6. Leo
As soon as I dismissed our session, I left the common room but didn’t get far. A few steps down the hall is all I get before my back meets the wall, out of view of the woman I had just met, and I take a much-needed deep breath. Veronica is not what I expected.
At first glance, she seems like an ordinary girl. One that doesn’t belong here, but when she looks at you? Fuck. There is a wickedness in her eyes that I’ve never seen in a person before.
Not even any of my patients. Her gaze sent chills down my spine, making me hold back the shiver to keep my cool.
Veronica is intimidating. That is who she is, and she doesn’t hide it. I didn’t expect a session today, but I panicked.
I didn’t know what else to discuss, so I asked what brought her to Black Lake, which earned me a sarcastic answer. Making jokes as responses that I wasn’t sure how to take.
The only thing I could do was stare at her and figure out how to deal with her humor. However, she seemed to think the stare I gave her was more than what it was, given that she said it did things to her body.
I can’t even think about that. I shouldn’t be surprised if a patient said something dirty, given that Edith warned me they would all gawk, but I didn’t expect my patient was the person to use those flirtatious words.
During our next session, I”ll have to correct her if she says something out of line like that again and ask her to stop. Will she listen? Probably not, but I have to assert dominance. This is a professional relationship between the two of us.
A soft sigh escapes my mouth, and I open my eyes, thankful that the flood of patients that filled the hall on my way to the common room had disappeared.
Where did they run off to? Back to their rooms? It is too cold outside for them to wander around, given that there is an area for them to do so.
I should probably get to know the schedule for this place. That way, I can navigate around Veronica. I suggested we meet two days a week, which she seemed okay with, but now that I think about it, I don’t know if she has something already planned with the facility.
However, Veronica doesn’t seem to be the type of person for group activities. There is a very good chance she follows any schedule they might provide.
Unsticking myself from the wall, I head towards the front desk, searching for Edith. When I enter through the door, the two women sitting there upon my arrival are back, while Edith is behind the desk, reading more and more papers.
Leaning against the door opening that leads to behind the counter, my knuckle lifts to knock for her attention.
She hums as her eyes leave the stack of papers. “Oh, Dr. Madden! How did your meeting with Veronica go?”
“It was... something,” I admit, knowing that I can be honest.
From the lobby, I hear a light snicker, and when I look at the patient who laughed, who is sitting on the couch with her book open, but she isn’t looking my way. Her eyes stay on the words typed in the book, not giving me any attention other than that little laugh.
“Ms. Parsons, is there something funny?” Edith snaps her head in the patient”s direction.
“Only the fact that you think he is going to last with Veronica.” She shakes her head, still unbothered to acknowledge us with her eyes. “Poor guy probably won’t make it to the end of the week.”
“Stop scaring him,” Edith warns. “He is going to be just fine. Both of you need to return to your rooms or the common room. I’m leaving, and you two need to do something else besides hanging out here.”
They both groan but listen. Slamming their books shut, they stand up and head for the door directly opposite of me. Since I am already standing, I walk to the door of their ward and use my key card to open the locked door.
“Thank you, Doctor.” The blonde smirks, flashing me a wink.
Walking together through the threshold, they giggle when I hear the blonde say, “If it doesn’t work out with Veronica, can he be my doctor?”
Laughter fills the hall, getting quieter the further they go. Footsteps from behind me caused me to whip my head around.
“Shall we go to your office now?” Edith smiles.
All I do is nod.
Walking out into the hallway, we head past the door that houses my bedroom. “There is an entrance to the offices from this hall, but I will show you the other way since it might be more complicated.”
We turn down the hall to the cafeteria, walk past where patients eat, and then pass the common room. I can’t help myself. I glance and find Veronica sitting in the chair, her head craned down as she writes in her journal.
“Edith, how can we get any supplies we may need?” I question, taking my eyes away from the curly brunette to watch where I walk.
“All you have to do is write a list down and give it to me. I do all the ordering here.”
“Seems like you do a lot.”
She chuckles. “You have no idea. Dr. Bennett is the man in charge, and I may be the head nurse, but everyone sees me as his right-hand woman.”
“Second in charge.” I smile down at her.
“I like that title.” She grins back. “What is it you might need?”
“When I met with Veronica, she was writing in her journal, but she froze with the pen on her paper. The ink bled through, and I was thinking about getting her a new one that isn’t damaged.”
“Isn’t that sweet of you? If you’d like, I can place an order for one. Just let me know which type you want to get her.” She offers as we continue past the communal bathrooms. My eyes scan the large open entrance before it ends, and we are met with a door on the left. “This door leads to the patient’s bedrooms.”
