Sam laid on her bed, and pulled a weighted blanket over her to calm her nerves. Her memories came back with a vengeance. She was sitting in the psychiatrist’s office with her parents. The office was a typical mental health office, devoid of any opinions or flare: gray couches and chairs, beige rug and landscape paintings on the wall. The psychiatrist sat with his fingers interlaced on his desk, leaning forward in order to show interest. Sam’s parents were seated on the pleather gray couch across from the doctor, with her mother appearing to shake with fright while her father’s anger could not be disguised due to his red face and ears.
“Sam, you were off your medications for two weeks, and what happened?” asked Dr. Fido.
Sam quietly responded “they said I tried to hurt my next door neighbor.”
“Why?’ he asked
“Because they said that I thought she was watching me and planning to do something to me,” Sam said.
Dr. Fido asked “Why would she want to hurt you? Or even watch you?”
“I don’t know why she would hurt or watch me, but she always seems to looking at me when I look out of the window,” Sam replied.
Dr. Fido looked meaningfully at Sam’s parents across from him.
Sam’s father could not restrain himself any longer. “Cut the bullshit! You put a rattlesnake in her house to try to kill her. Why are we beating a dead horse here? Let’s just get to the point.”
Sam’s own anger began to surface. “She was always around, everywhere I went. I didn’t put a snake in her house, either. You yourself said she needs to cut down all that tall grass around her house. The snake just got in. She’s always leaving her doors and windows open. It wasn’t me.”
“What were you doing in her house? You hate her,” her father asked.
“I thought I heard her crying for help. I was actually trying to help her.”
Sam’s father said “Next time, pick a house to break into that doesn’t have cameras and ADT security. Her doors and windows were shut. The camera shows you opening her back door and going in with a sack. I’m so tired of this shit. You really need to cut it out Sam.”
Her mother chimed in “She began to call for help when she saw the snake, Sam! You know that.”
Sam fidgeted in her chair. Why do they ask her questions they think they already know the answers to? Why make her sweat?
Her mother began to tear up and asked “Are you a sociopath? Did we raise a serial killer? What’s wrong with you? What did we do wrong?”
Dr. Fido pushed his tissue box over to Ms. Sam who took the tissues to blot her face. Black mascara came off on the tissue but her mother didn’t seem to notice.
Sam thought “Wow, she’s really a good actor.”
The psychiatrist didn’t a family feud in his office to break out so he interjected.
“Sam, the reason we are going over this today is that I think you are ready to discharge from the hospital. But, you must stay on your medications. Please take them, and if you are having side effects, please contact me and we can change something. But don’t just stop them, Ok?”
Sam was looking at her lap. Dr. Fido said “Sam, this is serious. If you stop taking the meds, those intrusive thoughts about your neighbor will come back. You might actually hurt someone. You really don’t want to do that, do you?”
Sam thought for a minute. She knew the correct answer. “No, I don’t want to hurt anyone.”
Mr. Sam then stated “Don’t you worry about her not taking her meds. I’ll be giving them to her myself every day, twice a day if necessary. I know when she’s cheeking so I’ll look in her mouth and make sure she’s taking them.”
Sam’s stomach dropped. Shit. Her father was an asshole who still thought he was in the Army and she was one of his soldiers. Why can’t I just be your daughter, that is, if you are truly my father?
Sam was good at cheeking her meds. She was wondering how she could do it if her father really looked in her mouth each time, or was he just grandstanding for the doctor? She usually could save her pills in her mouth between her cheek and gumline and then spit them out when no one was watching. How would she be able to avoid that poison the doctor prescribed?
Sam’s parents watched her for a reaction. They didn’t trust her. They knew they couldn’t after what she had done and also written in her online journal.
Everybody was dancing except Steve. He had gone to the club after work with his friends but felt left out. His day had wiped him out emotionally and mentally. He just wanted to numb out. He watched the others dancing and thought “how do they have so much energy?”
