#1 China Cat (Psych Patient)

Nobody believed a psych patient, so they just had to make the best of it. In some ways, the four-year-old was more mature than the adults, but in some ways she wasn’t.

Carin and Colleen were in the beds, closest to the door, on either side. They knew they were friends, did everything together, and planned to live together when they got out, but what they didn’t know, was that they were lovers. During the day, they went to mandatory recreation and fresh air together, but that wasn’t a problem because everyone trouped down, except the bedridden ones like Cora and Carolyn. They went sometimes when there were enough orderlies to pick them up and put them in wheelchairs, and even then, sometimes they dropped them. One time they dropped Carolyn because they said she was too fat and wouldn’t help. They grunted and groaned and complained the whole time. After that, Carolyn wouldn’t go anymore and they changed her medication to something that made her sleep all the time. She fed herself for meals though and Cora called the cops on them.

Carin and Colleen played Ping Pong and Chess in the rec centre and went for walks for the mandatory fresh air time. One day, a staff member bugged them about holding hands when they walked. Carin, who was the mouthier of the two, just projected their shame back onto the staff member, ‘…friends hold hands, you should know that…’ Women got away with what men never would have. It made China wonder if there were more like that, hiding. When they got back, there was a big conversation about what was normal and the words gay and queer. Carin was mad and Colleen was complacent. China decided they were both normal. The room was lively that day and even Cora participated, but she still kept the curtains closed.

Cora finally talked to her that night after she told Carole to get out. ‘…that woman puts her urine and feces in a bag…then the garbage ...’ China answered her, ‘…yabut at least nobody has to clean it up…’ Cora went on, ‘…she should use the bathroom down the hall…’ a long period of silence went by, and then she continued, ‘…she goes through the garbage…takes the bag of shit out…puts it in her walker…’ She never wanted Cora picking on her. ‘…she steals stuff…at night…better watch your things…’ China didn’t have anything. ‘…she looks at you when you’re sleeping…’ It was nice having an adult talk to her before she fell asleep. ‘…I’m going to call the cops on her in the morning…’

The next afternoon, Cora got a visitor, the curtains were closed around her, but China could hear everything. She listened real good. The visitor called Cora Ma and Cora called her Trudy. Trudy brought her pizza and French fries which Cora was really happy about, and Cora was happy to see her too. Trudy said, over and over again, ‘…you don’t have to worry…I’ll look after you…you can come to live with me…’, and then she would tell another work story. Cora was lucky, and not mean for the rest of the day. She talked to China that night, ‘…that was my daughter…I only got one kid…she has a problem with lying…she stole my car…I’m gonna call the cops on her…tomorrow…’ China knew she couldn’t because they took her phone away, but it was still nice having her talk to her at bedtime, and she said so, out loud.

They went to the rec centre and mandatory fresh air like usual, and Cora and Carolyn stayed behind. All that was normal, but Cora had a phone when they got back. From inside the curtain, she could hear Cora talking. ‘…no...no...it’s not an emergency …wait I don’t have a pen…hello…hello…’ She kept on trying, but Cora didn’t know how to work the phone. China wanted to yell instructions at her, but she didn’t want her to know that she was listening. Cora tried all day. ‘…no…no…it’s not an emergency…ok…ok…I’ll call back during