Rapture of the Deep, Chapter 7
Tina sat, nerves going haywire, in front of her brother for the first time in what felt like eons. The door into the room closed behind her just after she sat, bringing the finality of the meeting home in a harsh thud. She peered into the cell at her brother, caged in something right out of Silence of the Lambs. Brother and sister, separated by mere inches of glass, but still miles apart.
Charlie did not stir. He rested on a typical hospital bed on the right of his eight by twelve space. His hair, due for a wash, clung in oily strands to the pillow supporting his head. There was nothing surrounding him other than a small chair and desk, a urinal built into the wall, and a small concrete bench on the opposite side of the bed. Tina was about to speak before realizing that the bench had a hole cut in it.
My God. Is that where he…
It was a medieval toilet. Tina simultaneously wondered how it got this bad, and felt pity for the orderly that had to clean that thing.
“Charlie.”
For a heart stopping moment, there was nothing. Charlie’s doctors had warned her that it might be difficult to communicate, even for her. They said he had become more withdrawn with each passing day. Tina waited for a few seconds that felt like an eternity, knowing that if he didn’t respond to her, she would burst into tears. Then he spoke.
“Morning, sis.” There was no inflection, no flavor to his words. It sounded like Charlie, but still not quite right. Like he had lent his voice to a GPS program. Tina felt cold.
“Good morning.” She took a deep, calming breath. “How are you feeling today.”
“Same way I feel every day. Like I want to leave.” Dry. Flat. No emotion.
“I hear you. This place doesn’t seem the most accommodating.” She tried to move past the deflection and couldn’t. “I mean, how do you feel, health wise?
“Crazy.” He sat up and his eyes met hers. Tina felt frozen. This was already not going well, and the prickly feeling across her flesh was all too eager to point that out. His face was pale to say the least. And Tina thought it looked like he hadn’t been taking care of his teeth. “That’s what you expect me to say, right?”
Tina tried to calm herself and slow her thundering heartbeat. “I don’t know, Charlie. I didn’t really know what to expect.”
He laughed softly and swung his feet off of the bed to sit up, never taking his eyes off of her. Tina felt like she was talking to some random crazy person. A man that had robbed, stolen, killed some family, perhaps. Certainly not her little brother. The look in his eyes was enough to tell her that person might very well be gone.
He might not react well, Tina, You have to understand that.
“So what brings you here, good sister? Come to see the sideshow?” He cackled softly, several voices operating the laughter.
“You. You bring me here, Charlie. I’m worried about you.”
Quickly enraged, her brother spat. “Now! NOW YOU COME?” His eyes flamed wildly. “Where have you been since we left the project? Since Sigsbee?” His words trailed back into a near whisper.
He has been acting increasingly unstable. When he acts at all, that is.
Tina fought the urge to recoil. To leap out of her chair and run from the visitors’ area. “Don’t do this. You know I care about you. Its been hard for me too, you know. After what happened…”
“Dad would have been proud of you.” The words were hollow, dark.
“What? What do you…”
“The way you took care of me.” He laughed again. louder this time, a bellowing belly laugh that shook her chest. “Oh, sis. You really handed out a Daddy-style lickin’ on me, I’ll tell you that.”
“Charlie…” Tina dropped her head into her hands and sighed. “Its not like you left me with any choice.”
“You had a choice.” This went unheard. Tina continued.
“The way you were, Charlie. There was no stopping you.”
“You had a choice, sis.” Tina heard this time and stopped speaking. “You could have done things differently. But enough of that. I want to hear about you.” He stood from his bed and threw his arms out in a staggering pirouette. He swayed left and right, pointing aimlessly around the cell. “This is all there is to tell about my life lately. How is Tina doing?”
“I really think we should talk about….”
Charlie growled. “We’ll talk about whatever I want to talk about.”
Sharp pain sliced into Tina’s head. With it came a lightning quick series of images. They were gone almost before she could process them, although she knew them just the same.
Her eyes winced shut and then opened to find Charlie leaning against the glass of his cell. “Tell me about you, sis. Did the grant money from Powell make it worth it?”
She stood defiantly from her seat. “You’re being unfair.” She was nearly shouting. Tears welled hot and heavy in her flushed eyes. “I came here because I care about you, Charlie. I want to see you better, maybe see you leave this place. Its not right for you to attack me.”
His shoulders slumped. His head dropped. “Know what?” He raised his head and peered at her through greasy strands of wavy hair. “You’re right.” Charlie clapped his hands together and became wide-eyed. “No more bullshit outta me. Scout’s honor!”
“I just want to know more, Charlie. More about….about what went on….”
He plopped back seated onto his bed. His voice came in a whimper. “It hurts, sis. It hurts when I talk about it. They make it hurt so, so much.”
The tears finally came, streaking with accelerated gravity down Tina’s face. “You have to let me help you, Charlie. They’re not going to even try with you much longer.” She fought back a sob and took a deep breath, exhaling loudly. “They’re ready to give up if I can’t get you to stop.”
He chuckled. It was a dark sound. “Stop what?”
His laughs echoed off the walls, through her head. “You’re affecting everyone here, Charlie. Whatever happened, whatever got into you, its getting into the people here, too. They’re not going to keep you here much longer.”
Charlie began to laugh again. The sound was not his, not even a sound of one person. Horrified, Tina stiffened against her body’s will to bolt for the door.
“Charlie, they’re going to lock you away. Lock you away in a black room with no light until you die. You have to talk to me.”
Charlie sat quiet for some time before speaking.
