Chapter Twenty-Nine
“Mrs. Nobles? I need you to take this for me.”
Jessica sat in a chair in her small room in the local psychiatric ward and watched as the pretty, young nurse approached, holding a tiny paper cup.
She handed the cup to Jess. “Would you like some water?”
Jess nodded, unable to form words. She was in the Sparkleberry Hills hospital; on the fifth floor which was reserved for mental illness patients. They’d drugged her, entering her room only to administer meds or to help her shower.
“The doctor will be seeing you today,” the nurse commented, handing Jessica a cup of water.
Swallowing the pills, Jess took a sip of the water. “How long do I have to stay in here?” She read the nurse’s nametag. “Cindy?”
Cindy’s gaze softened. “I don’t know, Mrs. Nobles. I suppose it all depends on what the doctor decides after your evaluation.”
“You mean if he thinks I’m crazy or not,” Jess shot back, taking her frustration out on the young nurse.
When Cindy didn’t answer, Jessica asked, “Has my husband called?”
“He stopped by earlier to check on you, but you were asleep.”
“I don’t want to see him,” Jessica responded more harshly than she’d intended. “If he comes back, do not allow him in here. Under any circumstances.”
Cindy nodding her understanding. “Yes, Mrs. Nobles.”
“I need to use the phone.”
The nurse glanced toward the door. “We have a phone in the recreation room. I can walk you down if you’d like?”
Jessica pushed to her feet in a haze of drug induced numbness and followed the nurse from the room. They trailed down a short hallway and then turned right into large room with tables scattered throughout.
Dozens of people occupied the area, some sleeping in their chairs while others watched television or paced the room.
A beige colored phone hung on the wall next to a woman sitting at a desk behind a glass window.
“Mrs. Nobles would like to use the phone, Alice,” Cindy informed the woman at the desk.
Alice nodded toward the phone. “Local calls only. And keep it short. Calls cut off after ten minutes.”
If Jessica had hoped for a little privacy, she was sadly mistaken. The woman behind the glass watched her every move.
Jess picked up the receiver and dialed the only person on the planet that she could trust.
“Ruckle,” Steven answered on the third ring.
Relief poured through Jessica. “Steven, it’s Jess.”
“Hey you. You finally decided to return my call?”
Confused, Jessica mumbled, “You called?”
“Like twenty times.” Humor lined his tone. “What’s going on?”
“I need to see you, Steven.”
He must have picked up on something in her voice. “Is everything okay?”
“No,” Jess whispered, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. “Everything’s bad, Steven. Really bad.”
“Tell me where you are and I’ll come to you.”
Jessica’s throat closed briefly. It took her a moment to gain enough composure to answer him. “I’m in the Sparkleberry Hills Psyche Ward.”
“What?”
“Owen had me Baker Acted last night.”
A long pause followed. “I’m on my way.” The call ended.
Relieved to know that Steven would be there shortly, Jessica moved to the recreation room to wait.
She took a seat at an empty table, not wishing to engage in conversation with anyone.
Leaning her head back to stare up at the ceiling, Jess let her mind drift to Owen and the closed off look on his face when he’d prevented her from leaving the house last night. He truly thought her crazy.
Her mind drifted back further, back to her wedding day.
Marrying Owen had been the happiest day of Jessica’s life aside from Jacob’s birth. Owen had been the most handsome, fun-loving man, Jess had ever known.
The two of them had met in college and married not long after graduation. Life couldn’t have been more perfect, that is, until their son had been born.
Jacob had quickly become Jessica’s entire world. With his mother’s dimples and his father’s chin, the tiny bundle of joy had been the apple of his parents’ eyes.
Losing Jacob had destroyed Jessica, along with her relationship with Owen.
She supposed she didn’t blame Owen for distrusting her. Jess had, after all, experienced hallucinations and suicidal thoughts for the better part of the past three years. But she’d gotten stronger, or so she thought. She’d tried so hard to please Owen, had even moved to Florida against her better judgement just to make him happy.
The woman Jessica had seen sitting behind the window stuck her head inside the recreation room. “You have a visitor.”
Jessica glanced at the clock on the wall. It had only been a few minutes since she’d spoken with Steven. “Who is it?”
Alice held her gaze. “It’s your husband.”
“I don’t wish to see him.”
“Are you sure? He seems really intent on seeing you.”
Jessica waved a hand in the air. “I’m positive.”
Alice stood there a moment longer, sighed rather loudly and then disappeared from view.