Night Ward: Welcome to Amity House

Belief Is Only a Six Letter Word

 Drake didn’t sleep well that first night. He tossed and turned, getting up several times to write something new on a notepad. By the third day, he thought he had everything figured out. These people were not receiving any kind of medication to help with their delusional state and they had been encouraged to believe this whole “I’m a vampire” nonsense for at least three doctors.

  Dr. Stein never made it down on the second day, as Amy said he would. He sent a message telling Drake, that though he was eager to see what he had decided regarding his patients, there were other pressing matters that he had to see to first. Typical, Drake thought to himself.

   It wasn’t until the second week that Dr. Stein made his appearance and it was during one of the group sessions that he chose to do this. Nurse Amy was sitting at a brand new desk that Drake had imported for her so that she could keep watch and take some notes during some of the more fevered parts. Of course, her note-taking wasn’t exactly what Drake was wanting, but he told himself that it would still help in the long run.

  Leeza was staring off into space, which Drake was sure meant that she was withdrawing from reality. He was still not any closer to a break through with Micael; though he believed that if he could get Vlad to quit talking for just a few moments, there might be something there. In fact, it was Vlad who was talking when Dr. Stein showed up. “I told her that the sounds she was hearing were not that of spirits but of the castle growing.” Vlad was saying. “Elizabeth was the love of my life, I wanted her to join me but she chose to go to a higher power.” Drake noticed that Vlad had quit talking about the gore in his life and more of his beloved wife.

 “Well, Vlad,” he began, just as a throat was cleared. Looking up Drake noticed the small man who hired him standing by the door. Changing tactics, Drake ended the session early. “I am sorry about the interruption, but I think we have made some progress. Next week I think we will begin one-on-one sessions. Vlad, I would like to explore this with you a little more.”

   Nodding solemnly, they began to pick up their things to leave. Drake watched as his patients filed out the door past Dr. Stein, not one of them, acknowledged the man. Once they were all gone, the man advanced into the room with slow deliberate steps. “Ah, Dr. Vent it is a pleasure to see that you are getting to know them.”

“Thank you, sir. I had hoped to see you some time ago,” Drake stated.

“Yes, well, it couldn’t be helped, I’m afraid, but I am here now.” Turning, Dr. Stein noticed Nurse Amy for the first time. “Well now, my dear, don’t you look hard at work?” he sneered, approaching the desk.

“Not really, just taking some notes for Dr. Vent.” She said as Stein reached to pick up the first sheet of paper.

“Interesting” he mumbled, reading over the page, “Death, destruction, love, chaos.” Reading the list, Stein’s brow lifted, “Tell me dear Amy, are these really your notes, or just some secret desire you have?”

 Amy’s eyes widened then narrowed at the little man with displeasure. “They are, in fact, notes Dr. Stein. Though now that you have brought it up, do you know what I find interesting?” she asked sweetly, lowering her voice a touch. “I find it interesting, that out of all these notes I have on this desk, you chose that particular piece of paper. What’s even more fascinating,” she said, picking up the paper in question, then continuing. “is that, of all the writing on this page, it was those four things that drew your attention. Funny,” Amy began to collect her things and rise. “I never realized you were into S and M.” she finished, never letting emotion show in her pretty face as she turned to Drake, “Excuse me, Dr. Vent, but if you have no further need for me at this moment I think I will go check in with my nurses.”

   With a sly smile, Drake just shook his head and watched as she flounced out of the room.“She may be rude and impossible to work with, but she certainly is very lovely to watch, as she leaves.” Stein spoke, his eyes trained on Amy’s exit. Turning toward Drake, he noted the young doctor's eyes were also pointing to the vicinity of where she had just walked away.

“Well, to be honest, it seems that is all I ever see her doing,” Drake replied absently, then just as quickly turned to face his new boss. “So, what can I do for you, Dr. Stein?”

“Frank, please.” Stein corrected.

“Ok. Frank. What can I do for you?” he asked once again.

  Dr. Frank Stein was a man that held a presence of authority, despite his appearance. Standing at about 5’3, he was not much to look at. His thinning light brown hair was kept short, though parts of it stuck out on his head. Thick rimmed black glasses framed his ocean blue eyes. His pressed jeans were worn with sloppy tennis shoes and he sported a crisp white lab coat over an extremely boring shirt and tie. The man had the true appearance of the old “mad scientist” stereotype. Pushing his glasses up on his nose, Stein got right to the point. “I wanted to talk to you for a moment about the files you have. You see, the other doctors before you left them,” he paused for a moment to take a seat,

“Unfinished”, Drake supplied.

“Yes. I was informed that they were quite unfinished. I must apologize, I know that has made your job difficult.”

