Hillcrest

“Hello and welcome to Hillcrest. We are a special place for special people who

need some time alone.”

“Nobody here… will know who I am?” The large man asked as he pushed his

glasses up on his noise.

“Why of course not sir. We pride ourselves in keeping our client’s private details

just that… private.”

“And how exactly do you do that?” The man asked as he straightened
his jacket.

“Well we hand select our staff from the top of the class, the best of the best… a

special breed of people if you will.”

“And if that doesn’t work?” The man said in a low tone.

“Let’s just say we have a back up plain that just can not be beaten.”

“I see.”

“So what shall we call you?”

“My name?”

“No sir, even though we have taken every precaution to insure you

remain anonyms, we do ask that you do not use your real name while you are here”

“Oh… I see. I guess you could just call me Chuck.” He said.

“That will do just fine Chuck; now if you will just follow me into my office,

we will get some basic information on your medical history. Then we will show you

to your room… where you can begin getting your much needed rest.”

The small frail aged man led the newest guest to Hillcrest into his office.

The larger, younger man had to duck to enter the small cramped office. He found

himself sitting awkwardly in the small chair before the doctor’s desk. Or at least…

what he assumed to be a desk. All he could see were mountains and mountains of

paperwork that covered it and poured down the sides and onto the floor all around it.

Every available surface in sight had received the same treatment. Chuck wondered

how this one… little man… could possibly know where anything was at all? Yet the


little man disappeared into the mounds and reemerged shortly afterwards with his

file.

“And if… by chance, you happen onto anyone that you know here. You

must never use their real name at any time, and likewise they must not use yours.”

The little Doctor said as he pulled a chair over to one end of the cluttered desk. He

sat down in front of Chuck with a pen in one hand and a clip board in the other.

“By all means.” Chuck said

“So Chuck are their any medications that you are currently taking?”

Asked the Dr. from behind the large folder slash clip board on which he was fiercely

scribbling on.

“Ah…yes… I... ah.”

The little man peered over the folder slash clipboard and laughed lightly.

“Don’t worry… nothing will ever leave these grounds. Anything that you

tell us here… will only be used to help us better serve you while you are with us.”

“All right then.” Chuck said clearing his throat. “I have been taking; Pannox to help

subdue my panic attacks,

Averall for the constant headaches, I tend to go through about seven bottles of eye

drops a day, a bottle of antacids for the stomach aches.” Chuck pauses to catch

his breath for a moment

“Then I need a mix of lemon balm and tea tree to help with my dry irritated skin,

also I have to have my bath at exactly 100.3 degrees for forty-five minutes a day.

That’s a blend of four different types of ginseng, fish oil, Olive oil, sea salt, st.

John’s wart, and ground oatmeal that I soak in.” Pausing for a moment.

“Then around lunch time I take; calcium to keep my knees from hurting, a laxative,

these pills to help with the gas, and these other ones to keep my breath from

smelling. Then there are the little pink pills, I don’t even remember what that one is

for… but I have to have it. I have to have a cup of green tea with pure honey and a

slice of lemon with my lunch. I know it’s not medication, but it helps sooth my

throat. Which reminds me…I need to have two pounds of sugar free fruit flavored

cough drops delivered to me day. Then there is the morphine for the pain in my

lower back, and the cletrexadine for my heart. Then I have to rub my feet with

sportsatale, but because it tends to blister, I have to cover my feet with foot

powder.” Chuck goes silent for a moment.

The small Dr. Looks over his clip board at him.

“Will there be anything else, that you will be needing sir?”

“I need something to sleep… to be taken with a glass of warm goat milk. And what

kind of tissue is in my room?”

The Dr.’s pen stops for the first time.

“I’m sorry?”

“You know… the tissue… in the room?”

“No… I don’t follow you sir.”

“I will have my own bath room… right?”

“Why… yes.” The little Dr. said.

“The tissue… what kind is it?”

“Oh. I am sorry… we can provide you with most anything you like.”

“It can not have anything in it… no color… no scent… nothing and very soft, it has

to be very very soft.”

“I see… I will have one of each type we have, brought to your room for your

inspection and if you can not find one that you like. We will send out for what ever

brand you like, all right?”

“Thank you so much.”

The little man finished what he was writing and set both the pen and clipboard down

among the masses of paperwork and disappeared for a moment.

As Chuck searched for where the man had gone, he popped up next to him startling

him.

“All right then Mr. Chuck… if you will come with me… I will introduce

you to your caretaker.”

The Little man made his way back to the door of his office and called someone to

join them.

“Mr. Chuck, this is Trent, anything that you need or want he will get for

you. He will also be in charge of setting up any treatments that you require. For as

long as you are here with us, this man… will be your very best friend.”

The man brought a drill sergeant to Chuck’s mind more than he did a caretaker, but

then he was here to relax not argue with someone.

“Well then I will leave the two of you to get to know each other.” The little

man said as he pulled a pocket watch out and looked down at it.

“Oh dear. I am late. Sorry, but I must be going now.” And with that the

little man was gone.

“Come with me Mr. Chuck.”

“Oh please, just call me Chuck.”

His face loosened up a little and Chuck thought he saw a smile for a moment.

“All right. Chuck… would you follow me please.”

The two men walked the halls side by side talking.

“So have you been doing this sort of thing for long?” Chuck asked.

“You mean working here at Hillcrest?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ve been working here for close to three years now, why do you ask?”

Trent’s face had softened greatly since Chuck had first saw him… but then again,

Chuck had always had a way of putting people at ease.

“So, how do you like it here?” Chuck asked innocently.

“This is the best job I’ve ever had. Over here on your right we have our

indoor heated Olympic size swimming pool. There is a life guard on call at all times,

and can be pool side inside of four minutes. So, any time you feel like taking a

swim just call down to the front desk and the life guard will most likely beat you to

the pool.”

