Ellie couldn't believe that she had seen Craig of all people here. The coincidence was almost too big to believe.
I wonder if he bought my excuse, she thought as she walked down the hall to meet with one of the doctors. She looked up at the numbers above the doors she passed and stopped once she reached room 140. Taking a deep breath, she knocked gently. She heard footsteps inside then the door opened and a young dark-haired woman stood in front of her.
"Um, hi," Ellie said hesitantly. "I'm looking for Dr. Peterson."
The woman nodded briskly. "That's me. Are you Ellie Nash?"
"Yeah." Ellie was surprised at how young Dr. Peterson was. She looked no older than thirty with straight shoulder-length hair and square black glasses. The stylish black blazer and slim fitting pants she wore only added to her youth.
Dr. Peterson stepped aside to allow Ellie into the office then shut the door behind her.
Ellie tried to casually glance around the office, taking as much as she could in. Dr. Peterson's desk was rather messy with papers strewn about and several books lying open. Along the wall behind it was two book cases, filled not only with books but also picture frames, various ceramic knickknacks and plants. The wall on the right held two framed diplomas while the wall opposite it was blank.
Dr. Peterson motioned for her to take a seat in one of the chairs in front of the desk while she settled herself into the big cushioned chair behind it.
"So, Ellie." Dr. Peterson fumbled through the papers on the desk until she found a folder and opened it. "I'm Dr. Kate Peterson. I'm going to be the main doctor you will be seeing, although you will see others during your group sessions." She flipped a page. "You're here because you cut yourself, correct?"
Ellie was slightly surprised by the woman's bluntness but nodded.
Dr. Peterson peered at the paper in her hand. "Your mother was recently in rehab for alcoholism and your father is in the army. And you were seeing someone at your high school about the cutting." She looked up at Ellie as though for confirmation.
Ellie nodded again. "Yeah I was seeing the counselor at my school."
"Wasn't helping, I'm assuming."
Ellie shrugged. "Um, it helped a little, I guess."
"If you're still doing it then it wasn't helping," Dr Peterson replied. She cleared her throat. "We will help you here. I have dealt with many kids who were doing the same exact thing as you and they're doing fine now, years later. They were committed though. They knew they had a problem and needed help and were willing to do all that they could to get better. Are you committed, Ellie?"
Ellie nodded quickly. "Yes."
"Now because today is Sunday, this is the only meeting you will have but here is your schedule for each week." She handed Ellie a piece of paper. "It tells you where your group sessions or meetings with me will be and what time."
Ellie took the paper and studied it. "Wait, this goes on for two months."
Dr. Peterson nodded. "Yes."
"I'm going to be here for two months?!"
Dr. Peterson narrowed her eyes. "Maybe more. It takes a lot of time to heal, Ellie. It is possible you can get out sooner but that is the average amount of time patients usually stay here."
Ellie sank back in her chair with a sigh. Great two months in this place.
"You said you were committed, Ellie," Dr. Peterson continued. "If you really are, then you have to be willing to take the time out." She stood up abruptly. "And if you're not then I suggest you save your parents' money and just leave now."
Ellie raised her eyebrows, taken aback. "N-no–"
Dr. Peterson walked around the desk. "I want to help you but I can't unless you want to be helped." She went over to the door and opened it. "I suggest you don't come back to this office until you're ready to honestly tell me you're committed."
Ellie slowly got up and left the room, dumbstruck. As the door closed behind her, she realized that getting out of here was going to be a lot harder than she thought.
Bradley had left the room a few minutes after Craig had arrived in order to go see a doctor. He promised he would come back soon to give Craig a tour of the building and then go down to lunch.
Craig sat on his bed for a little while, trying to get acquainted with his new surroundings. As he stared at Bradley's side of the room, he noticed for the first time a small picture frame on the night stand. Glancing around the room, as though he might get caught for doing something wrong, Craig rose and picked it up so he could study it. It was Bradley with an older man and woman that Craig assumed were his parents. Bradley wore a United States Navy uniform with gleaming medals dangling from it.
Hmm he never mentioned he was from the States, Craig thought. Or that he was in the Navy. Wonder why.
Craig was so involved in his thoughts, he didn't hear the door open and didn't realize he was no longer alone in the room anymore until Bradley said, "Hey."
Craig started, nearly dropping the picture frame. He managed to catch it before it hit the ground and quickly set it back on the dresser. "Nothing! I mean, hi."
Bradley smiled at him. "Sorry to startle you. The doctor I was supposed to see was with someone so I have to go back this evening. And it's okay. I don't mind you looking at my picture. I didn't leave it on display in order to hide it. Besides, you gotta be pretty curious as to why I didn't mention I was in the Navy and why I'm here if I'm from the US."
Craig shrugged, trying to be casual. "The thought kinda crossed my mind."
