Recovery
Part 27
Jing-Mei: What do you have in mind?
Dr. Legaspi: Listen, just go into Erik. I'll be there shortly.
Jing-Mei headed to Erik's room and Dr. Legaspi went back to her office. Jing-Mei entered Erik's room to find Elizabeth trying to suction his trachea.
Jing-Mei: Elizabeth, is he okay?
Elizabeth: He's fine. He just doesn't like the suctioning tube down his throat very much. He keeps fighting it.
Jing-Mei: I don't blame him.
Elizabeth: I've been at it for the last thirty minutes and he keeps grabbing at the tube. I've even threatened him with restraints if he doesn't let me do this.
Jing-Mei: Well, at least his strength and feistiness is coming back. Maybe, I can help out?
Elizabeth: At this point, I'll try anything. Go ahead. Good luck.
Elizabeth steps back and lets Jing-Mei go towards her distraught husband. She holds her hands up to show him that she doesn't have the tube. She sits down with him. He turns away from her but she takes him by his chin and turns his head to face hers.
Jing-Mei: Erik, what's wrong baby? Elizabeth isn't trying to hurt you. You've been through this procedure many many many times. Why are you starting to make a fuss, now.
Erik: Ttthroat tttight. Cccan't bbbreathe.
Jing-Mei: That's because your lungs are filling with fluid and because of the ventilator you can't cough to clear it out. That's why Elizabeth is here. She's going to make your breathing much easier, if you let her.
Erik: Nnno lllungs. Tttthroat...Ccccan't bbbreathee.
Erik put his hand to his throat just over his trachea when Jing-Mei took it and pulled it away. She held his hand in hers to keep him from accidentally dislodging his trachea.
Jing-Mei: Once Elizabeth suctions all that nasty fluid out of you, you'll see that it will be easier to breathe and you'll feel a whole lot better. Will you let her do her job?
Erik: Nnnnooo.
Jing-Mei looks at Elizabeth, takes a deep breath and sighs. She runs her hand across her forehead obviously irritated by Erik's stubbornness.
Jing-Mei: Erik, do you trust me?
Erik: Lllove mmmmeee yyyyou.
Jing-Mei: Yes, I do love you so, you have to know that I'll never hurt you. So, do you trust me?
Erik: Yyyyes.
Jing-Mei: Will you let Elizabeth do her job then and help you?
Erik's eyes roam the room and finally rest back on his wife's face and he nods.
Jing-Mei: Elizabeth, we're ready for you now.
Erik grabs Jing-Mei's hand and holds it.
Erik: Yyyou ssstay mmme hhhere wwith.
Jing-Mei: I don't know, Erik.
Jing-Mei looks at a smiling Elizabeth for an answer.
Elizabeth: Of course, she can stay. But only if you behave yourself.
Elizabeth inserts the tube down a fidgeting Erik's throat and he squeezes Jing-Mei's hand--- TIGHTLY! Jing-Mei screams in silent at Erik's grasp on her.
Jing-Mei: You are definitely getting your strength back, Erik.
Erik starts to gag and spit up some fluid out of his mouth. After 15 very uncomfortable minutes, the tube is removed from Erik's trachea.
Elizabeth: All that fuss and it's already over with. I hope I won't have anymore trouble out of you the next time I come in to suction. See you later.
Erik finally let go of Jing-Mei's hand and she shakes it to get the circulation started again.
Jing-Mei: Thank you Elizabeth.
Elizabeth: No problem. Bye.
Elizabeth walks into Dr. Legaspi on her way out. Dr. Legaspi walks over to her patient and his wife carrying a bag.
Jing-Mei: I didn't see you standing there.
Dr. Legaspi: I heard you and Dr. Corday in here with Erik and I didn't want to interrupt.
Jing-Mei: What's in the bag?
Dr. Legaspi: A little prop I thought that we might use to help Erik with his session. So, shall we begin?
Jing-Mei and Dr. Legaspi lift Erik into his wheelchair. Jing-Mei turns out the lights while Dr. Legaspi puts Erik under the hypnosis. Once he's succumbed, she begins.
Dr. Legaspi: Alright Erik, do you remember what we discussed at our last session?
Erik nods.
Dr. Legaspi: Good. Why don't you tell me a little about it?
Erik hesitates and then begins to recall his last memory.
Erik: Bbbars, jjjail, ssscrewdriver.
Then Erik lifts his head up and draws a line across his throat and traces the scar just underneath his trachea.
