Always.

Lucy

"Goodbye and take care, doctor!" Lucy waved her right hand in the air, her other hand stroking on a French doll as she gave a bright smile at the great doctor. Charles gave her a fake smile before closing the door behind him. Just as he was out, he sighed. His patient's condition was not getting any better even with all the treatments that he gives her, may it be something spoken or unspoken.

Lucy was a rare case of psychological trauma. Other people, especially children, only needed consoling and a few stress relievers. But she was different. She had something that she couldn't let go of ever since the accident and it must have been bothering her all the time, which caused her trauma.

"I-is Lu-Lucy's condition ge-getting better?" A woman's voice trembled as Charles grimaced at Lucy's worried mother, who especially suggested to stay there until he was done. He didn't grimace because he didn't want her there, rather, he thought it was better she was there, since Lucy might feel more comfortable. But apparently, the worried woman's wishes were crushed when he sighed yet again.

"I'm sorry, Miss Anna." He apologized, his head bent low. Guilt ate at his heart as Anna, Lucy's mother, smiled sadly. "It's okay. She's always been like this. If not even the King Doctor can cure her, then—"

"No!" Charles objected. "She will live." Anna looked at Charles' eyes in disbelief. "I am sure of it." His eyes were glittering in determination and unconsciously, his hand balled up into a fist. Anna noticed his determination in saving her daughter. She recognized it not as selfish pride but... the pride of a true doctor.

Anna smiled, her wrinkles wrinkling like always. "Thank you, Charles." She said, and a tear slipped out from her eye. She wiped it before continuing, "But how are you going to do that? You obviously said we must not make it obvious that Lucy is abnormal. You always said it would only make Lucy despise herself and that—" Anna cut herself off as another tear slid down her cheek, "And that she might become suicidal."

Charles felt sympathy for the woman. Even though she was already in her forties, she was still taking care of her daughter, who should already be the one taking care of her. But even if he kept on staying late at night so he could research, he couldn't find anything useful. Medicine that was taken in was a no no for Lucy. It would only make her condition worse since she gets depressed when she is forced to take pills.

Up until now, Charles has been working hard for the past five years, negotiating with scientists, researching in the net, brain-storming, trying out experiment after experiment, etc., but not even one of those things he did  worked on her. He considered purposely letting her have amnesia, but that seemed so wrong. For him, he thought of Lucy as a little child stuck in a grown body. For being with her for such a long time, you would probably get used to her child-like personality.

Now, in the present time, Charles found that only consoling can help her. No medicine, no amnesia, no nothing. That seemed to help her, and her condition stopped going low, but it also stopped going up. Lucy's situation was so desperate that it was unbelievable. It wasn't even cancer, tuberculosis, or anything of the sort. It was only trauma. Trauma, I tell you. And yet, it could possibly kill someone. How messed up is that?

Charles thought and thought. A solution, a way to end her misery. There was only one other thing left. Though it was risky, if they don't do it, Lucy will surely die by her own hands. "Ask her." Charles voiced out. His eyes widened at the thought. It was the solution! Risky it may be, but it was worth the try. 

"We can ask her what was wrong, then maybe, she will be stable enough to answer us." He knew Anna would say something so he quickly said, "I'm gonna give her a pill that weakens her and—"