Psychs 1st

by A Amin

table lamp and the illumination caused Chow and the others to sense me.

       “They are about to do something to my wife!” he was there with her the entire night; he saw her getting out of her cell, led by one officer, tree log forearms guy. And then he left her in the laundry room, he then went to two women and then he stood next to them, without his wife looking. Chow saw that he had given them money. He went to him and read his lips.

       “Wait till the cameras are off, like the last time” he told the two women and handed them a shiv.

       I picked the phone and called the police, dialling 911 like every Hollywood movie had taught me, but I hung up instantly. No one would believe me of course, I wanted to say that she was the one to tell me that she is being abused every night, but then I would put her in more trouble. I wasn't sure what to do; anything I say may backfire at her, least at me. But… I had to do something.

       “Please… I beg you…” I felt helpless.

       “I don't know what to do… I'm sorry, I really am” I told Chow. Tears forced themselves through my eyes, the tears of sadness for my friend and the tears of anger from being helpless, I felt like both ran through each eye. He kept begging, to me and the others. I saw Jack's lips move in curses. My mother reached for him to comfort him, the others… they were thinking. I couldn't catch what Rod had asked Reed, but I picked up soon afterward.

       “Yes he does, I'm sure he does” Reed replied to him.

       “Hassan, please” Chow begged.

       “What?!” I asked the two ghosts, they hesitated. “Tell me, come on, I'll do anything, just tell me”

   

                                            

   

       She was all alone, and they started to corner her. I kicked the door open; it was an apartment Reed guided me to. I entered and flipped on the lights. Reed passed through walls to search for it, and in the seconds that it took him to do so, my eyes glanced at a framed picture on Rico's television. It was a picture of Reed and him, in camouflaged uniform and painted faces too. Reed appeared and it was only a matter of seconds before I was able to get on the roof.

       It was my first time to use a sniper rifle, Rod came next to me, and he showed me exactly how to load. I placed myself on the roof's ledge, Rod pointed at the recoil pad and pointed towards my shoulder, I placed my other hand below and close to where the barrel was and used the same hand to support myself on the ledge. I held my breath like Rod had told me to. He levelled his hand higher and I started levelling my aim accordingly, his ghostly face went through the barrel to look through it, to make sure I aimed at the right place. That was all happening very quickly.

       I braced myself for the shot, and then I squeezed the trigger.

       My ears started to whistle, the colossal sound the rifle made deprived me of my senses for a couple of seconds. Chow went to the prison, he saw that there was still calmness in the place, I took another shot, and a third one before everyone within range of the prison was able to hear the alarm. The two women in front of Glenn thought that the prison alarm was meant for them. They left the shiv and ran away, leaving her crying all alone in the corner.

       I walked down stairs, Rod pointed at the ammo cartridge and then he pointed at the release button, I removed the ammo so I would return things back the way it was; at least I won't let Rico say he was robbed or something… but then again, it didn't matter, because there he was, looking at me after he had reached the stairs, attempting to see if the robber had went to the roof instead of showing his face and loot to people.

       He looked at the rifle and then at me… his eyes widened when he realized who I was.

       “What the hell is wrong with you??” he said. “You broke into my apartment?? Wait a sec…” he looked at the ammo magazine and I realized that he saw that there were bullets missing.

       “Did you just use that?”

       I swallowed… I became silent for a second.

       “I can explain”

       “Please do”

       “Well… I was helping…”

       “Rico??” we both heard a sound, someone was calling.

       “Stay away Yural” Rico ordered, his eyes still fixed on me.

       “Yural? Are you there?” I called, and I saw the surprise on his face.

       “You know her?” he asked.

       She came from behind and looked at the both of us. “Hassan?” she said.

   

                                                                

   

       “Explain” Rico said. I wasn't able to do so, I was done telling my secret to anyone, I promised myself I will keep it for me and Tony… and of course, Elizabeth. Also, I would have a harder time explaining ghosts to those two.

       “I can't actually… but I would ask you to trust me” “Is he serious?” he looked at Yural.

       “Rico… you didn't give me the chance to speak with you… I came to you for a reason”

       “And what's that?”

       “You're going to like this” Yural said.

       “Does your grandma knows you’re here?” he snapped back at her.

       “I wanted to talk… you are the only one I can talk to, you were there when my father wasn’t”

       Chow was here for this now, I felt him, and I felt his sadness.

       “We'll get to that… so, now is your chance, what do you want from me?”

       “You knew them all” his eyebrows raised.

       “And who are you talking about?”

       “Them…” I pointed to the pictures he had in the apartment.

       “Especially Reed, you knew Chow too, Rodriguez, Mason… all of them”

       “How do you know them?? How is it possible you know them all??”

       I explained again the reason why I had letters with their names on them.

       “So… only those eight letters, huh? You say you have one from Reed to me?” I nodded.

       “We'll get to that… so what do you want, Yural?” he turned his attention to her.

