Escaping the turmoil part 2

Ben has to survive the harsh reality of Saint Alice mental health facility.

Chapter 10.

Ben had a skip in his walk as he marched back to the lounge with his Iron Maiden autobiography book to show Mark and to discuss the greatest band in the world when he got the shock of his life. There were three new people on the sofa and Ben felt like the walls were closing in on him, for he was sure that they were his family. Stephanie was 10 years older but still looked stunning, yet she could not recognize her beloved, no matter how much he explained who he was. She just thought he was a handsome Welsh stranger.
Then his children were now adults, Isaac was 28 and Tanya was 18. They were dressed in officer clothing and looked like they had important jobs, which he had no doubt they would have had. He tried his very best to convey to his wondrous handsome kids just who he was and that he'd been stuck inside the mental health Facility for 10 years, in the blink of an eye. All he got from them was that they were in the universe, and they were the pilots of a spaceship, and that the Earth had imploded from the number of humans on the surface of the glorious planet. They told Ben he was the captain and needed instructions to navigate their way through a meteor storm.
Ben looked out of the window and all he could see was space, stars, planets, and an area the size of a stadium full of meteors.
The other residents who were the same but ten years older were scared and shouting,
“Make a bloody decision now, Mr. Captain Bradshaw!”
Well, Ben was flabbergasted at this inhospitable predicament and as a result passed out from the whole ordeal.
Chapter 11.
Ben opened his eyes with a shudder and forceful gigantic jolt, as he sprinted into the common room thinking he'd see a blazing wreck of a burning spaceship, but what he found made his head spin around like a demented owl. For the tormented novelist saw no time had gone by except a few hours, as it was now lunchtime. Ben still had the Maiden autobiography in his hand, but in the other a bandage that looked as if he'd been injected with some sharp needle.
Ben ran over to Mark and in a desperate emotional state said,
“What the bloody hell, mate? One minute I'm taking a shower, and it's 2019 then it's 2029 and my family is here, and the earth has gone? We crashed on an uncharted planet, so where's my wife, son, and daughter? How can we be back in the hospital on Earth and not injured or worse aboard the spaceship? And what is this bandage on my arm? Who's done what to me?”
Mark looked concerned for his new friend and didn't know how to tell him the truth so he said,
“Hey, brother, I am not sure exactly what you mean. Why don't you go over to the nurses and ask them what's wrong?”
Ben looked at his rocking friend with a puzzled look and thought,
“Why wouldn't Mark say what happened? Only several hours earlier they were all shouting for him to act on what to do about the meteor storm, and now it had all vanished? What the heck was going on? I saw my lovely family on a spaceship as he was seeing everyone in the facility. How could this be?”
Ben turned to walk over to the nurses and the matron of the ward said,
“Hello Mr. Bradshaw, lovely to meet you my name is Sophie Plant, and I'm ward supervisor, please come with me and I will answer all your questions. Don't fret, for everything is okay and Mark will be a gentleman and ask the kitchen staff to save you some lunch.
Chapter 12.
In the small, cramped room, the ward supervisor sat Benjamin down to go over the incident after lunch. The 35-year-old Irish woman explained to the Dustin Harris series of children's books,
“ I'm sorry to say this Ben, but you experienced another delusional episode, and you ran around Ethan's ward out of control and opened every room in the hospital, even the lady's section that's off-limits to males. Understandably, you will realize that we have to insist that you stay with us a little while longer to assess your care and what's best for your recovery. This is by law called a section 2, and we can keep you here for more than 2 weeks. You can only go into the garden and not off the hospital grounds unless with family and friends. We had to give you a sedative to calm you down. Now go and have your lunch. It will make you feel better, anything out of the ordinary just come see me any time of the day, but trust in our ability to deliver the correct diagnosis and plan of action.

Chapter 13.

