Voices (Part Eight)

“Leave me alone! Get away from me! Stop! Help me! Someone help me!” Timothy screamed with a ferocious fear, thrashing against his bed sheets and violently shaking the bed rail.

Nurse Pearl and Correctional Officer Jansen Thomas quickly entered the room. Nurse Pearl rushed to his bedside, attempting to calm him, but Timothy lashed out, his fingernails scratching across her face, leaving marks that drew blood along her right cheek.

Officer Thomas immediately intervened, forcefully restraining Timothy by pinning down both his arms. Timothy struggled, trying to kick, but his movement was restricted by the officer’s weight. Nurse Pearl administered a 5 mg injection of droperidol into Timothy’s left thigh. Within minutes, he became dazed, and blacked out.

Mitchell looked puzzled as the nurse and officer turned to leave the room.

“Excuse me,” he called out.

“Yes?” Nurse Pearl responded.

“Timothy is a very troubled person. I saw him trying to kick and punch while yelling at someone named Rick. He kept telling this Rick person to leave him alone. He sounded terrified, like he was fighting for his life.”

Officer Thomas responded. “Thank you, Mitchell. We’re aware of Timothy’s mental state.”

With that, the two left the room.

The Conference

A staff meeting was called to assess Timothy’s behavior and to discuss the possibility of transferring him to isolation.

Those present were:

Dr. Horatio Leone, Timothy’s physician

Correctional Officer Jansen Thomas

Nurse Pearl Haughton, Timothy’s assigned nurse

Fred Chapman, Head Nurse of the Psychiatric Ward

Dr. Charles Havelock, Timothy’s psychiatrist

“Thank you all for being here this morning,” Dr. Leone began, addressing the team gathered around the large conference table in the infirmary’s meeting room. “As you know, we’re here to discuss the future of Timothy Andrews at the City of Orange Men’s Correctional Facility. We’ve received about half a dozen complaints over the past three days regarding his violent behavior and loud outbursts. We’ve reached a point where we need to seriously consider whether Timothy should be moved to isolation. Let’s go around the table so everyone can present their reports. Jansen, we’ll start with you.”

Officer Thomas referred to his notes.

“As of today—Wednesday, November 3rd, 1982—patient/inmate Timothy Andrews, ID number ASWM932, has been housed in the Mental Ward for 48 days, starting from Thursday, September 16th, 1982,” he read. “During that time, I’ve personally logged 26 separate incidents involving either violent behavior or extremely loud outbursts. That averages to more than one incident every two days—more than any other patient in the ward. I’ve personally been bitten, scratched, kicked, and punched by Mr. Andrews. In one specific incident on Wednesday, October 13th, I had to physically wrestle Timothy to the ground to restrain him. My professional assessment is that he poses a danger to himself and to the rest of the infirmary population.”

Nurse Pearl spoke next.

“I was recently assigned to Timothy, so my experience with him is more limited than the rest of you. The nurse previously assigned, Jackie Spalding, is currently on an extended leave of absence due to an injury. Timothy bit her on the arm and tore out a chunk of flesh. In the three weeks I’ve worked with him, he’s tried to bite me, made inappropriate advances, attempted to kiss me, and has displayed violent behavior, including punching and kicking. Earlier today, he scratched my face and broke the skin. The wound isn’t deep, so I’ll be fine. But in my professional opinion, Timothy is a danger to himself and others.”

Head Nurse Fred Chapman shuffled through a stack of documents.

“Throughout the month of October and into November, I’ve logged 118 incident reports related to Mr. Andrews—from nurses, orderlies, Officer Thomas, technicians, guards, and other patients. His roommate, Mitchell Gannon, has submitted three requests to be moved to a different room. Two nurses have been injured multiple times, and Officer Thomas has sustained surface-level injuries from bites, scratches, and punches. I recommend that Mr. Andrews be moved into solitary confinement.”

Dr. Havelock spoke last, his tone more reflective.

“I’ve been treating Timothy for 15 months and have conducted 61 sessions with him. My clinical diagnosis is Dissociative Identity Disorder. Timothy has a long history of trauma that began at age five, when his father left and never returned. That abandonment created an emotional wound he never recovered from. His mother began dating several men shortly after, and when Timothy was nine, one of them severely beat him. From that moment, he began a slow but steady decline, leading up to the day he savagely killed his mother.

“Timothy hears voices frequently. These voices have taken the form of an alternate personality named Rick Henry. This persona is deeply disturbed—a product of Timothy’s trauma. Rick Henry lives in a world of fantasy, fame, and violence. Through this personality, Timothy copes with daily life. Rick is a dark and dangerous entity. While I’m concerned that solitary confinement could worsen Timothy’s fragile mental state, we must also prioritize the safety of everyone else. I strongly recommend that Timothy be placed in solitary confinement as soon as possible.”

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Links to the previous chapters of Voices

Chapter 1: https://vocal.media/fiction/voices-he780uko

Chapter 2: https://vocal.media/fiction/voices-part-two

Chapter 3: https://vocal.media/fiction/voices-iii

Chapter 4: https://vocal.media/fiction/voices-iv

Chapter 5: https://vocal.media/fiction/voices-part-five

Chapter Six: https://vocal.media/fiction/voices-part-six

Chapter 7: https://vocal.media/chapters/blackbird-fly-part-14-voices-part-7

The Mr. Henry Suite: https://vocal.media/beat/the-mr-henry-suite

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Chillingly, Rick Henry Christopher 💉🩸