Chapter 5: Discoveries (part 1)

Violet stood with Bob on the elevator as they made their way up to the seventh floor. Neither of them had been looking forward to this day. Bob had originally planned on just having her wait out in the reception area until lunch time when Emily would come get her, but the more he thought about it, that probably wasn't the best idea. He told that the only time that she had to wait out there was when he had a patient. He had Carlin at ten and then was free after that until one when he had his group.

Emily was going to come get her when she got done with her appointment. He hoped that was soon. First off, he wanted to know for sure whether or not he would be a father and second, he didn't want Violet sitting there and insulting his patients as they walked in. Although, he had to admit, he was interested to see how she would get along with Mr. Carlin. He wasn't going to be the one to introduce them, but something told him that she was the one to introduce herself to anyone around her.

"So when do I get to meet the crazies?" Violet implored. She leaned against the back wall with her arms folded. She dressed a little brighter today than usual, she wore a dark purple shirt rather than black.

"Don't refer to my patients as the crazies," he instructed her. "They, they just have some problems, that's all."

"Yeah," Violet sighed. "I guess everyone has their issues though. I mean, you can't talk, I'm stuck with you."

"Yes, that's, that's the real tragedy here. You being stuck with me," he replied as the doors finally opened.

Violet sighed as she pushed herself off the wall and walked out, following Bob.

"Good morning Bob," Carol greeted.

"Morning Carol," Bob replied.

"Well, who's this here?" Carol questioned, looking to Violet.

"This, uh, this is our little ray of sunshine," Bob began. "Violet."

Violet just crossed her arms and glared to him out of the corners of her eyes.

"And uh Violet, this is uh Carol," Bob introduced.

"Bob's speech coach," Violet said as she extended her hand to Carol.

Carol got a laugh out of the introduction. Bob however, just watched her, wondering how long this morning was about to be.

"Is he paying you per sentence or by the hour?" Carol jokingly questioned.

"Only for the sentences he can get through without stuttering. So far I've only earned about fifty cents," Violet quipped.

"Well, I'll let you know if there's any other assistance that you can offer around here," Carol informed her.

"I can help you with your hair," Violet offered.

Carol just narrowed her eyes on her. "What are you talking about?"

"It's not too far gone, its not like you're going to need a miracle for it. Just some work," Violet explained.

Bob sighed. "Come on Wednesday, we've insulted the secretary enough for today," he said, grabbing her arm and leading her to his office.

"I wasn't being sarcastic this time," Violet argued.

"That's what makes it worse," Bob replied as he opened the door.

The door opened and as soon as Violet was inside quickly closed the door. "Okay, sit down," he dryly instructed.

Violet went and sat down indian style on top of his desk. "Yes?" she implored, resting her elbows on her knees and propping her head up on her hands.

"Don't uh, don't, don't do that," he warned, motioning for her to get down.

Violet lifted her head off her hands. "Well Bob, you're the one who told me to sit down," she stated.

"I also told you to stop smoking but, but you obviously didn't listen then," he argued. He was referring to the evident order of cigarette smoke that he could smell while in the elevator with her. Most likely, she snuck one while she waited outside the apartment building for him.

"Why? You think it might stunt my growth like it did yours?" Violet quipped.

"I'm not short, I'm, I'm average," he nearly pouted. "Besides, I, I don't smoke. Now get down of off there."

Violet shrugged and then climbed down off the desk and headed over to the couch. "Fine. Tell me what's you gotta tell me," she instructed as she plopped down on the couch.

Bob went and stood before her. He felt if he sat down, he would have less authority over her, and he already felt like he had next to none. "Violet, you, you can't go around insulting people. I am a psychologist. Do you know what that means?" he questioned.

"That you weren't good enough to be a real doctor?" Violet guessed.

"No!" Bob quickly answered. "It, it means that there's going to be people coming here that, that have problems. You can't call a severely depressed person an idiot and, and criticize them!" he explained.