Ben began to feel giddy from realizing his temporary incarceration was to be longer than he expected. So he walked over to the food trolley that was located at the back of the room and picked out a bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich and some prawn cocktail chips, plus a cheesecake. To swallow it down he had a Vanilla flavored Coca-Cola.
Ben sat next to Mark and apologized for his outspoken behaviour this morning when suddenly the television he was sitting at started directing its attention towards the author. They were watching police camera action when the CID officer informed the public they knew of Ben Bradshaw at the Alice mental health facility. On his person, he had the deadly nerve agent that if infiltrated can shut down the body of its host in 10 minutes. So we are appealing to this individual not to harm anyone, even if he thinks they may be a danger to the country and world. The hospital is surrounded, and we shall take out the author if he doesn’t back down.
Ben's heart rate went supersonic like he was going up a hill in a race, but slowly and steadily the runner got up, and told Mark he was feeling a little queasy and needed to return to his room. The Welsh man took his tray back to the food trolley and quickly and quietly walked back to the place where he felt like he was inside a prison cell.
As the distressed man began searching his belongings for what the CID special officer said he had, the quiet and friendly movie lover’s mobile went off. It was located inside his jacket pocket that hung up in his wardrobe. It played Iron Maidens: run the Hills and a text said,
“This is Jamie, your buddy from the running club, all ok in there? I saw you on TV. How did they find out? Have you still got the nerve agent securely hidden in what you most treasure? The box of marzipan chocolates from your family. Get to work matey, or you know what happens!”
Benjamin sat on his bed and re-read the message several times to let it sink in. He dropped the phone onto the bed and delicately picked up his favorite box of chocolates that had been put on a table with the rest of Ben’s belongings. He sat back down on the bed and gently lifted the sweet confectionery out of the box. Furthermore, he placed them onto his lap and there sitting on the bed in the box was a canister of deadly nitrate agent.
Ben picked up the bottle of poison and looked at the contents, a yellow liquid that he thought resembled wee. The family man was shocked to have such a thing on his person and was numb to know what to do next. He suddenly got furious and thought,
“Whoever has me over a barrel doesn’t know me at all, for there’s no way that I'd harm another human being. They think that they hold all the cards, and I’ll do whatever they say because they’re imprisoning my family, but I have the last laugh, those shitheads!”
So Ben Removed the top of the slim tiny bottle and carried out his mission to save his family. No one was dying today while Mr. Bradshaw was in control with the lethal weapon. He picked up the canister, removed its blue top and proceeded to consume its contents. He decided that nobody, except him, was being sacrificed in the name of evil because those criminals were holding his dear family prisoner. Not only that, but he knew that he'd never see them again, but at least Stephanie, his children and all the people on Ethan’s ward would be alive! And without the toxic substance, the police could quickly act and free his family.
Now he had to act fast if he wished to see his beloved family again, but the friendly man thought,
“ If it’s too late for me then at least I’ve done something worthwhile in this lifetime!”
He ran the fastest the 44-year-old had ever done in his life and zoomed to Sophie in the hope she and her team would be able to give him the antidote, while the police arrested the baddies.
However, when the children's author, in a desperate state, explained to the ward supervisor what he'd done she quickly phoned for an ambulance. For he’d gotten confused and thought that a fountain pen his beautiful wife had given him to write his next story with, was the deadly poison. He swallowed a plastic cartridge of ink and the pen's spring, so Ben needed his stomach pumped.
Would the doctors and nurses manage to help him in time and save Mr. Bradshaw’s life, or had he poisoned himself and was the time running out fast?

Chapter 14.

After receiving the dire news, Mrs. Bradshaw jumped into her car and raced out to the hospital to be at her husband's bedside. She didn’t care what he’d done for she loved him implicitly, and she knew he wasn’t himself, for he didn’t have a rational mind. She had faith he was going to get better and would always stick with him through thick and thin.
With a heavy heart and tears in her eyes, she approached the hospital's main entrance and pushed open the enormous glass door that felt as heavy as an elephant. The gorgeous mother stepped inside the busy foyer as quickly as she could and headed to the reception desk.
Stephanie gave her name and asked if she could visit Benjamin, which she was allowed to do after the ward had finished their lunch. She waited thirty-eight minutes, grabbed a coffee and some chips and chocolate and sat in an extremely tiny waiting room that was stuffed to the rafters with people.
The fabulous DRS and nurses kept on popping in and out of the room asking to see different patients. Eventually, an Italian 20-year-old nurse said,
“Please come with me Mrs. Bradshaw, your husband is settled and asking for you.”

Chapter 15.

