Ghost - Elmax

Chapter 5 : Assessment

The sky was gray, scattered of clouds, with a pale sun. The snow was all melted, allowing every car to drive normally, but the temperature was still low. Gabrielle, Moussa, and Max were in a café on a table outside.

- "I thought you weren't supposed to smoke!?" grumbled Gabrielle.

- "Jane plus my job equal too much stress, so I smoke now," explained Max with an irritated tone.

- "Yeah, but now we have to stay outside in the cold!"

- "I know! I'm sorry."

- "It's fine, coffee will warm us up," reassured Moussa.

Max quickly shrugged, not really caring, while taking another puff. The waiter arrived with their hot drinks, warming Gabrielle's hands. The three took off papers from their bags with a pen, ready to take note.

- "So," began Moussa. "Who goes first?"

- "Bev, she is the less terrible," told Gabrielle.

- "Well, she was better last week, she got out of bed, took a shower, and wore clothes. She almost got out of the apartment, but the neighbor made a loud noise, scaring her. She froze, before having a panic attack. I brought her back in her bed, and she cried, and since this moment, she didn't get up."

- "She eats?" asked Max, taking notes.

- "I kinda force her, but when I'm not here, I'm not sure."

- "And her report?"

- "She doesn't wanna hear about it. It's on her desk, but it hasn't move since she came back. It's taboo."

- "Nothing else?" asked Gabrielle.

- "No, I mean, she doesn't move a lot."

- "And her temper?"

- "Got angry easily, but not for long. She cries a lot. But she took some meds against depression," explained Moussa.

- "Be careful with it, she could get addicted."

- "I'll keep an eye on it."

- "Yeah, count the pills when you leave, and when you come back," told Max.

The black man nodded and wrote it on his notebook.

- "Nothing else?" asked Gabrielle.

- "Nothing more than the last time," answered Moussa. "What about Lucas?"

- "He is...awful, but because he is sad and hurt. But, I can't stand his smell anymore! It stings my eyes! It's unbreathable!"

- "Open your windows," said Max.

- "Oh yeah, thank you for this, I never thought of it, I'm so stupid!" answered ironically the black-haired girl with an upset tone.

- "Just sayin'!"

- "Okay girls, we don't need to fight against each other, we're all upset, we all have difficult lives at home, and that's why we're seeing each other, and why we need to stick together, okay?" intervened Moussa.

- "Sorry," pouted the two girls.

- It's fine, we're all a bit tired and tensed."

- "Yeah...keep going," said Max.

- "Well, I don't know what to add. He is very violent, I mean, more than before. He is not hurting me, but I'm scared he would," confessed Gabrielle.

- "He still drinks?"

Gabrielle pinched her lips together and nodded.

- "Damn, maybe I'm the luckiest one!" told the redhead.