Lucky Thirteen

Ashley

"Ashley, it's good to see you again," Dr. Sullivan kindly said as she saw Mrs. Marin signing the visitor log.

"It's good to see you too, Dr. Sullivan," said Ashley in return.

"Before you take Hanna home, I would like for her to have another session with you."

"And why is that? Did something happen to her?"

"I'll let Hanna answer that for you. She's waiting for us in my office," Dr. Sullivan said as she started walking with Ashley.

"Did you already fill out the discharge forms, Ashley?" the doctor asked as they were walking.

"Yes, I did."

"Okay. Hopefully, after this session, you and Hanna can go home," she said as she went to unlock her office door.

When the two women entered the room, Hanna was already sitting in her usual spot on the loveseat. Except for this time, she wasn't in a straitjacket, nor was she wearing a hospital gown. Ashley smiled, seeing her daughter looking like her old self wearing her clothes that Ashley dropped off during her last visit.

"Ashley, why don't you have a seat next to Hanna?"

Ashley did as the doctor asked and took a seat next to her daughter. "Hanna, what is going on? Why are we having another session?"

"Mom, do I have a sister?" Hanna blurted out.

"What? Hanna, you're an only child. The closest thing you have to a sibling is your step-sister Kate. You know this. Where is this coming from?"

Hanna didn't know how to respond, so she looked to Dr. Sullivan for help.

"Ashley, I think you and Hanna might be dealing with something called a repressed memory. Repressed memories are hypothesized memories having been unconsciously blocked, due to the memory being associated with a high level of stress or trauma. The theory postulates that even though the individual cannot recall the memory, it may still be affecting them consciously."

"Why would you think that?" asked a confused Ashley.

"Hanna got a message from 'A' referring to her as 'sis,' and we know it wasn't from Kate. Plus, you indiscreetly told Hanna during our last session together that things with Alison were complicated, and that it wasn't the right time for you to explain to her what that meant."

"Honey, when did you get that message from 'A'?" asked Ashley.

"Last night," answered Hanna.

"So you think that Alison is your sister?"

Hanna nodded.

"She's not your sister, Hanna."

"How do you know? As Dr. Sullivan said, you could have repressed the memory of Ali being your daughter, but it's still affecting you subconsciously. And that's the reason why you were so motherly towards her when she stayed with us."

Ashley was at a loss for words. She knew there was a possibility that Dr. Sullivan was right, and she was indeed repressing a significant memory.

"We're going to try something, it's called hypnotism. I'm going to perform it on you Ashley to try to bring back those memories that you might be repressing," said Dr. Sullivan.

"Hypnotism? Is that what you used on Emily when she couldn't remember what happened to her that night she blacked out?" asked Hanna.

"Yes, it is. Ashley, do I have your permission to do it?"

Ashley looked over at Hanna then back to Dr. Sullivan. She nodded her head in approval.

"Alright, then. Let's get started."

Within a half an hour, Ashley was starting to remember what she had long ago repressed.

"Hanna, I know who 'A' is," was the first thing Ashley said when the hypnotism was done.