Real life stuff yayyyy! Okay i'm back to writing now that my evil busy weekend of doom has been had. Today i Introduce a new character! One that I am finding i like more and more each time i think about him. Hes a bit of an oddity, but its why i LOVE him!
Enjoy!
... ... ... ... ...
Naya woke up wrapped in Demi's arms. She had a dream, much like the ones she's had so many nights before. This time, she dreamt that Briggs had taken Demi instead of her, except. She couldn't get there in time, and Demi had died.
She turned her head. Her lover slept with a smile , completely content, the moonlight shining through the window to illuminate her features. She didn't know what she would do if anything had happened to her.
Closing her eyes, she tried to clear her mind of the nitemare. She took deep breaths, she counted , she even tried to think of something else. But the realization that it could have very well had been Demi abducted by that monster , made her sick with fear.
She felt her body tense up, despite being held in the arms of her lover. She knew this would be another sleepless night , trying to escape the hellish images in her dreams.
... ... ... ... ... ...
Darius Garrick sat awake at his desk in his study. He had taken some cases home with him, trying to continue his work from home. Ever since Darma's death, he had been promoted to the head of the group. He knew he would be once the woman retired. But the sudden shift made it allot harder.
Still , Patients needed their doctor. He was not Darma Erickson, but he had worked under her for nearly three years. Often taking on some of her cases. Now that he was head, he needed to delegate and prioritize each patient. Sure, he had attendants. But honestly most of them were too fresh for some of these cases. He would have wanted Erickson to be proud of him , not dissapointed in him for handing off something that would have been better taken care of if he would have just done it himself.
In Allot of ways, Darma was like family. Now that she was gone, he felt that a piece of him was lost.
It was one of the reasons why he wanted to find out who the guy was that set him up. Karl Briggs may have died, but the guy that was helping him was still out there. Surely, if they could help such a despicable creature, they were just as guilty and as sinister as the man who committed these crimes. He had to find out who this person was , for Darma, for the girls. He had to make sure this person saw justice.
One thing was for sure, he knew that the rat had to be someone in the medical field. Only those who had access codes could alter and use the hospital's computers. That narrowed it down, but not enough for his liking. It was one of the reasons he wanted to wrap up these cases as fast as he could, that way he could concentrate on finding this person. He knew that Darma would have done the same for him.
... ... ... ... ...
Naya stared at the ceiling for nearly three hours. Demi had barely moved at all while she slept. Part of Naya was happy that Demi was getting a full night's rest. She remembered the recent nights she had woken up screaming. Those were nights she wished never happened. The fear she saw in Demi as her eyes shot open from the nitemares made her skin crawl. She didnt know how to stop them from happening , but knew she would be there to help her pull herself from that state in her mind.
She just wished her own nitemares would stop, running normally on almost no sleep was beginning to take a toll on her body. She didnt know how much longer she could keep this up, pretending she was alright and virtually experiencing no side effects. The only ones who had actually seen her shut down were Garrick, Malak, and now Demi. Though Demi's experience was Minor. She was thankful for that, If she hadn't been able to partially pull herself from that place. The girl would have seen just how broken she was.
She couldnt let Demi see that happen. Her fiancee already blamed herself for everything that happened, that would just put salt in the wound.
Perhaps she'd speak with about it. Maybe he'd have a solution to this problem. Luckily, Both of them had an appointment with the Psychologist that very day. Yes, Naya had to go tot he studio for a shoot shortly after, but she knew that Demi was in good hands with this man.
Malak wasn't what you expected when you thought of a Psychologist. He didn't dress in a white buttoned up shirt, Pant suits, and half-moon glasses that sat on the bridge of his nose as he glared at you like you were about to break. No, This man was a bit...Unique.
It was one of the reasons why she liked him.
-5 Weeks earlier-
Naya sat in the waiting room of Dr Malak, she squeezed her hands together nervously as she stared at the ground. He was late. She had to climb 5 stories to reach this damn office because the damn elevator was broken, and he was late. How professional was this man? Why did Garrick reccomend him? This was the first time she had been out of the hospital ,and she had to wait here like a crazy woman under the bored gaze of the secretary. A few times, she caught the man almost doze off. Was this a game to him?
"When's going to get here..." Naya asked quickly.
