"What's wrong with yellow?" Toni asked.
"It's for suicidal patients." Bri selected a green crayon from the bin. "Not that I was suicidal."
Toni swallowed hard. "That's good," she whispered.
"They just put everyone on suicide watch when they first get here," Bri explained.
"I wonder why," Carlos muttered as he glanced around the bleak room.
"I was so lonely," Bri continued. "I had to eat all my meals alone, and I had to sit here by myself when the others went to the gym."
"Hi, Sabrina."
They turned to see Teddy shuffling into the room.
He cricked his head to the side. "You have visitors?"
"Teddy!" Bradley marched toward him. "How many times do I have to tell you to stay in the men's rec room?"
"Okay." Teddy wandered back down the hall.
"Crazy moron," Bradley muttered as he followed.
"I'm not crazy," Teddy protested.
Sabrina went back to coloring as if everything was normal. "I met Teddy at lunch today. I think he's lonesome. No one ever comes to visit him." She smiled at Toni. "I'm glad you came."
I will not cry. Toni smiled back. "I'm glad, too."
"Teddy's not crazy," Bri whispered. "He's just very sad. He was in a car accident with his girlfriend, and she died. He was driving, so he feels guilty."
Toni nodded. "It's terrible to feel like you've failed someone you love." And God help her, she was going to fail Sabrina if she didn't get her out of this place. "We want to get you back home."
"I'm trying to get better. I'm having delusions."
"You're not delusional," Toni insisted.
"I have to admit it if I'm going to get better. That's what my therapist says. Anyway, lots of people here are delusional." Bri smiled. "Even some of the guards. Last night, they said there was a giant black cat running around the courtyard."
Toni glanced at Carlos, but his face remained blank.
Bri took a purple crayon from the bin. "I have to color Jasmine's hair purple. They took all the black crayons away 'cause they were too depressing."
Toni stifled an urge to scream. How could anyone stay at this place and not get depressed? "Bri, I did what you asked. I went to Central Park to see if any vampires would come and attack me."
Bri shook her head while she colored. "Vampires aren't real."
"You're right," Carlos said quickly, then gave Toni a pointed look when she started to interrupt. "You should tell your uncle that you made a mistake. You were simply traumatized by the attack. But you're all better now, and he should let you out of here."
Toni knew that strategy wouldn't work. Bri would need her uncle's okay in order to be released, and he would never give it.
Bri dropped the purple crayon back into the bin. "Uncle Joe wants me to stay here until they get the right combination of meds for me. It might take a few weeks."
Or forever, Toni thought wryly. As long as Uncle Joe was in charge of Bri's future, she would have none.
Toni had wanted to help Bri by proving the existence of vampires, but so far, she'd failed to come up with any proof. And now she doubted Uncle Joe would acknowledge any proof. It simply wasn't in his best interest to ever let Bri out of this hospital.
A sense of panic grew in Toni as the minutes ticked by. Carlos asked mundane questions like what they'd eaten for supper. Toni was finding it hard to even breathe.
"Would you like to have this picture?" Bri asked as she finished coloring.
"Yes." Toni forced a smile.
Nurse Bradley strode toward them. "Visiting hours are over," he announced.
"Tomorrow we're making Christmas stockings and putting up a tree." Bri handed the picture to Toni. "Can you come back?"
"Of course. I mean, I'll try." Toni was afraid Uncle Joe would deny her access once he saw her name on the visitor sign-in sheet.
"Let's go." Bradley motioned impatiently.
The couple in the corner separated. The husband headed down the hall. The woman sank into her chair and silently began to cry.
"This way, please." Bradley glared at them.
Toni hugged her friend, then quickly walked away before Bri could see the tears in her eyes. She followed Carlos back into the foyer and winced when the heavy metal door shut with a final click.
They slowly put on their coats and gathered their belongings, so the visiting husband would leave before them. A few minutes after he exited, they started across the courtyard.