The Spiralling

Chapter 25: A Veteran of many Wars

3 weeks later...

The heavy wooden doors of the mental institution opened and a rather wizen old man greeted me on the doorsteps of the building. I was all alone. I couldn't get anyone else to come with me- Aldan was nowhere to be found; he was most likely busy looking all over the state for his daughter. My father preferred not to get too involved with my superhero adventures, choosing a more supportive role along the lines of Batman's butler or the Punisher's armourer. Marcus, my friend in the force, couldn't even get out of bed yet. My buddies... Well, I hadn't let them in on my secret yet.

Ushering me into the marbled halls of the reception area, he took me across the hall to a rather kindly woman dressed in nurse's attire. From within a drawer of her large desk, she pulled out a card and gave it to me after I booked myself in. On writing my information down, I realised my hands were shaking- I didn't know what to expect. The old man and nurse I met had nothing to do with Mindy, and everyone was dead silent- as if in denial of their occupation involving keeping and treating headcases.

I had yet to meet Dr. Paul yet, Aldan's friend who was in charge of curing Mindy of her illnesses, not that I had any idea what happened in her mind. I just knew, it had to be something about the size of the World Eater for her to snap considering her discipline, considering how she mowed down a huge number of people the news and police have yet to finalise. I didn't know at all what to expect, what I'll see, whether the Mindy I knew was still there or if what I would find was only the shell of her former self.

After going through with all the security crap, the same old man in white lead me through a few corridors flanked by offices, belonging presumably to the many psychiatrists working in this secluded mental hospital. Most of them were closed and likely locked, and I could hear faint noises coming from inside, of some murmurs and strange ramblings. Some had animalistic screams, others inhuman mumblings and shouting. It sure didn't help with my cold sweat and sweaty palm. My still-recovering wounds were starting to hurt again from the thought that one of those animal screams I heard could be Mindy's.

I felt stupid for wearing my best into the hospital. Chances were, she wouldn't be able to appreciate my latest brand clothes and basketball shoes. She'd just appreciate me coming over so that she could strangle me with a stolen nightstick. Would she even be able to recognise me? So many questions were dying to be answered inside, yet the building was conspiring against me, it was taking forever for me to reach my destination, wherever it was in the huge mental institution.

After passing through an area with a lower security level, one of those for some of the less violent patients to do whatever they want even if it means just sitting in a corner of the room on a moth-eaten sofa mumbling mumbo-jumbo to himself, I was becoming a nervous wreck. 'Where is she?' The thought kept rewinding in my head. I was hoping she'd be in an area like this, just watching a television show, keeping to herself like some emo kid, but my luck's spent on all those fights with Mindy and D'Amico's thugs- she was not anywhere in those areas I passed.

A short while later I and my guide reached a metallic door, which was where he decided to leave me, "Senior Psychiatrist Paul Truman's inside. I'll be on my way now." An unnerving gloom hangs over the grey steel door as he left- I was unsure if it was real or imagined, the aura of darkness belching from the room I was about to enter. There was only one way to find out. You can't enjoy the thrill of a comic book if you don't turn the page, anyways...

I opened the heavy door, and realised the next room was a windowless, dark void perfect for meditation, with a single table in the middle and just two chairs. There were bookcases lining the walls, and a television on the opposite side of where I was standing. The doctor was sitting on one of the chairs, reading a book. He was in his 50s, with greying hair but was cleanly shaven. He appears quite brawny so he was out of the same stereotype of shrinks as the Scarecrow or typical science guy for that matter. With a pair of rectangular silver spectacles and brown suit he was a complete psychiatrist, "Ah, yes, I've been expecting you, please do have a sit." He stood up as I walked in, extending his arm for a handshake. I took it and forced a smile- it was hard to smile these days what with Mindy's fate an open question.

"I'm Dave Lizewski, Mindy's closest friend, god-brother and..." I hadn't thought about what to add after 'friend'. After all the shit that had happened, I figured I was more than just a friend. The word took a long time to surface, but when it did, it didn't come in my voice.

"Boyfriend?" The doctor speculated. He seemed almost casual the way he said it, as if it was normal for kids to date suitors twice their age before puberty. I was stunned, of all the things he could guess...

"W-what? No!" It was revolting for him to even suggest it; I could feel it in my mouth.

"Oh, good, I was just testing you." With that, he flashed a smile and released his handshake. It was either a very good idea for a test or a joke. It could be a little of both, "That's one less paedophilia case to worry about, good for Mindy too, you were saying?"

"I'm also her guardian for now, I guess." I was still too stunned at first to speak, but I got over it. Being Kick-Ass had taught me a few things about recovering from stuns, all kinds of it.

