by Dina Rae
“Yes. That’s the first sound he’s made since we started treatment.”
As much as Jessica detested the arrogant doctor, she couldn’t help but get excited. “Oh Doc, could this hypnotherapy actually work? I thought people used it to quit smoking or lose weight.” Her temporary surge of hope deflated as Henry quit sighing and watched the hand of the metronome.
“I’m not sure of anything anymore. I’m wondering if he’s already hypnotized and has been since he was found back in Haiti. Maybe post-traumatic stress is a false diagnosis.”
“Doctor, this all sounds a little bit out there. And not just him being hypnotized. A Haitian man who is an acquaintance of my son came over this morning and claimed he was possessed.”
“Possession is just an ancient form of hypnosis. Henry’s autism makes him more susceptible than you or me. His mind is clear, not cluttered with the problems of life. Think about it. The repetitive drumbeats, the metronome…They both are used to bring one into a state of hypnosis. Your Haitian friend is really not that crazy, just centuries behind.”
“So then try it. We’ve got plenty of time,” Jessica urged.
The doctor wound up the metronome and allowed Henry to watch it for a minute. “Henry, you’re eyes are getting heavy like cement. Put your head back and relax. Listen to my voice.” Henry abided. “Let’s go back a couple of months, June thirteenth, the day you left your campsite. Take yourself back. You were helping your dad and sister build a public restroom. You abruptly left. Where did you go? Picture yourself walking…you’re alone.”
Henry sat motionless with closed eyes. Dr. Gold checked his pulse. “Slow, but normal.” Turning back to Henry, he said, “You met some people. You were cut, bruised. Go back.”
Henry’s eyes opened and he eerily stared right into the doctor’s cold brown eyes.
Without flinching, the doctor continued asking questions related to the Haiti mission. Henry’s eyes shifted to the wall. The same empty stare returned. Several minutes passed and the breakthrough was gone.
“Our time is now up. Don’t get discouraged. What happened here today was huge.” He turned to his mother and ordered, “Cancel all of tomorrow’s appointments and ask Dr. Resnick to come in the morning, preferably nine o’clock. Can you get Henry here by then?”
“We’ll be here,” she promised. On the ride home back to Hayward, Jessica watched her son through the rearview mirror. Nothing. She refused to get excited about this supposed breakthrough. Henry was as catatonic as when they found him. She reported the news to Tom and Natalie over dinner.
By ten o’clock, she led Henry to bed and brought her laptop up to her room. She was wired. Tomorrow’s appointment with Dr. Gold prompted her to research multiple articles about hypnotherapy. Like most psychiatric treatments, some doctors found it useful while others believed it to be a waste of time. Although Dr. Gold had as much warmth as the Tundra, he was considered brilliant among his colleagues. Dr. Resnick, the doctor he requested, had an even more impressive Google profile.
On a whim, Jessica looked up Haitian loa possession. A few videos popped up in response to her search. She clicked on the first one and watched the grainy, homemade movie. A topless woman was gyrating in sync to bongo drums while frothing at the mouth. There was singing in the background, but the sound was barely audible.
“What are you watching?” asked Tom, awakened by the volume of the computer.
“It’s silly. Lucien came over today with Jake. I asked, he answered. Boy, did he answer. I might have over-reacted.”
“I don’t know about that. You’re pretty level-headed. What did he do?” Tom questioned.
“He believes that Henry is possessed. He believes that Henry was supposed to be used as a vessel for a spirit. That night in Port-au-Prince…Was Henry wearing a scarf of any kind?”
“No. Why? Is it important?”
“No, it’s stupid. Lucien gave Henry a bottle of some potion, and then prayed some Voodoo prayer. I flipped out. He left, and that was that. Sorry I woke you.”
“He’s a Haitian. Everything is about their Voodoo Hoodoo. But he’s harmless, probably just wanted to help. I really think Dr. Gold is on to something big. Have some faith,” Tom said and then kissed her goodnight.
Jessica shut down the computer and quickly drifted off to sleep.
