“That’s a good one doc,” Paul said as he gazed intensely at his psychiatrist. It was his usual response as the doctor questioned him to check his state of mind and the effectiveness of his treatment. But something was different about Paul today, he seemed unusually calm and his eyes spoke more words than he had muttered in all his sessions.
At exactly 2PM the phone rang. It was Mrs Lane, Paul’s mother. “Hello doctor. How is Paul doing?” Mrs Lane asked. “Better,’’ the doctor replied in his usual bland tone. The conversation went on for a while. Before now, Mrs Lane had been really impatient and highly inquisitive about her son\’s recovery. However, in the last one week her demeanour had changed completely. Perhaps she now believed the treatment was working. It was definitely a good sign, thought Dr Mac. With an air of confidence he headed straight down the hall to his office.
Saint Peter’s Psychiatric Hospital was known as a place of succour for addicts and the mentally infirmed. It was a private establishment, a luxury that only the rich could afford. Paul had been in here a couple of times to help curb his addiction to alcohol and drug abuse. He had made efforts in the past to give up his habits but they always ended the same way; a relapse. Following his latest relapse his mother brought him in again, for fear of losing him to the hands of death. Unknown to Paul, St Peter\’s was going to be his new home, for a very long time.
For months Paul plotted his escape. He had overcome his addiction, or at least he thought he had, but for some reason he was still being kept in this \’hole\’. He longed for the day he would freely roam the streets again but had no idea when that would become a reality. As expected from patients who showed a remarkable sign of recovery, Paul was scheduled to meet Dr Mac later that afternoon.
When the time came he was escorted by a nurse to Dr Mac’s office. He sauntered in like always, expecting to find Dr Mac seated behind his desk only to meet an empty office. The nurse instructed him to wait a while for the doctor’s arrival and then she took her leave. A thought quickly came to Paul and immediately he seized the opportunity to steal his car key. He recalled seeing his Dr Mac place them in the top right drawer of his desk the day he was brought in, so he began his search there. After a while of frantic search, he found the key in an extreme corner of the drawer. Pleased with his find, Paul smiled, but as he was about to slip out of the doctor’s office he heard footsteps in the hall approaching. Paul considered his options. A few seconds later, Dr Mac walked into his office just as Paul disappeared under his desk. He went over to his desk, took a seat and began working on his PC. His attention was soon drawn to his drawer which was slightly open. As he reached down to push it back into place, Paul froze…
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