Arriving on the fifth floor, Doctor Lerner unlocked the elevator door. Exiting, she could hear country music coming from the direction of the nurses’ station. James was in his usual spot, reading.
“James, may I have a moment of your time?” She began the conversation as she entered.
“What’s up, Doc?” His voice was a bit on edge.
“James, you know if it can be proven that you assaulted Simon, you could be sent to jail, do you understand that?” She spoke with authority.
“Hey, don’t threaten me, you have no idea what I’m capable of doing to you,” he said standing up to confront her.
“Are you threatening me?” She stood her ground.
“You think anybody would really care if some old fat black bitch was found floatin’ face down in the river?” James said staring down at her.
“How dare you! You just lost your job! You hear me boy! You’re fired!” she shouted, the emotion high in her throat. Tears began to fill her eyes.
“You don’t have the authority to fire me, I only take orders from Father Andy!” he yelled back.
“Mark my words, you racist little bigot, you’re terminated, just as soon as I speak to Father Andy.” She wheeled around and stormed off toward the elevator.
“Fuck you! You stupid bitch!” James hollered as he flipped her the finger.
As she neared the elevator she ran into Nora who was just coming out.
“Doctor Lerner, is everything all right?” Nora asked.
Doctor Lerner entered the elevator without saying a word. Descending, the tears were streaming down her cheeks, but she took in a deep breath and regained control over her emotional state. Arriving at her office, she immediately telephoned Father Andy.
“Hello.”
Recognizing his voice she launched into her complaint. “James Butler just threatened my life, and I want him fired immediately!” She demanded.
“Now, now, calm down Linda, and tell me what happened.” Father Andy tried to sound sympathetic.
“I was discussing Simon’s allegations of rape, when he threatened to kill me. Said he would dump my lifeless body in the river.”
Father Andy could hear the fear in her trebling voice. “Well, for now, I want you to stay away from James. I’ll deal with this,” he said confidently.
“No! I want him fired right now!” she shouted into the phone.
“Now Linda, I have to investigate this properly, or there could be a lawsuit.”
“You don’t know how upset I feel, I’ll go to the police if I must. I want—“
“You’re a professional, now get control of yourself, Doctor Lerner. I said I’d check into this matter.” Father Andy slammed the phone down.
She slammed her phone down, struggling to remain in control. Her hands trebled with anger. In order to get a better handle on the situation, she decided to go home and relax. If he didn’t take some type of action, she told herself, then she would be forced to do so.
Later that day, Doctor Lerner returned to the hospital for Simon’s session. She stopped by Father Andy’s office before going up to the fifth floor.
As she entered, Nora smiled, “Hello Doctor Lerner.”
“Is he in his office?”
“He’s on the phone right now, but he said if you came by, that he’d meet you up in the therapy room.” Nora explained.
“That suits me just fine. Ah, by the way, do you know if he spoke with James Butler today?” She inquired.
“I don’t know, is there a problem?” Nora asked, already aware of what had happened earlier.
“No, I was just wondering, thank you.” She proceeded to the unit.
Moving down the corridor, James came into her view. As they crossed, neither spoke, nor made eye contact. Doctor Lerner found Simon watching an old rerun of Gunsmoke on the television.
I turned the TV off as Doctor Lerner sat down on the couch.
“Is everything going okay, Simon?”
“Sure.”
“Father Andy will be joining us in a few minutes. Is that all right?” she asked in her motherly voice.
“Sure,” I said, glad to see
her. When she was around, James left me
alone, so I was happy.
“Before he arrives, I’d like to ask, has James given you any more trouble?”
“No, he didn’t even stay in my room for my last shower. I was kind of surprised,” I told her, smiling.
“That’s good, I don’t think you’ll have any more problems with him,” she said doing her patting-on-the-knee routine.
I heard the elevator doors open, then the faint sound of two voices whispering softly. Doctor Lerner must have heard them too. She turned her head slightly, pretending not to notice, yet straining to hear what their conversation might be. I too strained, but could not make out anything.
The whispering ended as the shuffling of old, worn shoes approached. Father Andy entered. He looked a bit haggard, and his sad, lifeless eyes hid some unspeakable pain. Something from his past I guessed. Who knows what memories haunt an old, lonely man.
“How are you doing today, young man?” Father Andy asked, now slumping down onto the other couch. He let out a pitiful sigh as his pale eyes focused on me. Crossing his left leg over his right, he folded his hands and placed them in his lap.
“I’m feeling okay.” I didn’t care for Father Andy much. Something about him didn’t seem right; his words had a false ring to them.