Dr. Legaspi: Right Erik. Okay, I need you to go a little further into your past. Try to remember something before you went to jail.
Erik squeezes his eyes shut tightly and starts grabbing at his handrails of his chair, struggling to remember something. His heart monitor starts beeping loudly. Jing-Mei panics.
Dr. Legaspi: Calm down Erik. Don't force the memory. Let it come naturally. Take your time. We have all day if that's what it takes.
Several minutes pass and Erik calms down, he tilts his head to the side, indicating that a memory is coming into focus.
Dr. Legaspi: Are you remembering something, Erik?
Erik nods.
Dr. Legaspi: Tell me about it. Tell me what you see.
Erik: Ggggirl aand bbboy.
Dr. Legaspi: Who are they?
Erik: Bbboy mmee.
Dr. Legaspi: You're the boy but who's the girl? Your sister?
Erik(nodding): Sssophie.
Dr. Legaspi: How old are you?
Erik: Ssssophie lllleven. Mmmme fffifteen.
Dr. Legaspi: What are you doing, Erik?
Erik: Jjjjust dddinner hhhad. Pppput Ssssophie bbbed.
Dr. Legaspi: You tucked your sister into bed, how nice. Now what?
Erik: Mmmme ggggoing oooout.
Dr. Legaspi: At nighttime. Why didn't you go to bed, too?
Erik: Wwwork gggo too. Ssssopphie cccrying.
Dr. Legaspi: Why is Sophie crying? Doesn't she want you to go to work?
Erik: Nnno. Sssshe sssays sssstop Ddddavey nnno gooo. Ppppapa bbbad and Dddavey gggoing bbbbe bbbbad tttoo. Yyyyou tttell mmme ssstrreets aaand dddrugs bbbad tttthhhat wwhy pppappa ssso mmmean. Ddddavey sssells ttthat ssstuff hhhe bbee mmmean ttoo.
Dr. Legaspi: I see. Your little sister was trying to stop you from selling drugs on the streets.
Erik nods.
Dr. Legaspi: Why didn't you listen to her?
Erik: Cccouldn't. Nnnneed mmmoney. Fffeed uuus. Bbbuy Ssssophie cclothes. Pppay rrrent.
Dr. Legaspi: You were trying to earn money to support yourselves. Where was your father at?
Erik: Ggggone. Hhhhe llleft uuus.
Dr. Legaspi: When? How long was he gone?
Erik: Hhhhe llleft wwwhhen Ssssophie wwwas eeeight aand mmmee tttwwelve. Cccome bbback sssommetimes nnnnever ssstayed. Oooouch!!!
Erik starts to rub his back.
Erik: Ouch! Ouch!
Dr. Legaspi: Erik, what's wrong? Are you in pain?
Erik: Mmmmy bbback hhhurts.
Dr. Legaspi: What happened to it?
Erik starts getting an angry look on his face, clenches his teeth together and continues to rub his back.
Erik: Ddddavey wwwash dddisshes. Ssssophie pppplay iiin rrroom oother. Hhhhe ssslleeping. Ssssophie ccrying. Mmme gggo tto hher. Ddddrop dddish. Bbbbroken.
Dr. Legaspi: What happened to make Sophie cry?
Erik: Ccccutting pppaper. Sssscissors sllip. Ssshe bbleed. Bbbandaged hher. Wwweent bback cccllean dddish uup. Hhhhe cccomme iin ssees bbroken ddish. Hhe's mmmad. Mmme ccllean up. Hhhhe kkkkickked mmme ssstommach...
Dr. Legaspi: Wait, right there Erik.
Dr. Legaspi reaches for her paper bag and pulls out several plastic dolls. Jing-Mei raises an eyebrow to that, confused.
Dr. Legaspi: Erik, can you see these dolls here?
Erik nods.
Dr. Legaspi: I need you to take them and show me exactly how he is hurting you?
Erik takes the dolls, using his right hand, from Dr. Legaspi and positions them the way that he sees---the way he remembers. A boy doll is on its hands and knees on a table in front of Erik and another boy doll is standing up next to it. Erik takes the foot of the standing doll and puts it into the stomach of the kneeling doll.
Dr. Legaspi: Okay, Erik I need you to identify the dolls to me and try to use your left hand too.
Erik attempts to move his left hand to hold the dolls but the hand doesn't move.
Erik: Cccan't iiit mmove.
Dr. Legaspi: Never mind then, Erik. Continue.
Erik pointed to the doll that was kicked and then to himself.
Erik: Mmmme.
Then he pointed to the other doll.
