Lauren Sanders is struggling to rebuild her life with her aunt and cousin after her family's tragic death. But what no one knows is the truth about two things: how her parents really died and her battle with schizophrenia.
One day, Lauren stumbles...
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The walls inside the waiting area are turquoise in color, with grey leather seats and a few fake plants displayed by the window ledge. Except for the rhythmic ticking of the plastic clock on the wall, everything was motionless and silent. When I turned to gaze at my side, I noticed a small child fidgeting excessively across the room, his mother placing her hand over his.
I fell back in my chair, my lips pressed together in a tight line as I looked at the clock impatiently every few seconds.
When I turned to look at Clarissa, her face was strained and nearly pale from her overtime at work. Her hands were on top of her lap, which she pinched constantly.
Before we could go, we had to wait for the staff nurse to call my name. We went to the clinic today to pick up a copy of my medical records to provide to my new psychiatrist after making the final decision about seeing a new psychiatrist.
Clarissa's eyes were half-open, and I watch her head swing back and forth as she fought the urge to fall asleep.
"Ms. Lauren Sanders?" I hear a nurse announcing my name.
Clarissa quickly opened her eyes wide as I patted her on the shoulder. I pointed to the nurse as she looked at me and gave me a nod as I went up to the concierge.
I observe the nurse bending over the keyboard, her gaze shifting between the paper and the monitor. She stood up straight after she finished typing and I got the chance to take a good look at her. She appeared to be youthful and tall. As she flipped through the clipboard she was holding, I watch as her ponytail draped over one shoulder.
"Ms. Lauren Sanders?" She says my name again and I nodded my head, confirming it. "Let me just double check your records."
A door creaked open down the corridor to my left, and out walked two nurses in their customary scrubs: one wore navy-blue slacks with the same color as the short-sleeved top, while the other wore a light gray scrub. One had her hands stuffed inside her blouse pockets, while the other held a clipboard in her hand.
I return my gaze to the nurse in front of me, waiting for her to do her task. The voices of the two nurses were soft at first, but with each step they made, they became louder. As they continue to walk toward me, I begin to hear their conversation, which is about a patient and her family.
"Dr. Gregory is great at handling cases like those," One of the nurses said.
"Didn't he used to handle one of the cases of the Sanders family?" I overheard, making me instantly whip my head towards their direction as they continue to chat away.
The nurse, who was clutching a clipboard, nods her head while staring at something in her hands.
"He handles two cases, actually," The other nurse who had a white lanyard attached to a name tag that read "Natalie" nonchalantly replies. "I overheard in the staff room that he took the case of the other family member because he sees a resemblance with their cases."
