Hatter

AETHER

The visiting room was always a gleeful, chirpy area of the dismal and almost desolate psychiatric hospital but now it reeked with the dark aura known as Lilith. She sat with her legs crossed, her heels clicked together as she rocked her feet back and forth slightly. Cathrine sat opposite to her with Sebastian beside her. Sebastian remained to be in a daze while Catherine looked at him in despair, his hands clenched tight on his lap as though he was in anger or pain like he was fighting something but his face was expressionless and it was though he was wooden.
Lilith cleared her throat to get Catherine's attention, "If you are done acquainting yourself shall we begin?"
Catherine's brow furrowed in anger, her emerald green eyes looked coldly at Lilith. She placed her hand on top of Sebastian's. She had stopped trembling and was ready to face the wrath of Lilith to help save her husband. " Let's begin,'' she said with a smirk, her green eyes gleam, she felt braver with Sebastian beside her.
"So as we were previously discussing before we were rudely interrupted, Lucius death is stated as an accident is that true or false, Cath," said Lilith blatantly. Catherine's grip grew stronger on Sebastian's hand, he used to call her that, in fact, he screamed that when they took him away but instead of Cath he said Cat.
"I would prefer you to call me Catherine and before I answer your question I have a question."She paused, "you mentioned a place called Aether."
" Do you know about this place Mrs. Baxter," said Lilith she seemed keen like she had made a discovery.
Catherine nodded and spoke, " Aether was a part of a story Sebastian mother, Celia told us about it was a place of magic and wonder where there were soldiers dressed as playing cards and flowers that talked, and a crew of wild people who would go on adventures in this mystical land usually to fight the evil Queen of Hearts."
"What an asinine story." chuckled Lilith but she now related the connection.
"It may seem foolish but it was real close to Sebastian, he told it to our children, Jamie and Oliver after his mother passed away due to depression of his brother's terrible accident,'' said Cath in a soft tone, she was staring at her lap, her hand still clutching Sebastian's.
Lilith leaned back in her chair, pondering. What an eccentric yet sad family.
"Why is my husband in this state of absence?" inquired Catherine
"I believe he is in the place you call Aether," said Lilith with a smile. Catherine looked at to explain, Lilith sighed. Humans can be so simple-minded sometimes. She gave a fake smile to Catherine and began to speak in a monotone but a somewhat condescending voice, " Your husband suffers from emotional trauma due to the people who have died in his family which leads him to escape into this realm, Aether as a place of comfort." her voice then became solemn, " However his brother's death occurred a long time ago, when Mr. Baxter was only 18 years of age but he came to me only a year back when he was around 27, I don't find it possible that between that time nothing ever happened."
"Well, Sebastian always had a very imaginative personality but was kind and sweet to me and the children. We never thought it would be this." Catherine's voice seemed distressed as she continued to speak.
"But later he began having mood swings. He would cry in corners, sometimes he would laugh and other times he would scream. It grew worse and on his 27th birthday, he had an awful fit he was crying out to some people named Absolem and Cat. At first, I thought he was calling out to me so I came close to him to try to comfort him." She released her tight grip over his hand and continued. "But he struck me and I fell to the floor, he then ran to his room and locked himself. I called you then I could not risk something like that again especially with Alice in my stomach." she sighed.
Lilith noticed her distress and although she wasn't the best with the feeling she had some sense of humanity.
"How is Alice? I am sure she has grown older considering her father is now close to thirty." she tried to smile sincerely.
"She is doing well, her brothers spend time with her a lot. She is close to four years now." Although Cat's voice was still distressed she seemed content with Lilith for now.
"That's nice," said Lilith in a soft tone and then she realized the importance of Lucius' death.
"Catherine are you sure you aren't hiding anything about Lucius' death?" said Lilith she tried her best to be sincere but sounded confrontational.
Catherine glared a Lilith, her eyes looked like they could pierce through someone's soul. She tried to make me vulnerable so that she could use me. The devil comes in many disguises sometimes as a smile other times as a whisper but I won't be fooled by its tricks.
"Are you accusing me of lying," said Catherine with a smile, her eyes shimmered. She was no longer going to back down anymore.
" I am not accusing you of anything, it's just in the file it is stated as an accident as the doctor of the patient I should know all the information and this doesn't seem complete so please tell me is there anything you want to add to this," said Lilith looking at her watch.
Catherine bit her lower lip, thinking if she should tell her and if she did tell her would it help.
"Mrs.Baxter if you are not ready to tell me now you will need to tell me in our next meeting. I need to go deal with my other patients," said Lilith hurriedly as she got up from her chair.
"And Mr.Baxter needs to be taken to his room for his medications." she looked at Sebastian who was still in a daze.
Catherine opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted. Sebastian was holding her hand, he spoke and what he said shocked both of them.
"Cath..."