Erik: Bbbbad mmman.
Dr. Legaspi: Okay, then what?
Erik rolled the doll that represented him over on its side. Then he took the bad man doll and moved it around to his doll's back. He took the bad man doll's foot and started kicking his doll over and over and over in the back.
Erik: Tttake ttthat yyyou sstupid aaasshhole. Yyyyou ccclumssy iiidiot. Yyyou lllike bbbreak ttthings, sso ddo Iiii, yyyou lllittle bbastard.
Erik started crying.
Erik: Hhhe lllaughing mmme. Kkkickking hhhard. Sssstop hhhhurts ppplease.
After about 2-4 minutes he stopped. He indicated that the bad man left the room.
Dr. Legaspi: The bad man is gone, Erik?
Erik: Yyyes. Fffor gggood, I ttthink.
Dr. Legaspi: What happened to you?
Erik: Ssssophie wwwent ggget Mmmr. Sssantini. Ttttake mmme hhhospital.
Dr. Legaspi: You were alright thought, right?
Erik: Nnnno. Oooperation. Bbbback bbbroken.
Dr. Legaspi: He broke your back so you had surgery. What did they do to you?
Erik: Ppput rrrod iiin bback. Ccccan't wwwalk.
Dr. Legaspi: But you did walk again.
Erik: Sssophie Mmmr. Sssantini hhelp mme. Iii dddo ggood.
Dr. Legaspi: Yes, you did. You did very good. Erik, I need you to take this doll and hold it for me.
Dr. Legaspi gives Erik the bad man doll.
Dr. Legaspi: Who is this?
Erik: Bbbad mman.
Dr. Legaspi: I know, Erik, but I need a name. I need you to give him a name.
Erik: Hhhe hhurt lllittle Dddavey.
Dr. Legaspi: He hurt you badly too. But who is he? I need for you to tell me.
Erik (crying): Hhhe's....hhe's mmmy ppppapa.
Dr. Legaspi: Your father. He was the bad man that hurt you.
Erik (crying): Hhurt mme bbad.
Dr. Legaspi: How does that make you feel?
Erik: Aaangry.
Dr. Legaspi: I think if someone hurt me I'd be angry at them too.
Erik: Iii hhate hhim. IIII HHHATE HHHIM!!!
Dr. Legaspi: I know. If that man was here right now, what would you do to him?
Erik takes his father's doll and starts pounding it against the table---harder and harder til he gets completely out of control and his heart monitor starts going crazy.
Hearing the commotion, Dr. Romano and Elizabeth run in to see Erik smashing the doll on the table, crying and screaming.
Romano: What the hell happened in here?!
Dr. Legaspi: It's alright. One of our sessions just got a little dramatic. Everything's okay.
Elizabeth: Is he okay?
Dr. Legaspi: He'll be fine once he's awake.
Jing-Mei runs over and tries to hold her hysterical husband and calm him down. Dr. Legaspi finally settles him down.
Romano: Alright, but keep him quiet. No one is suppose to know he's in here.
Jing-Mei: He'll be alright.
Romano and Elizabeth leave and Dr. Legaspi wakes Erik up. Once he was conscious, Jing-Mei and Dr. Legaspi moved him back to bed. Jing-Mei sits with her husband until he is relaxed. Both Jing-Mei and Dr. Legaspi stare at Erik with tears in their own eyes. Jing-Mei tries to control her emotions but she breaks down anyway. She grabs Erik's hand and holds it and strokes his sweat-soaked brow.
Jing-Mei: I promise you sweetheart that no one will ever hurt you again. I'll see to it.
Erik squinted at Jing-Mei's face and lifted his hand to it.
Erik: Dddr. Cccchin, hhhurt.
Jing-Mei: Oh that. No, I'm fine. Doesn't hurt at all.
Jing-Mei started kissing Erik's hand when a terrified look appeared on Erik's face.
Jing-Mei: Erik, what is it? What's wrong?
Erik(crying): Mmmme hhhurt Ddddr. Ccchin. Iiii sssorry. Iiii ssorry.
Jing-Mei: It's alright, Erik. I know you didn't mean it. It's alright. I'm fine. Now, you forget it and get some sleep.
Jing-Mei gives Erik a kiss and hands her obviously exhausted husband his stuffed dog.
Erik(smiling): Rrascal.
Jing-Mei: Right Rascal. Now, go to sleep. I love you.
Erik: Lllove yyou.