Tears rolled down Steph’s face as she saw Ben wired up to machines and guards at his bedside for his and other people's safety, but Benjamin felt different since the Drs and nurses had pumped his stomach of the ink and he was recovering in bed, especially seeing his beloved wife. The 44-year-old author and runner had regained his senses and came back to reality, being out of the mental health hospital for he could see that what was going on in his mind wasn't real and the poor man hadn't altered anything. He didn't want to return to the hospital and was dreading it when Steph asked,

“My handsome and clever man, what happened that made you want to swallow an ink cartridge and spring of a pen? Could you not see how poorly you'd get? I am not angry just glad you're okay. Please tell me what you were thinking?”

The Bradshaws hugged one another the best they could with Ben strapped to machines, so the runner explained his rezoning and then he held Stephanie’s hand and said,

“I'm very sorry for my actions and I know I need help but I’m scared about returning to the hospital. “

Stephine kissed his cheek and said,

“Don’t worry hun everything will be ok you're in safe hands with Dr Zimmerman and his team and I will be right here every minute of every day! Just pick up your phone and call me and I'll be right by your side. Our adorable children send their love and best wishes, they miss you so very much and can't wait for their daddy Benjamin to be home to play games with. I have brought your iPad and I think if you can try and relax in your room and watch films, read books, do whatever you can to absorb yourself to stay in reality and before you know it you’ll be back home I promise. Facetime me any time of the day. I have also brought you a variety of snacks to keep you going when you may be bored at night and your mind might wander into delusional territory. I’ve also bought your favourite Jelly baby sweets. There are some extra warm pyjamas because the temperature is going to drop significantly. After all, the weatherman says we’re getting a cold snap called: the beast from the east and as the sheets on your bed are very thin I wouldn’t want you to catch pneumonia.

I know you have your Iron Maiden biography book with you, but while I was in the supermarket buying your other things, I noticed a Collectors Maiden edition of the classic rock magazine and I instantly bought it for you, as I know it would cheer you up immensely. I have also included a picture of us; your loving family. I thought that you could look at this every day and know what you’re fighting for to keep healthy and come home to us.

My darling Ben, I know none of this is a replacement for us and your freedom, but I Just wanted to cheer you up and show you how much we care for you. Please enjoy your things and I wish you a speedy recovery and can come home to us as soon as you are much better. I love you with every ounce of my being and I will be thinking of you every second of every day until you come home to us.

The kids love you and send their best wishes and told me to give you a hug and kiss. They want to take you to the next Maiden concert and Rock like a hurricane as soon as you're well enough. As a real incentive to get you well as soon as possible, there is a mega surprise waiting for you at home, and all I will say is, it has to do with running your favourite race. Keep that and us in your heart when you put your head up on the pillow tonight and every night that you’re in the Saint Alice facility. I will let you get some rest now my lovely man and I’ll bring the kids to see you tomorrow. Your mum is bringing another surprise for you this evening when you return to the mental health hospital.

Again please try to remember that I am at the other end of the phone or iPad day and night so if anything gets bad just call me and I will come straight over no matter what they say.

Try not to lash out or hurt yourself, you have people around you who care and your family that love you so much forever! Now try to close your eyes and get some sleep for they are taking you back to the ward at 6 o’clock after you’ve had tea. See you tomorrow, my bunny your chick loves you with all her heart forever! “

Ben and Stephanie gave each other a warm embrace and passionate kiss and the airline pilot got up and left the hospital and drove home.

Benjamin put his head on the pillow and tried to sleep but the OCD wouldn’t let him, it screamed and bellowed,

“Get your worthless piece of shit for brains up out of bed and go and find that good-for-nothing bitch and slice off her breasts. For she knows you are not and never will be safe in that crazy house.”

Ben just put his fingers in his ears, closed his eyes tight and shouted in his head to

“Get lost now, you nasty piece of work, go back to hell from where you came!”

Minutes later, Ben Was sound asleep.

Chapter 16.

Utterly embarrassed by my actions, and I apologize for getting ill and being in here. All I want to do is get better and come home to you forever. I love you with every part of my being.

Please give Tyana and Isaac a huge hug and kiss and tell them I can't wait to see them tomorrow evening. I have not seen Dr. Zimmermann this evening, I guess it will be sometime in the morning. I have asked for some tea here before Mum arrives in an hour and a half. Furthermore, I would rather not say goodnight my lovely and could listen to your angelic voice until I fall asleep, but you need your rest and strength being on your own with our epic children.”

