AN: I dipped my toe in fic last summer and this is close to the anniversary
of my first story. I thought it time to try again.
I want to thank all those that encouraged me to write in the beginning, Kyre, catherder, Kasman, and those who are encouraging me now, afan, Kyre, Star24, and Wyldegod. You guys are the best.
I can't think my betas enough, Aliadh, Kyre and afan. You kept me on the right path and found all the missing commas and stray apostrophes.
Star24 who has supported writers of M/L fic and who runs an awesome board in DAR, I owe you a debt of gratitude, thanks!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dancing in the Moonlight
Prologue - June 20, 2024
Timberview sat well back from the street. It was a very exclusive hospital that catered to the truly wealthy. It was well maintained and had a highly qualified staff. The well-manicured lawns, gardens, and large trees gave the place a peaceful feeling. Molly Webb hurried down the path toward the building. She was late, and she hated being late for the morning meetings. After being buzzed through the door into the clean, bright hallway, Molly headed for the conference room. She stopped by the nurses' station and picked up a handful of charts, gave a quick smile at the assembled staff and kept going. The staff smiled as she hurried by, grabbing a cup of coffee as she went.
Molly reached the conference room just as the meeting was getting under way. She pulled up a chair and began going through her case files quickly. She was lucky Dr Gentry hadn't shown up yet. She pushed a strand of blond hair behind her ear as she looked over her cases.
"Good morning ladies, and gentlemen. How are we today?" said Dr. Kyle Gentry as he entered the room. He was a large, plump man with a deceptively mild demeanor. He was the head psychiatrist at Timberview and ruled his staff using a mixture of kindness and intimidation. Morning meetings let him keep tabs on his staff as well as his patients. "Let's get started. What's on the agenda this morning?"
One by one, the assembled therapists presented their cases and recommendations. Finally he reached Molly. "What have you got for me today. Miss Webb?" Dr. Gentry smiled at her with a twinkle in his eye. Molly was the head therapist for Timberview.
"Terri Matthews is improving and her medication can be adjusted downward. I think we should begin discharge planning soon. All of my other cases are progressing well, with the exception of one, "Molly took a deep breath before continuing. "Bobby is not doing well. His condition deteriorates daily. He is essentially non-verbal. I believe that his medication regimen needs changing drastically, and I think his Electro-Convulsive Therapy treatments should stop until his condition stabilizes." Molly looked at Dr. Gentry, waiting for his reply.
"Bobby is my personal patient and I follow his care very closely. I too am concerned by his lack of progress. His brother is coming to visit in two days, and I would like him to see that Bobby is improving. I will review his case with you this afternoon. Is that all?" Dr. Gentry said to the group, dismissing them.
"One more thing, Dr. Gentry. Bobby is scheduled for an ECT this morning. I think it should be postponed," Molly said, holding her ground.
Kyle Gentry stopped smiling. "I will be the one to make that decision. Bobby is already prepped and will be going to ECT as I have ordered. Is that understood?" he said coolly. He then turned and left the room.
"Oh my God, Mol, do you want to get fired? I know you've gotten attached to Bobby, but you can't help him if you piss off Gentry. You know he'll take you off the case in a heartbeat. He's really touchy about Bobby." Maggie Burton whispered breathlessly as they left the room. "I can't believe you stood up to Gentry." Molly just grinned.
Molly left the chatting therapists behind and went into her office. She looked over her patients' charts before making rounds. She sighed as she looked through the last chart. Bobby Whiteson: admitted six months ago, history of schizophrenia from a young age and severe religious mania. He was also a self-mutilator. Molly was worried; he wasn't eating and seemed to be slipping further away. She was looking over his medications when a knock on her office door interrupted her.
"Come in," she said distractedly. As the door opened, Molly looked up and then stood as a man came to her desk.
"Miss Webb, my name is Dante Bling. I believe we have an interview for 10:00am," Bling reached out his hand with a smile.
"Mr. Bling, I'm sorry I got distracted." Molly returned the smile and the handshake, immediately comfortable with this man. "Please have a seat, I have your resume...somewhere." She flushed a little, looking at the disarray that was her desk.
