as others. As the head doctor, I cannot let harm come to the patients if there is any way to avoid it. Also she responds more when on the medication, but not when she is restarting it.”
“Very well,” Dr. Radburn said.
Dr. Fenton felt like he was dropping the subject for this moment, but would bring it up later.
Dr. Radburn let the subject drop because Dr. Fenton was obviously convinced by his own logic without looking at the present situation. Dr. Radburn had noticed that a lot about Dr. Fenton. There were many patients on medication who would do much better if given a lower dose or taken off the medication entirely. But Dr. Fenton wouldn’t listen to suggestions. Mina was the best example of a patient in need of proper therapy and less medication. The therapy sessions were the worst of any patient Dr. Radburn had watched and then there was the complete denial of the effects of the medication. It was almost like Dr. Fenton didn’t want his patients to get better.
When Dr. Fenton was forced into retirement and Dr. Radburn was in charge, things would change. Mina would be taken off her medication as well as a few others. Dr. Radburn would focus on wellness for the real patients, rather than just keep them from endangering themselves. Status quo wasn’t going to be good enough anymore.
Dr. Radburn’s thoughts were interrupted by the next patient arriving for their therapy session.
June 19, 2012
The nurse looked up at the man who had approached the reception desk.
“Can I help you?” The nurse smiled. The man had dirty-blonde hair that fell into his blue eyes. The smile was one-sided with a dimple. He wore blue jeans, white shirt, and a black leather jacket. He had a piece of paper in his hand.
“I’m looking for Rose,” The man answered as he rested his hand on the counter part of the desk.
“There is no one on the staff with that name,” The nurse answered as she looked at him with confusion.
“She isn’t a staff member,” The man replied, “She is a patient. She came in about five years ago.”
The nurse still looked at him in confusion.
“Five foot six, a hundred and twenty pounds, with long brown hair,” The man said.
Recognition slowly came to the nurse’s face.
“That Rose,” The nurse said.
“There is more than one?” The man asked.
“No,” The nurse answered as she reached for the phone, “I’ll let Dr. Fenton know that you are here. If you have a seat, I’m sure he’ll be down in a moment.”
“Thank you,” The man said with a nod. He turned and sat down on the couch in the waiting area.
Dr. Fenton wanted to scream and yell at Dr. Radburn as they both stood in his office and Dr. Radburn suggested that Dr. Fenton didn’t want to see his patients well. He wanted to point out how blind Dr. Radburn was to the situation of the patients and how much better they were under his care. The only thing that stopped him was the phone ringing.
Dr. Fenton picked it up while glaring at Dr. Radburn.
“Yes,” His anger was there because he found that he couldn’t do anything about it. The nurse on the other end didn’t seem to notice.
“There is a man here to see Rose,” The nurse said. Dr. Fenton was about to say something about visiting hours, but then the name clicked in his head.
“I will be right down,” Dr. Fenton said before hanging up the phone.
“What was that about?” Dr. Radburn asked. He looked like he was just short of demanding to know.
“A man is here about Rose,” Dr. Fenton answered as he made his way around the desk and toward the door.
“But she-“ Dr. Radburn started, but Dr. Fenton was out the door and headed down the hallway before he could get any farther. Dr. Radburn closed his mouth and hurried after Dr. Fenton.
They reached the reception desk and the nurse pointed to the man sitting on the couch flipping through a ten-year-old fashion magazine. Dr. Radburn stayed near the desk as Dr. Fenton went over to the man.
“I’m Dr. Fenton,” Dr. Fenton said as he held out his hand. The man looked up at him over the magazine. He closed and put it back on the pile before getting to his feet.
“I’m Finn,” The man said, shaking Dr. Fenton’s hand, “I’m here to get Rose.” The man let go of Dr. Fenton’s hand before digging out a piece of paper and offering it to Dr. Fenton. Dr. Fenton took the paper, unfolded it, and looked it over.
“It is going to be a week before you can take her out of here,” Dr. Fenton said.
“That is fine,” Finn replied, “Can I see her?”
“Yes,” Dr. Fenton said, “This way.” Dr. Fenton turned and went to the reception desk. He handed the release form to the nurse.
“Get it started,” Dr. Fenton told her.
“Of course,” The nurse replied as she took the paper. Dr. Fenton headed for the door into the mental hospital itself. Finn followed and Dr. Radburn joined them.
