Chapter Sixteen

Because I am Worth It

I was not too impressed with Dr. Brannon. He had red hair and a beard like Seth. I do not trust anyone with red hair. I think they are either evil or nerds like Mallory Pike. Or they might be both. Also clowns have red hair wigs but I am not sure if they are evil nerds or just phonies since it is fake hair.

Mommy sat down in a chair at the table. I did not want to sit so I decided to stand next to the table with my best frownie face on and my arms folded across my chest.

I glared at the doctor, "What do you want?"

"Just to chat for a moment, Karen. Do you want to sit with us?" He smiled and gestured at a chair.

"I do not think so. I do not care to sit at a table with you." I turned my nose into the air so it was clear I was rejecting him.

The doctor ignored me and started talking to Mommy, "So Mrs. Engle, I would like to talk to Karen for a few moments then you and I will have a chat."

"Wait, you want to hear from her first? I should warn you that Karen is not a very honest child. Plus she is very dangerous." Mommy sounded indignant.

"I understand, Mrs. Engle but I always have an assistant watching from an observation room in case of aggressive children. I am sure Karen and I will get along just fine. Go out to the waiting room and my receptionist will get you a cup of tea." He smiled but Mommy did not look impressed and stormed out.

I decided to give Dr. Brannon the silent treatment. He got up and went to a cabinet standing in a corner of the room. He opened it up and reached for something. With his back still towards me he began to talk.

"So Karen, I talked to your pediatrician and found out that your mom had mentioned that you really love doll houses." He turned around and I could see he was pulling a large doll house out of the cabinet.

I could not help myself. It was so beautiful that I gasped. It was better than any doll house Seth had ever made me. It was white with two stories plus an attic with dormer windows. It had windows with black shutters that looked like they really worked. He set it on the table and turned it so I could see the open back. On the first two stories there were four rooms and then there were three rooms in the attic for a total of eleven rooms. The rooms were empty but after Dr. Brannon had set the doll house down he went back over to the cabinet and came back with two plastic bins. One bin was smaller and it contained dolls of assorted looks. The other bin was larger and contained various pieces of furniture.

I sat down at the table to take a closer look at everything. Dr. Brannon smiled, "So Karen, maybe you can use the doll house people and act out for me how things are going at home so I can hear your side."

I did want to play with the doll house but I did not want to give in, "I could just tell you about it."

"Of course you could but I thought this would be more fun. Sometimes actings things out through role playing helps you to see a situation more clearly." He sat back down at the table.

"Are you going to play with me?" I wanted to know.

He shrugged, "Only if you would like me to, Karen. I can just watch if you would rather play by yourself."

It seemed like a trick to me but I do not fall for grown up tricks. He wanted to think it was up to me if he played or not but I could tell he really wanted to. I rummaged through the doll bin and handed him a little boy doll. It was a little boy with curly dark hair and tan skin. It did not look like Andrew but it would have to do. I found a little girl doll in a party dress with beautiful golden hair like mine.

"Here," I told him, "You can be Andrew. I will be me and Mommy."

"Which doll are you using for your Mommy?" He asked me.

I found a fat doll with messy red hair and a mean face. Perfect for my evil Mommy. "What you want me to do?"

"Just show me what a day is like for you, Andrew and Mommy." He made the doll I picked for Andrew wave his arm.

I found a pink canopy bed and stuck it in a room. I made my Karen doll lay on it. "Andrew! Andrew!"

Dr. Brannon put Andrew in the room with me, "Yes Karen?"

"Oh Andrew. I am so sick and tired. Please get me breakfast in bed like the pricess that I am." I made the doll wave her hand at the Andrew doll.

The doctor made Andrew shake his head, "No Karen. I am your little brother. It is not my job to wait on you hand and foot."

I frowned. That did sounds like something Andrew would really say to me. It was like the doctor had met Andrew. He probably had. This was probably some big conspiracy Mommy had cooked up. The whole family was probably scheming behind my back. Well I would show the doctor.

"MOMMY!" I screamed.

"Yes Karen?" I shoved the Mommy doll into the room.

I began to fake cry. "Andrew is being a big selfish meanie mo. I do not feel good and he will not feed me breakfast in bed."

I made the Mommy doll cackle evilly, "That is because you have to make your own breakfast plus breakfast for Andrew and I."

"I HATE YOU. YOU ARE GIGUNDOLY MEAN." I took the Karen doll and shoved her into a room downstairs. I grabbed a plastic kitchen and stuck it in the room with me.

Dr. Brannon put Andrew in the room with me, "Thank you so much for making me breakfast Karen. Can I possibly help you?"

"Andrew would never say that." I scowled at him.

He shrugged, "Well Karen, I do not think your mommy would really make you make breakfast for the entire family. Especially if you were sick."

"Well she might. You just never know. She is certainly mean enough to. Honestly she and Andrew should be waiting on me like my personal servants. Everyday whether I am sick or well." I folded my arms across my chest. I was no longer interested in playing.

"Karen, part of being in a family is learning that sometimes it's about both giving and taking. Unless you are a baby, everyone learns to do their part to make things work. It is not fair if one person sits around and does nothing all the time. You are a healthy seven year old girl. While the big things like going to work, doing the big parts of making meals and the major chores and paying the bills are the grown ups responsibility, there are things you can do too. While your parents do their best to take care of you, you can help out. It's part of how you will learn to be a grown up so that someday you can take care of yourself. You cannot expect anyone to just wait on you all the time." He looked expectantly at me like he thought I would agree with him.

Of course I did not. "No I do not agree. I deserve to have a servant. When I grow up I will inherit all my daddy's money and I will hire lots of servants to take care of me."

"Karen, why do you think you should not have to do anything?" He pressed me.

I was angrier than ever. "BECAUSE I AM WORTH IT!"

Dr. Brannon did not say anything else. He took me by the hand and walked me out to the hall. A woman who I am guessing was his assistant was standing there.

He handed me to her, "Please take Karen to the quiet room. I am going to go get her mother and have a talk with her."

I started to kick and scream but the lady did not listen. She picked me up and hauled me into a room down the hall. I could not believe it. How dare they do this to the wonderful Karen Brewer?