Phases Eight

Phase 33 Apego

"Did you know that you were taking illegal drugs?" Dr Sheldon sounded like a grumpy detective investigating murder, without showing consideration to the little girl before him. He had been in appointment with numerous drug addicts that he wished the most gruesome death for those who dealt with its supply.

"No. I was just.. I was just having my toffee." the sixteen year old Amy took out a handful of wrapped toffees that matched her eye color. Her trembling hands scattered the pack on his table.

Amelia chocked on each and every word she uttered. Her hands fumbled on her thumb ring with a cross, twisting it around in nervousness. Her brunette hair covered three fourth of her face leaving a small slit through which her chocolate brown eye swallowed up the sight before her.

Sheldon frowned on tearing the wrapper of the Amy's toffee. The addictive fragrance hit his nostrils straight. Before he could take the drug to his nose, Sheldon identified it. "Marijuana" he sulked, "Don't you see the news? This thing is traded among school students like throat lozenges. You've been scammed to believe it is a toffee."

"Cut the crap" she snapped, "Ma..Marijuana? Do.. Do you.. Do you think my friend will feed me shit?" the hair draping her face rose and fell as she flared via her nostrils.

"What if your friend didn't know what she gave you?" Sheldon pressed the bridge of his spectacles, mounting it over his nose and scribbled a prescription. He was tired of asking the same questions over and over again. The turbulence from beneath the hair drape calmed as Amy began to think. Sheldon optimised the opportunity, "Why did you like the toffee? Did it make you feel... special?"

A mischievous grin peaked through the slit of her hair, "I felt like a superior force. Being the last child with four elder siblings, I wasn't given the recognition or care I wanted. Not my parents, not my siblings gave a damn about how I felt. Now I just calm everything down. Whenever I feel depressed, I close my eyes and let Iris take control over me."

Sheldon's pen froze on the former word it wrote. Not that it had no more ink, but it's owner had no more words. He pulled an old model tape recorder from underneath his desk and started recording the conversation, "Come on. Tell me about Iris. Is she your friend?"

Amy tucked the strands of brunette hair behind her ear. Her face took a new glow from the shadows. "Iris is my saviour. I don't know how to please my parents to be the only child who deserved their love, but she knew. Though she acted, she sought me the care I wanted from them. My mom, dad, Kate, Leo and Barbara all recognised me as a new person, except Nick. But I don't care about him as he even loathes a fellow for breathing."

"And may I know how do you get access to this person called Iris?" Sheldon didn't whiff or breathe for he didn't want to interrupt the recording.

"My friend Luciana helped me with that. Because of the toffee she gave, I can summon Iris whenever I like. Do you wanna meet Iris?" she unwrapped a toffee and threatened to pipe it down her throat.

"Uhm.." Sheldon searched for a urgent excuse, "I would love to. Forgive me but it's getting late. Sure I'll meet your friend tomorrow... for coffee?"

"Yatta!" she agreed, "So is there nothing wrong on taking atleast one of my toffee?"

"Nope. I'm keen as a custard.. err..sorry mustard, to have a meeting with Iris, but mind you, just one." Sheldon gave one of the wrapped toffees to his patient and dumped the rest in an air tight container. "Now as a smart girl as you are turn around and go get your parents."

"Parents?" Amy's laughter rang in his ears in a loop of echoes, "My father meets us hardly once in a month. My mother... " she thoughtfully scratched her chin, " She has much better work than to attend my medical cares."