"Thank you, but please, call me Bling. Everyone does." He took a seat facing her.
"Well Mr...I mean, Bling, you have a very impressive resume, Army Special Forces, a Masters in physical/occupational therapy, a BA in psychology. You worked at Metro Medical in Seattle until you took a private position with a Logan Cale. How long were you in Mr. Cale's employ?" Molly asked.
Molly watched as a hint of sadness crossed Bling's face. "I worked for Logan for just over a year. We had a difference of opinion and we mutually agreed it would be best if I left. When he died, he set me up pretty well even though we hadn't seen each other for nearly two years. I really haven't had to work much. So I've focused mostly on charity work and I've been working for the Logan Cale Brigade for about a year, but I'm actually itching to do some hands-on therapy again."
"Sounds like he was more than a client," Molly said, looking carefully at Bling.
"Yeah, you could say that. Logan had a way about him. He could frustrate the hell out of you, but you would be willing to lay down your life for him as well," Bling said quietly.
"Well Bling, I have heard all I need to. If you want a job, it's yours," Molly said brightly.
Bling looked up, slightly surprised. "That quickly?"
"I trust my instincts. I think you will be great with the patients. They respond instinctively to kindness, and I sense a kindness in you," Molly replied.
Bling stood up, smiled, and said, "Let's get to work."
"Whoa, just a minute. Lets get you processed through Human Resources first. I'll walk you over." Molly got her lab coat and together they walked to the personnel office talking animatedly as they went.
An hour later, Bling found himself back in Molly's office.
"Sit down, and let me bring you up to snuff on the patients you will be taking care of," Molly said, smiling. "Would you like some coffee?"
Bling and Molly pored over patient charts for an hour, discussing treatment modalities. Bling was insightful and made helpful suggestions. They worked on putting new treatment plans together. Finally they came to the last chart.
"This is the one patient I'm truly worried about," Molly said quietly. "His name is Bobby Whiteson. He's been at Timberview for about six months. When he came to us, he was very delusional. He kept talking about a cult. Dr. Gentry, our head of staff, took on his case personally. I am the therapist assigned to him. I can't understand it, but Bobby has progressively gotten worse. Dr. Gentry had adjusted Bobby's medications several times, but none seem to be helping. A month ago, he began ECT treatments in an effort to turn things around, but they appear to have exacerbated the problem. He's stopped eating and is losing weight fast. He's become non-verbal. He will only occasionally babble when given permission. That's another thing about Bobby. He won't do anything without permission." Molly looked at Bling. " I don't know why, but I think you can help him."
"I'll be glad to try," Bling answered. "When can I see him?"
"Later this afternoon. He's currently with Dr. Gentry having another ECT treatment," Molly continued angrily. "Why is he doing this?"
Realizing what she said, Molly turned to Bling, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't burden you on your first day. You can see that Dr. Gentry and I don't see eye to eye on Bobby's care."
"I can see that. Maybe after I see Bobby I'll know more," Bling replied.
After he had been introduced to all the staff, Molly took Bling on a tour of the hospital. Molly visited her patients as they went.
"I'm impressed with the level of care you provide your patients," Bling said thoughtfully.
"We are able to maintain a high staff-to-patient ratio. We try to do our best," Molly smiled. "Sometimes it's more difficult than others," she added sadly as they traveled down a hallway situated near the nurses' station. The hallway was surprisingly quiet.
Molly looked at Bling and said, "We only have one patient on this hallway and it's Bobby. We'll look in on him, although he's probably still asleep from the treatment. Sometimes he has to be restrained because he gets very restless and confused. Sometimes he tries to fight."
Molly unlocked the door to the room and walked over to the bed, followed by Bling. Lying on his side, facing the wall, Bobby Whiteson looked very frail, with just slight stubble covering his bald head. His clothes emphasized his thinness. He did not respond to the footsteps. Molly reached his side and softly touched his shoulder. "Bobby, I have someone with me who's going to help you get better. Bobby, turn over."
Bobby did as he was told and turned onto his back. Bling gasped as he looked into the utterly blank eyes. "Oh, my God!"