Now that we have stopped, I glance through the window on the door, seeing a long hall with doors on each side—nothing special. Edith gestures for me to follow her. We turn from the door and head down another hall, where a massive door greets us.
“I’m still surprised she writes in that thing.”
“Why’s that?” I question as I swipe my card.
“It was her previous doctor”s idea. Veronica hated it. She told Dr. Davis there was no sense in writing her feelings in the journal.” Edith sighs. “She always has her nose in that thing now, writing about who knows what.”
My mind wanders, imagining the things she could write in there.
“Here we are!” Edith claps her hands together. “After you look around, let me know if you need anything else!”
“Thank you, Edith.”
“You are more than welcome, Dr. Madden.”
“Edith, seeing as you allow me to call you by your first name, you can call me Leo.”
A wide smile spreads on her face. “Okay, Leo.”
Edith walks away, leaving me standing outside my office door alone. The hall is silent since I am the only person inhabiting it. The door between my office and I is tall, standing a lot taller than me.
The shiny, dark wood looks pristine. Almost new. The handle is gold, vibrantly standing out against the dark color as if it has been recently polished. When my hand meets the knob, it twists easily, opening inwards and showcasing my office.
“Holy shit.” I curse under my breath.
Here, I thought the bedroom was too much. I thought I would have to sleep in a room like the patients, but it is well known now that they treat their staff differently.
My eyes aren’t sure where they want to focus first. The office itself is deep and wide, and bookshelves line the back wall, the same dark color as the door. Floor-to-ceiling shelves are filled with books of different sizes.
Right in the middle of the shelves is a huge window with a bench built into the wall and dark curtains wide open to see the view. The large oak desk in front of that is much bigger than the one I had in my old office.
Stepping inside to get a closer look, I shut the door behind me and walk straight to the desk. The tip of my finger trails over the smooth surface, which is cold to the touch.
My eyes catch sight of a silver laptop sitting neatly in the center. They even provided me with a computer. A laugh of disbelief leaves me as I struggle to comprehend how nice this place is.
Setting my briefcase on the desk, I turn toward the multiple books lining the shelves. Whereas most of the books are medical—old, bound in leather—some are in different languages that I can’t make out.
There is no dust on the books or shelves, meaning the doctor who had this space before me must have always kept it clean. While my finger runs along the spines, the window comes into view.
A lake sits back on the property, the fog from the rain earlier making it look creepy—like something out of a horror movie.
Pine trees surround the edge of the lake to create a wall of nature, and even though the pines are fluttering slightly in the wind, the water remains still.
Beyond the lake are woods full of massive pine trees mixed with big leaf maple trees. Leaves are wet with rain, and small patches of snow sit on the branches.
The scene before me looks like someone found a beautiful painting and somehow managed to pluck the scenery out, transfer it straight off the canvas, and place it here before me. While I stare at the trees, I notice no fences around the perimeter of the forest or the lake, which is surprising to me.
It makes me wonder if patients are allowed in this area or if there are designated spots where they can roam. My eyes linger on the trees lining the property, dissociating as whatever snow is left drifts off the trees.
This place might look scary on the outside, but the inside is anything but—besides the patients, that is. Maybe things will go better than I thought.
While my mind runs rampant with all the scenarios that could happen here, my phone beeps, causing my body to jump at the sudden disruption. Fishing out the phone from my pocket, I see a text from Myles.
You still alive?
The question makes me laugh to myself before I type back.
I haven’t been gone a full day yet. You really think I could have died already?
You are in the same place as insane people, so your odds are high. That or your Uber could have crashed.
Wow. Glad to hear you’ve been thinking the worst for me. eye roll emoji
I’ve been being a good friend and thinking the worst so you don’t have to. kissing emoji
Before I can start typing a response out, Myles is calling me.
“Missed me that much you needed to hear my voice?” I poke fun.
“Hell yeah! I’m used to hearing your dumbass every single day.” He laughs. “I’m having withdrawals.”
“Awe, don’t worry. I can call you every night for you to get your fix.”
“Don’t tease me,” Myles states with a chuckle. “How are things going? I need to know everything.”
“Well, the room they gave me is nicer than at home, and my office is huge!”
“Damn, they treating it like it’s the fucking Hilton.”
“The whole place isn’t what I expected. It’s a lot nicer.” I glance around the office. “Not even my room and the office. Everywhere else in this place is clean and crisp.”
“So it’s not like the places you see in movies?”
“I mean, it could be in some sort of scary movie, but it’s just different vibes. The walls aren’t stark white; the lights aren’t blinding. It’s almost calming.” The thought of this place being calming is strange in itself.
“Makes sense, I guess,” Myles says. “They might have made it that way to make the patients more comfortable.”
