It was utter chaos within the walls of the institution. To escape from all the screams and inpatients' tantrums, Nellie liked to spend around two hours of fun time in the garden, even when it was very cold. Honestly, she could have been there more if it wasn't for the strict regulations she was had to follow.
She was just admiring the snowman she made in the last thirty minutes with Martim's help when Nurse Sheridan appeared at the door of the institution that led to the garden:
"Nellie! Martim! Come on, children. It's time for your medication."
Martim cursed a really nasty word under his breath. Nellie's face became even more livid than usual at the sound of that.
"I hate it when they control our lives like this." The young man grunted.
Nellie didn't say anything. Sure, she'd have loved to play some more but Nurse Sheridan knew what was best for them. Nellie almost never questioned the nurses' authority, unlike Martim who seemed to be doing nothing other than complaining and fighting.
He dropped an arm over Nellie's delicate shoulders and the both of them returned inside the institution where they were immediately met with the loud voices of other inpatients.
Katie Nolan was trying to climb up the curtains. Fred Cavanaugh and Melissa Stunt were chasing each other down the corridor while being scolded by the nurses. Poppy Loomis sat in a corner, rocking herself anxiously with her ears covered.
All of that was a perfectly normal sight. At least for Nellie.
"Come on, dear." Nurse Sheridan smiled. "Let's swallow the yummy pills."
Nellie returned her smile while Martim's face turned into a scowl.
Nurse Sheridan was very cheery and had a kind face. Yet, that was only in appearance. Martim had clear memories of being restrained by the big nurse and being force-fed all sorts of drugs that kept him numb and stupid for days. To him, nurse Sheridan, as well as every other personnel of the institution was just evil. They were not trying to heal the people's put under their care. If anything, they were trying to make them even sicker.
Yet, for Nellie's sake, he agreed to follow after the nurse without causing any trouble. Spending more time with his only friend in this madhouse was worth all the drugs.
In her office, Nurse Sheridan handed both of them two little cups filled with pills. Nellie tilted her head back and swallowed the whole thing with a little bit of water. She then turned to Martim expectantly and watched as he swallowed his own pills.
"Mmmm..." Nurse Sheridan hummed. "Open your mouth now, Martim. Let me see if you've been a good boy."
Martim obeyed with a bored expression on his face. He opened his mouth wide, sticking his tongue out. The pills were effectively swallowed and he was already starting to feel the effects of them. It always started with that sensation of deep, overwhelming exhaustion.
As for Nellie, there was no point in checking if she really swallowed her pills. She always did.
"Nurse Sheridan..." Her delicate voice rung. "Can I...?"
"Yes, dear. I knew you'd ask. You can use my tablet for thirty minutes."
"Thank you."
Nurse Sheridan smiled before handing the electronic device to Nellie. She quickly went into the common room with Martim and found a comfortable seat.
Nellie's hands were already trembling in excitement as she turned the apparel on and clicked on the little red app.
"Can't we watch something different today?" Martim asked but he already knew there was no point.
Nellie was blinded by, if not obsessed with that pop singer. There was no way she was going to waste her precious minutes on the Internet on anything other than him.
She'd watched all of Troy Allen's music videos a million times but still never got tired of them. Every interview, every apparition in TV shows or commercials, every article...Nellie had devoured it all.
She turned on his most recent music video: "Baby, Life's Short". That one was definitely her favorite song now. With the effects of the drugs cursing through her veins, Nellie felt like she was sitting on a cloud as Troy's perfect face appeared on the tablet.
His voice wrapped around her like a comforting hug. She started singing along. The lyrics were about a secret love that needed to be confessed because, well...Life's too short to keep missing out on happiness.
Nellie felt like Troy was addressing these words to her. She knew he longed to finally meet her, even more than she did. She stood on her feet and attempted awkward dance steps. She tripped twice and would have fallen if Martim weren't there to hold her.
The young woman started laughing before she threw her arms over her friend's shoulders and slow danced with him. When she closed her eyes, it was like Troy had already found her and she imagined being in his arms instead of Martim's.
Whispering the sweet words of the song, a dazed smile on her face, Nellie felt the happiest. She could sense that it was close, the day when Troy Allen would finally join her to start a perfect life at the institution.
When the song came to an end, she reluctantly had to open her eyes again and face the reality of her surrounding. That was the sad thing about her "relationship" with Troy. His songs could make her fly to the highest point in heaven but as soon as they'd end, she'd fall back to the darkest, deepest pit of hell.
Without him, even the institution she'd grown to love became bland and pointless.
A single tear ran down her pale face but disappeared soon under Martim's thumb. The latter tried to ignore how much it hurt to watch Nellie cry for another man...A man who lived on a completely different universe.
"When is he going to come, Timmy?" She asked in her soft voice. "I've been waiting for years..."
Martim wanted to tell her to snap out of her lunatic mind and finally realize that Troy Allen was never going to come for her. He wanted to tell her that he was nothing more than an illusion, a fabricated Don Juan meant to lure young girls into spending all of their money. He wanted to tell her that she'd be disappointed if she ever got to meet him in real life, which would certainly never happen to begin with.
But Nellie was just so fragile.
All those things that Martim wanted to say would destroy her if he voiced them out loud. So for now, it was better to leave her in her fantasy world and hope that she'd come to understand by herself someday.
He dropped a tiny kiss on the top of her head. Nellie buried herself in his arms, crying silently. Had her prince charming got lost trying to find her in this vast world? Probably. Maybe that's why he wrote so many love songs. They were a callout to her.
Slowly, her tears subsided as she understood something crucial.
Who said that Troy was supposed to come to her and that she had no other choice but to wait for it to happen?
Maybe if he couldn't come to her...She could go to him.