Chapter 7 - Committed
Melissa shook her head, looking somewhat disturbed by the question. "I'm sorry, Sarah is not available."
"No? Could you tell me when she will be? It's necessary that I speak with her," Jen politely replied.
The woman shook her head again, with a faster and slighter movement. "No one can speak with her at the moment. And I don't know when she'll be… available."
It was quite obvious there was something this woman wasn't saying. "Where is Sarah?" Jen asked bluntly.
"She… she's been committed. To a mental health institution. I… I'd rather not talk about it."
"I think it's necessary that you do," Jen replied firmly. "When did this happen?"
Melissa sighed and reluctantly replied, "It was only yesterday. She'd been acting…" The woman broke off midsentence and asked, "Are you familiar with her recent history?"
"Yes, I know about how she was kidnapped and finally rescued. Go on," Jen prompted.
"Then you probably know more than I do. So, she stayed in the States after she was rescued from the cult, because she had her friend Daniel nearby to check up on her. But she moved in with me two weeks ago because Daniel had planned an extended overseas trip and she didn't want to be alone. Since she arrived she's acted increasingly erratic, until we decided she desperately needed help. Well, it was mostly me deciding, she was not really in a position to make rational decisions any more," Melissa slowly explained.
It was obviously difficult for the woman to talk about this, and Jen wished this information wasn't so vital. Otherwise, she could have simply let the poor woman be. "I think I'll need to see her, even if I'm not allowed to talk to her. The USAF was not notified of this change in her condition, so I'll need to determine what's happened to her and notify my superiors. Could I have an address and contact numbers?"
"I'll write them down for you. Would you like to come in and sit down? Can I get you something to drink?"
"Thanks for your hospitality, but no, I would prefer to wait outside."
"Oh, alright. Just a minute." Melissa ducked back inside, and returned a minute later with a business card. "This is my card – I have an art gallery nearby. I wrote the address and phone number for the mental clinic on the back. Let me know if you get to see Sarah, and feel free to stop by the gallery any time it's open," she spouted rather quickly.
"Thanks for the information, I'll keep your request in mind, and I appreciate the invitation. I don't know how long I'll be in the area for, but keep an eye out for me." Jen didn't care much for art, but thought it best to be friendly. She also figured the invitation might be useful if she needed to further discuss Sarah with her sister, as it was likely a more suitable location for a private conversation than around the front door of the woman's home.
"I'll do that. Good luck," Melissa wished as Jennifer returned to the car.
-
"No luck, Lieutenant?" Cam asked as Jennifer seated herself.
"And why does paper beat rock? Cameron here insists that it does, but it really doesn't make any sense to me."
"Vala, one question at a time!" Jen protested. "Sir, Melissa Gardner informed me that Sarah has been committed to a mental institution. I have the contact details on the back of her business card."
"Let's see." Cam held out his hand and Jen passed the card forward. He looked it over and considered the ramifications. "We should check this out. We may not be able to recruit her now, but we need to know what's going on and why. I need to make some calls. On the way." He handed the card to the driver and instructed him to take them to the clinic.
"Who exactly is this 'Sarah Gardner'?" Vala wondered, having been left out of the briefings.
Jen's mouth twisted into a wicked grin. "She was Daniel's girlfriend."
"You mean they…?"
"Yes."
"Oh." The downcast alien was quiet for the remainder of the trip, not even asking about the rules of 'Scissors Paper Rock'. Cam, who was on the phone with General Landry, was exceedingly grateful.