I want to thank all those that encouraged me to write in the beginning, Kyre, catherder, Kasman, and those who are encouraging me now, afan, Kyre, Star24, and Wyldegod. You guys are the best.
I can't think my betas enough, Aliadh, Kyre and afan. You kept me on the right path and found all the missing commas and stray apostrophes.
Star24 who has supported writers of M/L fic and who runs an awesome board in DAR, I owe you a debt of gratitude, thanks!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dancing in the Moonlight
Prologue - June 20, 2024
Timberview sat well back from the street. It was a very exclusive hospital that catered to the truly wealthy. It was well maintained and had a highly qualified staff. The well-manicured lawns, gardens, and large trees gave the place a peaceful feeling. Molly Webb hurried down the path toward the building. She was late, and she hated being late for the morning meetings. After being buzzed through the door into the clean, bright hallway, Molly headed for the conference room. She stopped by the nurses' station and picked up a handful of charts, gave a quick smile at the assembled staff and kept going. The staff smiled as she hurried by, grabbing a cup of coffee as she went.
Molly reached the conference room just as the meeting was getting under way. She pulled up a chair and began going through her case files quickly. She was lucky Dr Gentry hadn't shown up yet. She pushed a strand of blond hair behind her ear as she looked over her cases.
"Good morning ladies, and gentlemen. How are we today?" said Dr. Kyle Gentry as he entered the room. He was a large, plump man with a deceptively mild demeanor. He was the head psychiatrist at Timberview and ruled his staff using a mixture of kindness and intimidation. Morning meetings let him keep tabs on his staff as well as his patients. "Let's get started. What's on the agenda this morning?"
One by one, the assembled therapists presented their cases and recommendations. Finally he reached Molly. "What have you got for me today. Miss Webb?" Dr. Gentry smiled at her with a twinkle in his eye. Molly was the head therapist for Timberview.
"Terri Matthews is improving and her medication can be adjusted downward. I think we should begin discharge planning soon. All of my other cases are progressing well, with the exception of one, "Molly took a deep breath before continuing. "Bobby is not doing well. His condition deteriorates daily. He is essentially non-verbal. I believe that his medication regimen needs changing drastically, and I think his Electro-Convulsive Therapy treatments should stop until his condition stabilizes." Molly looked at Dr. Gentry, waiting for his reply.
"Bobby is my personal patient and I follow his care very closely. I too am concerned by his lack of progress. His brother is coming to visit in two days, and I would like him to see that Bobby is improving. I will review his case with you this afternoon. Is that all?" Dr. Gentry said to the group, dismissing them.
"One more thing, Dr. Gentry. Bobby is scheduled for an ECT this morning. I think it should be postponed," Molly said, holding her ground.
Kyle Gentry stopped smiling. "I will be the one to make that decision. Bobby is already prepped and will be going to ECT as I have ordered. Is that understood?" he said coolly. He then turned and left the room.
"Oh my God, Mol, do you want to get fired? I know you've gotten attached to Bobby, but you can't help him if you piss off Gentry. You know he'll take you off the case in a heartbeat. He's really touchy about Bobby." Maggie Burton whispered breathlessly as they left the room. "I can't believe you stood up to Gentry." Molly just grinned.
Molly left the chatting therapists behind and went into her office. She looked over her patients' charts before making rounds. She sighed as she looked through the last chart. Bobby Whiteson: admitted six months ago, history of schizophrenia from a young age and severe religious mania. He was also a self-mutilator. Molly was worried; he wasn't eating and seemed to be slipping further away. She was looking over his medications when a knock on her office door interrupted her.
"Come in," she said distractedly. As the door opened, Molly looked up and then stood as a man came to her desk.
"Miss Webb, my name is Dante Bling. I believe we have an interview for 10:00am," Bling reached out his hand with a smile.
"Mr. Bling, I'm sorry I got distracted." Molly returned the smile and the handshake, immediately comfortable with this man. "Please have a seat, I have your resume...somewhere." She flushed a little, looking at the disarray that was her desk.