       “I had come with new information, guess where the money to our lawyer is coming from?... Fredrick himself”

       “The father? Fredrick senior?” Rico had a look of surprise on his face, and I had a look of curiosity.

       “Who's Fredrick??” I asked.

       “The father of the victim, the one who dated Glenn” he answered me, and then he switched his attention back to Yural.

       “You think he is trying to sabotage the trial against your mother?”

       “I'm not sure. I confronted the lawyer, he said that he only received the money, he had never got any instructions with it and that he was doing his best… he said since there was money why would he question it?”

       “I’m sure he would not… and he is taking from the both of us at the same time, too”

       “So… should you go talk to him... again?”

       “And have myself sued again?... yeah, sure, I will, but we would be wasting our time and money”

       “So?”

       “So we go to him, we will confront the father” Rico said. “You should get going, I will talk to you tomorrow and we will finish things later” she got up and went home. I sat, knowing for sure that he would rain questions on me. The first one was hard to answer because it confused me.

       “How did you get the nerve to enter my place, steal my rifle and use it?”

       “I did it because I had to keep Chow’s wife from harm”

       “You mean Glenn?” I addressed her as Chow's wife, as if he is here, a
live, and that I actually know him as a friend.

       “I knew from her that she is being harassed in there, and I wanted to make sure that she will have a break today, or even for a couple of days, the prison is in a tighter security alert now”

       “My bullets won’t be traced, but that doesn't mean I would look over the fact that you have broke into my place and used my rifle, which I’m curious about how you knew I had one?”

       “I knew you were military. I started to feel more and more concerned because I know how it feels to be helpless, that’s what I saw when I visited her and delivered Chow’s message”

       I was thinking at the same time about the day I was attacked, the first time I saw them; the ghosts. And I also thought of the time when my sister was attacked by the same person, a person I killed, that’s why I knew how it felt to be helpless.

       “I looked you up and you kicked me away every time I came, so I had to do what I had to do… I’m sorry”

       “Get out… and don’t ever come here, I’ll simply just make you disappear, I had done it many times for things less than that”

       “No he hasn’t” Reed said. I nodded, believing his word over his friend who knew him better than me.

      

                                          

   

       I went back to the hotel, thinking that I was glad things are moving in a steadier current, but… I saw a person; I recognized him and his huge forearms. It was the prison guard, he was looking casual.

       I hid, moving my lips so they would understand why I did that.

       “It’s the prison guard! It’s the prison guard!”

       I stayed hidden and then I moved outside, figured that they would eventually tell me what would happen after watching him.

       But, for some reason, he spun around. I think he caught me from the furthest corner of his eye. He saw me, he left the hotel’s clerk and then he followed me. I ran, I had the advantage, but I only had it over him and him alone, not over the other man, who was outside and who tackled me, picking me up from behind and moving me out of the streets, and… damn it… into an alley.

       I used my force to at least bring my legs to the ground. Once they were there, Joseph came in front of me, but I reacted before he told me how, using an easy move he taught me; I bent down, grabbed one of his legs and pulled it between my legs. He went down, his head hit the floor and I gave a quick punch to the face, which only left him slightly dizzy. The other man had just arrived, he was taller and stronger. He swung his big hand at me; its weight could have been the reason why I was able to move a little faster, and to be able to duck. He lost his balance, I gave a knee kick to his side, but it was my mistake. His body absorbed the hit, he grabbed me, and then he used every bit of strength to pick me up and over his head, I tried to rattle myself out of his hold, he turned into the wall and then he threw me towards it.

       It really hurts, I was on the cold ground, and I had my hand on my side, I felt something, something… damp, it was blood on my shirt. It was now shown on my hand, they saw it too. I looked up, and saw some trace of it on a large screw on the wall. I am screwed. My mind somehow kept its sense of humour.

       “Now let me say this once, we will let you off for one reason, we want to get rid of this damn case because it had taken us a very long time… so you get the hell out and return from wherever you came from” He said.

       “What’s going on… who the hell are you?!” I barked.

       “There he goes again” his friend said “What did I tell you about sticking your nose?” the one who threw me came to me; I got up and leaned on the wall behind me.

       “I guess we have to crack that skull open and make sure our warning goes inside” I was readying myself, Joseph pointed to his knee.

       “Tsk tsk tsk” a sound came… someone was looking at us.

       “Two against one??”

       “This is none of your business” the man with the normal height said.

       “Wanna run that one again for me??” the man said, I realized who it was, they all did, especially the ghosts; it was Rico.

       The man went for him, and the big one in front of me went back to me.

       “Where were we?” he growled. I was focusing back at him, once he came close I attacked his knee with a front kick. A whisper of pain came through his clenched teeth. He grabbed me again with one hand, and suddenly, once I looked him in the eye, his head was pushed away from my sight by a strong blow from Rico’s fist; it came to his temple, resulting into a slumber. I saw what had happened to the other man, his eyes were shut, but I saw his mouth move, he was not completely out.