“Doctor Lerner, are we ready to begin?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said without further comment.
I was once again placed in a hypnotic state by Doctor Lerner, while she was being carefully scrutinized by Father Andy.
“Simon, can you hear my voice clearly?” she asked.
“Yes,” I said as my mind entered the foggy realm. It seemed I was drifting through space, feeling very peaceful.
“Henry, this is Doctor Lerner, will you come forth, and speak with Doctor Crawford and myself?”
“Greetings and friendship to all present here. Yes, I will speak with you,” Henry replied.
Father Andy glanced over at Doctor Lerner; his gaze told her he didn’t believe what he was hearing. “How do we know you are Simon’s guardian angel, and not simply his subconscious mind speaking to us?” Father Andy’s tone was sarcastic, to say the least.
“Question me on things Simon would not know,” Henry replied.
Father Andy stroked his chin, pondering for a moment the challenge that had been put forth by Henry. “If you’re a true angel of heaven, explain our divine Lord’s view concerning abortion.”
“For your limited understanding, let me say, at no point in time is the mother violating the laws of God by undergoing an abortion. And, that is to say, at no point in time is the physician violating the laws of God by performing an abortion. Remember, God’s laws have nothing to do with mankind’s laws. God’s laws are eternal; they remain constant and do not change. Mankind’s laws are ever-changing, one day for, the next against. Let me further say for your limited understanding, God does not recognize any religion upon the earth. None whatsoever. God is not Hindu, Catholic, Baptist, Muslim, Buddhist, or Jewish. These and all other religions are creations of mankind, not of God. Do you—“
Father Andy jumped to his feet. “This is blasphemy!” he roared.
“Now, please don’t lose your temper, Father Andy,” she pleaded.
“I’ve heard enough! This session is over!” he screeched.
“Please remain…”
“Shut it down, now!” he demanded as he stormed out.
The fog cleared from my mind as I was summoned from my dreamy adventure. As I opened my eyes, I was now aware of only Doctor Lerner being present in the room.
“How do you feel Simon?”
“Pretty good. Where’d the priest go?” I asked.
“He had to return to his office for an important phone call. Nothing for you to concern yourself with,” she said lying.
“Are we done?”
“Yes, Simon, you may relax or get a snack if you wish,” she said packing up her stuff.
Once down on the first floor, she headed for Father Andy’s office. Storming through the outer office door, she loomed in on Nora. “Is he in there?” Doctor Lerner demanded.
Nora was taken by surprise at her abrupt entry. “Wha...he…” she stammered.
Doctor Lerner blew on past Nora, bursting through his office door.
Startled, as he looked up from his desk, he was taken aback by her bold entrance. “How dare you barge into my personal sanctuary,” he growled, as he regained his composure. Now he was standing to meet her challenge.
Nora came in behind Doctor Lerner. “I’m sorry Father, she ran right…”
“That’s quite all right, Nora, return to your duties. I’ll deal with Doctor Lerner,” he said waving her out.
Nora closed the door behind her, yet stayed close to eavesdrop on their conversation.
“Well, speak your piece, I don’t have all day,” he said, sitting down.
“First, I am a professional, but at this point, I’m not sure what you are, sir. And as far as the voice of Henry that Simon—“
“Don’t mention that ‘Henry’ voice to me. Simon has a God-complex and I am ordering Thorazine and electroconvulsive therapy to begin today!” He shouted.
“What are you talking about? Simon doesn’t need Thorazine, or shock treatment!” she shouted back.
“You better calm down right now, Doctor Lerner!” He said shaking his boney finger at her. The authority was strong in his voice.
“Don’t you dare point that hypocritical finger at me! You’ve lost your mind!”
“Get out of my office!” Father Andy had reached his limit with her.
“I’m calling the hospital board and reporting—“
“That’s enough! You are hereby suspended for two weeks without pay! Now get out!” he stood, pointing toward the door.
“Suspended?! We’ll see who gets suspended!” she yelled as she stormed out.
Nora barely moved from the door when it burst open. She heard everything that had transpired between the two. She returned to her desk and pretended not to know what had happened.
Father Andy took out a form and began to scribble out his diagnosis of Simon Teel:
Patient #222-77 Simon Teel suffers from a God-complex associated with psychotic episodes. His observed tendencies are: 1. Deviant sexual behavior 2. Drug/Alcohol abuse 3. Cruelty to animals/human beings 4. Tendency toward arson 5. Neurological impairment 6. Memory loss/blackouts 7. Anger management issues 8. Obsessive sexual thoughts 9. Paranoiac episodes 10. Violent outbursts 11. Exhibits amoral/antisocial behavior 12. Habitual liar.
