Thanks to everyone who revied, it's very encouraging.Here's chapter 8. Enjoy!
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The next day Jonathan was late for their session, and Layla began to get worried. He was never late. About fifteen minutes past the scheduled time the door opened. She expected to see Dr. Crane walk in, but a man she did not recognize entered instead. "Sorry I'm late" the man said. "I am Dr. Grayson". She said nothing, she just gave him a confused and slightly disgusted look. "I am going to be your doctor now" he explained.
After Layla told Jonathan her story the day before he went straight to the head doctor of Brownwood Hospital, Dr. Corby. He told the doctor what Layla had told him. "That is ridiculous" the old doctor said. "She is obviously not telling the truth".
"She was not lying. I know when people are lying, and she definitely was not." Jonathan argued.
"Well, do you really think her mother..."
"Stepmother" he corrected "and yes, I believe Layla".
Dr. Corby was angered by the young doctor's defiance. "It is quite possible the Mrs. Jensen is right, and Layla has more problems than you realize" the old doctor persisted.
"She does not have any problems!".
"Then why did she slit her wrist?"
"She didn't!". Dr Corby walked closer to him.
"Dr. Crane, I think your feelings about this patient are clouding your judgment" he said in almost a whisper.
"Feelings?" Jonathan questioned. The old doctor ignored Jonathan's shock and continued.
"She has clearly developed this theory to defend herself, but somehow convinced herself to believe it. I am assigning a more professional doctor to Ms. Jensen".
"What? More professional. I am just as professional as any other doctor in this place!" he defended himself.
"Like I said, I think your feelings have clouded your judgment" Dr. Corby repeated.
"I do not have feelings for Layla!"
"Dr. Grayson will be Ms. Jensen's doctor now" the head doctor said, exiting. Jonathan was disgusted with what he had said. He did not have feelings for Layla, he just wanted to help her.
She would not talk to Dr. Grayson, except to ask "Where is J... Dr. Crane?" when he first entered, to which he replied "he is no longer your doctor". She could tell by his tone that he would not tell her anything else. She kept her mouth closed and her eyes on the window the rest of the session. He got very angry, a lot angrier than Jonathan has. He walked out and slammed the door when their time was up.
Dr. Crane was very upset when he got to Brownwood that afternoon. He could not understand why no one else would believe Layla, and he did not know how to help her. He want to Dr. Corby again and asked to be reassigned to Layla, but he was rejected again in a harsher way. Corby gave Dr. Crane an accusing glare. "I don't know what you have going on with that girl, but it needs to stop before you get in trouble. he warned. "There is nothing going on!" Jonathan said horrified. "She is just paranoid, and she knows that no one will believe her" "Well" Dr. Corby began to speak again "She will learn to trust Dr. Grayson as well. Dr. Crane, you had better forget about this girl. She is not your patient anymore"
When Dr. Grayson went storming out of Layla's room Jonathan decided to check on her. "Jonathan!" she exclaimed in a whispered tone. He sat down beside her. "They don't believe me, do they?" she asked, realizing what was going on. He shook his head. "They think I'm crazy, just like my stepmother does" she said sadly, letting her head drop. He gently placed his hand under her chin and raised her face until their eyes met. "But I still believe you, and I am going to do everything I can to help you. I will find a way to get you out of here". There was a short pause before Jonathan remembered the head doctor's accusations. He quickly removed his hand. "I should go" he said just before he left.
He suddenly realized what everyone else thought of the two of them. Their body language around each other, the way they talked to each other, and the way she looked at him. He wondered if he looked at her the same way she did him. The words of the old doctor came into his mind "You had better forget about this girl". He secretly wondered to himself if he could forget about her.