       “This is bigger than what we think” I nodded to Rico. “Good thing I came for the letter” 

                                     

   

            The morning came. We called Yural, Rico told her about the last event and that I had to spend the night on his couch.

       “Are you alright?” she asked.

       “Yes, thank god… it’s not a deep wound”

       “You got WOUNDED?!” she was shocked, she didn’t know, she only saw the bruise on my face.

       “Rico did a good job fixing me, its nothing. I think we should go and talk to him now”

       We stood outside his house. Yural was the one who called him through the intercom. He came out, wearing a white shirt and a blue jeans, he was thin, in his sixties probably, his hair was gray, whiter in the scale.

       “I thought I asked you not to come here ever again” those were his first words to her, he didn’t even looked at the both of us.

       “I had to, you are the one who is paying for the legal bills, why are you doing that?” she confronted him. He took a deep breath, and looked away; his eyes went back to her.

       “I saw you; I saw your mother’s concern, even though she took his life” I was surprised she was able to hold herself when he said that, she was stronger than what I thought “it doesn’t mean you are the one who should pay… this is my only good deed to you… so please, just leave, it is still hard to deal with this” she wanted to speak, but I saw that she was trying to not make things worse, she was the daughter of the killer in his mind.

       “Excuse me, sir” Rico spoke.

       “Yesterday a man tried to get this guy…” Rico placed his hand on my shoulder, he continued after he removed his hand. “… someone also tried to kill Glenn in prison, it was the same person who attacked our guy here… Glenn loved your son, I saw them come to my bar many times, and I have known her and her husband since a very long time… we think that she had been framed”

       “Can you please just leave me be? I am not in the mood to discuss the death of my son”

       “Sir…” I spoke, hoping that I may be able to help, if we convince him he may be able to help with her situation, if he was to witness for her character then that would surely be helpful.

       “I know you had suffered a great loss, and I’m sorry to say that I don’t understand what you are going through… but I do understand that the real person who is responsible is out there… the law may not be able to claim your right, but if you don’t help us it will claim what is wrong from someone innocent. Do you want that?” he only looked at me, he was angry. “Please… we want just the little help that you can provide” Yural said.

       He took a deep breath and then he said “The evidence is against her. I had lost my son… I don’t care anymore about anything, I lost my wife first and now my son” he was talking out of his emotions and I thought what I said would make a difference… but it didn’t.

       He raised his finger, threatening us as he continued “
So stay away from me, I don’t want to ever hear from any of you ever again” he shut the door and our hope was lost.

       We were walking away from the house, when suddenly, Yural started to cry, Rico comforted her while I ran to get a taxi cab.

   

                                         

   

       I sat with Chow, the poor guy; he was really helpless and extremely sad. How would he ever return with me after all that had happened? He would never be the same. I started to think about what else I could do? But nothing was coming out of my head. I decided to call my mother, so I would ask for more money. I thought I should extend my stay, only for him.

       “Don’t tell me you are spending money on a new girlfriend, Hassan” My mother said on the phone, I heard laughter next to her, coming from my little sister, it made me feel longing to see them again.

       “Well, don’t worry; I’ll convince your father”

       “Yes you will, after all, you are my banking system.”

       I said my goodbyes and then I went back, as I waited for the elevator to come, I started to see what’s ahead of me, how things will be when I go back, I would have to go to Liverpool at first.

       Liverpool… Professor Luke. The memory of the conversation I had with him at the park came back to me.

       The elevator’s door opened, I saw my bruised face reflecting in front of me. I entered and turned away from it.

       You have to know if you are a good psychiatrist or just a smart person. My memory went on its own, it went back to the conversation we had today and it made me think again, am I a good psychiatrist, after what I had said to Fredrick senior I thought it would make a difference, but it didn’t. I did choose psychiatry because I had spent a little time with the one who helped me when I was seventeen, after the first time I saw the ghosts, and I remember telling her, doctor Eta, it’s because I had good grades, that was my first answer to her when she asked me why I chose psychiatry.

       I was lost. Why wasn’t I able to convince him to help us? The elevator stopped.

       Why, damn it?! Am I really not cut out to be a good psychiatrist?

       The exact memory of the conversation came back, and subconsciously, I started to slow down, I remembered every detail now… and then… why didn't he help us?? After all that I had said, why wasn’t he convinced? Why was he mad?? I thought.

       My mother looked at me, and so did the others… they were trying to see what I was thinking about.

       No!! He wasn’t mad… that was no anger… he was irritated, there was something else… he was really trying not to bring up the trial, or the situation, he was… trying to stay away… he was avoiding us… why??

       I looked at Mason and then I spoke.

       “The man we went to, he wasn’t convinced of what I had said, and the way he acted, he was hiding something, I’m sure of it”

       “What do you mean?” he was confused.

       ´I mean we should watch him”

       I went down, and waited for Mason and the others to come back, twenty minutes later, I was with Rico at his bar.

       “Do you know