The Secretary took out his cell phone, touching the screen. "Dont know, hasn't sent me anything." He said in monotone. "Might be a while in that case." The man Stifled a yawn. "Last time he was nearly an hour late."
An hour?! What kind of practice was this guy running? This was a joke!
"Well..." Naya said, gritting her teeth. "Maybe I should go to another shrink...Then I can-"
Suddenly, the door crashed open. A man, who looked in his late thirties hobbled through the door. His face was unshaven, his hair was long and unkempt in a long ponytail. He stood at around 6 foot, with lightly tanned skin that seemed to be too baggy for his frame. He wore what looked like a black jogging suit and worn out sneakers.
Naya nearly jumped from her skin at the sound, but after regaining her ability to think. She frowned at the obvious other patient in the room, her voice coming out far more snappy than she intended. "Yeah, well. You should probably just get out of here. Looks like this joke of a Doctor is a no show...Waste of my fucking time..."
The man stared at her, blinking a few voice was rough and had a southern twang to it. "Oh? Well If thats what you think then you just freed up my day Sweetheart. Your free to go whenever."
Naya stood, her jaw dropping. "YOU'RE Dr. Malak?"
Malak shrugged . "The one and only... Now, Ms..."
"Rivera...Naya Rivera..." The Secretary mumbled.
Malak covered his face with his palm. "NO SHIT!" He exclaimed. "You're the one that Dar sent me right?"
Naya blinked, obviously the hell was Dar?
"Well, I owe Dar more than having to deal with a disrespectful little star child..." Malak commented, walking toward the office door. "Come in before i change my mind kid..." He walked into the office, leaving the waiting room.
Naya's jaw practically hit the ground. Did he just call me a disrespectful star child? She thought to herself.
"SELEK!" The booming voice of Malak screamed from the open door'd office.
The secretary gave a heavy sigh and called back. "Yes Dr Malak..."
"WHERES MY COFFEE?!" He yelled in response.
The secretary, 'Selek' replied. "Its on your desk sir..."
"This is cold! You know I don't like my coffee cold!" Malak grumbled.
Selek rolled his eyes. "It was hot when I placed it on your desk an hour ago...Maybe if you were here on time..."
"Shut up Selek and go get me another!" Malak demanded.
Selek stood, grumbling. "From where sir..."
There was silence for a few moments, before Malak spoke again. "From that French place down the road, you know. The one where they have those cheesy horrible accents they force the workers to speak in. Yeah. That one. " There was a few more seconds of silence before Malak continued. " Also, i want a Grande, not a tall. Three and a half sugars, one creme from a freshly opened carton, and ...Hummm..." He seemed to be thinking from behind the door. "Have them preform a song from the Lion king while they make it, yeah. That will get them for putting three creme and two sugars in my last cup...Tastes like crap..."
Selek sighed. "And if they refuse sir?"
There was a bout of deafening silence from the other room. "You know how I feel when you displease me Selek...I know you will not fail..."
Selek mumbled to himself, grabbing his laptop bag. Looking up to Naya, he muttered. "Goodluck." Before leaving the office.
Naya blinked again, she wasnt quite sure what had just happened.
"Ms Rivera, Please come in. Or don't, doesn't matter really. I'll just let Dar know you refused treatment." Malak said nonchalantly.
Naya all but growled. Storming into the office. "What kind of Doctor are you anyways?! Is this any way to treat a patient? YOU belong in an institution!"
Dr Malak let out a small chuckle. "Please, close the door and take a seat." He said, his voice surprisingly calm.
Naya stood at the door, trying to decided weather or not to take the man's offer and sit down. After a moment or two, she sighed. Slamming the door shut and taking a seat. This in turn gained a smile from the Doctor.
"There we are!" He said cheerfully. "Not that hard was it?"
Naya crossed her arms, still glaring at the man. "Why the Hell did Garrick send me to you...You're a bit of a joke."
Malak just seemed to smile brighter. "Never judge a book by its cover Sweetheart."
Naya kept her arms crossed, rolling her eyes. "Whatever..." She glanced around the office. The walls were plastered with certificates and awards, all addressed to Dr. Calab Malak. It would have been impressive if the man himself didn't look like such a train wreck.
"So Dar sent me your files. He says I can help you out..." He pushed aside a bunch of papers, pulling out a manilla folder. Opening it, he began to read its contents. "Hum, Depression, Accute Anxiety, Guilt , spiking blood pressure..."