Compulsive tendencies are: 1. Excessive masturbation 2. Voyeurism 3. Hallucinations coupled with hearing demonic voice (i.e., Henry).
Patient orders: Placed on anti-psychotic (Thorazine) and daily electroconvulsive regimen, coupled with therapy sessions in a controlled, locked ward confinement, pending further evaluation.
Signed
DR. Andrew Crawford
Dir. of Psych Services
Nora typed up the special orders, and personally hand-delivered a copy to James Butler, up on the fifth floor. She took a little delight in gossiping about what she heard through the office door. James was indeed very interested in their conversation.
Driving home, Doctor Lerner realized she needed to calm down and get a handle on things. She headed for the place where she knew she would find emotional comfort.
“Welcome to Burger King, may I take your order?” the young female voice asked from the speaker.
“I would like two double Whoppers with everything, and extra cheese. Two large fries and one slice of your Dutch-apple pie.”
“Anything to drink with that?” the voice squawked from the speaker.
“Yes, a large Diet Pepsi.”
Paying and receiving her food, she parked in the busy lot. She was a little self-conscious when it came to eating in public, due to her plus-size. Finishing her meal in record time, her emotions were now satisfied. Now she planned her next move. She would go home and call Bishop Saltony, who was head of the hospital board.
Arriving home, she dashed for the phone; not wanting to lose her momentum in doing what she felt was justified.
Bishop Luciano Angelo Saltony was an elderly man of seventy-three, a firm believer in the Catholic Church and its doctrines. Short, just barely five feet tall and thin build; he was of Italian descent. He was almost completely bald, except for some patches of gray around his ears, and he did sport a thin gray mustache.
The bishop wore all the official robes of his traditional position, and was extremely proud of his many years of faithful service to his Holiness, the Pope. A very soft-spoken man; nevertheless, he had learned over the years to come directly to the point when required to do so. Father Crawford and Bishop Saltory had been friends for over twenty-five years.
As the phone began to ring, Doctor Lerner eased back into her sofa.
“Operator, how my I direct your call?” the elderly female voice asked.
“Yes, this is Doctor Lerner; I’d like to speak with Bishop Saltory please.”
“One moment please.”
Doctor Lerner heard several tones, than a ringing sound.
“Yes?” the male voice answered.
“This is Doctor Linda Lerner; may I please speak with Bishop Saltory?”
“I am he, have we spoken before?” His voice sounded like that of an old grandfather, pleasant and gentle.
“I don’t believe we have, I’m calling concerning a problem with Father Crawford,” she began.
“Oh, yes, he telephoned just a few minutes ago, and I am aware of the situation, Doctor Lerner.” His voice filled with sadness.
“Let me explain…”
“I am sorry, but after speaking with my old friend, I feel it was within his power to suspend you, Doctor Lerner. Now you must use this time wisely, to decide if you truly wish to help us at the hospital, or if maybe it is time you resigned and concentrated on your private practice.”
“I don’t think you know all the facts, sir,” she said in an effort to explain what had actually happened.
“I am sorry, Father Andrew’s decision in this matter stands. Please have a nice day. Goodbye.”
Doctor Lerner couldn’t believe he sided with Father Andy. The only explanation she felt was that he must have lied to the Bishop.
The stress was mounting; her left eyelid began to twitch. She picked up the TV remote and decided to relax and let the tube wash over her. Tomorrow she would tackle this daunting dilemma, when she was rested and refreshed.
James Butler stopped at the entrance to the group therapy room. “Hey, kid!” He shouted to be heard over the television.
“Yes?” I said puzzled by what a weird day it had been so far. He immediately made me feel uneasy.
“Come with me,” he ordered as he turned.
I followed, afraid to ask what was up. Coming off the long hall, we entered the short hall, and now stood in front of the steel door. Unlocking it, he pushed the door open. I froze. I didn’t want to enter, remembering his earlier threat.
James grabbed me by the wrist and yanked me into the room. Closing the door, he locked it with a key, which he returned to his pants pocket.
The room contained a steel-framed bed with black padding on top. It was bolted to the floor, and had leather restraints built into it. There was a small machine located at the head of the bed, with dials and small knobs, with a large meter divided by yellow and red zones.
There was a set of what looked to be headphones attached to it. The room was empty, except for the bed and device. The walls were painted a faded pale white, and the floor was painted a dull gray.
