. With Miss Glass, there are little ways she could harm herself here in Melford, and don't think I haven't noticed the extra time you've been spending with her. I would think she is properly protected. Besides, we don't have the staff to watch over everyone here who is on suicide watch, the cameras will have to do." She motions toward Zain. "Him, on the other hand…He needs some extra attention. We cannot become just another visit for him, another notch on his bed frame. So, you will become his shadow. Where he goes, you go. I want a full report of his words, actions, and moods on my desk each evening before you leave. The only time you do not have to be with him is when he is in his bedroom. Is all of this understood?"

I take a deep breath, angry at how I'm finally getting closer to Amri, and this doofus comes in and fucks it all up. "Yes, I understand. "

"Perfect, go ahead and take him to his check-up and then to lunch, we've already been here too long, I called you right after breakfast."

I nod and walk over to Zain, the guards split to allow me to pass through them, and the one holding Zain's handcuffs passes them over to me.

"Come on Vaviri, time for your check-up." I lead him through the double doors of the intake room and start down the hallway toward the clinic. As we walk, I start my explanation of the layout of Melford, the designated areas for patients, and which areas are off-limits. Basically, everything I told Amri when I took her to her room because she was passed out when I brought her to intake.

I think that's when my fascination with her started. When Amri showed up to Melford, she was passed out and her clothes were still halfway wet. Her face was so pale, halfway because I've learned Amri's complexion is very pale, but also because she was just so damned cold. That one asshole cop couldn't care less about covering her with a blanket on the hour-and-a-half drive here. Her red hair is what caught my eye, though. It flowed down like a river of liquid fire, and I wanted to wrap my hand in it. I knew I would love the burn, that it would become an addiction and I would be a fiend for another hit. And after my lips touched hers earlier, I knew I was as bad as a heroin addict who would do anything for just one more hit.

Zain takes in everything I say without a single word back to me, without lifting his head to look at the white walls surrounding him. He doesn't even open his eyes when we get to the clinic and the nurse does his check-up. He sits on the medical table, smelling the antiseptic and cleaning solution without a peep while Nurse Patty does his vitals. When it's time for the medical questions, he gives her all one-word answers, much like Amri did when she was first here, but he still doesn't lift his head.

"Well, he's all good, sweetie. Blood sugar is a little low but I'm sure that'll be fine as soon as he gets some food in." Nurse Patty starts packing up all her supplies as I lead Zain out of the room and toward the cafeteria. The silence is starting to mess with me. Bad.

"I'll be staying with you from here on out, unless you're in your room. So, if you want to go somewhere or do something, you only have to ask." I try to get something out of him but still nothing.

We get to the cafeteria, and he loads his plate down with the cold-cut sandwiches we're having for lunch today. He even grabs two smoothies to go with it.

I look around the lunchroom for Amri and find her at our normal table already staring at me, smiling from ear to ear with an adorable blush coating her cheeks as she tucks a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

I turn toward Amri, nudging Zain's shoulder so he follows along with me. He follows without a word and doesn't even look to see where I'm leading him.

I stop in front of Amri's table and smile down at her.

"There you are," she says, popping a chip into her mouth, "I was wondering when you would show up."

"Well, here I am. I had some stuff to take care of." I motion toward Zain.

"I see that." She stands up. "Well, nice to meet you. Zain, right? I'm Amri."

Zain's head snaps up, so quickly I swear he must have given himself whiplash. Within one second and the next, I see his eyes flash with something I don't recognize, but it almost scares me. His posture changes from the meek character he looked like before to full predator mode – his shoulders widen, and he clenches his jaw.

"You."