June

by Erik Schubach

  Instead of sitting in the leather chair behind the desk, he instead sat on the edge of the desk facing me and thumbed through the papers on his clipboard. He looked up and looked embarrassed that he wasn't talking or something. “Oh, sorry. I get lost in my own little world sometimes, I was just organizing my thoughts. Doctor Mel Ulysses.” He offered his hand.

  I shook it and mumbled, “June Harris-West.”

  He nodded and then looked back at the paperwork. “Hmmm... how much do you know?”

  I shrugged. “Someone informed me that they saw the police taser Vanessa and haul her away simply because she was acting erratically.” I didn't want to say too much or even reveal anything about Fran in case social services got involved. Vanessa would hate me for that, and I'm sure that eventually their records would uncover it anyway.”

  He said, “It says in the intake report that she became physically combative.”

  I shook my head. “That's a lie. She was just... yelling at the voices from what I was told.”

  He nodded with a look of distaste on his face. “Figures. The police never take the time to assess the situation or call in the appropriate people if someone's behavior is erratic.”

  I blinked... he just simply believed me? Then I thought about it. He was a mental health professional. It takes a special kind of person to be able to look into people's personal hell every day and want to help them. It isn't a glamorous job. So he has probably seen this type of situation play out over and over again.

  I reevaluated the man and felt for him. I asked, “How is she? Can I see her Doc?”

  He took a deep breath and quickly exhaled it and set the clipboard on the desk and grabbed the edge of the desk with his hands, supporting his weight as he leaned into a comfortable position. “She's not good. It appears she had a rather violent psychotic episode. We have her mildly sedated right now until I can fully evaluate the state of her mental health. Is she taking her medication?”

  I winced slightly and shook my head. “No. She's been saving up to be re-evaluated so she can get back on them.”

  He almost snapped and I could tell he was exasperated. “That's not healthy. Just going off the drugs is bad enough, it can cause severe chemical imbalances alone.” He paused and looked me up and down in an appraising manner. “You seem to be not hurting monetarily. Do you understand the gravity of the situation?”

  I nodded solemnly. “She's homeless right now and won't take my help. It is a pride thing with her.”

  He pursed his lips and whispered, I'm not sure if it were me or some deity, “Damn her pride.” Then he looked at me. “I'm required to put her on a seventy-two hour hold. To make sure she's not a danger to herself or others. Then submit my recommendation to the police. It will be up to them if they press it or drop the charges based on my recommendations.”

  I nodded in understanding. God, how pathetic am I? Here I am facing a truly serious adult problem and all I can think is that I wish my mothers were here to tell me what to do. Come on West, snap out of it. You took on the system, and a few government agencies in college without blinking, you can do this. I said, “I understand. Can I see her during that time?”

  He looked at her chart again. “It all depends on if we can calm her without sedation.”

  I blurted out, “Music!” Then I calmed a bit and repeated, “Music calms her, she says it chases the voices away.”

  He nodded and made a note on the paperwork. “That's good to know. I'll look into it.” Then he said, “You said she was homeless? That would explain why her address happens to be the same as Freedom Tower.” His lips twitched in a smile. “Would explain why her contact phone number spells out 'fuck you' as well.” He looked at me with humor twinkling around in his eyes, “I think I like her.”

  He asked if I had any questions for him. I had a trillion of them standing in a line that wrapped the globe twice then sucker-punched me in the nose, but all I could ask was, “Can I see her?” I just had a primal need to know she was ok.

  He took another one of those deep breaths with a quick exhalation then nodded. “Just for a minute. She is already emotionally overwrought and a little groggy from the sedation. We need her calm to evaluate her mental and physical condition.” Then he added in an almost accusatory tone, “She seems pretty malnourished too. That doesn't help.”

  I nodded and he hopped off the desk spryly, belying his worn down appearance. “Let's go see your girl.” I almost smiled at that. He had made an assumption based on my responses to the situation. She wasn't my girl. Was she? Part of me was wishing it to be true and I marveled at that part of me, did I really think that?

