Stockholm Syndrome - A One Direction Story

Chapter Eighteen

Harry's POV

It was the beginning of May. The weather was starting to get warmer. You needed a jumper in the mornings & at night, but most days wearing just a t-shirt & jeans did just fine. It was around two in the afternoon. I was standing behind the counter at the diner when Niall walked in. He had a smile on his face that I hadn't seen for months.
"Hey Niall. What's up?" I asked.
"They found her." He said.
"What? They found who?"
"Oakley. They found her in California. We're flying out tonight to go & see her. If you're coming we have to go now."
"Are you serious?" I asked.
"100% I already talked to Tiffany. She's closing the diner at four this afternoon, so you can come with us."
"Who else is going?"
"Amelia. We have to stop & pick her up after I take you home to grab a bag."
"They found her?" I asked again, feeling like it wasn't real. Feeling like it was some dream that I would soon be awoken from.
"They found her." He said again, his smile becoming even wider. I took my apron off.
"Just give me one second." I said as I ran to the back room & grabbed my bag. Then I ran back out & we left.

***

We were on our way to the airport. We had just picked up Amelia. We were driving & it was silent for a while. We must have all been mentally preparing ourselves. But after  awhile Niall broke the silence.
"So there is something that I haven't told you guys yet, that I probably should."
"What is it?" Amelia asked.
"So Harry, you were right. The man that had been to the diner & talked to you about Oakley was the same person who took her. He's been taken to jail & his court date for a final sentencing is in two weeks... but that's not the only thing."
"What else?" I asked.
"When police found her she was living under a fave identity & living with the man in Ana apartment in California. She had willingly dyed her hair & cut it so that she would become less recognizable. The officer I spoke with said that from what had been communicated to him it is said that Oakley seemed to have a strong bond with the man that must have developed over time. They had a hard time when it came time to take her away from him for the final time. So much so that they had to sedate her & take her to the hospital. She would have had to go to the hospital regardless so they could run tests, but usually they wouldn't sedate anyone until it became a last resort."
"What does that mean?" Amelia asked.
Niall hesitated at first, before he spoke again. "They think she is suffering from Stockholm Syndrome."
"What does that mean?" Amelia asked, sounding confused.
"It means she thinks she's in love with him... or she trusts him at least. It starts off as a way of survival & then it starts to become real... I learned about it in one of my history classes in college. It got its name after a bank robbery in which four people were held hostage for six days in the bank & had developed a trusting bond between themselves & their captor. So much so that they refused to testify against them in court."
"Do you think that's going to happen? Do you think she won't testify?" Amelia asked.
"From What I've been told, there's a good chance."Niall admitted.

***

We reached California early the next Morning. We were all tired, but excited to finally see Oakley again... also a little nervous. We went to a hotel not too far from the hospital so that we could leave our bags & freshen up a bit. We were picked up by a police officer around 11 that morning. He brought us to the hospital where we met Oakley's doctor who had confirmed that physically there was no harm done, which was obviously good news. But then the psychologist was brought in to talk to us. That's when everything kind of changed.
"So she's been in our care for just over 48 hours now." The psychologist started. "Within the last 24 I have gotten a lot of time to sit & talk with her.
"And?" Niall asked.
"She seems to have a very strong bond with the man she calls Zayn. He's now in jail until his court hearing that's in two weeks... I've dealt with patients who have suffered from Stockholm Syndrome before... but to be completely honest, it's been a while since I've seen a case this far gone. She has nothing but good things to say about him. & when I told her that she would have to go to the court hearing, she said that she wouldn't testify, but she would defend him."
"Really?" Amelia asked. "That doesn't sound like Oakley at all."
"She's been through a traumatic experience. It's the only thing she's known for months. She's not in her right mind. She can come back from it. It's actually quite common that after some time Stockholm victims come back to their old reality... it's never easy at first. But if you are willing to try & make it work, that's the first step."
"Of course we're willing to try & make it work." I say.
"She really needs as much positive & real love as possible. That's the only way to bring her back."
"Well, we all love her." Niall said. Amelia & I agreeing.
"Good. Now I'm going to take you in one by one to see her. But I will warn you that she doesn't look like herself & she sure isn't acting like herself either. Her appearance is really just her hair, but it is different... Niall, we'll start with you. & with that Niall followed the doctor into the room.