11
The man was in his sixties, arrogant and snobbish. I looked at his long boney fingers and tried to imagine them touching Bella. I closed my eyes before I addressed him and asked, "How are things with your wife?"
"She's going to Italy to visit her sister. I'll have a couple of weeks of peace," he said with a chuckle.
I wanted to blurt out that he could forget about spending free time with Baby Doll and that she was forever out of his reach from now on. But something about the situation gave me pleasure to imagine him scouring the city for someone he would never find.
"Perhaps you should consider going with her," I added hatefully.
"Ah Dr. Cullen, you are too easy to read. You are afraid I will take your patient from you, perhaps you like to play with her too?"
My hands pulled into fists and I had to take a couple of breaths before I tried to speak. I was furious at his level of disrespect, but also angry that it was more than likely true. I stood and held out my hand toward the door. "Please leave," I said in a controlled tone.
"She is an open, free spirit, and you call it disturbed," he said angrily, and stood to confront me.
I wanted nothing more than to take a swing at him. I wanted to tell him what a lowlife cheating scum he was, taking advantage of a sick girl for his voyeuristic pleasure. I had all kinds of terms I could use for his behavior, all gathered over the years as his therapist. I managed to keep what little professionalism I had remaining and walked over to open the door.
"I asked you to leave," I said, and walked out the door before he had a chance. I left my office and headed to the hospital. I didn't really care if Marcus was offended or if he would ever return. I was done with him and those who prey on weaker people. I was reconsidering everything in my life and trying to find a way for Bella and me to exist together. I got to her room and found a note on the door saying a session was in progress. I went to the observation room and saw Jasper watching my father talk to Bella.
"What's going on?" I asked Jasper.
"Just watch," he said softly.
I turned to see my dad holding the hand of who appeared to be Bella Swan. She was sitting straight in the bed and her eyes looked upset but she wasn't crying. I stepped closer to the window and listened intently.
"I want you to think really hard," My dad was saying, "What did you do for your last birthday?"
Her eyes were darting back and forth as she tried to remember. When she couldn't find an answer my father said, "Who are your parents?"
"My father is a policeman in Forks and my mother is a teacher in Arizona," she said, as if it was a certainty.
"Tell me about Forks, describe the town?" he asked.
Her lips began to tremble and she closed her eyes tightly as she tried to think. Dad finally placed his hand on hers and said, "Its okay, Bella, don't fret about it."
Her eyes shot open and she said, "I want to see Jake, please ask him to come."
"Do you know how I can reach him?" he asked.
She nodded and gave him Jake's full name and said his phone number would be in her office at the bookstore. My father gave her a reassuring hug and excused himself from the room.
He came into the observation room and said, "I don't think Bella Swan is the core personality. Her memories are too fresh and uncertain."
"Who gets to tell Jake?" I said, with a bit too much enthusiasm. My father gave me a warning look and then turned to Jasper. "Can you get hold of the man so we can get his perspective?"
"Certainly," Jasper said, and left the room.
I turned my attention back to the woman in the bed and watched as she laid back and fought with her own emotions and memories. My dad touched my arm and said, "Let's get something to eat."
I nodded and followed him to the cafeteria. We got a tray of food and sat down in a remote corner. I took a bite of my salad as my father said, "Edward, your guilt is getting the better of you."
"Guilt?" I asked.
"You missed the diagnosis when she was a child and you are becoming too invested now."
"I don't feel guilty for missing it," I admitted. "It is so rare anyone would have missed it. And if you recall I wasn't the first, or the only, doctor working with her."
I took a swipe at my father because he was on staff when Bella arrived at the hospital and as the senior doctor he would be required to receive updates and concur with her treatments.
"I just want you to be careful," he warned, and began to eat his own food.
We didn't discuss her again as we ate. We kept the conversation general and light. We walked together to the parking lot and spoke briefly before both retiring to our own vehicles. I planned to go home, but I couldn't force myself to do it. I got out of my car and headed back into the hospital.
I walked into Bella's room and when she looked at me she jumped onto her knees and bounced enthusiastically on her bed. "Take me to a park," she insisted with a huge grin and a strong accent.
I sat on the bed next to her and she put her arms around me and moved to my lap. I couldn't help the smile that formed on my face and she giggled in return. "Hello, Baby Doll," I offered.
"I just woke up and I want to play," she announced.
I suddenly realized she only came out at night and I wanted to smack my head for not seeing it clearly before. I shook my head and said, "I'd rather just talk."
