Author's note - what happened to Rodney? He is a forever present, isn't he? I keep forgetting to include him, but don't worry - you'll know what happened to him soon enuff. And as you'll see with this next chapter - everyone will be going through therapy because what they all went through was pretty traumatic - this also includes beaver because maybe he was traumatized too. That's all this chapter is - so prepare to learn new secrets about the team. The chapter will include therapy unless you guys don't like it - I just don't think one chapter is long enough to include eight individuals fully.
0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
"I was only on that island for like two days," Beaver told the psychiatrist, leaning back in the chair and folding his arms across his chest.
"A lot of psychological damage can happen in that amount of time," Dr. Brennan assured Beaver.
"Yeah, but dude, I think once you've spent the night on the street -- spending two days on a tropical island would be cake." Beaver shook his head. "There's nothing the matter with my head. I'm perfectly fine."
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
"Yeah," Melissa answered. "I have nightmares, sometimes."
"About what happened on the island?" Dr. Brennan asked.
"Not about what happened," Melissa said. "About what happened after we'd discovered there were other inhabitants. And not always about what happened, sometimes about what could've happened."
"Why don't you tell me what happened again," Dr. Brennan suggested. "With the other inhabitants," she added.
Melissa leant back against the couch, trying hard to conjure the previous memories. "Okay," she agreed. "We heard music one night," she began.
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
"It was my fault any of us ever got caught in that situation," Jackson admitted, leaning forward slightly, bracing his hands on his knees. "We heard music at night once and I told them that it wasn't anything to worry about."
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
"Yeah," Eric said. "He was wrong. They attacked us. I nearly got a stick through the side."
"That must've been very traumatic," Dr. Brennan commented.
Eric shrugged. "Not as traumatizing as having his psychotic brother take everybody hostage."
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
"It wasn't Jackson's fault," Melissa murmured. "Everybody knew of Jackson's background before the trip. They didn't know what he'd done but they assumed it was bad stuff. I was the one that wanted us to give the free trip to him because I knew he couldn't afford it."
"Why did you want him to accompany the group on that trip?" Dr. Brennan asked.
Melissa shrugged. "I think I had a crush on him. Even before I'd ever met him. He's a very pretty boy."
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
"Melissa came to me and told me about this trip," Jackson told the psychiatrist. "I know I wanted to go but I told her I couldn't afford any of it. I thought that'd be the end of it but then she came back to tell me that she'd talked the committee into letting me tag along for free."
"How did her persistence make you feel?" Dr. Brennan asked.
Jackson thought deeply. He hadn't ever thought about his feelings toward Melissa before. Not from the beginning. "I don't know," he answered eventually. "I was grateful. I couldn't understand why she'd do something like this to begin with, something so selfless. I was amazed."
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
"I know everybody didn't want Jackson to come along in the beginning," Nathan said. "But after we were all stuck on that island, it was like Jackson had become our rock. We were all so pampered that there was no way we would've survived without Jackson."
"But you didn't like Jackson," Dr. Brennan argued. "Why didn't you like him?"
Nathan shrugged. "I didn't know him," he said. "I didn't know how he would react if things got too out of hand. I'd heard the rumors and given his M.O., I was afraid that when the going got tough, he'd get violent."
"And did he?"
Nathan shrugged. "No. He never got violent, even when we kept persecuting him, he never got violent, not toward us."
00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
"It must've been tough to live on an island for so long, for someone your age," Dr. Brennan began. "How did you survive for so long?"
Lex shrugged. "I'm smarter than I look," he commented. "I was finally winning over everybody's respect when we were rescued.'
"You're the only one that calls what happened a rescue," Dr. Brennan commented. "Why?"
Lex shrugged, trying hard to think about why he thought it was a rescue. "We were hopeless before. Everybody had pretty much given up on any hope of escaping. But even though Jackson's brother was ruthless, he provided everyone with a way out."
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
"I wouldn't exactly call it a rescue," Daley commented. "He was a merciless madman and we all could've been killed. He crushed Jackson so completely. If I'd known rescue was going to be that risky, I wouldn't have prayed for it for all those weeks."
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
"I think it was a rescue," Eric said quickly. "That psycho put us through hell, there better've been some rescuing going on."
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
"I have nightmares," Taylor confessed. "Every night."
"What do you dream about, Taylor?" Dr. Brennan asked gently.
Taylor stared deep into the space in front of her. "Before the only thing I used to fear was myself and the day I'd die."
"Everybody fears their own death," Dr. Brennan murmured gently.
"But that's not what I dream about," Taylor said. "I dream about Jackson dying. And Beaver. I've never woken up with so much energy before in all my life. But these past few days…I can't sleep…"
"This Beaver?" Dr. Brennan asked. "You two have a relationship together? He doesn't go to your school and he said he was only on the island for a few days. How can you have a relationship with him?"
Taylor hadn't considered their relationship before. "I don't know," she answered honestly. "I guess with all the tension on the boat and whatever….I like him. I've never liked anybody so…he's like an animal, but not a bear or anything dangerous like that. He's like a stray dog. And I want to pet him sometimes…"
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
"What am I supposed to say about Taylor?" Beaver asked.
"How do you feel about her?" Dr. Brennan asked a second time. "What is your relationship with her?"
Beaver shrugged again. "I guess I like her," he murmured. "I've never liked somebody like her before. She's like this princess, all pampered and unaware of the world around her. I know their kind and I've never liked them but…When I met her she was somehow different. She had this princess face, but the princess wasn't there."
"Why do you like her?" Dr. Brennan asked. "Why do you like her specifically?"
Beaver narrowed her eyes. "You're the psychologist, you tell me why."
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
"Why haven't you returned to school?" Dr. Brennan asked.
Melissa leaned back slightly. "I don't know how to face them," she answered. "I don't want to deal with their faces, and their complaints. Everything just seems so minimal now. What we did on that island…we fought for our lives…I don't know if I can go back to life now…going to school every day with people who have things handed to them."
00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
"They're jerks," Eric said nonchalantly.
"I hear you didn't have quite the desirable reputation in the beginning either," Dr. Brennan commented. "Those jerks were once your friends, weren't they?"
Eric shrugged indifference. "Well things change right. People change."
"Do you believe you changed?" Dr. Brennan asked, eyeing Eric.
Eric avoided her stern stare. "I guess," he answered. "I think they're jerks, that's a change, right?"
Dr. Brennan slid her glasses further up the ridge of her nose. "Why are they jerks, Eric?" She asked. "What changed in them?"
Eric shrugged. "It's like they've been treated a certain way for too long that all they are is that way. Their parents are rich but not nice. I think that's why I befriended them to begin with. We had something in common. But something changed. They didn't change, they act the same, telling the same tasteless jokes but…I'm not laughing anymore. It's like they've had things handed to them for too long that they wouldn't know what to do if those things suddenly disappeared. I used to be like that but now I know I can survive without all this money and these needs. I can survive on my own now and suddenly that gives me this feeling that our lives are kind of meaningless. We go to school and do the same things everyday just so we can live in this society where things are pretty much taken for granted. I don't want to live like this anymore. I want to get things that I know I've earned in some way. I want to know that if I'm stranded somehow, I won't die. I want to know that I know how to live."