VI.

Nurse Barbara looked around to see if anyone was watching and then brought her hand to her mouth, faked a cough, and swallowed the pill. It wasn’t that she thought she was doing anything wrong. She was only hiding it because she knew that people would disapprove of it despite her need. Her need for the pills. Her need for the placebos.

The placebos were able to do anything she wanted them to do. If she felt sluggish and lazy, they acted as amphetamines. If she felt high strung, they acted as an opiate.

Barb took a quick glance at the bottle. It wasn’t the usual. The unpronounceable medical name was replaced by one simple word: TABORICA. She knew she’d have to ask her doctor next time but she also knew that there wasn’t a goddamn thing she could do about it if he had slipped her something different and potentially harmful. After all, his medical license had been revoked years ago and his imported-from-Mexico pharmaceutical supply kept in his garage was just waiting to be raided by any number of law enforcement agencies. If he was indeed giving her something dangerous, Barbara figured she’d just have to take her chances.

As she sat at her desk, she wondered about Grant Minissi. For a crazy fuck he was pretty good-looking. Barb noticed that the crazies at the hospital were either really attractive or really ugly. There usually weren’t anyone in between. Most of the time, unfortunately, the good-looking ones were also the ones most likely to cut your open and rape the wound. The ugly ones were mostly harmless.

“Hey,” a voice said from behind her.

“Yeah?” she said, turning around in her chair. Standing there, nude and glowing, was Davie Jefferson.

“Look!” he said.

“Davie, you better put some clothes on. You know that’s inappropriate,” Barb said, feeling the placebo soak her insides with relaxing confidence.

“I don’t have no clothes, ma’ lady” Davie said. “No clothes at awwww..”

“Dr. Silverman!” Barbara shouted. She knew she shouldn’t interrupt his talk with Grant but there was something seriously wrong with Davie.

“No need to call Dr. Silverman,” he said. “I’ll put clothes on right after you tell me what you had for breakfast. Pancakes?”

“We’re not doing this again, Davie.” She got up from her chair and, without knocking, walked into Dr. Silverman’s office.