“Mrs. Blackwood, Dr. Laura will see you now.” said a receptionist behind a small window that was open just a tad. “Oh, yeah, okay.” she replied and stood up, pulling up her jeans a bit over her muffin top and sides. “I will be right back.” she said calmly, looking down at her daughter Veronica. “Right this way the receptionist spoke now from a door in the corner she opened to the waiting room.
Luna Blackwood followed the woman down a hallway with closed doors lining either side of the hallway. The lady brought her all the way down to the end of a hall and to an open door, the very last door on the right. The woman said nothing, just a partial smile and a nod with her head directed downward.
Entering the room, it smelled of new carpet and paint, the room was mid-sized with a rather large window that had a wonderful view of the parking lot. Luna stepped further inside, looking all around the space, she was unable to be present in the room last time Veronica had a session. “Please. Have a seat, Mrs. Blackwood.” Dr. Laura insisted, in which she did, legs crossed and her oversized purse plopped upon the floor next to her. “Just call me Luna.” she replied and they both gave a fake smile to one another.
Moments later the doctor pulled Veronica's file and opened it up, placing it down upon the desk. It was getting thicker and thicker by the visit. The visits were needing to be more frequent and closer together nowadays. She was not responding to treatment, in fact, she wasn't improving at all and was worsening instead. The young girl was living a traumatic life on a daily basis and she was silent about it. Veronica wanted to tell her therapist all about the abuse at home, the beatings, being forced to do horrible things, being raped, her and her brother. She wanted to scream it loudly and cry, get it all out in the open instead of carrying the weight every day; but, she just couldn't, and her mother would always make excuses for their father. Why they missed school so much, why they had broken ribs and black eyes; why they were becoming more and more disconnected from reality and it was changing significantly with young Veronica.
“Yes, Luna... I can not discuss many things with you due to privacy acts and HIPPA laws. I'm sure you already understand this considering how long you and your children have been in the system. However, it is my duty to inform you of the diagnosis of your daughter and what further treatments we can experiment with. You see, she has what we call an alter.” the doctor informed Veronica's mother in all seriousness. “What's that?” her mother questioned without any form of actual concern in her voice. “It is an alternate personality, Mrs. Blackwood, I mean Luna.” she answered. “Okay, so, what's that supposed to mean? More medicine we can't afford?” she asked, becoming annoyed. “No ma'am, that is not what I am getting at. Veronica is very sensitive and something traumatic must have happened recently to have this “alter” show itself. It is a little girl, her name is Lilliana.” the doctor spoke as if it was something normal and it was no big deal.
“You know what lady, I think you may need some pills yourself.” her mother said in a snotty manner. “Believe me or not Mrs. Blackwood, she will reveal herself to you in do time and when she does, she may hurt you.” she warned, standing up from sitting behind her desk. “Have a good day, will see Veronica back in two weeks for her medication check.” the doctor spoke just as the door opened, the receptionist there to escort her mother out of the office. Luna made an expression of disgust and grabbed her purse and stormed out into the waiting room where Veronica sat waiting quietly. Her mother then snatched her up out of the chair by her upper arm and drug her out of the office. “Let's go you little sh*t, or shall I call you Lilliana.” she scolded her all the way to the bus stop.
Veronica just looked up at her, never saying a word, never shedding a tear; because Lilli was there.