"Well, I had joined the Navy when I was eighteen just like my dad did. We got sent overseas and I realized in about two seconds that it wasn't the right life for me and came back." Bradley sat down on his bed so he was facing Craig. "And as for why I'm here, well, my parents split about two years ago and my mom moved up here and I moved with her until I could get myself a steady job. So now I'm a Canadian, eh?" He grinned at Craig who smiled back.
"Okay I guess that explanation is to my satisfaction," Craig joked. He had to admit he was curious as to why Bradley was here in the clinic but didn't know exactly how to approach the subject. So for now, he decided he would remain quiet and just let Bradley tell him when he was ready. Craig felt as though Bradley seemed trustworthy enough for him to share the reason he was here but figured Bradley didn't feel the same way yet.
"Anyway so are you ready for the grand tour?"
Craig nodded eagerly. "Absolutely. You gotta tell me everything you know about this place." He was on Bradley's heels as they left the room. "You know, how to get around the nurses and security guards, sneaking out, these group session things, the other patients–I wanna know everything."
"Okay, hopefully we'll get to all of that," Bradley replied with a smile as he led him to the elevator. They took it down to the lobby. "Okay, well you probably came through here when you signed in but there are some important things you should know." He pointed to a large balding man in a suit who was seated in a chair by the doors. "That's Security Guard Bill. He's the one who's here everyday until about five. Don't even bother trying to sneak out when he's around. I've seen him tackle patients and it wasn't pretty."
Craig's eyebrows shot up "Really?"
Bradley laughed shaking his head. "No he's never tackled anyone. They don't believe in violence here unless you're seriously asking for it. But he does have eyes like a hawk and he'll have a half a dozen super-perky nurses on you before you can even turn the handle on the door."
"Okay, so no sneaking out around Bill. What about other security guards?"
"The ones that are here at night are much easier to get around. See that door over there?" Bradley pointed to a small one behind the front desk. "It leads to another office which has a door to the garden. You can easily hop the fence if you wanna get out of this place at night. There's no one behind the desk at night and if you're quick you can get from the stairs to behind the desk without being seen."
Craig tried to remember everything that Bradley was telling him. "Okay, so sneaking out, check. What else?"
Bradley led him down one of the corridors. "These are where most of the doctors' offices are. You'll probably be meeting yours sometime today. Sunday's the big private meeting day. Oh and as long as you're good, you get pretty much free range to go anywhere in the building. The real cases are mostly on the ninth and tenth floors and they have nurses to take them wherever they go."
Craig heard a door open behind them and turned around to see Ellie standing there, apparently having just left one of the offices. She looked very confused.
"Ellie?" he said, slowly approaching her. What is she doing in this wing?
Ellie jumped and whirled around to face them. "Craig. Again. Hi."
"What are you doing in this section? I thought you were visiting someone." Craig looked at Bradley. "Don't most of the patients live upstairs?" Bradley nodded and raised an eyebrow at Ellie.
"Um, well, I was just...wait, I thought you said you were visiting someone too. What are you doing here?" Ellie crossed her arms over her chest.
Craig searched his mind for an answer but knew there was no feasible one. But if he was caught, so was Ellie. "Are you...staying here, Ellie?" he finally asked.
Ellie stared at him for a long minute before nodding. "Yeah. I am. I'm assuming you are too?"
Craig nodded. He was dying to ask her what she was here for but was cut off by her letting out a loud sigh.
She motioned to the room she had just exited. "Had my first meeting with a doctor. Which might be my last," she added, rolling her eyes.
"Oh you have Dr. Peterson," Bradley said knowingly. "Yeah she's tough but very cool. I heard their success rate went up a lot since she's been here."
"That's doubtful considering she just kicked me out of her office," Ellie told them. "Some doctor."
"You realize she can probably hear you," Craig said, nodding his head towards the door.
Ellie shrugged. "I don't care."
"Why don't we get on out of this hallway anyway?" Bradley suggested, glancing back and forth between Ellie and Craig.
"Oh yeah this is my roommate Bradley, by the way," Craig said quickly as they headed back into the main lobby. "This is Ellie. I go to school with her."
"Nice to meet you," Bradley said politely.
"Well I have to go report to one of the annoyingly perky nurses now so I'll see you guys later." Ellie turned and walked across the lobby to the receptionist desk.
"Seems pleasant," Bradley remarked dryly.
"Yeah Ellie's just full of sunshine," Craig replied, watching her talking to the woman at the desk. "Gotta admit I'm curious to know what she's in for." He glanced at Bradley then took a deep breath. "Just so you know, I...I'm bi-polar. That's why I'm here. I thought I had it under control, and well, I didn't." He looked at Bradley who was looking down at the ground.
"Hope this place works for you," was all Bradley said. Then he looked up at Craig. "So you ready for lunch?"
"Sure," Craig replied slowly and he followed his mysterious roommate to the elevators.
