A Life Is Anything That Dies When You Stamp On It; This Is My Life

Part 2: No one iv

"She was with Sister Marionne the last I saw her, ma'am. Ah yes, just through here if you will!" Twittered the Mother Superior, "Oh and call me Jocelyn. I hate the formal stuff, you know?"
Rachaelle smiled, and admired Jocelyn's handiwork - the walls of the Institute were bright and covered with the resident's artwork, and newspaper clippings of the Institute's good work, and their fundraising advertisements. Ceiling roses added a touch of grandeur, and soft rugs littered the hallways, just right for scrunching your bare toes up in. It was homely, but not ramshackle. Just presentable. Rachaelle loved it, and so far had been very impressed.
"Hmm," Jocelyn frowned, "She's not in here," She thought for a moment, "Oh yes, I remember her Supervisor saying they were going for a walk in the woods. To the Old Chapel, I think. They'll be back soon, I'm sure." She smiled brightly, "Well, while we're waiting for them, how about we go into my office, and discuss Della's notes?"
Rachaelle frowned, "Why exactly is my daughter out in this temperature?"
"Ah, well, Ms. Inglewood, the thing is, this Institute is all about promoting happy feelings and thoughts. Della woke up this morning in a bad mood. However, as I'm sure you know, she really likes Autumn. So, Sister Marrionne dropped a date. It was your daughter's birthday yesterday. So she said 'It was October the 6th yesterday.' This, we hoped, would lead Della to the conclusion that it was Autumn. It did, so we encouraged her bright mood by allowing her to choose what to do next. This boosts self-worth, and makes Della feel like she has a choice, which is what many schizophrenics like." Jocelyn explained. She added, "There's a lot more Psychology to it than you might think. All of our staff have a degree in Psychology. It's part of everything we do."
"Oh, Okay. Thank you. That explained a lot. One last question though. How did you predict that she would be in a bad mood when she woke up?" Rachaelle asked.
"It's a common side effect of the medication we gave her." Jocelyn replied shortly. "How about we go to my office?" She suggested, walking briskly away. Rachaelle had no choice but to follow.

***

"Have a seat." Jocelyn gestured towards a green leather chair that looked like it dated from the Seventies at least. "I'm sure you're wondering why we gave your daughter medication." Jocelyn began. "She's got a whole lot worse in this past year. She's not sleeping without strong pills, and we have to change her sheets every morning. We can't trust her alone, so we have a camera in her room, and she's been hearing voices, seeing people, and on October the 5th, she threw herself down some stairs to get rid of them. Her Supervisor was washing her hands after sorting Della's bed out. She was given a jab, and slept straight through yesterday, until about eight o'clock this morning. I hope you understand that we've had several incidents like this, getting increasingly frequent." Jocelyn looked over her glasses at Rachaelle, whose face was very pale. She looked close to tears. "Would you like a cup of tea or coffee, dear?" She asked.
"That would be lovely, thank you Mother Superior." Rachaelle murmured vaguely. "So, this has come on my Father's side of the family?" She asked.
"Yes." Jocelyn said.
"Mm. He died. Summer 2006. At Warberry Beach in Kent. Told my mother he saw a mermaid, went down and never came back up. Della was three years old." Rachaelle whispered. "Anyway, I should pull myself together. Be strong for Della and all that." She straightened her posture and wiped her eyes, smiling weakly at no one in particular.
A walkie - talkie buzzed on Jocelyn's desk. She picked it up, and said, "Mother Superior, over?" A faint chattering came down the line. "Two of them? Over." More chattering. "Alright, I'll bring Jacquie and Emily too then. See you in five. Over and out." She put the walkie - talkie in a pocket on her habit. "Excuse me for a moment, but I've got some problems to straighten out. Care to come with? It'll only take fifteen minutes."
"Um, Okay. Are you sure?" Rachaelle accepted unsurely.
"Of course! We'll go now." Jocelyn smiled. She stood up, and bumbled out of the office, switching the lights off as she passed through the archway that served as a door. On the way to the front door, they grabbed their coats, and popped into another office, a bit smaller than Jocelyn's, collecting who Rachaelle assumed were Jacquie and Emily. Soon they were walking across a tiled courtyard. It had a fountain in the middle of it; a marble Virgin Mary and the Christ, little jets of water squirting up out the pool surrounding the mother and child. Sunlight glittered on the water, and in the distance you could hear someone singing a sad, mournful song. "I'm Jacquie," a tall, brunette woman said. "And I'm Emily." Added the short one.
***
Crossing the sparkling lawn, heading towards the woods, Rachaelle commented how well-kept everything was.
"Some of the residents like gardening. It keeps everything smart, and them happy, so it's ideal really." Jacquie explained. The little group entered the woods "Mother, I can see them now. Beside the tree with the low branch." Emily pointed out.
"Thank you, Emily. I'll go over first and hold her down, then I need Jacquie to jab, and Marionne and Emily to restrain. I'll have the spare needle, just in case." Jocelyn explained. "Rachaelle, you need to help us carry her back to the Institute once we've sorted her out."
"Okay. Who is it, by the way?" Asked Rachaelle.
"Your daughter." Jocelyn replied, unfazed. Rachaelle gulped. "Okay, girls. On three. One... Two... Three." Jocelyn said, rushing towards the figure propped up against a tree. All Rachaelle heard was a muffled squeak, and the cry of a person being jabbed with a needle. Then Emily picked up Della, and motioned with her head for Rachaelle to help. She raised an eyebrow when Rachaelle hesitated. Reluctantly, she walked over, and supported her daughter's feet. "Okay, ladies, let's get her back to the house." Instructed Jocelyn. "Watch out for roots."
They carried Della back to her room. After tucking her daughter in, Rachaelle whispered, "Night, baby. I'll see you again soon, I promise. I love you. Sleep tight." She sniffled, kissing Della on the forehead, and walking out.