“I’ve been given instructions to administer ECT followed by drug therapy,” James said.
“Please, can I see Doctor Lerner?” I started to plead.
“Doctor Lerner is no longer your doctor. Father Andy has taken over your case. He ordered this treatment.”
I felt sick, shaky all over as my skin turned ash-white.
“Take your clothes off,” James demanded.
“Why must I remove—“
James slapped me across the face so hard I fell back into the wall.
“Take your fuckin’ clothes off, now!” he yelled.
Frightened, I did as I was told. Standing naked before him, I trembled with fear.
“I tell you what, Simon, you suck my dick, and I’ll let you go back to your room. I’ll simply write that you had your treatment, how’s that sound?” His tone was now flexible.
“I don’t think—“
“It’s either that, or I’m gonna fuck you in the ass again. And then I’ll strap you down and fry your brains out. So, what’s it gonna be?” he snapped.
Getting my brains fried didn’t sound like fun. I forced myself to move closer to James and got down on my knees.
“Good decision,” he said, unzipping his pants. Pulling out his semi-hard penis, he wiggled it in front of my face. James grabbed the back of my head and pulled me in. I opened my mouth as he pushed his penis in. As he started to thrust in and out, it became rock hard. Several times I gagged, yet he kept at it.
Thank God, it wasn’t long before he ejaculated. I spit his cum on the floor and wiped my lips with my forearm. James put his dick back in and zipped up. I stood. My knees hurt from the hard floor surface. I gathered my clothes up.
“Put those down. Did you really think I’d let you off, shithead?” He started unbuckling the restraints that were attached to the bed.
I was almost in shock. How stupid and naïve I felt. “Please, I did what—“
James grabbed me by the throat with his right hand. “Lay down on that bed, or I’ll hurt you fuckin’ bad!”
Letting go of my neck, he pointed toward the bed. The clod plastic cover made me wince as my bare ass made contact first. I stretched out as my legs and back came to rest on the bed. James set to work, placing my right wrist in the restraint and securing it. Then, he did the same to my left, followed by my ankles. Several long leather restraints were secured over my chest, waist and above my knees.
“Open your mouth,” James ordered, then inserted what looked like a dog collar with an oversized football player’s mouthpiece attached to it, which he secured behind my neck. A wool-padded leather restraint was placed over my face, which kept me from raising, or turning my head. Part of the restraint crossed over between my lips and nose, and the other part crossed over my forehead. He attached something to my temples.
Laying there naked, strapped down, I could hear James starting up the odd device above my head. Soft, buzzing sounds emanated from the device, and then I could feel the bed pulsating with strange vibrations as he turned the dial up and down. I began to sweat, and started to tremble all over as the fear gripped me. I panicked, and struggled against the restraints.
“Before I fry your brains, would you like to know why I’m doing this?” His voice was low, almost a demented whisper.
All I could do was to stare up at his face, yet, I did want to know why he was hell-bent on torturing me.
“You remember a boy named Sonny? You should, you took him to your apartment when he ran away from that fuckin’ group home you worked at. Now do you remember you called him Sonny-the-fag!” he yelled, his face now only inches from mine.
I did remember now, the awful things I had done to that poor kid. The guilt and shame came forth as I started to cry.
“He was my little brother, and I know what you did to him. Now you’re gonna suffer for his death!”
The shock hit home as I was unaware of Sonny’s death. The look in my eyes told all.
“What? You didn’t know he committed suicide? He kept a diary, and I read all about the horrible things you did to him. You drove him to suicide! He jumped into the path of a semi truck on the interstate; it was going eighty miles an hour when it struck him. I almost couldn’t identify his body. It made me sick, and for the next six months, you’re gonna wish you were dead. And I’m gonna grant that wish, because you’re not leavin’ here alive! You hear me!” He was consumed with sheer rage.
James turned the dial, my body went stiff, and then the muscle spasms erupted. Voltage ripped through my brain, and pain gripped me. I could faintly hear James’ laughter as the pain was replaced by unconsciousness. Something forced me to open my eyes; it was James, slapping my cheek.
“So, you’re back. One little jolt and you piss all over yourself.”
My body ached, and the pain was tremendous as my muscles twitched uncontrollably. My head was pounding in waves.
“Let’s turn up the juice a little. Remember, you reap what you sow, you motherfucker,” he said as he twisted the knob.
My abdomen pulled tight, muscle spasms forced me to strain against the leather restraints. Blackness once again came for me.
I finally came around. My head restraint was off, and so was my mo