Naya grumbled. "I don't have time to hear about medical terms..."
Malak looked up from the paper. "Irritability."
Naya scoffed, looking away from the man.
The Doctor leaned forward, putting down the folder. "Tell me Ms, Rivera... Are you experiencing flashbacks of any sort? Are they effecting your everyday life?"
Naya's body tensed, her hands clenching.
Malak then slammed his fists on the table, causing the girl to jump. She was wide eyes ,a look of terror on her face.
"Yup, As i suspected. You Ms Rivera, are suffering from PSTD , also known as Post Traumatic stress Disorder..."
Naya glared at the man again, this was the second time he almost made her jump from her skin. "You didnt have to do that!" She yelled. "Besides, thats what GARRICK Said already..."
Malak put his elbows on the table, holding up his head with his hands. "Yes , Dar would know about that i suppose... It was right for him to send you to me." He grabbed the folder again, placing it on the pile of papers.
Naya seemed to put two and two together, Dar was Garrick. This man was using a nickname for her doctor in a session. He was a complete and total idiot.
Malak sat back in his chair. "Alright. So tell me, what do your flashbacks consist of..."
Naya's nostrils flared. "Hold on a second, i never agreed to you treating me! What if i just came in here to tell you how unprofessional you are , and it really hurts your practice!"
"Noted." Malak said with a chuckle. "But I allowed you in here in order to hear your story. If my un professionalism prevents you from obtaining adaquite treatment, then i will advise Dar to send you to another specialist. I will however warn you, most would put you in a Psych ward for evaluation. I'm sure you, being so heavily under the spotlight, would want anyone to get wind of that, now would you?"
Naya's nostrils flared again. "And you wouldn't?"
Malak shrugged. "Depends on how severe the case is to be honest." he answered truthfully. "The fact you were able to sit in that waiting room for so long without cracking under the obvious pressure that is plaguing your mind , tells me that by placing you under such heavy observation would in fact force you farther back in your recovery than intended." He took a breath, looking at the woman. "Now I will ask once more. What do your flashbacks consist of?"
Naya blinked. He was purposefully late. She thought to herself. It was a test. Straightening herself in the chair, she unfolded her arms. "I suspect you know the story..."
"Only what i've read in the papers." Malak admitted. "I do tend to do extensive research on those i treat. Often their past can become triggers to their present state and alter their mind. Which i might add might not always be for the best." He gave the girl another smile.
Naya grumbled. "Well thats it...Darma Erickson shot Karl Briggs, Briggs as he fell fired his own gun killing her... " Even as she said it, she felt her hands clenching tighter. "She killed the bastard just to die..."
Malak stared at the woman. "I see, You witnessed two people die. That obviously would have a major effect on your mind."
Naya shot a glare at the Doctor. "Briggs was not a person...He was an animal. I don't care if he died..."
"But you do Naya." Malak said seriously. "Witnessing a death, no matter who the person is , injures a person's mind. One person can have this kind of effect on a person. But two? Especially someone you knew and obviously respected can tare you up inside until you are a husk of your former self." He took a breath. "However, you have exceeded my expectations by even coming here on your own accord. I see that as a distinctive sign of your ability to adapt to what life throws at you."
Naya blinked at the bluntness of his words. No, he wasn't a normal Doctor, but for some reason she could understand him. He wasn't throwing out fancy medical terms, he wasn't treating her like a child ready to break. He was talking to her like a friend , like he understood her. "And what... You think watching that bastard die and almost kill the woman I love -" He words caught in her throat.
Malak nodded his head. "Ah yes. Demi Lovato. That is the girl you are speaking of i presume?"
Naya didnt speak. She merely nodded.
"Dar reports that you were the one that saved her life by keeping pressure on her wound. Despite your own injuries ,and the mental strain you sustained .I am surprised you didn't break under the pressure. " He clapped his hands together once. "That is refreshing for me to hear , it shows that you have an immense amount of willpower. Yes, We can work with this."
Naya was seriously wondering if the man needed a mental evaluation. He wasnt taking this as seriously as he should. "Why are you treating this like just another walk in the park? If its as serious as you described shouldn't you be more...You know. Worried?"
