Page 84 of Jack of Diamonds
“Miss, if you don’t cooperate, we’ll have no choice but to detain you,” the first officer warned, her tone firm.
“Detain me? For what?” My voice cracked, unable to comprehend the absurdity of the situation. Instead of enjoying a much-needed break from Wonderland, I was now being accused of assault in my own world.
“Can’t you see this is all just a big misunderstanding?” I pleaded, my voice cracking under the weight of humiliation and frustration.
“Miss Darling, have you been using any legal or illegal substances today?” the first officer questioned. His tone suggested he’d already made up his mind about me.
“Of course not!” I snapped, my patience wearing thin. “I’m telling the truth! Look, it’s been a long day, and I just want to go home.”
“Do you have any health conditions that require medication?”
I folded my arms over my chest.
“I’m not telling you my medical history without a fucking court order! Now, are you gonna arrest me, or can I go home?”
“We need to make sure you’re safe,” said the female officer, trying to sound compassionate, but it came off as patronizing.
Out in the parking lot, I saw an ambulance and a few other vehicles pull up. A bunch of paparazzi were suddenly crowding around the windows as the officers met with some EMTs and ushered me into the ambulance.
I only went willingly to get away from all the damn cameras.
Everything after that happened in a rapid-fire blur. I was strapped down onto the stretcher as pieces of my armor were taken off. The EMTs flashed lights in my eyes, took my pulse, took my blood, and asked me what day it was and how long I’d been in Wonderland.
Alice...where are you going?
“I don’t know, Jack,” I said, fighting off tears. “I’m scared!”
* * *
The ambulance ride to the mental asylum was a blur of noise and chaos, my mind grasping at straws, searching for some semblance of reason in all of this madness. I knew I sounded insane, but dammit, it was all true!
“Why aren’t you calling my lawyer? Can’t you see that locking me up won’t solve anything?” I implored. The EMTs acted like they had no idea what I was saying. Maybe the words I heard in my head weren’t what was coming out of my mouth.
That sometimes happened when I drank too much.
“Alice, try to relax for us, okay?” one of them said, reaching for a radio to fill the silence. I wanted to kick and scream, but I knew it would only make things worse.
When we arrived at the imposing, gray building, my heart sank. It looked like something straight out of a horror film, complete with an eerie fog that clung to the ground. I shivered involuntarily as we walked to the entrance, the heavy iron doors creaking open with a groan.
Once inside, I was escorted to a small, windowless room where a nurse was waiting for me. The harsh fluorescent lights above seemed to accentuate my vulnerability. I could feel their eyes on me, stripping me of any last shred of dignity.
“Take these,” the nurse instructed, thrusting a small paper cup filled with pills towards me. One of them was blue.
Blue pills were bad.
“Not until you tell me what they are.”
“It’s something to calm you down.”
I eyed her suspiciously.
“Calm me down? More like drug me into submission,” I spat, my voice laced with venom. “Hard pass.”
“It’s not an option. The powers that be have determined you’re a danger to yourself in your current state.”
I stared at her in silence, listening to the buzz of the fluorescent lights and the ticking of the clock on the wall.
Tick...