Jack In The Box novel Chapter 3

Aaron rubbed his forehead in frustration. "I wish I could say that it's not a big deal, Riley but I can't because this could go out of our hands at any point of time. Jackson is out there somewhere doing god knows what, all because he tricked you into thinking he was Paul Bennett."

"I know. He was just too convincing, Aaron. If you were in my place you'd probably mistake him for a doctor as well. Trust me." I pleaded, this time the tears trickled down my face without me even realizing it. This was a big deal. A psychopathic patient was out in the open because of my mistake. I could lose my job, or worse, someone could get hurt.

"Paul wants you out of this wing." He said handing me a box of Kleenex.

"Just what I needed!" I said sarcastically.

Marvin, the ward boy came rushing into the room without even knowing. The short, timid guy seemed agitated.

"What is it, Marvin?" Aaron asked.

"You're not going to like this, doctor." He said and without waiting he added. "We got the news that a white Nissan was stashed in the woods a few miles away from the hospital. Someone broke into an apartment nearby and the man was found unconscious on the floor with..."

"Bite marks?" Aaron completed for him.

Marvin swallowed. He was terrified of even talking about it. "A chunk of flesh seems to be missing from the shoulder area."

Aaron sighed, "It's Jackson."

"Oh my god!" I whispered before my head began spinning and I heard someone shout for help.

When I opened my eyes, I realized I was still in Aaron's room. I was lying down on his patient checkup bed. I sat up straight and from the thin curtains, I could see Aaron and Paul speaking to each other. It sounded coherent because my brain was still taking time to process what had happened until now.

It was Paul. The real Paul, one with the freckles and the face of Archie, talking to Aaron. It could also be categorized as an argument. He caught me staring at him and threw me a look, one that was full of disdain and I didn't blame the guy. If I'd been tied up to the bed by a lunatic and if the nurse refused to recognize me, I'd be mad too.

"How are you feeling?" Good ol' Aaron asked me. Still so nice and sweet despite how I had screwed up. "Can I get you a glass of water?"

I nodded. "How long was I out?"

"About an hour." He responded, reaching for the mini-refrigerator and handing me a small bottle of water.

"Is that man...is he dead?" I asked, failing to keep the fear out of my voice. He snatched the bottle out of my hands and unscrewed the lid which is when I realized my hands were shaking.

"He's been rushed to the hospital," Aaron said. "Good news is that they were able to catch hold of Jackson."

I heaved a sigh of relief. "So that means they are bringing him back here?"

"Yes. Already on their way." Aaron smiled. "Don't worry. Mistakes can happen, mostly where a loony like Jackson is concerned. Also, Paul tells me that when you thought he was Jackson, and when you entered the room, you removed his mouth restraint. Is that right?"

"I did, but that was only because I came to give him lunch. You don't expect a patient to eat with that thing on, do you?" That was directed towards Paul who had his hands folded across from his chest, looking bored.

Paul took a step closer; he was almost in my face and said, "He asked you a question, you are supposed to answer with a yes or a no. Nurse."

"What's with his attitude, Aaron?" I asked.

"Cool down, you guys. Cut that attitude, Paul. And Riley, from here on, whatever Jackson tells you, don't mess with the mouth restraint unless necessary. Sometimes, well, most of the time he's out of control and so we need to keep him strapped and his mouth restraint stays on. It's not always, but if it's on his face it's for a reason. Jackson's an animal disguised as a human being. He can be very manipulative; he is also smart and can use your weakness against you. Very dangerous indeed, but also a great subject for research."

"Well, you guys are forgetting that if I hadn't removed it, Paul would still be in crying on that bed like a damn pussy. So technically, you, Paul should be thanking me."