gerty (1) in gerty

“So what are you doing Gerty?”

Gerty loathed the open door policy of the hospital. Charlotte knew Gerty was very private and cared little for interaction with the other residents. Charlotte had found her way to the hospital when her parents could no longer manage her drugging and promiscuity. Charlotte was from a well to do family. Her lifestyle had made its way to the tabloids which mom and dad could ill afford. Officially Charlotte was in “voluntary rehab” although Charlotte had volunteered to do no such thing. The fear of getting cut off from the family fortune persuaded Charlotte to volunteer to stay and get the help she did not want nor plan to apply to her life.

“Just writing some poetry” Gerty replied.

“Just writing some poetry” Charlotte mimicked.

Charlotte walked into the room without invite knowing this was another trespass Gerty felt unacceptable. Charlotte found Gerty to be a threat. They were the same age yet Gerty seemed to be a favorite for her sweetness, something Charlotte saw as a cover of a darkness within.

“Let’s take a peek shall we?”

Charlotte snatched the paper off the desk and quickly backed to the door out of reach of Gerty and any attempt to stop the theft.

“Our poet laureate cannot keep her work from us now can she?”

Charlotte laughed aloud and said,

“Oh, this is too rich. What are you five years old?”

Bouncy Bouncy Bouncy Ball
Bounce the ball right off the wall
Catch the ball if you dare
Before the ball bounced down the stair

Gerty quietly rose from her bolted down steal chair and calmly walked over to Charlotte, hand out to take the papers. Charlotte considered the gesture and with grin of satisfaction dropped the papers to the floor. Gerty gathered the papers and returned to her desk.
Charlotte stayed in the door for a moment hoping for more of a reaction but was disappointed when Gerty picked up her pencil and turned back to her desk.

“You really think you’re something don’t you Gerty? Well you are not. You’re not fooling me. You’re just as fucked up as everyone else around here. Just because you have Castro fooled doesn’t mean you’re getting out of here.”

Gerty turned back to Charlotte said,

“I suppose bedding the staff is the better way to find the exit Charlotte?”

Charlotte glared at Gerty who blankly stared back with no indication of emotion or thought. Gerty’s eyes made Charlotte feel uneasy for a moment. Charlotte thought best not to over stress the girl from across the hall that killed dear ol’ daddy. There’s got to be something wrong banging around in that noggin.

“So, are we done here?” Gerty asked.

Charlotte rolled her eyes and shook her head trying to make a victorious exit but the exchange felt empty in the end.

Gerty watched as Charlotte walked away. The rhymes have been getting louder and coming more often inside her head. Gerty told no one about the rhymes that started a few months ago. She only knew she had to keep on being the perfect patient. She had sympathy on her side so just keep on working the program and never let out the rage that came with the deafening rhymes.

Charlotte had her lucky day
of this she cannot see
send her off right on her way
she is not for me
Charlotte had her lucky day
this she did not know
a pencil shoved into her eye
if she were daddio.

Last updated December 29, 2016