Smoke and Mirrors

The Good Doctor

"You're fucking useless."

Another night of drinking, but tonight it had started the moment the doctor came home. The moment the good doctor walked through the door, the verbal abuse started.

"I've been gone for ten hours and you've done fucking nothing around here," Alex snarled.

Based on the early appearance of alcohol this evening, Rory knew what was going to happen, and could guess what was going to be said.

And Rory knew full well what it meant for their evening.

Shut up, Rory thought. Don't say anything. Maybe a drink will improve the foul mood.

But Rory knew better, and understood that when Alex came home like this, the insults would be followed quickly by a push, a shove, then (if it got really bad) a fist.

But since little Ari was born, Rory did everything possible just to keep the peace. The abuse had started virtually the minute baby Ari arrived on this earth.

Blessed with a beautiful little brown-eyed girl, the good doctor felt resentment toward Rory, and on some days it seemed Alex felt total, utter hate for the entire world.

The target of that hate would vary, although Alex had never raised an angry hand toward little Ari. It was always Rory that suffered the abuse.

In fact, Alex had become so spiteful, so arrogant, and so mean, that Rory was even required to use the professional address of "Doctor", even in their home.

The abuse first began as small, short, cruel remarks..."You look horrible. Do something to improve your appearance. I can't be seen in public with you looking like that." A hand would wave from head to toe and the look of sheer disgust would be just as clear as the words that had been spoken.

Next, it was the isolation. Alex started to control who would be allowed to see Ari, restricting Rory's contacts all around.

Then came the numerous phone calls every day, checking up on Rory. "Who did you talk to today?" Quickly followed by an unreasonable suspicion of infidelity, "Are you trying to leave me? I'll fuck you over if you try to take Ari and leave. I'm a doctor. I have respect in this town. No one will believe you if you tell them what happens here." But after these bouts of insanity, Alex always followed with, "I'm so sorry, baby. I promise it won't happen again." Yet, it did.

Restricting, isolating – manipulating.

These behaviors went on for approximately a year. The set-up was perfect. Who would believe that a top cardiologist was abusing their spouse? Who in their right mind would think that a renowned and sought-after doctor had isolated their partner from all their friends and family members? There was no rational reason that Alex had confiscated Rory's cell phone and had installed recording devices and cameras throughout the family home to hear conversations and see what was happening.

Completely unreasonable.

Alex was a very well-respected member of society, chairing several charity boards, donating to children that had survived sexual abuse, even running a shelter for battered women – an irony not lost on Rory – and was a highly-admired guest speaker at the universities, training students planning to enter the field of cardiology.

The good doctor was very good – especially at deceit.

But today...well, this was going to be a bad day.

"I'm sorry, Doctor. Can I get you a drink?" Rory asked nervously.

"I want my fucking house spotless. I want my fucking dinner on the table and I want our child in bed when I get home. How hard is that? Are you retarded? An idiot? Maybe you want me to get you a fucking maid! Is that it? You arefucking useless," Alex spat.

There it is, the degradation. Always making it my fault.

"Dinner's ready and on the table. Ari's in bed but not asleep because she's been running a bit of a fever."

"A fever? How bad is it?"

"100.9."

"Hmmm, just low-grade. Let it play out."

"That's what I've been doing. But Ari's in bed, as you wanted."

"Did I tell you to talk?" Alex barked so angrily that Rory almost flinched.

They'd been through this so many times before. And tonight was no different. The good doctor was in a mood, a foul mood.

Maybe something happened at work!

"Here you go. A glass of scotch with two ice cubes, just as you like it."

Alex kicked off the shoes that had been rubbing uncomfortably at the heel, and sat in the plush chair in the family room, reclining it to its most convenient position to sip the scotch.

"What did you do today?" Alex snapped, voice filled with venom, eyes filled with disgust.

Rory sighed. "I looked after Ari most of the day, but I did end up going into town to do the errands you left me."

"I'm amazed someone as useless as you can manage to do anything," the doctor said as the tumbler of amber liquid rose up for another sip.

Just be quiet, Rory thought, maybe I should just not say anything.

"Dinner is ready. Would you like to eat out here or perhaps we could sit and enjoy it in the dining room?"

Alex's blood was boiling with an urge to smash Rory's idiot mouth in. Why is Rory disrespecting me? Interrupting when I have my drink in my hand?

The doctor held onto that anger, but did not let it erupt as they both knew it could, like a silent volcano waiting to spill its deadly lava, killing everything in its path.

"Hmmm," Alex grumbled, not really giving an answer.

"I'll just go make sure it's still hot for you." Rory walked away, tense.

It wasn't that Rory didn't know what was happening. There were no excuses for the doctor's behavior. Rory wasn't the, "Oh it's me; I bring it on myself," martyred victim type. Or even, "Alex loves me, and will soon notice I'm hurting."

No, the trouble went further than those deep-seated emotions.

But it was easier to just shut up and do as the doctor wanted.

Ari needed a stable home to grow up in, but life around the doctor was more like walking on egg shells. When Alex arrived home, the doctor was normally some degree of angry.

Who would believe such a well-respected cardiologist, such a pillar of society, would go home and abuse their spouse? Sometimes verbal abuse, sometimes physical?

And even if they did, it would be so damn embarrassing, especially in today's day and age, where media had such a large role in people's lives and were vigilant about bringing the plight of abused women to the public's awareness.

Books were written about spousal abuse, movies were being made and people were actually talking about it.

Still, even with such a huge campaign to shine a light on the effects of domestic abuse, with all sorts of new laws and police training programs to curb it, no one would believe Rory. Hell, so many organizations focusing on domestic violence could be rattled off...Joyful Hearts, No More, there was even The National Domestic Hotline that's available 24/7. No, Alex would have to be caught red-handed, physically abusing Rory in public for anyone to believe such a paragon capable of intense cruelty

But this was also embarrassing for another reason.

All those news stories and organizations were generally geared toward one gender being abused.

Who would believe that Alex, the top cardiologist, the person held in such high regard in the community was a monster?

And Mr. Rory Taylor's wife?