"Great, good, I know, let's get down to the patient now, shall we?" The doctor gestured for me to sit, and I did when he sat down as well. Between us were a few files and a remote controller for the television. They have the power to either drive me up the wall or bring me back to life again. I had the urge to just walk away and never find out anything about Mindy's mental health, but I owe it to her, to stay with her throughout high and low, especially after what I did, after what had happened as a result. I was her friend, her brother, and now guardian, as I said. Keeping quiet, I waited with a million butterflies and moths fluttering about in my stomach. Taking the top-most file, the doctor opened it, "Patient, Miss Mindy Macready, born; year 2000, April 16th, age; 10, occupation- 5th grade student. Biological parents are Damon and Susanna Macready. Legal guardian is Marcus Williams, now temporarily you. Are all the details in order?"

"Yeah..." My mouth was beginning to dry up. I couldn't bear to listen to what's next, yet I wanted so much to.

"Good, excellent, Dave, are you ready for what I am about to tell?" He asked as he leaned in closer to me. It was as if the doctor read my mind- I could've sworn he was a real telepath just from the way he was looking at me, reading my eyes and face. I guess he was a senior psychiatrist for a reason, "Mindy needs a strong guardian you know..."

"Yes... I know..." No, I wasn't ready. When was I ever ready for anything? The only way I ever get things moving was just to dive into the water, and hope that I could find a pearl or two in the murky underwater mud I was about to grope around for hope.

"Well, alright, sure, patient Mindy Macready..." After pronouncing her name in a very precise and British accent that befits his style, he started flipping through a clipboard he had with him. As the papers flapped and flew, my nervousness exploded. As if sensing that explosion, the doctor doubled his pace and sure enough, he finally stopped flipping, having turned to the notes he needed.

"Patient Mindy Macready displays numerous symptoms of clinical depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, dissociative identity disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and clinical psychosis... Do you understand?" Pausing, the doctor checked with me if I could catch his drift. I could, barely, at least until the part about depression. The rest were like some super-secret alien language to me.

"I- I can't..." I didn't really have to answer it- His question had easily become rhetorical. I could barely, if at all understand, but I didn't have to understand to know that, in other words, Mindy was seriously screwed in the head. I just need to know how screwed up she was and in what way. What I uttered wasn't to express that I couldn't understand- I was in disbelief, I was fully and utterly shocked, saddened.

"No?" Shaking his head, the doctor went on to explain in simpler, layman's terms, "Alright, very well, what I am trying to say was that Miss Mindy Macready... She is a very, very badly damaged little child. Due to certain very stressful and strong stimuli in the past of which I will elaborate later, she has become very depressed, very disconnected, and in coping, or the lack of it, she has taken on no less than at least 2 different personalities, became violent and incoherent... Among other things..."

I could only shake my head in agreement. It took my breath away, for a minute there I thought my lungs had suddenly stopped. It screwed the barely perfect train of thought I had laid in my head, screwed it up about as much as how bad Mindy was in the head. I was no less than horrified when I heard Mindy had taken on no less than 2 different personalities. It was something way out of my reality, something I never thought could happen. It felt as if I had entered the Twilight Zone, "She has attacked the staff on numerous occasions and performed self-mutilation as well, so we would have to keep her under heavy sedation and restraint."

"Will she come back?" My voice was reduced to a croak as I comprehended too well what was going on with Mindy. I couldn't even think properly, much less to speak properly.

"It would be a long and bumpy ride, I'm afraid. Mr. Lizewski, I hope you know why you're here, however, do you?" Dr. Paul replied as he took the remote controller in his hands, his fingers playing with the colourful rubber buttons as though he was itching to switch on the television and enjoy some episode of Dr. House with a bag of popcorn.

"I just know that I'm... I'm here to see her, you know, understand what's... What's going on with her, you know." I struggled to come to grips with my senses- there was no good in being a nervous wreck if I was going to be there for a good friend. The doctor was kind enough to listen patiently, despite my stammering- Which I found irritating even to myself. Taking a deep breath and calming my thoughts, picturing it as an uneventful summer sea rather than a stormy ocean, I went on and said in a more confident and resolute tone, "I just want to take care of her the way she took care of me. I wanna see her if that's possible."

"Hmm, well, excellent. I can see that you're serious about being her guardian and god-brother, good, good but I'm afraid I cannot allow you to see her." The psychiatrist's attitude was far more confident and resolute than mine. It works well enough for me not to ask twice to see Mindy. He had his reasons, I knew- If Mindy was still nuts beyond redemption, she'd still want to kill me, "Aldan, my brother-in-arms and your friend, has explained everything to me, yes, everything. The superhero underworld, how you people trumped the D'Amico empire..." At first, I was apprehensive about him knowing about my exploits, but then again, look at it this way- Aldan was probably the most wisest man I know, and he's on my side. Anyone who's a friend of his was a friend of mine.

"Do not worry yourself, you can trust me." Sensing my doubts, he assured me with his guarantee, not that I needed it, "Now, back to patient Mindy Macready... Yes, you're here to support Mindy, learn about her condition, and do your duty. But you're also here to assist me in treating her many mental wounds."