Free Poppy Shakespeare by Clare Allan Page B

now she looked up at Poppy. 'If
     that's what they told you,' she said, 'they must have a reason . . .'
    'I said there was nothing the matter,' said Poppy. 'They wouldn't listen!'
    'They're doctors,' said Zubin.
    'It's just generally speaking,' Rosetta said, 'day patients aren't compulsory, we're here on a voluntary basis.'
    'You mean you choose to come!' said Poppy - thought I was slow on the uptake.
    'We come 'cause we need to,' Rosetta said.
    'They say I've got to stay a month,' said Poppy. 'So they can work out what's wrong. I told them there wasn't anything wrong! I can't stay a month, do you know what I'm saying!'
    'Why can't she stay a month?' asked Sue, but Verna just shook her head.
    'So did what they say?' Rosetta asked.
    Poppy blinked. For one awful second I thought she was going to start crying. 'Well that's when they said about having me admitted.'
    'Who?' said Rosetta.
    'I don't know,' said Poppy. 'That blonde woman I think it was.'
    'Dr Clootie,' said Rosetta.
    'And everyone agreed,' said Poppy. 'Everyone! Sat nodding their heads. So that's when I walked out.'
    'You what!' they gone.
    Poppy shrugged. 'I walked out. I told you; I don't need to be here. Whatshisname, Tony?, must have followed me out. I could
     hear him shouting at me to come back, so I legged it, killed my fucking feet in these heels. I almost made it but that bloke
     downstairs, that security bloke, he locked the doors.' She had them now. They was well impressed.
    'What did Tony say to you, N?' Rosetta suddenly asked.
    'When he asked you to guide, did he say anything?' I shrugged. I weren't even listening. Had my head turned away gazing out through the windows, watching a plane
     glide across the glass. To be honest I just thought the whole thing was fucking stupid.
    Now ever since his morning break, Brian the Butcher been outside washing his hands. So the way it worked out he'd missed everything.
     He hadn't seen Poppy and he hadn't seen Michael and he hadn't seen the flops taking Michael out; fact he hadn't seen nothing
     at all. Course he'd heard all about it from the flops in the toilets, all the highs and lows of the morning, each one right after it happened. He'd
     heard as they surfed in on every wave, buzzed up or harping, depending, but either way full of it. And of course he'd wanted
     to see for hisself, but he knew how he had to finish his washing or the tower was going to fall over.
    At five to twelve Middle-Class Michael come in and give him a run through his speech on account of he'd missed it. And Middle-Class
     Michael stood on the seat of a toilet and done it proper and Brian the Butcher tried to listen, but he had to keep counting
     till he'd finished his washing, 'cause if he didn't we'd all be killed and half of London too most probably and everything
     dust and rubble.
    So it weren't till twelve-fifteen exactly, Brian the Butcher turned off the taps, and on and off and on and off, seven times
     till he was happy. And he shaken his hands 'cause there weren't no paper to dry them properly with, and he felt a bit anxious
     on account of the paper and he hoped it would be alright. And exactly the same time Brian turned off the taps, Middle-Class
     Michael started to think about peas. And he couldn't see his cards no more 'cause all he could see was peas, and he couldn't
     speak his speech no more 'cause all he could taste was peas, and all he could smell was sweet green peas and all he could
     hear was frozen Birds Eye pouring into the pan. So Middle-Class Michael stepped off of the seat and he broke off his speech
     mid-sentence, and he put the cards in his jacket pocket, ready to file them later down Patients' Council. Then Brian the Butcher
     and Middle-Class Michael they stepped out the door and on to the first-floor landing.
    Well us day dribblers should of been queued up already, waiting for dinner, but like I say the flops got behind on account
     of Middle-Class Michael. And on top of which a scrap had broke out in the