"Okay," she said with a laugh. "Do you want me to talk about blowing you?"
My heart sank, feeling sick for the pain this girl had endured. "No," I said softly. "Tell me about your life."
She leaned in and spoke with her breath going right into my ear. She whispered with exaggeration and it was turning me on. "My daddy is a musician and my mama is a whore."
"In New Orleans?" I asked with just a whisper myself.
She drew the word out slowly and let her tongue run along the outside of my ear as she said, "Yeeesssss."
"I thought you were from Seattle?" I asked her.
"I am," she offered, "only my parents live in New Orleans."
"And your name is Marie Harris?" I pressed.
Her body became rigid and she climbed off my lap and moved back into the bed. She turned onto her side and pulled the covers up around her. I pulled them down quickly and said, "Baby Doll, stay with me." I didn't want to have to deal with Marie right now and I honestly came to see Baby Doll.
She looked at me and giggled again, before lifting her gown over her face. I used the blanket to cover her body and said, "You are going to be the death of me."
She smiled and let it fade to a soft look of hope. She continued to look into my eyes and finally said, "What are toys really for?"
I tried to think through all the layers of her question and finally settled with, "The help aid in development and growth."
She got back onto her knees with an overt happiness in my words. "Yes, they should be a good thing. You should love your toys and take care of them."
"Sometimes we outgrow our toys, or we take them for granted because we get newer toys."
"Or they break," she said sadly, and I watched as her face fell and her eyes grew wet.
My hand automatically rose and I cupped her cheek in my palm. Her face was so young and it didn't fit with the body that taunted me. I put my second hand to her face and held her as I asked bluntly, "Who broke you?"
"Shhh," she said with panic in her eyes. "Don't let them hear you. They can't see the crack."
"The crack in the porcelain?" I asked, and she nodded adamantly.
I felt a knot rise in my throat and I swallowed a couple of times before saying, "I have some special glue to fix it."
Her eyes moved to my mouth and I wondered if she believed anything I said. I watched her closely, hoping she would continue talking, but she leaned forward instead and tried to kiss me. I pulled back out of her reach and her face saddened.
"Let me talk to Marie," I said with authority.
She suddenly pulled from my hands and looked at me with pure hatred. "You cock sucker," she yelled. "I just woke up and I want to play."
I was desperate to gain control again so I kept my voice light and I said, "I know, I want to play too, I just need to talk to Marie before we play."
She laughed very loudly and let her head fall back, exposing her beautiful neck. She spoke as she stared at the ceiling. "You can't bother her. She doesn't want to talk to anyone."
"Why did she come to my office?" I asked, and tried not to sound too excited for the possibility of an answer.
Bella's head snapped forward and she looked at me with seductive eyes as she slowly let her legs fall apart. "You just don't get it," she said and then licked her lips.
I felt a bit embarrassed and not by the fact she was spread out in front of me, but she was right, I didn't get it. Marie had somehow sought out Jasper, made an appointment, provided correct insurance information, and then showed up for the session. Yet Baby Doll made her sound like she was easily controlled and bullied by the other personalities. It was Marie who signed the papers for me, not Baby Doll, so maybe this bravado was all a ruse.
"I told you we are not going to play until I speak to Marie," I said again forcefully.
Her eyes narrowed and she shut her legs quickly. "I don't want to play with you," she said angrily.
"Fine," I offered, and got off of her bed and left the room. I walked straight to observation room and watched as Baby Doll jumped from the bed and ran to open the door. When she found it locked she spun around, breathing deeply and rushed to the window. When it wouldn't open she pounded on it furiously.
Suddenly she spun around with the same wild look she had when she attacked Jasper. She began destroying the room, throwing anything she could get her hands on. I rushed outside and told the nurses to stay out. I went back to the one way glass and watched as she grunted and growled as she paced the room.
Eventually her posture began to hunch over and she got back into the bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. She was mumbling and I had to turn up the volume to catch a few of her words. "Bad, you're bad. A long time. Tighter now."
I finally pulled a chair to the glass and sat down as she continued to mumble incoherently. I wanted to find some sort of pattern in her speech, anything to let me get just a glimpse into her mind. If I could find the right trigger or the strongest area of self, it would speed things up with the integration process.
I closed my eyes and listened intently to the string of words and phrases which made no sense until I heard something that forced my eyes back open.
She had her own eyes closed and she had rolled into a ball on the bed, looking like a fetus in a womb. Her lips continued to move but I was fixated on the last sentence I heard, "Don't touch my Edward."