CHAPTER THREE

DR. LANGDON

Dr. Langdon, the head psychiatrist at Broadacres Children's Psychiatric Institute; had worked there since 1883. One of his first patients was a young lady by the name of Ruth DeWitt. He rescued Ruth from the clutches of the hospital's previous doctor: Howard Ilivicki. Ilivicki ogled the female adolescent patients, and simply neglected the male ones. It was Ruth's first electro-shock treatment that John Langdon witnessed. He thought it to be barbaric and crude. It pained him to see the young thirteen year old going through the pain and trauma of the treatment. Instead of electro-shock treatment, he wanted to focus on creativity. He gave Ruth a large sketchpad and told her to draw out what she was feeling. Ruth took to this much better than the shock treatment. She loved to draw, and she loved showing him the drawings she could come up with. His love of children is what kept him going here.

At home, John and his wife; Victoria raised Emily. John was a good father to Emily. He let her do as she pleased, as long as she didn't become a spoiled brat in the process. Victoria wanted Emily to be a little lady, and she was. Emily was obedient to anyone that told her to be. John wasn't home during the week, leaving Victoria and Emily alone at Langdon Manor in Brattleboro. John's family came from the state of Hampshire. His father was governor of the state from 1848-1852. John, the eldest of six children went into psychiatry rather than politics. He seemed to connect with children more so than adults. He wasn't short, but not tall enough to be considered a giant. He was rather skinny for someone of his build. His hair was graying, but not completely there yet. Some would say being a father took its toll on him, but he'd say otherwise.

Emily's relationship to John was of great importance. He would listen to her if something or someone bothered her. She was his world. Victoria was also like this, but not in the way that she and John shared. Both he and Victoria took pride in loving Emily, even if they adopted her at one month of age. They had been desperately trying to have a baby, luckily Ruth Bukater knew of this and offered Emily to them. They gratefully took Emily into their home and hearts. They did everything together when John wasn't working. They went to the beach on Lake Quannapowwit. Victoria took Emily out for walks through town. The Langdon's were the model family. Their home was the largest in Brattleboro, and was called Langdon Manor. From the outside, the home looked almost like a castle, with its stone façade and paladian windows.

John would study Emily at home. She felt that she could tell him anything and everything. When she had her worst tantrum in 1905, he was there to witness it. This tantrum wasn't about not getting what she wanted. It simply was about not being able to communicate her needs. That was perhaps Emily's biggest problem. This was the perfect time for him to take more notes. It troubled him to see his daughter in Broadacres, but if she was here he would make sure she was comfortable. There was the problem of telling Victoria that Emily was here in the hospital. He didn't know how she would react. He carefully dialed the numbers and listened to the ringing of the phone on the other end. A woman's voice answered.

"Langdon Residence, may I ask who is speaking?"

"John. I'd like to speak to Victoria."

"I'll go get her."

"Fine."

A few moments passed, when he heard the familiar voice on the other end.

"What is it John?"

"It's Emily. She's here in the hospital."

"What do you mean? Did she have another one of her tantrums?"

"Yes, but this one was out of Ruth's control. I told Ruth that she did the right thing."

"Don't let them hurt my baby girl."

"I won't Victoria. I won't let the nurses be rough with her."

"Get her something to draw on. I know she loves to draw. I still have the sketch of me that she did last summer."

"Are you going to visit her? I think that would cheer her up."

"Of course I will visit her. She needs her mother after all."

They said goodbye, and John hung up the phone. He sat back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. He turned around to watch the rain fall on the windows. He studied the drops carefully to see if they revealed any patterns. Sadly, he found no such luck. Victoria was on her way to see their daughter. He hoped for the best with Emily. He thought of her outfit when she arrived. It was a simple dark green dress covered by her pea coat. The same coat that he bought for her birthday. He hated to think of them forcing her to remove her dress, only to put on those dingy hospital clothes. Emily wouldn't be used to wearing pants, but the rules were the rules. He even thought about his daughter's corset.

"They probably took the laces out. She could try to choke herself, but then again Emily wouldn't do that." John thought to himself. He opened a drawer and slid a folder inside. He thought about when Ruth first came to him in 1883. He didn't diagnose her with anything, but thought her stepmother to be misguided. His thoughts then turned back to Emily. He wrote down in her file the diagnosis he gave her.

"Bipolar Disorder." He said quietly to himself. The evidence was there: the mood swings, her erratic behavior, and countless other things. It tugged at his heart that his daughter could have a mental illness. Surely he had to tell Victoria, but how would she react? Would she reject Emily? No, she couldn't. She had to love her no matter what happened. Victoria made a promise to Emily when they picked her up in Philadelphia to bring her home; "That no matter what happens, You are mine. I will love you until the day I die." John and Victoria wanted to fulfill this promise. He still loved her. She undoubtedly would also still love her. John hoped that the diagnosis wouldn't go beyond the hospital, especially not to school; he couldn't bear to think about the teasing Emily would receive if the news had spread.