Total Drama: The PTSD Cases

Gwen

"So you're going to be a brides maid?" Dr. Lynch asked.

"After I picked the lock on Heather's cage yeah. She told me and Courtney we would be her brides maids. And if they found Bridgette..." Gwen trailed off and thought of her lost friend. Bridgette was one of the few people she was friends with after Total Drama Island, and she was the only one who she kept in contact with after World Tour. 

"Tell me about when you found Heather. What was your reaction when you saw her?"

Gwen awoke at the sound of a sub machine gun going off not too far from where she stationed herself that night. "Trent?" she asked. "Trent wake up."

The musician groaned but his eyes shot open once he heard the gun. "Shit." He stood up and grabbed the backpack that Gwen had found earlier that week, and they ran off through the woods. Gwen felt like Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games, and Trent was her Peeta. 

They hadn't gotten that far before Gwen stopped at a stream to catch her breath. "Give me the canteen," she said, and Trent complied. Gwen let the water flow into the metal container and put the cap on. She picked a blade of grass and tied it around her finger as a reminder to boil the water once they started a fire.

"We should get going," Trent said. "I think the noises stopped but I don't want to risk anything."

Gwen nodded and put the canteen back in the backpack. There wasn't much in it. The canteen took up most of the space, but Trent managed to fit in a few cans of baked beans he stole from the dining hall.

They ran for another half a mile before they found a cave. It was dark, but Trent had found a lighter so they would be able a make a fire. "I'll look for some dry wood," he said.

"It's no use," a voice said. "It's been raining for days you won't find anything."

The noise startled Gwen. She hid behind Trent and instinctively put her hand around the part of her arm that was bandaged by the very bottom of Trent's tee shirt, as that was a vulnerable spot on her body.

"You guys can relax," the voice said. "It's just me. He won't be back for another few days."

"Heather?" Trent asked. "Is that really you?"

"Yeah. It's me."

"I was terrified. I picked the lock on the cage she was trapped in with a bobby pin. And as I did that she told us of the terrifying things Chris had done to her; how he would touch her and tell her it was all her fault and that she deserved it. Apparently if he was feeling nice that day he would let her out of the cage for a few minutes before he pinned her down again. If he was mean he would crack out the lighter, and...well...you've seen her burns."

Dr. Lynch nodded and wrote a note to himself in his note pad. "How is your arm feeling. Sore? The doctors said you were lucky to keep the whole thing, as the infection was so bad."

Gwen lifted her shirt sleeve up so the psychiatrist could take a good look at her scar. "I might get a tattoo to cover it up. I'm thinking a tree. Or maybe a mermaid or something." Gwen smiled a little. "Bridgette would love that."

"Well Gwen we are just about out of time. I assume I'll see you at the next group therapy session?"

Gwen gave Dr. Lynch a tight lipped smile and nodded before grabbing her purse and leaving the room. She was meeting up with LeShawna for coffee after her session but decided it would be a good idea to pay DJ a quick visit. She entered his hospital room.

"Gwen?" she heard him ask.

"Hey DJ. How are you holding up?" Gwen sat down on a seat next to his bed.

"I think that I'm doing better," he said with a weak smile. "They took the restraints off of me and I can kind of eat again."

"I'm glad." Gwen leaned in and kissed him on the forehead before telling him what her plans with LeShawna were and that she had to get going. Seeing DJ like that, better than before, had filled Gwen with something she hadn't felt in over a year. It gave her hope.