Karen sat in her room, eyes closed and listening to the radio that played loudly from the recreational area. It had been nearly a week since her first week of sessions with Dr. Sheard.
The nurses had been keeping a close eye on her ever since her little episode in the office. They thought she would've done it again to her own room, but they didn't know her well. She'd never ruin her own space.
She paid no attention to the light knock on the door before the lock clicked and her door opened. She knew it was Jacky. The woman had been coming in every single day, every other hour, to check on her.
She expected it. Jacky had only ever seen her like that one time before and never again, and it was before she had been admitted here. Maybe they thought she was on a path of regression, but Karen felt she never left the stage she came here in.
Karen felt the bed dip beside her but didn't open her eyes.
"Karen," she heard Jacky say. "Dr. Winans is here to see you."
Karen opened her eyes. She met the eyes of the facility's main doctor. He rarely ever came on this floor, let alone her room.
Michael would be with the group of children that would go outside on Saturdays in the neighborhood and play. He and his siblings never missed a single Saturday. They were similar to the Clarks — their mother made them practice weekly. They sang at services.
They were all childhood friends. It was funny to Karen how they ended up in the same place, but on opposite ends of the building.
"Karen," Dr. Winans started. "Dr. Sheard told me about your...episode last week." He brought a chair near her bed to sit down. "He told me that he asked you if you would prefer to not be recorded but you never gave him an answer so he proceeded."
Karen didn't answer.
"We won't proceed with recordings anymore," He told her. "But, we may have to put you in restraints for the next few sessions."
Karen sat up away from the wall, shaking her head fervently. She refused to be restricted just because of a small tantrum.
"I know you would not like to hear that but...you could've harmed someone," He scolded her. "You could've harmed Dr. Sheard, the nurses or even Jacky." He gestured to the head nurse sitting beside her sister. "You can't behave this way when you're not comfortable with what's being said. This place is a hotel compared to the real asylums that they'll ship you to if you continue to act this way."
Karen huffed and sat back again. She heard enough.
"You haven't done anything like this since you've been here and the tape was destroyed so we don't even know exactly what Dr. Sheard said that set you off, but I'm sure it didn't warrant such a reaction," Dr. Winans continued to scold her. "This is only your first offense, so maybe the restraints are a little much. We'll hold off on them — for now. If there is a next time...don't be surprised."
The doctor got up from the chair and put it back near the desk. He turned back before he left, "And if there is a third time...you're going down to Bayview." He took one last look at her and closed the door behind him, leaving the two sisters to sit in silence.
After a moment, Jacky got up from her spot and went for the door. Karen had expected her to berate her at some point, but the woman so far had just been coming in to check up on her and see if she was okay.
