Page 22 of Deranged
She snorted. “I’ve never had my own life, never made my own decisions. I won’t get my hopes up.”
She stood and then stared down at me. “You should be careful. I know I keep talking about my mother like she is the big bad. That’s because she will rip your entrails out your asshole and use your skin to hold her lipstick. She is a cold, heartless, bitch with unlimited resources and the power to apply them.”
I blinked up at her for a moment and caught the worry around her eyes and in the set of her jaw.
“I’ll be okay. I promise.”
“Don’t make promises you won’t be able to keep.” She reached out like she might touch my hand and then pulled it away. “Goodnight, Doctor.”
She walked out, and when she’d disappeared around the corner, I took the seat behind my desk and stared at my laptop keyboard. Fuck, she messed with my head. I found the name of the doctor I was thinking of and sent him an email to see if he would be interested. Then I sent an email to her mother telling her what I intended to do for her daughter. I couldn’t believe she was as unfeeling as Kory made her out to be. Surely, she’d want what was best for her child.
The email sailed off with a whoosh from my computer, and then I shut it and sat back.
I blinked awake later. The room had darkened, and shouting echoed down the hallway. I stood groggily and poked my head out the door.
An older woman, Kory’s mother, whom I recognized from the news, stood there clutching her daughter’s arm. I almost stepped out, but they looked like they were trying to be private with their conversation. I waited to catch her in a moment when they were done speaking.
Her mother shook her arm, and I ground my teeth together about to step in. She whispered fiercely, “We made a deal. You stay here and get your rest. You stay here, don’t fight, don’t fuss, and certainly don’t cause your attending doctor to put in late night requests for outside help.” Her tone grew a notch louder. “Do I make myself clear? Or perhaps I need to remove these comforts you are so fond of to remind you why you do as I say.”
Something skittered through me like a flash of cold on warm skin. My fingers went numb, and my mind tried to play the conversation on repeat. I looked at Kory’s face, and she shook her head vehemently. The vulnerability and shame written there threatened to gut me.
She shook her head again and said, “No, I’ll behave, and I’ll talk to the doctor. He won’t be a problem.”
“Do I need to take care of him too?”
Another head shake. “No, he is a team player and will do whatever you need. He’s only here for the six months, and then he will go about his life.”
Her mother leaned in and said something I didn’t catch. Then Kory jerked her hand back. “I said I will take care of him. You don’t need to trouble yourself.”
Her mother turned, dug something out of a large bag, and pressed the roses into her daughter’s arms. Then her face smoothed and shifted to the strong politician the world loves. She raised her voice louder than necessary in the empty halls now. “My dear, I just wanted to stop in and make sure you were being properly cared for. I also brought you flowers.”
This change disturbed me more than witnessing the complete collapse of a system I believed in. A system I cared about greatly. I stepped into the hall and both of them turned toward me. Her mom immediately stepped forward, hand extended to shake mine. I met Kory’s eyes and shook her mom’s hand.
Kory wasn’t as good as her mother at wiping away all traces of her emotions. She suffered greatly just standing next to her mother. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Doctor, and thank you so much for your diligence in taking care of my daughter.”
I watched Kory’s face now, but she refused to look at me. I pointed to the flowers she held limp in her hands. “Unfortunately, I’ll have to take those. The thorns might be a danger to any other patients we might receive.”
Her mother’s eyes went wide and then another politician’s grin. “Of course, Doctor. Whatever you think is best.”
I could easily see the resemblance between the two ladies. Demeter had about twenty years on her, but the genes ran deep and true. I could spot her Greek heritage and how well Kory would wear her age in a few years. They were both lovely women.
Kory looked uncomfortable and ready to bolt. Everything in me wanted to draw her close and shield her from the obvious danger. I gave Demeter a smile and shoved my hands in my pockets. The picture of medical ease. “Also, I think visiting time is almost over. Can I walk you out?”
Her mother didn’t even flinch. She hugged her daughter around the shoulders, looking at me the entire time, and turned toward the door. “I don’t need an escort doctor; my security detail is downstairs.”
She shook my hand again and walked out in a cloud of Chanel no 5 and Armani. I turned to speak to Kory, but she’d disappeared, the flowers on the floor where she stood only seconds before.
I picked them up and took them into my office. They sat there accusing me of pushing my beliefs on her. My training, my experience, everything I was, told me she was ill and I was helping her. Now, the revelation she was trapped here, actually locked away by her opportuning mother knocked me back. What kind of person did that to their own child? Someone whodiddeserve to be here.
I stood in the center of my office, unsure of what to do with myself. Not only had her mother locked her away, she used me to do it, used me as a jailer when I promised to do no harm. And she prohibited the treatment her daughterdidneed.
Fuck, holding someone prisoner definitely counted as harm. And worse, I’d agonized over wanting her, fantasizing about her, berating my every inappropriate thought. Not only had I betrayed her by not believing her, but also by pushing her back, and bottling up everything I felt for her.
Fuck. Fuck.Fuck.How did I come back from this? How did I make this up to her? Plus, I wasn’t sure how to get her out of here without her mother’s approval. Holding her here longer was unacceptable to me. Unacceptable and it turned my stomach.
I picked up the roses and tossed them in the trashcan. I wanted to plant my foot in the center and smash them to pieces. Instead, I sat down and stared at them a moment longer. I needed to talk to her—now.
I surged into the hallway and walked as fast as possible without drawing the nurse’s attention to her door. I knocked and held the handle waiting for her to tell me to come in. But nothing. I knocked again.