With that realization, Stephanie took a deep sigh and a heavy heart. She was feeling anxious about not knowing when her handsome husband was coming home. She put on a brave face and said,

“Just try to relax Ben and don't worry about anything! You can concentrate on getting well, and we'll be here when you get the all-clear to come home. I love you to the ends of the earth and always will. Goodnight my sweet man I love you to the moon and back forever!”

Ben told Sephine that he loved her to the edge of the universe and back pressed the switch to the iPad and put it safely on the bedside table. His eyes felt very heavy and was about to get 40 winks when Frances, the security guard knocked on the door. The very tall, thin shaven haired black man said,

“May I come in sir? I have the tea you asked for and some new medication”

Ben pulled himself back into bed and sat up with ample discomfort, but he was hungry and needed to try to move, or he would never heal. Benjamin shouted,

“Come in Francis and thank you”

So the St. Alice employee entered the room with a tray of veg pie, chips, gravy and orange squash. Becky thought he'd like chocolate cake, as she said it was the nicest she had ever tasted. Please take your meds, Mr. Bradshaw. The nurse informed me you have 3 new meds and Dr. Zimmermann will discuss this with you tomorrow. I will come back for the tray in a little while. Here is a pull cord in case you have any delusions at night. Everyone sends their regards and is eagerly awaiting to see you in the morning. Now try to get some rest.”

Ben thanked Francis and the man left and shut the door behind him.

The shy and quiet author ate his tea and felt reluctant to take his medication, even though he hadn't been told what they were and did. He washed the tablets down with his orange turned on his side and tried to get some sleep, but the dreadful noise in his head had other ideas. It screamed in his Frontal lobe,

“Don’t think you’re getting any sleep any time soon for the road to hell is paved with all my ideas, and I’m dragging you there, Mr. stupid!”

Chapter 17.

Ben had closed his eyes, except now the alarm he'd set on his iPad went off. The menace in his head was cackling at the man's discomfort of little sleep. Ben ignored the shite and slowly sat up in his bed of nails and tried to stand, but it was a wrench on his stomach, so the blond-haired slim man with green eyes pressed his alarm button and within several minutes a nurse came to Ben’s aid. Jenny Bishop was a red-haired 22-year-old girl and a student nurse. She inquired what he needed, and he said,

“I'm sorry but if you're not too busy at the moment, could you please fetch me the wheelchair so I can visit with my mum, I can't move without it hurting? So sorry for the inconvenience, I realize how busy all you DRS and nurses are. Thank you“ Sophie gave Ben a warm smile and said,

“It's not a problem Mr. Bradshaw, it's our job to help you in any way you require. I will ask one of the security guards to bring it for you shortly. So you're in a lot of discomfort? I can give you something for the pain, and you will get a better night's sleep. I don't have access to morphine, but co-codamol is much stronger than paracetamol. Furthermore, I will sort that out for you and let you know when your visitor arrives.”

Ben smiled happily at the nurse and thanked her, but all the time he was grinding his teeth from the monstrous devil inside his brain, it said,

“Rip off the annoying little whores clothes and rape the bitch.”

Ben felt red as a beetroot and wanted to hide under the bed in disgust and embarrassment. He felt like a sex pest fiend because all that was coming from his brain. Then he thought to himself, “Hang on, I'm no monster, and I've not done any of these terrible things and not going to be ever, so why don't you take a running jump and just get lost now!!!”

The ill man looked down at his feet as Sophie left the room, he prayed to God and Jesus that she did not hear him and if so, would she understand that it wasn't him?

Seventeen minutes later Jerrold Dutton, another security guard came with a wheelchair and before the kind and friendly man could greet Ben and help him, the brutal villain screamed to the innocent author,

look at that pathetic loser get your sorry ass off the bed and ram the wheelchair into his fat ugly face a thousand times until the nasty man is out cold.”

Benjamin took an extremely deep breath in pure hatred and screamed,

“ sod off you annoying devil, leave me alone forever!”

And Ben said to Mr. Dutton,

“Evening sir, thank you for your kindness. I will try to get off the bed to make it easier for you to help me into the chair.”