“I am Dr. Radburn,” Dr. Radburn said, “I have been helping Dr. Fenton with Rose’s care.” Finn nodded, but otherwise didn’t pay attention to Dr. Radburn, instead focused on where Dr. Fenton was going.
Dr. Fenton went through the hallways of the first floor, avoiding patient areas as he could, to the door that led out to the yard. He reached out and held it open for Finn and Dr. Radburn. Once they were through, Dr. Fenton let the door close.
“Over there,” Dr. Fenton pointed toward the rose bushes. Rose was standing there, making sure the roses were fine.
Finn headed toward her. Dr. Fenton stayed where he was and Dr. Radburn was forced to stay there as well. Finn reached Rose and tapped her on the shoulder. Rose turned around. She looked at him with a blank expression. Dr. Fenton started to worry that she wouldn’t recognize Finn and then it would be far more difficult to let her leave with him. Then Rose recognized Finn and a smile spread across her face. She hugged Finn and he hugged her back.
Dr. Fenton smiled before turning from the scene. He headed back inside. Dr. Radburn looked confused as he stood there. He was trying to figure out who Finn was and what his connection to Rose was. Dr. Fenton’s smile got wider as he thought about how much trouble this was going to cause Dr. Radburn.
He got up and went to the window. It was quiet out there. Maybe the board of directors were right, maybe it was time for him to retire from running the mental hospital. The problem was that Dr. Radburn was not a good person to replace him. Dr. Radburn had no patience and thought he had all the answers even if he had never seen the situation before. Yes, he was right about taking Rose off the medication, but many of the other patients would end up back where they had been when they arrived. That would make everything worse. And teaching Dr. Radburn those things had proven to be impossible.
The phone rang. Dr. Fenton turned from the window and pressed the speakerphone.
“Yes?” Dr. Fenton asked.
“There is a Dr. Gar here to see you,” The nurse said.
“I’ll be right down,” Dr. Fenton said. He pressed the button to turn off the speakerphone. He headed down to the reception desk.
The man Dr. Fenton guessed was Dr. Gar was in his late twenties. He had black hair, brown eyes and the physical dimensions of a student. He was calming down a woman who looked like she was his younger sister. She was agitated because she was in a strange place.
The nurse pointed to the man and nodded when Dr. Fenton looked at her. Dr. Fenton walked toward the chair where the doctor and the woman were. When he stopped close to them, Dr. Gar looked up at him.
“I’m Dr. Fenton. What can I help you with?” Dr. Fenton asked.
“I’m Dr. Gar and this is my sister, Autumn,” Dr. Gar said, “Autumn has been through some difficult times recently and I was hoping that she could rest here for a couple days. I was told that this was the best place for people to rest in the whole city. My teachers also talked about the effectiveness of your therapies all the time.”
Dr. Fenton looked into those brown eyes and saw truthfulness as well as trust with a little bit of i
dol worship.
“Intake was a couple hours ago, but let’s see what we can do,” Dr. Fenton said.
“Thank you,” Dr. Gar said.
Dr. Fenton went over to the reception desk. The nurse was already gathering the paperwork.
“Let them know that we have a new patient,” Dr. Fenton said, “I believe room 183 is available.”
“I’ll let them know to get it ready,” The nurse said as she handed him the paperwork. Dr. Fenton took the paperwork and turned back to Dr. Gar.
“We need this filled out,” Dr. Fenton said, offering the papers to Dr. Gar. Dr. Gar took them and started filling them out.
By the time Dr. Gar was finished the nurse gave Dr. Fenton the signal that the room was ready. Dr. Gar handed the papers back.
“Thank you,” Dr. Fenton said, “I’ll take you to her room.”
“Come on,” Dr. Gar said to Autumn as he held out a hand to help her up. Autumn took his hand and let him help her up, but she wouldn’t let go as they followed Dr. Fenton into the mental hospital.
Dr. Fenton led them through the hallways until they reached room 183. The room had been made up for Autumn and there was a nurse waiting. Dr. Fenton sent the nurse away while Dr. Gar got his sister settled into the room. Dr. Fenton let them have their privacy as he waited for them to be done.
Dr. Gar didn’t leave his sister alone until he was sure that she was asleep. He stepped out into the hallway and closed the door behind him.
“Thank you for this,” Dr. Gar said.
“This is what we do here,” Dr. Fenton