She ran and ran deep in the woods with a relentless wolf snapping at her heels. All she could think about was saving Henry. Up ahead was a clearing. A man sat on a tree stump with his back to her. She was afraid, but ran towards him anyway. Almost there. The man sat so still. Could it be Henry? Something was wrong. As she approached, the wolf growled between her and the man. Unafraid of getting bitten, she reached out and touched his shoulders. The wolf lunged at her throat. As the man turned around, she screamed. His eyes blinded her. They were orange as fire.
“Honey, wake up now,” Tom whispered as he shook her shoulders. “Someone is in the house. I can hear something coming out of Henry’s room. Go get Natalie and hide.”
She tiptoed into Natalie’s room and quietly awakened her. “Be quiet. Someone’s inside,” she whispered as her daughter slowly processed her words.
“Jess! Natalie! Come here! It’s Henry!” Tom hollered from the other side of the hallway.
They both joined Tom inside of Henry’s room. Henry sat on the edge of his bed, crying.
Chapter 41
Late Summer of 2010
Tom stood in the doorway of his son’s room, devastated to see Henry weeping while sitting on the edge of his bed. It was the middle of the night, and Tom had awoken because he had thought there might be an intruder inside the house. He dropped his bat, relieved, and sat next to his son. Henry looked small, like a terrified little boy, despite his large frame.
Less than a minute later, Jessica and Natalie piled inside of Henry’s small bedroom. They both shed tears of joy, witnessing a miracle. Natalie flicked on the lights, revealing Henry’s face, full of the expression he had always worn before the tragedy struck.
“He’s back. Henry’s back. Oh thank you, Lord! Son, you have no idea how much we’ve missed you.” Tom was never one to cry, but his emotions could no longer be contained. His tears bordered on hysteria.
Jess and Natalie joined them on Henry’s bed. They prayed and took multiple turns hugging Henry. The boy did not return any of their embraces, but was never particularly affectionate.
An hour went by, and Henry continued to cry. Everyone patiently awaited his first words since their mission trip.
“Nat, Jess, why don’t you two go back to bed. Jess, we’ve got a big day with Gold and his colleague, what’s-his-name. I’ll stay up with Henry. Please get some rest. We got to take shifts and watch him. No good if we’re all sleep deprived.”
“But…” Jess protested.
“You’ll stay up with him tomorrow night, okay?” Tom compromised.
Reluctantly, his wife and daughter went back to bed. Tom watched Henry cry himself drier than the desert, without words, just raw, exposed pain. By dawn, the boy stopped crying and stared at the wall.
Fearing regression, Tom searched for some neutral, harmless questions to ask. “Henry…you gotta be thirsty. Drink? Something to eat?”
Henry readily nodded. They went downstairs into the kitchen where Tom scrambled up some eggs. Henry gulped down a quart of apple juice and two omelets, drinking and feeding himself without assistance. Tom was elated.
“You must have been starved. I can make more,” Tom proposed. Henry shook his head. “So, can you tell me what the last thing you remember back in Haiti?”
Henry’s dark blue eyes clouded.
“Scratch that. Can you talk at all?” Tom asked.
Henry whispered a ‘yes.’ Another gift from God, thought Tom.
“Do you know who Dr. Gold is?” Tom casually questioned. Henry shook his head. “He is your doctor. And your mother has been taking you to see him the whole summer. She’s going to take you there this morning. I can hear he
r upstairs. Her footsteps, the shower…You know, I’m going to go with.” Tom made a few calls and rearranged his schedule.
Jessica sat in the back seat with Henry as Tom drove to Eau Claire. Tom was anxious to meet the specialist Dr. Gold had recruited. Henry looked exhausted, but content. Tom counted seven yesses Henry had uttered since he awoken in the middle of the night. The progress revived his hope. He tried not to get too optimistic, knowing disappointment always had a way of showing up when things appeared to be going well.
***
Justin Gold cleared his schedule to make way for Dr. Phillip Resnick. The doctor’s celebrity status caused Justin to gush into star-struck mania. Dr. Resnick led the field of hypnosis for decades. His long list of achievements included several bestselling books and appearances on multiple talk shows including Oprah Winfrey. He was a rock star within the psychiatric world. Henry’s odd set of circumstances were enough for the esteemed doctor to drive several hours to Eau Claire from Mayo Clinic.
