Ruby (Landry 1)

they do to him?"

"Just take him to his room. He usually calms

down after that."

"What happens with us after lunch?"

"They'll take us out for a while, but the area is

fenced in, so don't think you can just run off." "Will you show me how to escape then? Will

you, Lyle? Please," I begged.

"I don't know. Yes," he said. Then a moment

later he said, "I don't know. Don't keep asking me." "All right,

Lyle. I won't," I said quickly. He

calmed down and started on his dessert.

Just as he had said, when the lunch hour ended,

the attendants directed the patients to their outside time. On my way out with Lyle, the head nurse, Mrs.

McDonald, approached me.

"Dr. Cheryl has you scheduled for another hour

of evaluation late this afternoon," she said. "I will

come for you when it's time. How are you getting

along? Make any friends?" she asked, eying Lyle who

walked a step or two behind me. I didn't respond.

"Hello, Lyle. How are you today?"

"I don't know," he said quickly.

Mrs. McDonald smiled at me and walked on to

speak to some other patients.

The yard didn't look much different from the

grounds in front of the institution. Like the front, the

back had walk-ways and benches, fountains and

flower beds with sprawling magnolia and oak trees

providing pools of shade. There was an actual pool for

fish and frogs, too. The grounds were obviously well

maintained. The rock gardens, blossoms, and polished