“That might be the smartest observation you’ve ever made,” I joke with a laugh.
“Oh, fuck off, man!” Myles huffs. “I’m not just all looks, you know? I have the brains, too. How do you think I breezed through business school?”
“Sleeping with the teachers?”
“One time!” His voice rises. “She was fucking hot. What did you expect me to do?”
“I don’t know, keep it in your pants?”
“Nah, that’s no fun.” He brushes the idea off. “Speaking of hot, did you meet your patient?”
I nod my head even though he can’t see. “I did.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“Jesus, Leo! Is she hot or what?” He questions, and eagerness drips from his voice.
I debate on how I want to answer this. Yes, Veronica is beautiful, but in a haunting way. You’d only see her type of beauty in your nightmares if you were lucky enough to have that ounce of light in the darkness.
“She is pretty.” I land on that answer, hoping it will satisfy his curiosity.
“You’re holding back, but I’ll take it. Is she as crazy as you thought?”
“Might be crazier.” I answer honestly.
“Damn.” He curses. “Shit, I’m being summoned into another dumb meeting. Don’t let that place get the best of you, and sleep with one eye open.”
“Brilliant advice, Myles.” I roll my eyes.
We hang up, and then I’m met with silence again. Almost silence. The only sound in this room is the grandfather clock ticking perched against the left wall.
Tick, tock. Tick, tock.
Inhaling a deep breath, I glance again around the office, which will be mine for now.My stomach growls, and I realize I never ate breakfast this morning. I am too nervous to eat.
Mustering up the courage, I leave my office and head to the cafeteria for food.
Early in the morning, my eyes flutter open, and it takes a moment for me to remember where I am. My arm is stretched out, the palm of my hand gliding along the sheets beneath me.
They are softer than mine at home, but of course, they are. These sheets are made of satin, while mine at home are made from cotton. I’m lying on my side, my blurred eyes staring at the dresser stationed on the wall.
I slept better than I thought I would. Maybe it’s because no patients can come down this wing, and no one can sneak into the room.
Even though the door at the end of the hall was double-locked, it didn’t stop me from locking the bedroom door. I didn’t want to take any chances.
Rolling onto my back, the ceiling above me disappears a few times as my eyes continuously blink to get a better focus on things. Once I clear my vision, I sit up and swing my legs over the edge of the bed.
With it being Tuesday, Veronica and I would typically meet, but I decided to start our sessions on Thursday. That way, I would have time to plan a session with her.
There are matters I want to bring up and talk about with her. Veronica’s sister might be a hard limit, but I hope she will push past the uncomfortable issue and speak with me about it.
With time.
I shower and get dressed. Today, I”m wearing navy blue slacks with a lighter blue, almost white button-up. I’ve brought some short-sleeved, professional shirts, but it gets cold in the building.
Also, I have to talk with Dr. Bennett about their policy on tattoos since my arms are covered.
When I enter the cafeteria, I take a cup of coffee from the woman behind the metal counter, aware of the multiple eyes on my back. Turning around slightly and stepping over to the food, I find the feeling accurate.
Patients who are enjoying their breakfast are gawking at me. It might take some time, but I need to get used to it. To the wandering looks and lust-filled gazes.
Only one woman doesn’t have her eyes on me. With her back facing me, head down in a book or something else, I know it’s Veronica. You can’t mistake those curls for someone else’s.
I grab a breakfast sandwich and head to her table to find her reading a book. I keep walking since she doesn’t seem to notice me.
“Not even going to say hi?” Her voice is sharp, and when I peer at her over my shoulder, she hasn’t even taken her eyes away from the book.
“You seemed very enthralled with your story. I didn’t want to disrupt you.”
She closes the book, not marking her spot, and sets it face up on the table. “You can disrupt me anytime you want. Plus, I’ve read this one before.”
I glance down at the cover, which is almost hypnotizing. All within one another, circles start large and continue down until the circle in the center couldn’t even hold a penny. Tilting my head to the side, I read the title.
“The Bell Jar.”
“It’s an excellent book, but...” She sighs. “I’m finding it hard to focus on the words. Every time I read any part of it, my eyes go blurry, and my mind wanders.”
“I’m surprised they have this book available for you guys.”
“You’ve read it?” she questions, leaning back into her chair.
“When I was in college, yes. We had to read it for a class.”
Veronica bites at her bottom lip. “I bet you were fun in college.”
Clearing my throat, I shift on my feet. “I said we would meet on Tuesdays, but I would like us to begin this Thursday.”
That smirk still plays on her lips at my words. “Whatever you say, Leo.”
Why did she have to say it like that? Seduction drips off her voice, and the patients nearby hear it, andthey giggle like schoolgirls.
