Inner Turmoil

Chapter 4

"Jade, I know the past few days have been really hard on you, but I need you to talk to me. I know that I am probably the last person on earth you feel like talking to, but my job is to make sure you can recover safely. But I need your help. Please." Dr. Brooks sat across from Jade, staring intently into the 15-year-old's eyes. Jade debated over whether or not to speak. It wasn't like you could force someone to talk, but you also can't force someone to keep silent. "How would you know how I feel?! You have no idea what crap I've been through! You're just like every other doctor I've been to! Fake! Artificial! Nosy! I don't have to tell you anything!" To Jade's shock and horror, the tears started to fall, slowly at first, but growing steadily faster. That was just great. She had been preparing herself all day not to cry, trying so hard to maintain her stiff, statue-like facade. Humiliated by her emotion, confused of what to do, and angry that Dr. Brooks could sit calmly in her chair, coffee in hand, Jade put every ounce of burning ferocity into her eyes. She hated everything in that room. The prim little table that stood between her and the doctor. The noisy, cheerful-sounding coffee percolater perched on a side counter. The doctor that stood before her with...tears in her eyes? That was unexpected. "You're right. You don't. But I think you should, and I know more about your situation than you think I do." Jade's eyes narrowed, doubtful. Dr. Brooks took a deep breath and continued. "When I was close to your age, both of my parents always
came with me in the car when I practiced driving for my test. It was a day like any other. We were driving along a tiny, winding, country road, where we thought there was less of a threat of an accident." Dr. Brooks sighed and looked up, pain etched in her tired face. "Boy, were we wrong. The motorcycle came out of nowhere. It was a teenage boy, barely had two years over me. He was driving recklessly fast, probably drunk. He slammed headfirst into our car. I'll never forget the look on his face before he died. He was laughing, with a crazed, insane expression on his face. Mom and Dad tried to help swerve away, but it was too late. Their bodies shielded me, and I survived. But they were gone." An uneasy silence settled over the the pair. Jade finally looked the doctor straight in the eye, all honesty reflected back. She considered whether or not she should speak up or not. She wasn't really angry or embarassed anymore, yet there still was a strange feeling there. No, Jade felt vulnerable. Here she was about to spill her heart out to a woman she barely knew, yet there was a mutual bond they shared. Jade could feel it and decided it was a risk she could take. Even though she decided to trust Maria Brooks and even though she was ready to let her guard down,
Jade did not want anyone or anything else involved. She could only imagine the dreadful things the kids would say at school. "No one can know." Dr. Brooks slowly nodded and sat back, the grief from earlier safely put away. Jade quickly glanced at her, again all honesty. She took a deep breath and began...

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