A Call for Help

"I want to kill myself." The tremble in the voice showed the emergency of the emotion, but was too subtle for most to notice. The man was stressed and had trouble showing his emotions in a typical way - as if there is such a concept as typical or normal.

"What is your name?" The operator on the other side of the connection sounded emotionally detached.

"Niemand."

"Why do you want to kill yourself?"

How could Niemand put into words the pain that he was feeling? How Dr. White had kidnapped his daughter and placed her in danger time and time again? How Niemand didn't have enough evidence to prove it beyond reasonable doubt? How Niemand continued seeing the results of his daughter's traumatic experiences only to be told that there was nothing that could be done?

"I want to kill myself so that other people can stop trying to kill me." was the only response that he could come up with since Dr. White had tried to kill him before, but again, Niemand lacked the evidence to prove it.

"I am sorry to hear that... do you have a plan?"

Niemand froze. He had several plans. Would he act on any of them? He wasn't sure.

There was one plan... he could confront Dr. White and let the dear Doctor kill him. But, then again... why would Doctor White kill him when it was apparently much more pleasurable for the Doctor to watch him suffer?

Another plan would be to kill Dr. White and then end his own life by using Dr. White's own protection as the killers...

Another plan would be to drink himself into an early grave.

Perhaps crash his spaceship into an asteroid field?

Perhaps continuing to not sleep until he couldn't move any longer?

Perhaps taking pills to ensure that his body was still moving but his mind was effectively dead to reality?

Yes, Niemand had plans. None of which were particularly good plans. But, he did have plans.

"Would you act on your plan?"

"I don't know." Niemand was honest. At this point in time, no, but in a few hours when he was closer to Dr. White and could see the damage done to his daughter that would be ignored yet again? All bets were off at that point in time.

"Suicide is not a joke. Suicide occurs when basic human needs are ignored time and time again." The mental health ad popped into Niemand's brain in the silence. It made him wonder why his needs were sidelined so many times that suicide was looking like the best option?

"Can you tell me where you are right now? Are you in a safe location?"

Niemand looked around his ship and chuckled at the number of items that could be used to destroy his continued existence. He was a clever man and could identify ways to kill himself off in even a padded white hospital room. "Nope - I am not in a safe location. Anywhere I am will become an unsafe location. I am trapped in my body - my body that is unsafe for my continued survival."

The operator was silent as the words fell in the gap between them. "This line is for real problems Niemand. Not for you to use to be difficult."

The line went dead between them and Niemand heard himself chuckle. He hadn't expected anything more than that. His problems weren't real and therefore did not matter. It was merely his perspective that Doctor White was evil... after all this was yet another professional who had dismissed his request for help.

At least, this way Niemand had a sense of peace... he had tried utilizing the supports out there. Now it was his turn to turn his pain into a weapon...

***Note from author: if the reader wants more backstory, this was a piece that I wrote connected to my series The Terbiate Legends available on Amazon or by reaching out to me.***