HEAD GAMES
Chapter Eleven
Viki and Dr. Evans moved to his office where they could privately discuss Todd’s life. She informed him of her brother’s criminal past, his abusive childhood, and his relationship problems.
She felt so at ease with him that she talked for hours about Todd. Every detail she could remember she told him. She broke down when she recounted the last time she saw her brother after he had faked the DID.
The psychiatrist listened patiently, only interrupting to ask questions for clarity or more specifics. He took copious notes on a legal pad. Occasionally, he would punctuate the information with a “hmm” or an “uh-huh.”
Finally, Viki depleted her supply of facts. She sat back in her chair in exhaustion and waited. When the doctor said nothing, she broke the silence.
“Well? What do you think is wrong with him?”
“I have a pretty good idea, but I’d like to observe him and speak with him some more before making a diagnosis.”
***
**
Todd continued to improve. He was moved out of the ICU and into a private room after only a couple of days. Still, he refused to speak.
Dr. Evans visited him several times, encouraging him to open up about his experience with Powell. He was continually met with distrustful stares from his patient.
Todd was becoming increasingly intolerant of being touched for any reason. Viki stopped trying after he repeatedly pulled away from her. The nurses began to dread going into his room to check his vital signs. It was a battle each time to take his blood pressure and pulse with him retreating or moving around.
On the second day in his private room, it was decided that he needed to be cleaned up. He’d been a mess when he’d first been brought into the hospital; he was caked with dirt, and his hair was badly tangled. Bathing him and washing his hair then had been simple since he’d been unconscious. But with his combative nature now, the nurses approached the situation with trepidation.
Two of them, Debra and Melanie, addressed him with the task. An orderly was on stand-by outside the door. They explained what they planned to do, only to be met with a defiant sneer.
A bowl of warm soapy water was placed on the bedside tray into which a soft sponge was dunked. They spoke calmly and soothingly as they asked him to sit up so they could undo his gown in back. Todd refused.
Gently, they tried to help him up. Despite his improvement, he was still rather weak. Squirming out of their reach, he would have none of the bath intended for him. This continued for fifteen minutes, with more soapy water ending up on Debra and Melanie than on Todd. The final straw was when he dumped the bowl of now cool water onto the floor. A call was placed to Larry who ordered a mild sedative.
Todd fought unsuccessfully against having a bath and shampoo. He was too groggy to put up more than cursory resistance. As soon as the pair had accomplished their goal, and had combed out his hair and changed his gown, they left him to sleep off the sedation. Throughout the ordeal, he never said a word.
*****
Viki tapped her pen on the pile of papers on her desk at the Banner. She was totally lost in thought-thoughts of Todd and what his diagnosis might be. She didn’t notice Kevin’s entrance until he was standing before her, calling her name.
“Mom! Are you okay?” he asked with concern.
She smiled tiredly. “Yes, Kevin. I guess I was distracted.”
“You were a million miles away. And I can just guess what you were thinking about. Or should I say who,” he scoffed.
“Whom,” she corrected. “I do wish you would let this animosity toward Todd go, sweetheart. It’s unhealthy for both you and Todd.”
“I’ll let it go when he’s out of your life for good, Mom. It’s unhealthy for you to continually be taken in by him and his problems. He’s a lost cause. I thought you’d realized that when he duped you the last time about the DID.”
“Kevin, please try to understand. Todd and I have a bond. I can’t really explain it, but it is very real. I cannot turn my back on him. He’s my flesh and blood just as you are. And he’s hurting right now.”
“Oh, please. Powell just gave him a taste of his own medicine. It’s nothing less than what he deserves.”
“He did not deserve to be locked in a freezing basement for weeks. No more than he deserved to have me turn my back on him,” she admitted guiltily.
“He hurt you. He used your own illness against you. How can you continue to defend him?” he puzzled.
“He’s ill, Kevin. He hasn’t spoken since being admitted to the hospital. He is being evaluated by a psychiatrist. He needs compassion and understanding, not condemnation. He’s had a very difficult life.”
He shook his head in frustration. No one could play games with his mother’s head like Todd Manning, he thought. He had to do something to finally reveal how undeserving her brother was of all his mother’s attention and concern.
*****
Dr. Evans checked in on his quiet patient to see how lunch was going. Todd had been allowed to eat gelatin and clear broth. Both were sitting on his tray untouched.
“I know it’s not much, Todd,” he began. “But you really need to try to eat something. You need to get stronger so you can be released. I bet you don’t want to spend any more time than you have to in this hospital. Am I right?” he coaxed.
The long-haired man in the hospital bed folded his arms across his chest and looked away defiantly. This was the second time he had refused to eat.
“C’mon,” cajoled Dr. Evans. “Give it a try. Who knows? You might like this stuff. You’ve got to be hungry. Just try a bite.”
He scooped up a spoonful of red Jell-O and held it toward Todd’s mouth. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the jiggling mass coming toward him. Reflexively, Todd held up his arm to block the incoming food, sending the spoon flying into the doctor’s lap.
“Now what did that spoon ever do to you?” he asked calmly. “And what did my pants ever do to you either?” he whispered to himself.
He went quickly to the bathroom to prevent the gelatin from staining his khakis. As he used a towel to scrub the spot, he failed to hear the visitor silently step into Todd’s room and close the door behind him. Todd failed to hear him, as well. Until it was too late.