"Why not? Might teach them to face reality," Violet argued.

"What exactly is reality to you?" Bob curiously implored. There was just something that struck him as odd within that response.

Violet rolled her eyes. "If you don't already know what the world is like by now, then you've really got some growing up to do," she replied.

Bob sat down in the chair. "How, how about this, I'll treat you like a patient," he began, knowing that she wasn't about to talk to him just as she was.

"What do you mean? Like call me crazy and shove pills down my throat while strapping me up in a straight jacket?" she asked and then laughed. "Never mind, only psychiatrists can do that. You weren't good enough to make it to that level."

"I don't need to be a psychiatrist to get the sleeping gas from Jerry," he responded. "Now what I was saying, is that you can say what ever you want, how ever you want and you can't get in trouble."

Violet sat back and thought it over. "All right," she agreed. "You want me to tell you what reality is do you?"

"Yes."

"Shit. That's what it is. Shit," she bluntly informed him. "I saw the bodies brought back in bags, I saw the buildings burnt down and I even saw the hippies spit on the soldiers as they got off the boat. No one really cares about anyone and everyone cares about only what they need to get them through the day."

"How uh, how did you see this?" he inquired.

"I was ten in sixty eight and we've moved around California quite a bit," she explained as though he should have known. "My mom's friend was a hippy. Saw a lot of... things, that way."

"What uh, what kinds of things?"

"Well, my mom left me with her for a while in August of sixty nine. I got to see Grace Slick screw up so many times on White Rabbit that no one was even sure of what she was trying, while at the same time, I don't even think they cared what was going on up on that stage," Violet answered. "I also ate a brownie I shouldn't have eaten and then drank some water that wasn't water and almost ate a candy that wasn't candy."

"Are, are you trying to tell me, that uh, that, you went to Woodstock?" he asked, disbelieving her.

Violet nodded. "Yeah, I kind of think I shouldn't have been there though. Saw too many things for an eleven year old," she stated. "That's also the time that I got my name changed."

"What did uh you get it changed to?"

"Violet."

Bob laughed. "No, really," he said.

"Really, Violet," she insisted. "I'll show you." Violet took the wallet out of her purse and opened it so that he could see her driver's license.

Bob took it and read it. "Valarie Harrison," he read.

"Violet's my flower child name and my mom actually liked it a lot more than Valerie, so so started calling me Violet instead," she explained. Violet then took her wallet back and shoved it in her purse. "I'm only seventeen and I've lead a more interesting life than you have," she remarked.

Bob ignored the comment. He only had about fifteen minutes before Elliot came and wanted to get somewhere with Violet before he walked in, barking at her to get out so that he could have his session. "Don't you think that maybe you should consider how your outlook on things affects others?" he offered. "Don't, don't you see how it affects the way that you act?"

"Why should I care how my actions affect other people? It's not as if the people around me have gone out of their way to make sure that I'm not badly affected by what they do. Hell, I don't even think most of them give a damn about me," she answered. Her eyes narrowed on him, as if she were bitter and hurt about the fact that he had even brought it up.

Bob studied her for a moment, waiting for her to continue. He wondered just how much this young girl was hiding. Just because she lead an interesting life didn't mean that it was good.

Violet laughed in spite of the situation. "My mom slept with the neighbor over a year ago. I guess all of that free love stuff rubbed off on her from her friend. I would be willing to bet my life on it that she wasn't thinking about how this would affect me or my dad. I guarantee that all she was thinking about was the fact that she was horny and that Brian looked like fun to get in bed with."