Mr. Dutton gave Ben a friendly smile and pushed the chair towards the bed. He came to the side of Ben and said,

“Don't worry Mr. Bradshaw, I'm trained to lift patients. I will put one hand under your legs and another under your arms and anyway the beds are not too high I will be able to manage, but thank you so much for your kind offer and your concern. I will lift you to the count of ten, and then I'll push you to the visitor's room. Likewise, I hope that you have a lovely visit with your relative and the nurse will bring your nighttime meds at ten pm.”

Jerold did as he explained to Ben, and then after ten seconds he was lifted into the chair and pushed out of his tiny room and down the corridor to see his mum.

Mrs. Bradshaw was sitting in the visitor's room with Ben’s special surprise and just as the man was approaching the tiny room with a seat that went all around the room and a window. Philippa heard her son coming and got ready to jump out on him for the surprise to work. She wasn't too concerned about his fragile state and scaring Ben because it was a really lovely secret.

As Jerald pushed Mr. Bradshaw down the corridor and out into the foyer to go towards the family room, all the staff and guests clapped and cheered the safe return of Ben. But the greatest astonishment for the 11-year music producer was about to bring chills to the man and a gigantic smile upon his face. Ben’s mum wanted to bring joy to the author in a place that's full of illness and negativity.

As the wheelchair got close to the door, Ben’s sister; Lilly-May- Perkins, along with her five-year-old son; Taylor and Six-year-old daughter Andrea, came over from Denmark just to see Ben and hoped it would make the friendly author happy and boost his mental health.

As the heavy metal runner got up out from the chair, his mum popped her head around the corner, she said smiling,

“Hello my lovely handsome son I have a wonderful surprise that will cheer you up lots, here’s your sister and your niece and nephew xx”

With that Lilly-May jumped out from around the corner and gave her little brother a giant embrace and her children did as well. Ben was overwhelmed to see his beautiful and clever sister. It had been a good few years since he's been in the same room as her, and she looked well and so did his niece and nephew, and they were all happy to see each other. After a long embrace and a kiss on the cheek, the family moved to the visitor's room, which was nice and private.

Philippa and Lily sat down facing Benjamin while the kids played with their toys on the floor in the corner of the room. The 40-year-old nurse had brought her brother some clothes so she'd given him a few t-shirts, jumpers and thick soaks and the kids gave Ben a little brown bear so he wouldn't be all alone, his name was Rex. Ben’s mum gave him some books and a pen and paper, so the author could write another children's story and keep his mind working.

Ben held his sisters and mum's hands and Lilly said,

“It's so great to see you, despite this wretched place, it has been far too long bro, hasn't it? I'm worried about you, but even though it's hell for you, the DRS and nurses know what they are doing so trust in their judgment, and before you know it, you will be home with your beautiful wife and epic kids. Hang in there Benny; we have your back and Mum just was told you'll see Dr. Zimmermann tomorrow. If you like, she can come in with you if you're not up to facing him alone and don't know what questions to ask. I am so proud of you for asking for help when it's one of your worst nightmares to come into a place like this. But you're doing well and if you engage well with the DRS and nurses and everyone in here, it will help you to show you're getting on better and can function. Remember this isn't forever so do as Steph said and,

“Try to keep busy, and your mind focused and hopefully this will help in your recovery from this dreaded mental illness.”

Ben gave his little sister another massive hug and said,

“Awe it's so wonderful to see you Lilly and your gorgeous children, how grown up they look already! Thank you for coming all this way to see me, it is the best thing to happen in a long time! Thanks for the clothes and books, that's very kind. I will look after Rex very well, thank you! I know I hate being separated from everyone and can't go out unless in the garden, but I realize it's the best place currently and I am determined to get 100% better! Likewise, I will take up on your kind offer of Mum coming to see the Dr. tomorrow thank you”

Ten minutes later the buzzer sounded and this meant the end of the visit, which was sad but the running author had gotten so much from the visit, for he was feeling on top of the world seeing his mum, sister, and her children. He had noted that he’d had less deranged garbage in his head while with them, which he pointed out to himself was an excellent sign and felt he could get better one day soon!

He gave his family another tight cuddle and said,

“It is not goodbye, but we’ll see each other very soon, and I'll embrace that, which will help to keep me going.

Philippa, Lily, and the children kissed Ben And returned to their car to go home, feeling moderately guilty that they couldn’t go home with the great children’s author. Ben returned to his room with his new belongings, and he put them away and went to bed.