“Great.” I pretend I don’t hear the snickering around me. “Have you eaten?”
“No.” Her brows furrow in confusion, but then I am sliding the sandwich in front of her.
My appetite is gone now, anyway.
“Eat it.” I demand with a stern voice. Her eyes fall on the egg and cheese sandwich sitting in front of her before they meet mine again.
“Is this a bribe?”
“What? No.” I shake my head. “I grabbed it, and I’m not hungry.”
“What if I’m not hungry? Maybe that’s why I didn’t grab myself something to eat.” Her head tilts to the side.
Just then, her stomach growls, begging to be fed. My eyes drop to her torso, hidden between the round table. I raise my eyebrows, a breathy laugh leaving me.
“Not hungry?” I arch a brow as I glance back up to her. “Just eat the sandwich, Veronica.”
Without another word, I twist on my heel and leave the cafeteria, somehow content with the steaming coffee in my hand as my breakfast. It was replaying in my mind.
Her eyes widened at my order, not believing I could be authoritative. If that’s what it takes for her to listen, then so be it.
“There you are!” I hear Edith before I see her. “Dr. Bennett would like me to bring you to his office. That way, the two of you can have a proper meeting!”
“Okay.” I flash her a smile, and then she leads me to Dr. Bennett.
His office is down the same hall as mine, except it is further down, and a window sits at the end of my hall. There are hallways on either side, and we veer left when we reach a huge door. Two knocks on it echo down the hall before we hear a muffled “come in.”
The door opens, and an older man sits behind a massive desk. Late 50s, early 60s, I would assume. He is bald, with a white mustache hovering over his upper lip. Wide-rimmed glasses are perched on his nose while he concentrates hard on the computer screen.
“What can I do for you?” He asks without lifting his head.
“Dr. Bennett, I have Dr. Madden here for you,” Edith announces the reason for the visit.
Bennett lifts his eyes, abandoning whatever was important on the computer to find me.
“Ah! Dr. Madden, please, come in!” He waves me in. “Thank you, Edith!”
She nods her head before leaving us alone.
“You can take a seat.” He offers the chair in front of his desk. “How was your drive yesterday? I apologize for not greeting you properly upon your arrival. I have a lot on my plate.”
“Don’t worry about it. The drive was fine. Rainy, though.”
“We get a lot of rain out here. Probably more than you’d see in the city.” He laughs. “How are you finding the facility? Is your room and office okay with you?”
“Honestly, I wasn’t expecting both to be so nice,” I admit. “As for the facility itself, it’s very welcoming.”
“We treat our staff like family here. You all do amazing work. Work that no one else could do. Dealing with patients like the ones here can take a toll on someone. That’s why we hire the strongest doctors.” He clasps his hands together, resting them on the desk. “Speaking of the patients, I was informed you met with Veronica. How did that go?”
“It went… well. She is, uh...” I clear my throat, unsure of the proper words to describe her.
“Different?” Dr. Bennett finishes my sentence.
A small laugh escapes me. “Yes, she is different.”
“Veronica is an extraordinary young lady.” The man before me leans back into the leather chair as he explains, “Although she never thinks before she speaks, always says whatever is on her mind, not caring if it gets her in trouble.”
“I gathered that.” I swallow hard.
“Dr. Madden, take nothing she says personally. It’s just how she is,” he advises. “Also, I know she looks like an angel, but don’t let her beauty fool you.” He leans forward in his chair now, like he is about to reveal a secret. “Because her mind works like the Devil.”
Chills flush over my entire body as he tells me this. Even though I had already guessed how her mind worked from reading her files, hearing someone else say it felt strange.
“She also has quite the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality. She can be the sweetest person you have ever come across, or she can be the nastiest.” Dr. Bennett settles back in his chair. “But there is no doubt you will be on her good side. I think you will help her out, Dr. Madden.”
“Please, call me Leo,” I offer, to which he dips his chin. “I am hoping I will be a good fit for her. I see a lot of potential from my short meeting with her.”
“That is what I like to hear!” His voice is full of excitement and hope. Before he can say anything else, his phone rings. An annoyed groan fills the room as he holds his finger up to let me know he has to take it. I sit there as the phone presses to his ear. A bunch of “okays” and “yeahs” come from his mouth until he eventually hangs up. “So sorry to cut this short, but I have some business to take care of.”
“Not a problem at all!” I stand up from my chair. “It was nice to officially meet you, Dr. Bennett.”
“Call me Henry, please.” He holds his hand out for me to take. I firmly grip his hand, giving him a little shake before leaving the office.
He goes wherever he is needed. I head towards my office.
I need to make a phone call.