Dr. Gold believed Henry’s hypnosis was connected with his catatonia. The doctor even theorized Henry might still be hypnotized, making his case the longest case in psychiatric history. Justin burned with ambition. All he needed was one bizarre case, one unique patient, one unbelievable set of circumstances…Bang! Like striking oil within the medical field! He had all of the ingredients, including Dr. Resnick’s interest. Now all he needed was Henry to recover.
Dr. Resnick came early, admitting he left yesterday evening and stayed in a nearby hotel, afraid of being a slave to traffic. He was anxious to review Henry’s file. This could be even bigger than I had imagined, thought Dr. Gold.
Dr. Resnick did not have a poker face. His obvious interest in Henry grew exponentially after reading each page of Dr. Gold’s notes. “You didn’t tell me he had Asperger’s nor mention his interest in Voodoo.”
“I think he could be a prestigious case study. Maybe Mayo would be interested?” Dr. Gold commented. Dr. Resnick agreed.
The visiting doctor was not what Justin had expected. He was much older than he appeared on television and publication pictures. He had age spots and faded brown eyes, shaggy white hair in dire need of a haircut. He dressed down in khakis and a button-down plaid shirt, whereas Justin looked the polar opposite, young, handsome, donning a custom-made black suit.
Dr. Resnick’s achievements overshadowed his casual appearance. Dr. Gold, usually self-confident, was nervous. The pressure was turned up. Henry had to progress or else he would look like a fool for wasting the famous doctor’s time.
Justin lied about his relationship with Resnick to Jessica Novak. He claimed the venerated doctor was a colleague, but really was a stranger. Justin sensed she disliked him and was getting ready to pull the plug on his sessions with Henry. He doubted she ever heard of Resnick, but predicted the protective mother would run to the Internet and check out the man’s credentials. Through Resnick’s fame, Justin’s association might elevate his own status within her eyes. He needed her commitment to keep Henry in his therapy sessions.
Jessica arrived five minutes early as she always did, this time bringing her husband along. Dr. Gold had only met him once the day of their initial visit. The usual skepticism on Jessica’s face was gone. Could there be more developments since yesterday?
Dr. Gold led Dr. Resnick into the waiting room and cordially made the introductions. Tom burst with excitement as he shared last night’s happenings.
“Henry cried throughout the whole night. We saw a stint of recognition in his eyes. He answered a few yes/no questions and even ate by himself. He’s tired, but he’s ready. Don’t know what you did yesterday, but keep on doing it.”
“As I told your wife, Dr. Resnick is renowned for his work in hypnotherapy. He will be taking the lead in today’s session. We’ll call you back inside of the office if something new transpires,” Dr. Gold brusquely said as he and Dr. Resnick led Henry back into his office.
“But…” Tom mumbled.
Dr. Gold ignored him. He and Dr. Resnick agreed to examine Henry alone. The boy’s parents were too much of a distraction.
“Henry, sit down. Dr. Resnick came all the way from Mayo Clinic to see you. Do you know where Mayo is?”
Henry sat in the big, overstuffed chair and stared at the floor, unresponsive.
“It’s in Minnesota. This man is the best at what he does. Trust him. We’ll bring your parents back here later on this morning,” Dr. Gold instructed. He wasn’t certain if Henry understood or reverted back to catatonia.
Dr. Resnick approached Henry with the same metronome Dr. Gold used the day before. He wound it up and set it in front of Henry. The swaying movement of the wand instantly captivated the boy.
Dr. Resnick probed Henry with a series of yes and no questions taken from the boy’s file. Your name is Henry? Are you fifteen? Do you live in Hayward? Were you born in October?
At first, Henry was taciturn, absorbed with the ticking wand of the metronome. Eventually he began to nod or shake his head to some of the questions. Sometimes his answer would be wrong, but there was evidence of communication.
“I believe you’re right. This is certainly not Post-Traumatic Stress. This boy is hypnotized. How long? Two, three months? This could be the longest case on record,” stated Dr. Resnick. He began to prod Henry with a small mallet, checking his reflexes, and then checking his pulse. “We will bring him back to his family. Do you have any pictures from Haiti?”
Dr. Gold nodded and retrieved his laptop. He opened up the downloaded file Jessica had emailed him. Dr. Gold set the file in a slideshow mode, placing the laptop next to the metronome for Henry to view.