  We went up another level and to some secured doors with an orderly or nurse or something at a desk. The man nodded at the doc and buzzed the doors open. We went down a hall that reminded me of a hospital corridor. We arrived at a room that he pulled a badge out of his pocket and flashed across the lock and a green light lit and we walked into a room that looked an awful lot like a hospital room.

  There on a hospital bed, with her arms and legs strapped to the rails was Vanessa. She was humming to herself as she rocked her body slowly back and forth. It couldn't be comfortable. Her clothes were gone and she was wearing what resembled scrubs.

  Doc walked up to her and started removing the restraints. Vanessa just kept humming and rocking as the doc said, “We won't be needing these anymore. She was struggling pretty wildly when they brought her in.”

  I nodded stiffly then stepped up to her. Without her layers of clothes on, she really did look thin and gaunt. But she was stunningly beautiful to me anyway. I said, “Hey Vanessa.”

  She opened her eyes and stopped humming and rocking then looked over to where I stood beside her. She looked almost angry until she reached out and touched me then she exhaled in utter relief and whispered. “You're really here?”

  I nodded, trying to fight back the tears as I grabbed her hand between both of mine, pressing it against my chest over my heart. “Yes, I'm here.”

  She smiled and her eyes, though fogged over a bit brightened as she looked into mine. She sighed, “There's the music.” Then she looked around almost in embarrassment, “I'm so sorry June.”

  I pulled her hand to my face and kissed the back of it. “You don't have anything to apologize for.”

  Then her eyes went wider then at the Doc then back at me and spoke in code, “Small Fry?”

  I shushed her. “With Kat.” She visibly relaxed at that.

  She whispered even though the Doc could hear, I think her thinking was slushy with the sedative. “I can't let anything happen to her.”

  I nodded and gave her my cockiest smile. “Hey... I got this shit.”

  She smiled back then moved her hand to my cheek and rubbed it gently. “Those eyes, the music...”

  I looked at the doc then back at her and pulled the Medical Power of Attorney form out of my purse with a pen. I gave a scrunched face apology to the doc who actually snorted and rolled his eyes as I handed them to her. “I can't see you unless you sign this Medical Power of Attorney.”

  She nodded in understanding and whispered, “That's because they are out to get us.” I winced at that as she signed it.

  I quickly printed my name, signed and dated it with yesterday's date, then handed it to the doc. He chuckled again. He was good people, so was Michelle. I had expected all the people working here to be bitter and jaded and like doom troopers. He sighed, “I'll make sure Michelle gets this filed and gets a copy to you.”

  Vanessa smiled and just held my hand as she closed her eyes. Her breathing was slowing. The doc motioned his head toward the door and I nodded, kissed my honey-haired imp on the forehead and made my way out to the corridor with Doc.

  He looked at the paperwork again and shook his head. I said, “Sorry?” Squinting one eye.

  He just said, “This is serious stuff. I'm sure Michelle was your accomplice.”

  I shrugged. “I know nothing. Write it of as a mental lapse on my
part.”

  He nodded with a grin. “Something tells me there is a lot more to you than what’s on the surface. It'd be interesting to...”

  I snorted. “Don't try to shrink me Doc. You don't want to go down that rabbit hole, trust me.”

  He grinned again. “That's what makes it so interesting.”

  Then he sobered up as he lead me down to the front again. “Make sure Michelle has all your contact information. I'll let you know when you can come see her after I get an evaluation done Miss West.”

  I nodded. “Thanks, Doc. You can call me JW.”

  He nodded and then looked at Michelle and handed her the form with a reprimanding look. She wasn't intimidated in the least when she said, “Oh there that is, I was looking all over for it.”

  He rolled his eyes at her then smiled at me and inclined his head and excused himself, “JW.”

  I gave a similar gesture. “Doc.”

  Then he left us. After thanking Mick, she liked the nickname thank you very much, I made my way back to Kat's realizing that I suddenly had a shit-ton of work ahead of me.