He sipped his beer and scanned the room. He noticed two young women sitting at a table nearby. One woman was animated in her conversation, laughing loudly, and appeared to be having the time of her life. The other appeared wary, was looking around the room, and their eyes met briefly before she looked down. He kept watching her and she looked back at him again, this time flustered and again, looked down and then to her cheerful friend, as though noticing her for the first time. Steve wondered what their relationship was, as they looked so different from each other: one woman was dressed in a tight T-shirt, jeans, and a blingy belt with dramatic makeup and the other looked as though she had just gotten out of bed. Her hair was tousled, looked dirty, and she was wearing a sweatsuit and tennis shoes, with no makeup he could discern. He found himself getting curious about this pair of women and so began to watch them. “Maybe sister? Or stepsisters?” He wondered about sending them drinks in order when one of his work friends asked the extroverted one to dance, which she gladly accepted. She left the quiet women alone, uncomfortable and almost terrified. Steven thought “Maybe she’s afraid to be in a bar by herself. I could go over and just chat with her until her friend comes back.” Steve caught her looking at him again, and he knew he had to say something to break the awkwardness of the situation.
Steve took his beer and walked over to the young woman, and introduced himself. “Hi, I’m Steve. I don’t want to bug you but noticed you from the bar. Can I sit down? Just until your friend comes back?”
Sam appeared pale, as though all the color had drained out of her face but she squeaked out “Sure. I’m Sam.” She looked back for her friend who was still dancing and having a great time, and resigned herself to making conversation with a strange man.
“So, I’m here with my coworkers. We’re just blowing off steam from work. How about you? What brought you and your friend to this place?”
Quietly, Sam stated “Oh, we are old friends who haven’t seen each other for a few months, so thought we’d catch up. This place was in a convenient location, but I’ve never been here before. I didn’t know there would be dancing.”
“Does that make you uncomfortable?” Steve asked.
“Well, I just thought it would be a quieter place to really talk and catch up, but my friend seems to want to cut loose and “blow off steam” like you and your coworkers. Why aren’t you dancing?”
“Oh, just tired. I guess I wanted a quieter night too. How do y’all know each other, you and your friend?”
Sam’s eyes opened wide and her mouth opened but nothing came out. Steven said “I didn’t mean to pry. Just making conversation.”
Sam thought about how to answer Steven. Do I tell him we were roommate in a mental institution and we both were just let out? I don’t even know this guy and why he’s even speak ing to me. What does he want? Why was he watching me?
Sam said “We were college roommates together. She’s visiting me for a bit.”
Steve said “Baylor? UT? Where did y’all go? I went to UT.”
Sam diverted Steve “What did you major in?”
Steve stated “Psychology. I’m getting a Master’s at Baylor now and working full-time so guess that’s why I’m so pooped. Just glad to get out of house for a change. How about you?”
Sam hesitated. What do I tell him? How much does he already know about me? Did my “parents” send this guy to spy on me? Am I safe here? When is Becca coming back? Is she going to dance all night?
Sam stood up and said “Sorry, I need to go to the bathroom. I’ll be right back.” She had no intention of going back until Steve was gone but she wasn’t going to tell him that.
Steve watched her walk around the bar aimlessly, looking for the ladies’ room and finally finding it. She glanced back at him before going in and he could not tell if she was angry or scared.
“Shit,” Steve thought. “I guess I’m not as charming as I thought I was.”
Becca came up to the table and sat down. Her face was perspiring from dancing. She she was vibrant, with emerald green eyes and a wide smile. “So, who are you? I saw you talking to Sam while I was dancing. She must be terrified.” She said with a laugh.
“Well, yeah, I think I took her by surprise. I didn’t mean to butt in but I saw her alone at the table and she looked kind of scared so I thought I’d keep her company until you came back. Now that you’re back, I’ll go back to my friends.”
“Hey, wait a minute! Let me buy you a shot. It’s the least I could do for keeping my scaredy-cat friend safe from creepers in the bar,” Becca said. She wanted to know why this guy would be attracted to Sam and nor her. Why not her?
“Oh, I don’t do shots. I don’t feel anything when taking them, and then I stand up and boom- crash. Before I know it, I’m on the floor so I just stick to beer. I’m ok, but thanks for the offer.”
“Well, then let me buy you a beer. Don’t you want to keep me company until Sam comes back? Somebody could creep on me too, y’ know.”
Steve laughed. “Sorry about my friends. They just want to channel out some of that energy.”
Becca asked, “Oh, I danced with one of your friends? He was nice, not creepy at all. I had fun.”
Steve smiled at Becca. He wondered where this might go if he decided to stay at her table.
“I guess I can hang out here until your friend gets back. Don’t want you to be sitting all by your lonesome.”
Becca smiled and signaled for the waiter “Pitcher of Lone Star, please! On my tab.”
Percolations 