"Visiting Hours"

I look at my brother across the table. His face twitches as he shuffles the deck of cards in his hands again.
"Gary," I say.
"You ain't real," he interrupts.
One of the other patients in the common room suddenly starts singing what sounds like a cartoon theme song at the top of his lungs.
"FELIX THE CAT!" the man screams.
"I'm your older brother," I say. "Don't you recognize me?"
Gary starts to deal the cards face down on the table. Solitaire, maybe.
"THE WONDERFUL WONDERFUL CAT!"
I turn to glare at the screamsinger, who seems to be sitting calmly on a padded chair, flipping through a copy of Highlights.
When I look back at Gary, he's staring at the cards laid on the table with such intensity that I think he's trying to will them to move.
"I have a wife named Julie," I say. "You've met her. We have a little boy now."
"I know who you say you are," he whispers, not looking up from the cards.
"Then what..." I start.
"But you ain't real," he says again. "Yer made up."
"...EVER HE GETS IN A FIX!"
I look around again, this time for an orderly, or a nurse, or anyone, who will take responsibility for Felix the Screamer. There's a man behind the counter at the security door, but it looks like he's tuned it all out.
I stand, walking over to Gary's side of the table. His eyes dart once to me, and then back to the cards.
"Hey buddy," I say, putting my hand on his shoulder. I feel him twitch once and start to shiver. Crouching down to eye level, I put my other hand on his.
"I'm here, Gary," I say. "I'm here, I'm real, and I'm your brother."
I hear his breathing get more ragged, and he sits, as still as he can, for several seconds.
"...INTO HIS BAG OF TRICKS!"
Abruptly, he turns his head to look right at me, eyes red-rimmed and bloodshot.
"I can't see you," he whispers. "I can't see you. I can't see you."
I stand up, and plop back into the chair across him.
"This is really sad," I say, just as a nurse appears with two tiny cups for Gary.
"Got your medicine here," she says.
"Hey," I say to her. "Could you do something about Felix the Cat over there? It's really hard to talk with that screaming."
"FELIX THE CAT!"
She looks over at the screamer, shakes her head, and walks off in the opposite direction.
"Great," I mutter, and then notice Gary is staring at me, his little pill cup in one shaking hand.
"You ain't real," he says, and gulps down the pills.
"We went to school together," I say. "Remember Goatwood? I introduced you to Emily?"
"You ain't real," he says again. My vision blurs as my eyes start to tear up.
"I am," I say, reaching up to wipe the tears, but find none.
I blink several times, trying to clear my vision, and realize only Gary is blurry. The barred window behind him is as clear as ever.
"What...I..." I mumble, looking at Gary's image grow more indistinct, and then disappear altogether.
Suddenly the nurse is at my shoulder. "Did you take them pills, Nathan?" she asks.
"What?" I say. "No. My brother took them."
The nurse sighs. "Did you take 'em or not?"
"My brother did," I say. "He..."
She bends down to look me in the eye.
"He ain't real," she says.
The nurse stares for a few more seconds, her eyes searching for something in my face that she evidently doesn't find. Eventually she clucks her tongue and walks away.
I cast around, looking for someone, anyone, who saw Gary, who saw what I saw, and my eyes fix on Felix, who is staring at me. When he realizes I'm looking back, he silently mouths something, like he's trying to tell me a secret.
"What?" I mouth back, confused.
"I HAVE A MAGIC BAG!" he yells.

Comments

[Marcus Aurileus]

Quit messin' with my head, dude.

[Q]

It's all in your head. Just remember that. It is ALL in your head.

[flyyhigh]

I am in YOUR head.

[Miss Erin]

That was brilliant. Made me laugh, feel sad, and then got me freaked out. Kudos.

[Burning]

Weird. *gasp*. I was watching Felix the Cat only twenty minutes ago. TWENTY MINUTES!

That song is stuck in my head now. Great.

[Genevieve]

Very very cool.