Читать книгу Centralia. Eng - - Страница 4

Alex was lying in a small room on a soft bed, covered with a large, equally soft blanket.

One hand was handcuffed to the bed. Next to her was a bedside table, on which stood a beautiful white vase with a bouquet of lush scarlet roses.

“The same walls again… white, cold…” Alex thought and realized where he was. Sunlight filtered through a small window located almost under the ceiling. There were bars on the window. The door merged with the wall. At that moment, the same doctor entered the room, carrying a tray with a variety of food.

The tray was a portable table with extendable legs, and the doctor pulled them out and put them on the floor. Then he smiled and, approaching the patient, undid the handcuffs.

– How did you sleep? – he asked.

– Very tight, – Alex replied sarcastically.

– I’m glad, but what do you say about what happened at the Quiet Hill?

Alex looked at him.

– If I tell you the same thing, I’ll be handcuffed again, am I right?

The Doctor smiled again.

– No, I see that you have calmed down, so you no longer need handcuffs. By the way, I’ve looked at your file. It’s not your first time in a place like this, is it?

– Yes, I’ve been to a place like this before…

– Well, I hope we’ll find a common language soon.

– How long will I be here?

– Due to the fact that your nervous system may have been damaged as a result of exposure to chemicals, you will be under observation for about a week, maybe a little more.

Alex didn’t say anything, he just rolled over on his side and buried himself in the blanket. The doctor stood up and said before leaving:

– If you suddenly have an appetite, there is a tray next to the bed, do not torture yourself.

The door closed and there was a click in the keyhole.

Sleep came over him again. All this was happening to him, and it could have been avoided. The smell of food got under the blanket and stuck in my nose. His mouth, dry from the injection, filled with moisture, and his stomach rumbled…

***

– Rita! What did my beauty cook for lunch? Alex hugged her from behind.

Rita, smiling and kissing her nose, replied:

– Pizza, – and kissed him again, smiling.

The smell of pizza with mushrooms, sausage, olives and onions mixed with the smell of fruits on the table…

***

Alex opened his eyes and threw off the blanket. There was a small pizza on the tray, and next to it a saucer with green apples, there was also a mug of hot tea. He grabbed an apple and, greedily biting off a piece, began to chew. The apple was juicy and slightly sour.

Now he looked like a child who had been locked in a closet, saying that the most disgusting and terrible creatures lived there. If he had friends, then he loved friends very much and was afraid of losing them, but in order to be taken seriously, you need to behave like an adult, so he tried to look serious, but in this situation it was somewhat difficult to remain calm and serious.

The pizza was warm, even a little hot. The cheese stretched like chewing gum if you pulled it with your front teeth. When he was full, he crawled back under the covers and stared at the white wall. This wall was almost the same as the one he saw for the first time…

***

…When he woke up, he was wearing a straitjacket and there were two guards in the room. When they saw that Alex had woken up, they opened the door and one of them called someone. A woman in a white lab coat entered the room.

– Leave us alone, – she told the guards. They nodded and went out the door.

– Why did they put this on me?

– Calm down, they pulled you out of the loop, if it wasn’t for your parents, it’s not known what would have happened. Still, one question bothers me: was it worth it?

– I said everything that was on my mind, I calmed down, you draw the conclusions.

– Well, I hope it was the first and last time.

***

The lock clicked again. A man entered the room, followed by a woman. Middle-aged, dressed in a businesslike manner, shoes made of genuine leather. White robes are draped over his shoulders. They were Megan’s parents.

Alex stood up. He was dressed in ordinary white pajamas, however, like all the guests of this “establishment”.

– Hello, Mrs. Angie and Mr. James, – he greeted them.

– Hello, Alex, – she said, looking into his eyes, and, almost crying, continued, – You were everything to my daughter, and you left her in this hell…

She raised her hand to slap him, but restrained herself and began to cry. Her husband hugged her. Alex felt so unpleasant and disgusting. His stomach tingled, and he wanted to fall through somewhere. He thought: “What if it’s my fault, I could talk them out of this trip”

The only thing he could answer was looking at the poor parents:

– I’m sorry, I am… I’m sorry that this happened, I miraculously left there alone. She was with me for a while, but…

– But what? – James barked, – What happened?

– I don’t remember… – he replied and lowered his head.

Megan’s father repeated:

– Don’t you remember? – There was something malicious in his words. Disappointment and sadness. His eyes glazed over, he walked away from his wife and grabbed the guy by the throat. Alex couldn’t figure out what to do from fright, his thoughts were in a bunch, he just stood there and waited for what would happen next. Angie wiped her tears and took James’s hand.:

– James, stop it, don’t! The child probably doesn’t really remember anything, the doctor said it was all because of the gas.

The husband loosened his grip and soon released him. He looked at his wife, sighed, and left the room.

Meanwhile, Angie walked up to Alex and, taking him by the shoulders, spoke softly:

– Alex, forgive my husband, we are very worried, we don’t even know what to think about whether Megan is alive or not. And really, it’s very strange that you came back alone, I know you, according to my daughter, and I can say that you are a very good guy, and I ask you to help us, – she said, hugged him and kissed him on the forehead. Angie left the room and the door connected to the wall again. Alex stood there, unable to say anything… He was shocked.