“Henry, do you remember anything about your mission trip?” Dr. Resnick pried. Justin admired his blunt technique. Henry’s eyes shifted from the metronome to the computer, watching the photos of him, family, and friends taken at the campsite.
“Yes,” Henry whispered.
“Excellent, Henry,” Dr. Resnick praised. He smiled at Dr. Gold with his brown eyes dancing with jubilation. “Looks like you were all having fun while doing God’s work. Henry, were you having fun?”
“Yes,” Henry said, this time at regular volume.
“But then something happened. Again, answer me yes or no. Did something bad happen when you left your campsite?” Dr. Resnick questioned.
“Yes,” Henry answered.
Dr. Resnick turned to Dr. Gold and softly stated, “Things couldn’t be progressing any better. I think we can enter the next phase of questioning. Okay Henry, can you tell us where you were headed once you left your campsite?”
Henry squirmed in his seat and fidgeted with the laptop until Dr. Gold took it away.
“I know this is painful. Let me make this easier. Were you going to the other campsite where all of the refugees were staying?” Dr. Resnick pestered.
“No!” Henry exclaimed.
Both doctors shuddered, but Dr. Resnick wouldn’t let up. He continued with the uncomfortable questions. “Did you wish to watch a Voodoo ceremony?”
“No…I wanted to…” Henry replied, and then drifted off.
Dr. Gold intuitively thought it best to finish the session. “Dr. Resnick, I don’t think he’s ready yet.”
“Nonsense. This is the most, if not the only, progress the boy has shown since his return,” Dr. Resnick argued. “Now Henry, please, I know this is difficult, but tell us what you wanted to do when you left your family, your mission.”
“I wanted to find…” Henry hesitantly answered. His words turned to garble.
“You wanted to find a church? To worship? Did you want to go to a Voodoo service? I’m confused,” Dr. Gold interrupted.
“No more questions. I’m tired,” Henry announced.
“Agreed. But we still need you to answer that last one, and then we’ll end our session. Again Henry, where were you headed once you left your mission?” nagged Dr. Resnick.
Henry wrapped his arms around his legs, retreating into a fetal position. He bega
n to cry. “It doesn’t matter!”
“It does matter. Are you protecting someone? Why such a secret? You’re safe. You don’t need to …” Dr. Resnick cajoled.
In a split second, Henry sprang from the chair and cupped his meaty hands around Dr. Resnick’s throat with full intent of strangling him to death.
“Henry, stop! Help!” shrieked Dr. Gold as he pried one of Henry’s arms off of Dr. Resnick. Tom and Jessica dashed into the office. Tom yanked his son off of the old man. Dr. Gold rummaged through his desk drawer and found a pair of handcuffs he was looking for. He quickly slapped them around Henry’s wrists while Dr. Resnick caught his breath.
“I’m fine. Just shaken up, but fine. Thank you all for getting Henry off of me. My fault. I was too aggressive in my treatment,” Dr. Resnick stated.
Henry angrily paced on the other side of the office, wearing the cushion-lined handcuffs.
“Please take your son home. Here is the key to the cuffs. I hate to use them, but when there is danger…” explained Dr. Gold.
“Say no more. And Dr. Resnick, I’m the one who is sorry. He’s my son and I’m responsible for his actions,” Tom retorted. He, Jessica, and Henry left through the back entrance.
“I’m so sorry, Dr. Resnick. This is the first bout of violence I have seen from the boy. Let me take you to the hospital at once,” Dr. Gold insisted.
“Oh heavens, no. I’ll be fine. Not the first button I’ve pushed. I’ve got to be honest with you, that boy fascinates me. Of all of the cases I’ve treated…I can’t tell if he’s under or awake. Please allow me to sit in on another session. I want to write about you and Henry in my next book.”
Dr. Resnick’s words were like manna from Heaven. Dr. Gold fervently accepted. The two men worked out a schedule in which Dr. Resnick was available to observe Henry’s upcoming sessions.
Chapter 42
Jake didn’t know what to make of Lucien’s increasingly strange behavior. He loved the man like a father, but thought he was unraveling.
The crazy performance he put on for Mrs. Novak had angered Jake. Her reaction was remarkably tame considering everything she had been through. Henry’s family didn’t deserve this. All they wanted to do was help the Haitians in Jesus’ name.