HEAD GAMES
Chapter Twelve
Todd lay in his bed staring at the ceiling while Dr. Evans was in the bathroom cleaning the gelatin stain from his trousers. He kept one eye on the spot and one eye on his patient. He had hoped for some kind of response but found none. He was convinced of his diagnosis. He planned to call Viki later and tell her his findings.
Unbeknownst to either of them, Kevin had stolen into the hospital room. Stealthily, he crept to the foot of Todd’s bed. He observed the other man for a moment. Nothing has changed, he thought. Todd is still up to his old tricks. The more he thought, the angrier he became. All the old hatred and contempt boiled to the surface until he could no longer contain it. It’s time to put a stop to this, he decided.
Without warning, he exploded, “What the hell are you doing, Todd?”
Startled, Todd jumped and immediately sat up, drawing his knees to his chest. Tears sprang freely from his eyes and a look of terror crossed his face.
“I’m sorry, Dad,” Todd cried. “I just wanted to light the candles. I was gonna put it back. I’m sorry, Dad. I’m sorry.”
Dr. Evans quickly crossed to his side in an attempt to calm him. He turned to the unexpected and unwelcome visitor.
“You need to leave,” he commanded.
Kevin stood frozen at the foot of the bed with his mouth open. He didn’t know what reaction he expected, but this was not it. He continued to stare at his long-time enemy with a mixture of horror and curiosity.
Todd stretched out his hand, palm down, with a look of pain on his face.
“I’m sorry, Dad,” he whimpered through his tears. “It hurts. It hurts. No more, Dad. Please.”
His psychiatrist knew him to be in the midst of a flashback. He took mental notes as he tried his best to draw the young man out of his self-imposed fright.
Looking up, Todd spotted Kevin. They locked eyes with one another. For a moment Kevin thought that Todd had snapped out of his hysteria, but he was mistaken.
“Powell!” Todd yelled. “Don’t leave me down here. Powell! It’s dark. I don’t like the dark, Daddy. Please let me out. Daddy, please.”
Furious to find the intruder still there, Dr. Evans barked, “Get out of here now.”
This pulled Kevin out of his stupor. He turned to leave just as Larry and Melanie rushed inside. He backed all the way to the nurse’s station while listening to Todd’s ravings through the closed door. The nurse quickly left and disappeared around the corner, only to reappear seconds later and return to the room. Within seconds, Todd quieted to sobs. Shortly, there was silence.
Kevin turned and headed for the elevators as a wave of nausea hit him. Never before had he experienced guilt where Todd was concerned. It was a new sensation for him. He was torn. The performance was so believable. Was it real?
Repeatedly, he punched the down button, impatiently waiting to be taken away from that place. He breathed a sigh of relief when the elevator doors opened.
*****
Viki combed her fingers through Todd’s long locks. He’d been sleeping soundly for a few hours due to the sedative. She was relieved to be able to touch him again, more for her own peace of mind than his.
She had been horrified when Larry called her and told her what had happened. She was immediately scared for Todd and angry with Kevin. But she could deal with her son later. Her brother was her top priority now.
She played Dr. Evans’ diagnosis over and over in her mind as she pulled Todd’s hand out from under the blanket to grasp it tightly in her own. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. She knew that abuse victims sometimes suffer from this illness. But she never knew anyone to have such a violent reaction.
She’d been given some literature to familiarize herself, but she was too wound up to read it yet. Dr. Evans’ told her before she left his office that he was leaving the door open for additional diagnoses if needed. This troubled her even more. She had a thousand questions but could not find the words to express herself articulately. She wanted guarantees that her brother would be okay, but he could give her none.
Her mind replayed every conversation and interaction she’d had with Todd since finding out they were siblings. The good times and the bad. Unfortunately, the bad times far outweighed the good. It was never easy with him. Or for him. This PTSD diagnosis now bathed all the bad times in a different light. She wondered if he’d been suffering from this illness all along, and that was what caused his skewed viewpoints and actions. Or did Powell cause the disorder by locking him in the basement?
Viki sighed heavily as she brought Todd’s hand to her cheek. She said a small prayer on his behalf. A light rap at the door jarred her back into the present. She turned to see Bo peek his head through the door.
“Hey, how’s he doing?” he asked quietly.
“Physically, he’s much better. Larry says he can go home in a couple of days,” she answered, a forced smile on her face.
“Physically? What does that mean?” Bo queried. A scowl formed on his face.
“He had some kind of flashback earlier this morning. He’s been sedated. I’m very concerned about his mental state, Bo.”
“Todd’s a survivor. I’m sure he’ll pull through just fine.”
“Thank you. I hope you’re right.”
She looked back at her sleeping brother, wanting to, but not quite believing Bo’s reassurance.
“Um, the reason I stopped by, Viki, is that I wanted you to know about Powell’s hearing.”
She rose and joined him at the door. They spoke in hushed tones, afraid that the news would upset Todd even further.
“The hearing is set for tomorrow morning at 10:00. It was postponed for the long holiday weekend. I thought you might want to be there,” he informed her.
“I certainly do. But it depends on how Todd is doing. If I can’t go, you’ll give me a full report?”
“No problem. I better run,” he whispered. “I hope Todd feels better soon.”
“Thank you, Bo. So do I.”
He left down the hall, and Viki closed the door behind him. She rested her head against the door frame for a moment before turning back around to check on Todd.
To her surprise, he was staring back at her.