"Thank you, but please, call me Bling. Everyone does." He took a seat facing her.
"Well Mr...I mean, Bling, you have a very impressive resume, Army Special Forces, a Masters in physical/occupational therapy, a BA in psychology. You worked at Metro Medical in Seattle until you took a private position with a Logan Cale. How long were you in Mr. Cale's employ?" Molly asked.
Molly watched as a hint of sadness crossed Bling's face. "I worked for Logan for just over a year. We had a difference of opinion and we mutually agreed it would be best if I left. When he died, he set me up pretty well even though we hadn't seen each other for nearly two years. I really haven't had to work much. So I've focused mostly on charity work and I've been working for the Logan Cale Brigade for about a year, but I'm actually itching to do some hands-on therapy again."
"Sounds like he was more than a client," Molly said, looking carefully at Bling.
"Yeah, you could say that. Logan had a way about him. He could frustrate the hell out of you, but you would be willing to lay down your life for him as well," Bling said quietly.
"Well Bling, I have heard all I need to. If you want a job, it's yours," Molly said brightly.
Bling looked up, slightly surprised. "That quickly?"
"I trust my instincts. I think you will be great with the patients. They respond instinctively to kindness, and I sense a kindness in you," Molly replied.
Bling stood up, smiled, and said, "Let's get to work."
"Whoa, just a minute. Lets get you processed through Human Resources first. I'll walk you over." Molly got her lab coat and together they walked to the personnel office talking animatedly as they went.
An hour later, Bling found himself back in Molly's office.
"Sit down, and let me bring you up to snuff on the patients you will be taking care of," Molly said, smiling. "Would you like some coffee?"
Bling and Molly pored over patient charts for an hour, discussing treatment modalities. Bling was insightful and made helpful suggestions. They worked on putting new treatment plans together. Finally they came to the last chart.
"This is the one patient I'm truly worried about," Molly said quietly. "His name is Bobby Whiteson. He's been at Timberview for about six months. When he came to us, he was very delusional. He kept talking about a cult. Dr. Gentry, our head of staff, took on his case personally. I am the therapist assigned to him. I can't understand it, but Bobby has progressively gotten worse. Dr. Gentry had adjusted Bobby's medications several times, but none seem to be helping. A month ago, he began ECT treatments in an effort to turn things around, but they appear to have exacerbated the problem. He's stopped eating and is losing weight fast. He's become non-verbal. He will only occasionally babble when given permission. That's another thing about Bobby. He won't do anything without permission." Molly looked at Bling. " I don't know why, but I think you can help him."
"I'll be glad to try," Bling answered. "When can I see him?"
"Later this afternoon. He's currently with Dr. Gentry having another ECT treatment," Molly continued angrily. "Why is he doing this?"
Realizing what she said, Molly turned to Bling, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't burden you on your first day. You can see that Dr. Gentry and I don't see eye to eye on Bobby's care."
"I can see that. Maybe after I see Bobby I'll know more," Bling replied.
After he had been introduced to all the staff, Molly took Bling on a tour of the hospital. Molly visited her patients as they went.
"I'm impressed with the level of care you provide your patients," Bling said thoughtfully.
"We are able to maintain a high staff-to-patient ratio. We try to do our best," Molly smiled. "Sometimes it's more difficult than others," she added sadly as they traveled down a hallway situated near the nurses' station. The hallway was surprisingly quiet.
Molly looked at Bling and said, "We only have one patient on this hallway and it's Bobby. We'll look in on him, although he's probably still asleep from the treatment. Sometimes he has to be restrained because he gets very restless and confused. Sometimes he tries to fight."
Molly unlocked the door to the room and walked over to the bed, followed by Bling. Lying on his side, facing the wall, Bobby Whiteson looked very frail, with just slight stubble covering his bald head. His clothes emphasized his thinness. He did not respond to the footsteps. Molly reached his side and softly touched his shoulder. "Bobby, I have someone with me who's going to help you get better. Bobby, turn over."
Bobby did as he was told and turned onto his back. Bling gasped as he looked into the utterly blank eyes. "Oh, my God!"