Violet stood up and started pacing as she was getting herself worked up. "I mean, the woman didn't even stop to think that for a second, that he might walk in on her," she mentioned. She stopped and turned back to Bob. "How fucking stupid do you have to be to think that you could hurt someone like that and get away with it? I agree with my father leaving her! No one knows what she did though! They all only know about his leaving! On the other hand though, he didn't think to invite me! I would have kept it a secret! But no! My own father chose that waitress over me! He left me with the slut who now mopes around all day acting like her life is miserable! Well I've got news for you! It's her own damn fault and she can't live with it so she takes it out on me!" she nearly yelled, tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

"Obviously no one gives a damn about how their actions affect me. Why the hell should I care about how mine affect them?" she inquired, sniffling.

For the first time now since she had come to stay with them, Bob felt bad for her. "Since you think your parents didn't care, you feel you shouldn't care," he noted.

"No, I was just rehearsing a part for the school play," she replied.

At this point he figured that no matter what, she was always going to be sardonic, but now maybe at least he could try to get her to tone it down. "Can't you see what you're doing here?" he implored.

Violet shook her head. "What?" she questioned, attempting to calm herself. She already resented the fact that she had gotten upset in front of him, so there was no way that she could allow herself to remain that way.

"You, you were hurt so you try to push people away at the start. Without even trying you just start finding what bothers people and use it to irritate them. You're parents hurt you, so now you figure that keeping others away, that, that you can protect yourself from feeling that way again," he explained.

Violet wiped the tears from her face and sat down on the arm of the couch. "So, you're trying to tell me that when I called you a fake doctor that I was just pushing you away because I thought you could hurt me?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Wow, you really have a sensitive ego there don't ya?" Violet quipped.

The door opened and Elliot walked into the room. "Doctor Hartley? I have some news for you," he announced.

Violet stood up and looked to him. "So this is what a real life psycho looks like," she observed.

Elliot looked to Bob. "Who's the kid and why is she here?" he flatly inquired.

"I don't know, but, then again, why are any of us here?" she asked. "And the name's Violet by the way."

"I don't care, this is my session so get out," Elliot stated.

Violet looked back to Bob. "Did the crazy forget to take his pills today?" she implored.

"The brat's bothering me," Elliot complained.

"His rug is scaring me," Violet remarked.

"Listen you little twit," Elliot started.

"Guys! Guys! I, I, really don't think this is necessary," Bob started.

"But it is!" Violet interrupted. "This idiot thinks he can come in here and call me a brat."

"Truth hurts kid," Elliot replied.

"Violet, just, just go out and wait in the lobby," Bob instructed.

Violet smirked to Elliot as she walked passed him. "Gladly," she responded before walking out the door. She got outside and saw that Carol wasn't at her desk.

It was weird being alone after what had just happened in there. She had just thought about something that she hadn't thought about in a while. Now alone, she was forced to sort of dwell on them. There was nothing to distract her. She slowly walked over to the coffee machine and started to grab herself a cup.

The silence was broken as the elevator doors opened. Violet turned and watched as Emily stepped onto the seventh floor, smiling with excitement.

"I guess the rabbit croaked?" Violet said.

Emily looked to her and nodded. "Yes," she answered.

Violet slightly laughed. "Congrats. I would hug you or something, but I don't do that," she explained.

"Is Bob in there with a patient?" Emily questioned.

"No, I'm out here for the atmospheric pleasure," Violet stated before taking a sip of coffee. "I thought this whole thing was going to take longer."

Emily shrugged. "I got there at eight this morning," she informed her. She was still very excited over the news.

"Well, the funny looking guy with the rug just got in there, so you have about an hour until he gets out of there," Violet mentioned.

"Oh," Emily's shoulders slightly fell. Although she was nervous to tell him, hearing the doctor tell her that she was pregnant today was the best thing that she could have heard. That along with Bob's promise last night, there was nothing that could upset her today. "I didn't even look at the time. I was just focused on getting here and telling Bob the news," she explained.

"It happens."

"You wanna go to lunch?" Emily offered.

"It's ten in the morning," Violet replied.

"I'm hungry," Emily stated.

Violet sighed. "I guess I have nothing better to do around here anyways," she reasoned. She set the cup down and followed Emily onto the elevator.