  When I got back to Kat's, Fran was pacing back and forth, she must have woken up while I was out. She almost dove into my arms when I walked in. She was a mess with eyes red and puffy from crying.

  I brought her to the couch and Kat smiled and went to the kitchen to make her some hot chocolate. Before I could say a word she blurted out, “Is Vannie ok?”

  I smoothed her hair back and nodded. “Yes. She's at Bellevue right now, resting.” I hugged her then smiled a smile I wasn't feeling. “They need to keep her for seventy-two hours before they can release her. You don't mind hangin' with Kat and I until then do you?”

  She relaxed a bit and shook her head. Kathleen returned and handed her a hot chocolate and me a coffee. Then signed, “You look like shit.”

  I said and signed back with a half grin, “Thanks. Love you too.” She stuck her tongue out at me in regal fashion. Then I shared everything I knew with the girls. We got Fran back to bed and then I sat on the couch with my friend and said, “The charges are still pending until the evaluation is complete. From what Small Fry says, the cops handled it wrong from the beginning.”

  Then I glanced at the time, it was eleven so, though it was late in Seattle, it was only eight. I said, “Let's see if we can't get the pendulum to swing more in our favor shall we?”

  Kat smiled widely. “There it is. The evil look only you can pull off. I was getting worried that you lost your mojo for a bit there.”

  I gave her a silly face then dialed Secret Weapon Zero on his private cell. He answered on the second ring. “Hi Frank?” I blurted out to our family's lawyer and personal friend, Frank Davenport.

  Chapter 10 – Visiting Hours

  The next morning I felt less stressed. I had to suppress a grin at Fran sitting on the floor with her back to the couch where I slept. She was watching some anime show with the sound off and the closed captioning on. I dropped a hand on her head and stroked it once, leaving my hand on her shoulder. Small Fry looked back with a smile. “Sorry, did I wake you? I didn't mean to.”

  I grinned at her. “No not at all.”

  I glanced at the television then her and she blushed a little and shrugged. “I haven't had many chances to watch TV lately.”

  I sat up and patted the couch cushion beside me and she hopped up cross-legged and grinned and turned back to the show. She asked without looking. “I'm going to have to go back into the system aren't I?”

  I rested a hand on her shoulder and gave a little squeeze. “From what I can tell they haven't dug yet to find out Vanessa is your guardian. But even if they do, not on my watch.”

  Then I changed the somber tone. “What smells so good?”

  She grinned at me. “I made coffee so some was ready when you and Kat woke up.”

  I hopped off the couch and made my way to the kitchen, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. I sniffed the air with a smile and my Caffeine-O-Tron 3000 zeroed in on the divine smelling liquid and I poured a cup then returned to the couch, running a hand through my tangled hair.

  Not two minutes later, Kat came shuffling out of her room looking like the undead. A minute later she had joined us on the couch sipping her own coffee with a grin and undead Kat was nowhere to be seen. How does she do that?

  We spent the next few minutes catching up and I filled in the gaps for the girls. Then Kat disappeared into the kitchen and breakfast-y smells started wafting out of it in short order. Hey, don't look at me like that, breafast-y is in my mother's Mandy-tionary, her version of the English language has been witnessed and notarized by a Tibetan monk.

  I hopped up and set up three place settings on the little dining room table in the kitchen area and Fran helped out. We ate the scrambled eggs with diced ham and onions, buttered toast, hash browns and washed it all down with tall glasses of orange juice.

  Fran stopped shoveling food into her gaping maw long enough to blush at Kat and myself, who were just smiling and watching her eat. She said with her mouth half full, “Sorry. We just don't know when our next meal is going to be and Van always makes sure I eat first.” Then she stuffed some hash browns in her mouth and said cheesily, “And this stuffs good!”

  Kat glanced at me and I signed what she said then Kat snorted. I just smiled and shook my head and said, “You might want to slow down a bit and taste it.” Then I nudged her elbows with a finger. “Don't talk with your mouth full, and get your elbows off the table.” I froze. Oh, good god! I've become Mom!

