The rage Within

Jack rubbed his face with both hands and the doctor could tell he needed a minute to gather himself.

“Are you okay?” Emily asked.

“Yeah. I’m fine. Can I get a glass of water?” Jack said.

“Of course.”

Emily left the room and went to the employee break room and got a bottle of water that was for the employees. While she was walking back she thought she had heard loud noise coming from Abigail’s room. She walked over to the window, peered inside, only to find Abigail tucked soundly in her bed.

I am absolutely losing my mind

As Emily made her way back to Jack’s room she wondered if talking about painful topic would take its toll on Jack. Even if the story is not true he may be using it to cover other painful events in his life, which would not be uncommon.

When she walked back into the room and found Jack looking out the window from his chair, looking to be in deep thought.

“What’s on your mind?” She said.

Jack turned to face Emily and smiled.

“I know it’s not the norm, but would it be okay if I asked you a personal question?” Jack said.

He was so casual with his request that Emily wondered what harm it would cause. Emily certainly wouldn’t get too personal, but a little background might be okay. Even though she didn’t like to do it as a rule, but she hadn’t broke new ground in her field by not taking chances.

“What would you like to know?”

“Where did you grow up? Were you always a country girl?”

Emily chuckled as she covered her mouth with her hand. This struck her very funny.

“Goodness no. Country living has many great qualities, but I grew up a city girl. I don’t think I saw real grass until my teens.”

Jack smiled along with her, sat back in his chair easy, and asked another question.

“What do you remember about your father?”

This caught Emily off guard and stunned her for a second. Her smile faded and she stared at Jack intently. Her look was a serious one, bordering on angry. It wasn’t just the question itself, but how it was phrased. It was a knowing and presumptuous question.

“Why would you ask me that?” She said.

“You really don’t know why do you?” Jack said seriously

“I don’t. Tell me.” Emily said sternly. She had lost a little of your doctor professionalism at the mention of her dad.

“Tell me what you remember and I will explain.” Jack said

“I remember he left his family like a thief in the night.” Emily said, getting angrier as she spoke about him.

Emily regretted going down this path, but Pandora’s Box was open and she had to know what Jack knew. She crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows waiting for Jack to speak.

“You were young and never got to really know him. For that I am truly sorry, but if you think he left his little girl because he wanted too, then you don’t know anything.” Jack said.

Tears began to well up when Jack said those words. The anger was still there, but she wasn’t as sure about herself as she was moments earlier.

“Did you know him?” She asked

It came out hesitantly, as Emily knew it was a ridiculous thing to ask, but her need for information was greater than logic.

“Not as well as I would have liked, but yes, I did.”

Was this really possible.

Emily slowly shook her head with her eyes closed as if trying to clear it, or remove a bad memory.

“Stop! Stop this! There is no way you could have known my father. I have been listening patiently, and even enjoying your story, but this is...”

“Impossible?” Jack finished for her calmly.

He looked at her with his icy blue eyes. It was a look of sorrow and understanding that only made her angrier.

Emily stood up and walked around her chair in aggravation, pacing back and forth. Her mind was a storm of confusion and questions.

What is happening here? Who is this person?

Emily began to question everything at that moment in time, but the rational side of herself refused to listen to this without questioning it. This had put Emily in a quandary and for the first time the treatment of Jack took a second chair.

“Yes. It is impossible. Almost everything you are telling me is impossible. I want to help you Jack, but I have…I mean…I’m not sure if this is a good idea. We are treading dangerous ground here.”

“Please sit down doc, please.” Jack said.

The look he gave Emily was pleading and thoughtful.

Emily stopped pacing, but she did not sit.

“I know what it’s like hearing things you don’t want to hear, or things you can’t understand, but you have to let your prejudices go. I’m not telling you this to upset you or for some unnecessary drama.” Jack said.

Emily sat back down and looked straight at Jack with misty eyes and spoke with a tremor in her next words

“Why then?”

“That right there is the question. When you understand that we will be on the same page.”

“You can’t just tell me? You sound like a shrink.”

Even though Emily said this without a hint of humor or joy in her voice it made Jack smile.

“I can tell you this. If you can get past what I have just told you, and you let me finish my story, there will be more answers than questions by the end. I promise”

“What do you mean?” She asked suspiciously.

“I don’t just know things about your father Emily.” Jack said.

The simple implication was loud and clear. He knew things about her mother. The mention of her father was a sore topic, but her mother was something else entirely. There was no fighting back the tears now. The mere thought of her was an avalanche of emotions that couldn’t be stifled.

“You were raised by your Aunt Patricia later in life, who was a remarkable woman, but your mother was something else entirely, am I right?”

Emily knew better than anyone how easy it can be to manipulate someone with the right information, and she was well aware that Jack may be doing that to her right now, but she didn’t care. The rules of psychiatry be damned. If he had information about her parents and the mysteries surrounding them she would hear him out.

“Okay” She said.

“Okay?” Jack repeated.

“Yes, okay. You have my attention. I will hold my questions until the end of your story, but when we get through it you will tell me what you know.” Emily said, almost as threat.

Jack didn’t flinch at the comment.

“Agreed.” Jack said.