Page 14 of Tank

Beth put her hand on her leg and dug in. There was so much she wanted to say, and she just couldn’t open her mouth to say it. When the nurse came in and asked if there was going to be any trouble, she told her that there would be if she didn’t get out of these ropes right now. She thought that she’d done it in a calm voice, but when she backed away, she said for her to behave.

“I’m being as calm as I can be when I tell you that I’m going to fuck you up if I don’t get out of these fucking restraints right now. I’ve had enough of you people tying me up when all I want to do is kill my sister.” The nurse looked at Sen and then back at her. “You heard me. I want you to have the police bring me my gun so that I can blow her away. She’s cheated me out of the money that should have been mine all along.”

“I can’t do that. I won’t do that.” Beth asked her if she wanted to die as well. “No. I’m reporting this too. The police will want to know that you’ve been threatening the staff here again.”

“I don’t care.” She screamed again and felt her head pain her so badly that she couldn’t stand it. Begging for something for pain, she felt her whole face hurt and then nothing.

When she woke up, she was in a different place. Looking around, she found that the room was devoid of any furniture and that all the equipment that could be used on someone was behind a locked gate. Trying to lift her arms up to see if she was still tied up, she realized too that her legs were tied open like they were going to perform some kind of sex thing on her. Screaming for help, she wasn’t happy when a voice from somewhere on the other side of the room spoke to her. That was when she saw the camera. She assumed it had a microphone on it as well.

“What can I do for you, Ms. Jamestown?” She said that she wanted out of here. “I’m afraid that’s not going to happen. You’re under observation until such time as you can be evaluated for your threats.”

“I’m not threatening anyone.” She asked about the nurse and her sister. “Those weren’t threats. Those were promises that I made to her even before I came into this fucking hospital. I have rights too, you know, and I want my sister to come here and tell me why she’s made it so that I can’t leave.”

“You’re under observation until such time as—”

“I heard you the first time. I’m done being here. I want out.” She jerked on the ropes or whatever was tying her down, and like before, they didn’t give. “Why are you doing this to me? I’ve done nothing wrong yet.”

“You just lie there, and I’ll get in touch with your sister. She’s not in the hospital right now, so it might take her a while to get here.” She told them to make her come here now. “I said that I would. And when she gets here, you should know that you’re being recorded all the time you’re here.”

Her head was hurting again, but she tried to hold onto the fact that she wasn’t going to get anything for it. If they did, they’d more than likely knock her out again, and there is no telling what they’d do to her. While lying there, Beth thought about her sister. Not Sen, she was going to kill her, but of Helen.

“Helen gave this to me, and I’m going to dig her up and kill her too.” She knew that wasn’t going to be possible, but it made her feel better when she thought about it. “I fucking hate them all. They did this to me, and Sen thinks that she’s going to be able to steal my money.”

Money? Her head hurt more when she tried to think what the money was for. Something about a sale, but she knew that wasn’t right. Wherever the money was coming from, Sen had cheated her out of it. As she was trying to make the pain in her head go away, a nurse came into the room.

“Did you want something for pain?” She said that she didn’t; she was feeling just fine. “I doubt that. You look pinched; you’re in so much pain. There is no point in letting it get the better of you right now. While you’re here, you should take advantage of the kind of drugs that you can get better with.”

“I. Don’t. Want. Any. Drugs. You just want to jack up my bill. Well, I have news for you, I’m not going to pay it.” Something in her head made her sick, and she leaned over to puke. She hoped that it would get all over the place, but nothing but bile was coming out. It worried her too that it was streaked in red. “Why am I throwing up blood?”

“Your body is trying to tell you how much pain you’re in. And the tumor in your brain isn’t helping. Hasn’t the doctor talked to you about this?” She said that she’d never seen a doctor. “He’s been in here several times.”

“Well, he must have had the wrong god damned room. I’m not going to be put on hold just because he went to the wrong room. Get him in here so that I know what’s wrong with me.” But she knew. Sen had told her that she was dying. Beth looked at the nurse as she was leaving. “I want something for pain. And not anything that is going to knock me out either. You do that, and I’ll put you on my list of people to kill. I’ve had it with people doping me up and acting like I’m dying. And I want out of these restraints. They’re making it so that we can’t do anything, and that’s not right.”

When she left, Beth tried to take inventory of her body. She could move her legs, but they felt heavy. Bending her knees felt like she was putting undue weight on them, and she didn’t understand why she couldn’t lift her hips. They had weights on her; she just knew it, and they were making her weak. The nurse came in with a tray and set it on her lap.

“Where is the furniture?” She said that this type of room didn’t have furniture. “Why not? It’s not like I’m going to be able to get to them the way you have me tied up. And don’t think that I didn’t notice that you’ve not untied me either.”

“You won’t be untied until the doctor says you’re fit to be let go.” She felt the nurse do something with the IV that was in the crook of her elbow, and then the feeling of being lifted into the sunshine rolled over her. “I’ve given you half a dose of medications. If you need more, then let me know.”

Closing her eyes, she let the pain just ride away. Everything in her body felt better, and she felt herself smile. She was feeling better, and if this was only half a dose, then she wanted the entire thing. This was the perfect solution to not being in pain.

When she woke up, she didn’t know where she was. It was a room that she’d been in before, she thought, but didn’t know how she’d gotten here. Looking around, she could see that the room was mostly stainless steel and that the things in the room looked to be locked behind gates. The door opened just as she was going to try to find the call button. She knew there was one because all hospitals had them.

“Beth?” She couldn’t recognize the voice, so she asked who she was. “It’s Serenity. You asked to speak to me.”

“I did?” She tried to look at her hands and felt them tied down. “Why am I tied down? Or for that matter, why am I in the hospital?”

“You were hurt when you tried to hurt me. They brought you in here from the auction of Helen’s things. Don’t you remember?” She said that her head hurt. “I know. They said that you can have pain medication if you need it.”

“Yes, please.” Something in her mind told her that Sen was out to get her, but she didn’t know why. There was money involved, but she had no idea how to think about it. “I’ve got money coming to me. Something about a house. You sold it.”

“I auctioned it off and sold it, yes. Helen asked me to do that in her will.” She didn’t nod because she was beginning to feel sick from the pain again. “You’ve had surgery since you were brought in here. Do you remember?”

“No. I don’t remember anything.” She didn’t either, and that bothered her. “You took something from me, but I can’t think what. I’m in so much pain right now that I’m going to be sick with it.”

Leaning over, she only gagged. She had a feeling they weren’t feeding her, and that was why she was so weak. Asking Sen why she was here again, she felt a pain in her head go from her chin to her right eye. Blinding her for a few moments, she could only beg her sister to let her go so that she could hold her head.

“I can’t. The pain is only going to get worse. Why don’t you let me call for some more medication?” She nodded, anything to make the pain go away. “I’ll call right now for you.”