  After Small Fry and I cleaned up and washed the dishes while Kat relaxed on the couch watching the news, I looked at the time. It was almost nine and the sign on the front desk at the mental hospital said visiting hours were from ten to four. I announced, “I'm going to get cleaned up then go visit Vanessa and make sure she's ok.”

  Fran brightened up and chirped, “Can I come?”

  I shook my head sadly. “They haven't clued in on you yet. We shouldn't push our luck. She'll be back in police custody on Monday, then I promise we'll do everything we can to get her home.” Home? Back with us. I added, “I put a couple pokers in the fire last night. Let's see if anything pans out.”

  Kat spoke up, “Why don't I bring you out for a fun day on the town Fran?” Then she signed to me with a concern in her eyes, “You got this shit?” I almost snorted, but just nodded with a grin and she visibly relaxed.

  Then Fran tilted her head as she regarded us. “You two...” She paused like she was choosing her words. “You talk to each other differently. I mean, you know, every time June speaks she signs the same thing even though you can read lips. Sometimes Kat, you only sign to June that's like evil whispering since I don't understand. Is there like certain rules to communicate when you are deaf?”

  She suddenly looked panicked. “I don't mean that to sound... I didn't mean...”

  Kathleen grinned and laid a hand on her arm to calm her as I said, “We just had different upbringings. My Mom just raised me to always sign what I am saying whenever someone with a hearing disability is around. Partially so that nothing is lost if someone can't read everything I say on my lips, they see the signs. The other part is that she sees it as rude to say things that people who can't sign can't understand. Kat was raised differently, maybe like in a barn or something.”

  I stuck my tongue out at Kat and she slapped my arm. She rolled her eyes. “I don't know why I put up with you sometimes.”

  I said and signed, “Because you love me.” Then grinned like an idiot.

  She smiled and sighed out, “Oh yeah, that's why. Brat.”

  Then I turned back to Fran and said with a little grimace on my face. “The other thing we are taught always have our face visible to anyone with a hearing disability when we speak so that they can read our lips. And never, ever, speak with your mouth full if someone is reading your lips. I mean... ewww.”

  Then Fran slapped her hand over her mouth in embarrassment realizing she had done just that. �
��Oh god.”

  Kat giggled. “Don't worry about it hon. You'll get used to me.”

  Then she looked at us and said, “When I get to high school, I want to take American Sign Language as an alternate language. You two make it look so pretty and graceful.” Kat hugged her and ruffled her hair.

  I grabbed my iPad off the coffee table and pulled up a finger spelling tutorial and handed it to her. “You don't need to wait if you are serious, you can start here. Once you can do this competently then, you can start with an ASL primer.”

  She squinted. “Why spelling first?”

  I sighed. “Because as you learn ASL you may not know all the words or expressions yet so you will have to spell out a lot of things, plus there are no signs for proper names of people and places for the most part.”

  She nodded, realization donning. “Oh, makes sense.” Then she sat down and started looking at the tutorial. I winked at Kat, who was studying the young lady, then I headed to the bathroom to get ready for the day.

  Before long, a taxi was dropping me off at Bellevue. I went in and was a little disappointed that Michelle wasn't at the front desk. I walked up to the overly skinny man that reminded me of a scarecrow with a long jaw. “Hi, I'm June Harris-West, here to see a patient. Vanessa Brighton.”

  The man typed something in on the computer then nodded and said, “Can I see some ID miss?” I showed him and he typed something else in. He was polite but less sociable than Michelle had been, I'm sure the day shift is a little more stressful. Then he looked back up at me as he slid a visitor's pass on a lanyard to me. “She's in a session right now with Doctor Ulysses. If you want to take a seat in the waiting area, they should be done in a few minutes and I'll have an orderly bring you up when she is available.

  I nodded absently, gave him a smile then wandered over to the waiting area. I pulled the lanyard of the visitor's pass, over my head, then ran my hands through my hair so it would settle over it. There weren't any seats available so I just stood over by the little table with a coffee maker on it.