Alpha Male by Joshua Page A

focus. His head pounded, but it was his body that hurt the most. He just closed his eyes as they dragged him along.
    “Don’t you think we should end Alpha Male while he’s out?” one of the voices said.
    “Do you really want to go digging for him under all that…shit?” another replied. “Just help me pull. Eddy’s gonna want to see this guy as soon as possible.”
    “Who’s this guy?” the first voice asked.  
    Al managed to open his eyes, just enough to see Larry lying on the ground. His head was cracked open, and blood spilled out from the wound and onto the ground. Al grunted a bit, but he had to close his eyes again. Before long, the light had turned to dark, and he was in a damp enclosed place.
    “Welcome home,” someone said.
    Part two.
    Lillian Webb sat in the sofa chair, resting her head against the large cushion. She had her eyes closed in order to block out the people that meandered around her. They wandered the large room, aimless and confused. On occasion, she'd look up, scanning the area for any changes, and then lay her head back down. The soft hum of the television helped drown out the constant sounds the patients made; their murmuring, slurping, and coughing.
    She exhaled, and said, "I'm fucking bored." 
    "Then why did you choose to stay?" asked Dr. Snyder. "You could have left seven days after you were admitted, but you didn't."
    "I've been questioning that myself," she said. "I mean, I have my reasons. I'm just not sure if they are the right ones."
    "You seem lethargic," he said, checking his note pad. "Is the medicine too strong?" 
    "No, it's fine. I'm just bored. Boredom makes you tired. I'm sure that's in one of your medical books," she said.
    "So, no anxiety?" he asked.
    "No, everything is fine," she said.
    “Ok, that’s good,” he said, writing. “Tell me about your daughter. Your sister…” He checked his notes. “Is taking care of her?" 
    "Yeah…," Lillian said. “Margaret. She’s pretty pissed at me right now. She wasn’t thrilled to find out she was taking my kid for a while. I miss her so much. My daughter, I mean.”
    “Do you think about her a lot?” he asked.
    "I've been thinking about a lot of things. You guys won’t let me watch anything good, so thinking’s all I got; mostly about my actions. It was exciting, you know? But, at the same time, I know it’s crazy. I know there is something wrong with me. It’s just that rush, it’s so overpowering."
    "I can imagine," he said. "Leaping off tall buildings in the hopes that a strong super hero will save you, is probably very exciting. But it's dangerous, extremely dangerous."
    "I know," she said. "It was my daughter that made me want to stay, you know. I talked to her shortly after I was admitted. She convinced me it was for the best. She told me I’d scared her. It broke my heart."
    "She sounds like a smart kid," he said.
    "Oh, she is. She's so smart; a lot smarter than me." 
    "I know we've talked about this before, but have you given any more thought as to why you do these things? Beyond the excitement? If you want, we can go somewhere private. My office, maybe?" 
    "Look at this place," she said, glancing up at all the patients. A man was standing in the corner, counting his fingers. "Why get up? They don't care.”
    "Ok, so tell me," he said. 
    "I've told you before that I was attracted to him; hell, I had his kid."
    "Yes, you mentioned that before," he said. "Have you given any thought to forcing a paternity test on him?"
    "Why would I?" she asked. "I know he's the father. Besides, even if I didn't, look at all the other women suing for paternity. It hasn't really gotten them anywhere. He's not like us. He doesn't have to follow the same rules."
    "That does seem to be the case," Dr Snyder said. "So, explain this attraction. You've never seen his face, you don't know anything about him beside what's in the press. What is it that draws you too him, and makes you want to jump off buildings to get his