Malak smiled again. "Oh I am Ms Rivera. These kinds of things are not to be taken lightly. But on the same note, I shouldn't have you submerge yourself into fear when you think about those memories. Yes, they are horrific. It will take some time for you to come to terms that the events happened, and there was nothing you could have done to change them. But also , in time. They will help you become stronger than you ever were before."
Naya seemed to believe the man. For the first time in a week and a half she wasnt shaking, her mind wasnt littered with the memories of the basement. He was distracting her by strengthening her . Even if it was only temporary.
" us begin. I need you to tell me the points that are causing you the most pain." Malak all but demanded.
For the next hour, Naya told the man everything she could tell him. She told him about the abduction, about waking up in the basement, hung by her arms and chained. She described the bite of the shackles , and the feeling that she'd never get out of there.
The night they were 'saved' was harder. Mainly because she had to leave out the part about Erickson, and the fact that she had helped him because of the files he had on her. Malak seemed to sense that she was holding back, but let the girl continue. Naya was grateful for this, she was expecting that he was going to pry out more information out of her. At this moment, she might have let something slip. That was not something she could afford to do.
After she told the man everything she could, she surprisingly felt relieved. She had shared more with him than she had with anyone else. Releasing those memories seemed to help clear her mind.
"Good." Malak said , placing his hands on the desk. "Very good, I think for our first session this was quite remarkable. If possible i'd like to see you here the same time tomorrow. This time , I promise i will be on time." He gave the girl a wink.
Naya for the first time smiled at the man. "How about the flashbacks...What can i do to stop them?"
Malak bowed his head. "That will take time Ms Rivera. But to start, try thinking of something, anything else thats more powerful than those images. Concentrate on your breathing, if counting helps. Count. If naming different colors helps, do that as well." He paused. "I once had a guy that would verbally name off characters from those Harry potter books. But hey! Whatever floats your boat i guess."
Naya crossed her arms again. "Hey, I LIKE Harry Potter!"
Malak grinned. "Well then, maybe that will help too!"
Naya let out a chuckle then stopped. She forgot what it was like to laugh. It felt refreshing.
Malak clapped his hands again. "Look, Progress!" He grinned at the girl. "So what do you say? Same time tomorrow?"
Naya smiled. "Yeah, that sounds good."
Malak nodded, writing something on a notepad. "Hopefully, this time Selek will have my damn coffee this time..."
... ... ... ...
-Present-
Since then she'd seen him quite a few times. Malak, although unorthodox. Was very good at his trade. Never did he dress the part, or beat around the bush. He was always very straightforward and truthful. It had been why she was able to go back to the studio so soon.
Still, these nitemares were very concerning. If she didn't find a way to suppress them, she felt as if she'd regress. She couldn't afford that. Rolling over so her back was against the other girl's. She stared at the wall. Malak would be able to help , he hadn't failed her yet.
... ... ... ... ... ...
It was nearly 8am when Demi was woken from her sleep by the sound of her phone going off. She grumbled, moving to reach it, but was suprised when she found that Naya had beat her to it. She looked like she had been up before her again. It was unlike the Latina.
Naya smiled, looking at the beautiful woman that was curled in the bed sheets. "Its just Tom, Dem. I've got it, go back to sleep."
Demi smiled, pulling the covers over her exposed skin. "Come back soon Naya, its colder without you."
Naya smiled at the comment, the phone still ringing in her hand. "As soon as I can my love."
Placing her ear to the receiver, she clicked the answer button. "Hey Tom, Its almost 8am. I hope you havent forgotten about the 9am rule."
"Naya?" Tom said a bit frantic. "Is Demi with you? Are you watching the TV?"
Naya rolled her eyes. "No Tom, We live, breathe and abide by the 9am rule in this house..."
She could hear the sigh through the phone. "You two need to see this. Turn on the TV."
Naya furrowed her brow. "What channel?"
"Any of them." Tom responded sadly.
With the phone still on her ear, Naya rummaged around, finding the remote tot he TV that hung on the wall in their room. Clicking it on. A picture of Naya and Demi held in still on the news screen, showing Demi to be quite frail looking , Naya had all but been cut out of the shot aside from her arms, holding the other girl.
"Demi Lovato back in Rehab after Abduction? More to follow at the 10am news brief."
Naya read the headline, her eyes widened as she looked back to Demi. She was sitting up straight, her eyes were wide in shock and terror.
"Fuck..." Naya screamed into the phone, tossing it across the room.