Silent Jack

The Shattered Calm

The corridors of St. Senan Psychiatric Hospital were filled with the chatter of staff members and patients strolling around. Amidst the noise and the smell of rusty walls, Dr. Rose Wilson silently walked toward her office where Jack must be waiting for her. Since she started treating Jack, she had been coming here every day, and before her arrival, the guards were accustomed to bringing Jack to her office and making him sit there alone for a while. She wanted to develop an atmosphere of trust and attachment with him.

Dr. Rose turned right and approached the wooden door of her office.

"Hello, Doctor," a guard who was strolling near the door of her office said, looking toward Dr. Rose Wilson's beautiful face.

"Hello, Mike," Dr. Rose replied plainly.

"Is he inside?" Dr. Rose asked.

"Yes, he is," Mike said and stood in front of her.

"Doc, you shouldn't trust him this much. We've seen the beast inside Jack, and I know how scary that side of him can be," Mike warned Rose.

"I know this, but my trust and confidence in him have helped to suppress that personality," Rose said with confidence, then added, "Mike, can you bring me a cup of coffee? I need it."

"Yes, surely," Mike said, then reminded her that he wasn't allowed to leave his post until Jack was in the room for a therapy session.

"But, Doctor, I cannot leave here and leave you alone with Jack," Mike said.

"You will be back in a few minutes," Rose said and moved toward her office.

Mike thought for a minute and then headed toward the hospital café to bring a cup of coffee. He wasn't foolish enough to refuse such a beautiful lady.

Dr. Rose pushed the door, which opened with a hiss, revealing Jack seated in his usual spot. She saw that Jack seemed lost in thought, staring at something outside the window.

As she entered, Jack instantly became attentive, and she said, "Hello, Jack."

"I thought you were lost in your thoughts, but you became aware of my arrival immediately," Rose said, placing her shoulder bag on the desk and looking at Jack with an affectionate smile. She had, without a doubt, developed a bond with Jack.

"Don't you want to share your thoughts with me? Try me, and I will prove to be a trustworthy person," Rose said as she sat in her revolving chair.

She looked toward Jack, who was once again gazing out the window. She exhaled deeply and then continued, "Okay, leave all this." Rose said, bending forward on her desk. "You know, today I have brought a surprise for you."

Jack looked toward Rose, his eyes narrowing slightly, but he didn't speak.

"I know you must be excited to see your surprise," Dr. Rose said.

Jack remained silent and kept watching her as she unzipped her bag.

"Ahh... here they are." Rose put her hand inside the bag and said, "To arrange this surprise for you, I took the help of Emily." She pulled out a few photo albums and placed them on the desk. "And did you know, Emily arranged everything and made sure to get these albums for you from France?" Rose said, her eyes sparkling.

"Look here, Jack," Rose said, opening one of the albums. "They're full of pictures from when you were living with your foster family. I thought they might help you revisit your past and bring back some happy memories," Rose said excitedly.

Dr. Rose set the albums down in front of Jack and then took a seat beside him. "Let's take a look together, shall we?"

She noticed that Jack was sitting silently, and his facial expressions, which had been calm just moments ago, had turned serious. She ignored the change and opened the first album.