Walking a little farther down the hallway.

“Then over here on your left is the vending machine area. Right next to

that is the kitchen, also with a person on call at all times.”

Trent led Chuck around for what felt like hours, but couldn’t have been more than

twenty minutes before showing him to his room.

“So, this is your room. As you can see you have a lovely view of the

western garden as well as the sun set in the evenings.

You have a private study; balcony, and bathroom. So if you don’t wish to be

bothered by anyone you don’t have to be.”

Finally alone, such a strange and wonderful new felling, Chuck did not have to worry

about saving anyone from any one else or themselves.

After walking around his room he noticed that there was no TV or a radio or

anything else in the room. Walking over to the phone he called the front desk.

“Why is there no TV or radio in here?”

The disembodied female voice at the other end of the phone giggled for a

moment. “Oh… that’s to keep our guest from thinking they need to rush out and

save the world. The simple fact of the matter is that you are here to get some much

needed rest. And if you are watching TV, and see something going on… out in the

world… you’re going to want to go do something about it.” A moment of silence

passed before she spoke again. “We can arrange a TV, a DVD player and just

about any movie or TV show you would like. Would you like for me to arrange that

for you?”

“No, that will not be necessary, thank you anyway.”

Sitting in front of the large window, he watched the wildlife outside and then the sun

as it set.

At 6:45 the next morning Chuck was still sitting in front of the window. There came

a knock on the door of his room.

“Come in.” Chuck said as he cleared the sleep from his eyes and tried to

focus.

“God morning Chuck.” Trent said as he leaned his smiling face through

the door. Trent’s cheerful manner was almost too much too bare at this time of the

morning.

“And what do I own the pleasures of you’re presences this early?”

“Well… I thought I’d check in with you and see how you were doing. We

missed you last night at dinner. Would you like anything for breakfast? Or perhaps,

you’d like to begin on you’re way to rest and relaxation?”

Chuck leaned back and stretched, partly because he needed it, but mostly to stall

for time so he could think. After all he wasn’t use to having people make such a

fuss over him. It sort of brought back memories of his childhood back on the farm.

“Chuck… Chuck, you still with me buddy?”

Trent’s words forced Chuck to return to the present.

“Oh, I’m sorry… I guess I drifted off for a second, I think I’ll have some

breakfast.”

“Great. Shall we go to the dining hall, or shall I have something brought

up?”

“No, I really must get out of this room sooner or later. It just as well be

now.”

As Trent Walked with him to the dining hall, they talked about more of the services

that were offered at Hillcrest.

“Well… it looks like I have a lot to choose from.”

“Indeed… however in your case, may I suggest a thermal spa treatment

to relax some of those muscles?”

Chuck smiled and shook his head. Chuck suddenly thought to himself this might

not have been such a bad idea after all.



Four years and six months later.

Like clock work at exactly 6:45 there came a knock on the door.

“Come in.” Chuck said over his shoulder as he sat in front of the

window painting the west garden for the thousandth time. For some reason he had

found nothing else offered at Hillcrest brought him as much peace as this simple

act.

“Good morning Mr. Chuck.” The sound of her voice stuck his ears at

almost the same time her intoxicating perfume did his nose.

“I’m sorry… may I help you… Miss?” He asked as he turned to face her.

“Oh, didn’t they tell you Mr. Chuck?” She asked as she crossed the

room with the grace of an angel.

“Tell me what?”

“Trent, well… I’m afraid is no longer with us, I am your new caretaker.”

Over the past few years Chuck had become very attached to the man that had been

his caretaker. Trent had indeed become his very best and closest friend.

“Why not… what’s happened… is Trent all right?”

The soft lines of her pretty face shifted slightly, before becoming something of a

concerned frown.

“I hate to have to be the one to tell you this… but Mr. Trent has had an

accident. I will be taking his place from now on.”

Chuck thought about it for a long time, before speaking again.

“Is he dead?”

She didn’t answer… but then… she didn’t have too, the look on her face told him

everything.

“My name is Glynn; if there is anything I can get for you… just let me

know.”

He shook his head as he turned back to the canvas.

“No… I don’t need anything…please leave me alone for a while. In fact

give me a few days. I’ll call for you… all right?”

Losing himself in the painting, he forgot she was even in the room.

She might have stayed, or she might have left… he didn’t know or care.

For so many years, he had gone through life alone and now, after having someone

he thought of as a real friend… he found himself once again… alone.

Days passed and he had not moved from his seat. He had not felt this bad since

his adopted father had died. No… this was worse, at least his father had lived a

long life, Trent had not. He hadn’t had the chance.

Once Chuck finally manage to force himself to move from his seat, he

learned that almost a month had passed. When he called the front desk to have

Glynn return, it was the little man that had welcomed him when he first arrived on

the other end of the phone.

“Ah Chuck. We had begun to worry about you. No one has heard from

you in a long time. Is there anything you would like for Ms. Glynn to bring with her?”

“A new canvas.”

“What size would you like?”

“Doesn’t matter.” And he lay the phone back down in its cradle.

In les than five minutes there was a knock at his door once again.

“Hello again Mr. Chuck, Long time no see.”

For the first time he looked directly at her. And for the first time he noticed just how

beautiful she really was.

Her shoulder length, dirty blond hair swayed lightly in the air coming from the air

vents above her head.

“Mr. Chuck?” She asked as she touched his shoulder.

“Oh… sorry, I must have been daydreaming again. Please, call me

Chuck.”

She smiled at him, she looked like an angel.

Suddenly it struck him. She looked just like……

Perhaps, it was time to return to his life at the paper and all the people he had left

behind to come to this place.