“Not so much difficult, but a little harder and more intriguing, that is for sure.” Drake chuckled and took a seat across from him as Stein continued, “I was hoping that you could help fill in some of the blanks.”

“What exactly would you like me to fill in?” Drake asked, leaning down to pick up a notepad.

“For starters,” Stein began, propping his leg on his knee. “I would like you to run a complete physical on all of them. You know, blood work, urine sample, eye exam, basically the standard procedure. Then, of course, your mental evaluation would be necessary.” Stein explained, leaning forward on his leg.

“Of course,” Drake quickly agreed. “I have thought about doing so in the next week.

“Wonderful. I did hear that you planned to speak with them individually. Is that correct?” Stein asked when Drake nodded affirmative he continued. “I would really like to have some of that on record as well. We need to make sure of what I need to report.” Drake sat up a little straighter at this.

 “Who would you report this to?” he asked suddenly, more interested in what Stein was saying.

 “Oh, well, uh, I mean, well, we all report to someone. But that is really not important at this time.” Stein stammered, looking around nervously. “Well, anyway, this has been a good chat; we ought to do it again sometime.” With that, Stein left quickly.

    Drake was still wondering what that was all about when Amy reappeared. “Ever wonder why lions eat their young?” she asked with a shake of her head.

 “No, but I would like to know what it is about the two men that run this place that seems to piss you off.” Drake told her, picking up his files.

 “It’s nothing really,” she said shrugging her shoulders, “I just can’t stand their whole “I’m God” complex they’ve got going. I’m pretty sure it even makes the big guy a little antsy too.” She finished with at little shutter.

“Look, can we talk?” Drake asked, rolling his eyes.

“We are talking.” She replied.

“Yea, I mean like seriously,” Drake explained. Amy just stopped and stared at him. “I kind of think that something odd is going on here,” Drake stated.

“Odd? Hmm, like what?” she wondered.

“I can’t put my finger on it but, I am seriously worried.” He told her, coming to stand closer,

“That’s only to be expected with what you are facing,” she said, taking a step back.

“These people are crazy,” he rambled. “I mean, they really believe in this stuff. I was looking over their files and they really believe they’re vampires. How could the other doctors have allowed it to get this far?” he asked, his frustration starting to leak out.

“What is belief any way?” Amy asked, withdrawing from him a little more.

“Well, its knowing that something is real,” he answered.

 Amy closed her eyes and gave her head a small shake. “Wrong, knowing something doesn’t mean you believe in it. Belief is like,” she paused, searching for the right words. “It’s like having faith. You don’t really know for sure if something is real or not. You just believe in it. Like children believe in the Tooth Fairy. They’ve never seen her but they know she’s there.” She walked back toward the desk. “Since we are talking, seriously, can I ask you something?” she said over her should as she began to shuffle papers tilting her head this way and that.

 “Of course,” he said, walking over to stand beside her.

   Looking up, Amy met his eyes, “Do you believe that heaven and hell exist? That there is a God and devil and all that?”

  Drake went still. He didn’t know what shocked him more, the question or the fact that, for the first time, he was completely unsure of something. Finally, he spoke. “I guess so. I mean, I believe there is a God. Why?” Silence now was all he could hear.

“Are you sure?” she asked, her purple eyes watching him.

“I believe so.” He answered, a little uneasy about where this might go.

“Then if you “believe” that without knowing for sure, you should to be able to believe that, sometimes, other things do exist on this earth.” She told him, catching his attention.

“Look,” he said, backing away from the desk, “Vampires are not real, simple. Demons and spirits from beyond are just figments of a person's imagination. People see evil beings because they are not able to deal with the bad in their lives. I’m here to make these people better, and I will,” he stated, picking up the rest of his files, he turned to look at Amy, “but I don’t have to play their games to do it.” He finished heading toward the door.

 “I hope that is truly not the path you are taking.” She called after him.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he demanded, a little too harshly.

“It means that if you want to help them, and I mean truly help them, then you are going to have to believe in them.” She stood right beside him, her purple gaze pleading with him. “Some things in this world are bigger than you, and at some point you are going to have to open your little human eyes and see that there is bright undefined world beyond them.”

  Once again, Drake found himself watching dumb founded as she walked out the door. “What the Hell?” he asked himself, wondering what just happened. Deciding to call it a night, he went back to his quarters. After trying to work on his notes for a bit, Drake finally had to give up. He found that he just couldn’t concentrate on what he was doing. Amy’s voice kept running in her head.

  During that whole conversation he had felt like she was telling him something, but he couldn’t seem to grasp it. Looking at the clock, he picked up the phone and did what he should have done days ago. He called his mom. As he dialed he caught himself thinking, Belief is just a six-letter word. It has no real power. Yet something inside him was screaming that he might be wrong.