Erik dosed off almost immediately. Jing-Mei and Dr. Legaspi walked out of the room and met up with Dr. Romano and Elizabeth again.
Elizabeth: Everything okay in there?
Jing-Mei: Everything's fine. He's sleeping.
Romano: I know you guys think I'm a hard ass prick and you're right. But even hard ass pricks have feelings. And it's not that I don't feel sorry for that pathetic creature in there but I have a hospital to run and other patient's lives are at stake here, not to mention my staff. Now, if he doesn't stay quiet, someone is bound to find out that he's alive. The wrong someone and if that happens---all hell will break loose.
Jing-Mei: Erik won't let anyone get hurt.
Romano: He might not have a choice in the matter.
Dr. Legaspi: Dr. Romano, we'll keep him pacified. I'll prescribe some meds for his anxiety like---prozac, xanax, or paxil.
Jing-Mei: You mean something that won't interact with the other 26 meds he takes a day.
Dr. Legaspi: Right. I'll be careful to avoid any medicine contradictions.
Romano: I'll settle for that, for now. NO MORE INCIDENTS. If he gets loud again, I'm ordering him muzzled. GOT IT!
Dr. Legaspi: Got it.
Jing-Mei looks at Dr. Legaspi, upset by Romano's insensitivity and sighs.
Jing-Mei: Is this one of those tough days you told me about?
Dr. Legaspi: Yes, and we aren't even at the real source of his problems yet.
Jing-Mei: I couldn't believe it. Before the attack, I saw Erik lose his temper but, my god, he nearly destroyed that doll and the room too.
Dr. Legaspi: I know it may be hard to believe now, but this is actually good. Erik, has some very strong, hidden emotions deep inside him. He's letting it out and the sooner he does and confronts his demons, the easier it'll be to deal with everything that's happened to him and quicker he'll be on the road to recovery.
The four doctors are approached by a fifth party.
Jing-Mei: Capt. Amos, haven't seen you in a while. Found the bastards who are trying to kill my husband, yet?
Capt. Amos: Hello, everyone. Sorry to say we're are no closer to finding them.
Elizabeth(sarcastically): That's a surprise.
Jing-Mei: It's been almost a year and a half since Erik was attacked and you don't have one lead to who is behind this.
Capt. Amos: I know and I feel just as bad about it as you do and even more embarrassed at the shoddy job me and my department are doing on this. But right now, I need to speak with Erik, can I?
Jing-Mei: He's sleeping right now.
Capt. Amos: When he wakes up?
Jing-Mei: Dr. Legaspi, do you think Erik is ready to talk to the police captain?
Dr. Legaspi: Not just yet. He still doesn't remember that day. We are getting very close to helping him through this. If we push him into trying to remember something that traumatic, now, we may undo everything we have been trying to do in these sessions.
Capt. Amos: What sessions? You, a shrink?
Jing-Mei: I'm sorry. Capt. Amos, this is Dr. Kim Legaspi, she's Erik's psychiatrist. She's been hypnotizing Erik to help him remember his past.
Capt. Amos: Hypnosis, huh. Has he said anything about his kidnapping...
Dr. Legaspi: No, and that's all I can say. You know, patient confidentially and all that...
A scream is heard from down the hall, causing all four doctors and the captain to run towards it. They enter Erik's room to see him sitting up with his hands around his throat and machines going off like crazy.
Jing-Mei: Erik, what's the matter?!
Erik: Iiii....cccan't .....bbreathe. Cccan't....bbreathe.
Romano and Elizabeth take care of their patient as Dr. Legaspi pulls Jing-Mei away from Erik and out of the room.
Jing-Mei: I want to stay with him.
Dr. Legaspi: There's nothing you can do for him. Let the surgeons work on him.
Jing-Mei: What happened in there? Why can't he breathe?
Dr. Legaspi: Not sure. But I think Erik's current medical crisis is more psychological than physical.
Jing-Mei: You think he's having another nightmare?
Dr. Legaspi: Could be. Maybe.
Jing-Mei shrieks slightly and Dr. Legaspi notices.
Dr. Legaspi: What's wrong, Dr. Chen?
Jing-Mei: I can't explain it. All of a sudden, I got this cold chill down my back. Did you see the way Erik was holding his throat?
Dr. Legaspi: Yeah, so.
Jing-Mei: It wasn't like he was choking on anything or the common way someone holds their throat if they can't breathe. His hands were completely around his throat.(pause) If I didn't know better, Dr. Legaspi, I would swear...I would swear that Erik was trying to strangle himself.
To be continued. Please read and review.