Convalescence of Doctor A.J. Montmartre

Chapter 23

[Year 417: Lestrade Residence: Aveline, Foranea: 2:00 PM]

An elderly Aldernian psychiatrist with greyish-white locks sat down on his chair and had a notebook and pen. He looked at his patient with a concern and thought of querying him. The male Chergarian patient with ginger locks and a full beard in his late twenties to early thirties was lying on a reclining chair and thinking of how he could speak up.

" Mister Fischer, are you ready to open up? " he asked nonchalantly.

Ivo sighed before nodding at the psychiatrist, " Ja, I am, Herr Doktor. "

" So, can you tell me more about yourself? "

" I was a soldier of the Chergarian army for a few years. I've seen quite a few battles and a lot of tragedies as well." Ivo answered.

" Why did you say that? "

" I had to do things. I'm not proud of at all. It was either follow orders or be marked as a traitor, " the Chergarian man said as he continued his story.

" I see. I had two patients who are younger than you. They also have some traumatic experiences in dealing with your people, " Doctor Lestrade answered. " Have you experienced physical tensions, nightmares, anxiety attacks, or excessive crying spells after you left the Army? "

Ivo sighed sadly before answering, " A lot of nightmares and anxiety attacks, even excessive crying. "

Doctor Lestrade nodded and wrote his patient's response. He took out some pictures drawn and painted from his other patients from the facility. He handed them to Ivo.

" Ivo, I will give you time to deceipher and describe what you see. These are from my patients around 20 years ago. "

Ivo thoroughly looked at the pictures handed to him by his psychiatrist. He eyed at the dark scribbles and circles. The others were blotches of colors red and black. The final batch of pictures were colorful. Doctor Gregorius Lestrade patiently waited and watched him flipping and intently looking at them.

" I see fear and darkness in these drawings. What does this mean? " Ivo curiously asked.

" These are the minds from my patients who suffered from severe mental illness, " he explained. " Like you, they saw what they had perceived in life. To connect this, can you tell me of your past experiences before you entered the Chergarian Army? "

Ivo nodded and handed those pictures to the therapist before telling his past experiences. He cleared his throat and continued, " I didn't have much of a good childhood. My father went missing and my mother was physically ill. When I was older, I left from Chergaria to Foranea for work and study. I ended up at Monoceros Keep.

Eventually, I was found by Mayor Jean Meir Montmartre. Begging on the streets for him to allow me to work as his servant in his household. The Montmartres treated me like family, I even consider the children as my siblings.