The Therapist

by Kelly Holm

  “What about Willie?”

  “Interestingly enough, he got away. When the cops asked who was there with your mother, she lied and said she was alone. She didn’t know what else to do; she was terrified that if she told the police about Willie, he would find a way to kill her. Once she was inside, Willie never tried to contact her. So, she did her time, got her GED, and vowed to change her life… and she did, she decided to go to nursing school when she got out.”

  “I can’t believe he just left her there, what an asshole.”

  “She and I didn’t meet until a few years later. After we started dating, she told me all about her childhood and Willie. Then you came into the picture, and her whole world turned upside down. At first, she would barely let me hold you or even be near you. She explained that she couldn’t trust any man, no matter who he was, around her daughter. I could understand; she didn’t have any good memories of what a man was supposed to be like.”

  “That explains a lot… but I’m confused; you mentioned that you were dating my mother when I came into the picture. Do you know who my father is?”

  “No, I’m sorry, I don’t.”

  “Oh well, I had to ask,” she said with sadness in her voice.

  Leo could hear how disappointed she was in her voice, but he was much more worried that she would ask more questions about her birth, and he didn’t want to be the one to have to explain that whole story to her.

  “So why didn’t you guys get married after I left for college… Was it because she was still married to that guy in Utah?”

  “That’s a good guess, but not the reason… she eventually found out that her husband in Utah had died, but things between us were great, and we just didn’t want to change them. I proposed one night, but she wasn’t all that hip on marriage, she believed that it ruined things. I can understand why she thought that way.”

  “I’m so sorry, that must have been really hard for you.”

  “I’m not going to lie, it sucked, but in all respects, we were already married, we just didn’t live together. I always thought of Krystal as my wife, and I still do. I loved her so much, I just wanted to be with her, and if this was the only way, I really had no other choice.”

  “You are really amazing. I don’t think I could have done that.”

  “You’d be surprised what you’ll do for love.”

  “I don’t know Leo; I don’t think I’m that strong. I can’t believe my mother went through all that and still came out as amazing as she did.”

  “Ya, your mother was an amazing woman. She always lived in the present, never dwelling on the past. I wish I could be more like her.”

  “Me too. Thanks for telling me Leo, and don’t worry; Mama loved you way too much to have you struck dead.” They both laughed.

  “God, I hope so.”

  The food arrived, and they started to eat. It was then that Leo noticed Dr. Blackmore walk in with a couple of people. He watched to see Mila’s reaction. As Mila looked up, Dr. Blackmore motioned a hello to her; she quickly nodded her head, hoping that Leo didn’t notice.

  “Do you want to go over and say hello?” Leo asked casually when he noticed the nod.

  “No, why would I? I barely know him,” she replied defensively.

  “I see,” he said, as he took a big bite of his burger.

  “He’s just a colleague I work with now and then.” Calm down Mila, he’s just asking. Don’t make him suspicious, she told herself.

  “Isn’t his name… Dr. Black something?”

  “Dr. Irving Blackmore; do you know him?”

  “I don’t; your mother mentioned that she knew him,” he said, as he casually took another bite of his burger.

  “My mother knew him?”

  “Ya, probably from the hospital or something; I don’t know. How much do you know about him?” Leo tried his best to sound nonchalant so she wouldn’t become suspicious.

  “Like, what do you mean?” What the hell is he getting at? She wondered as she moved the lettuce around on her plate.

  “Well, your mother thought he was pretty bad news. You know her, she never went into details, but she made it pretty clear that she was not a big fan of his.” Careful Leo, don’t overdo it. Stay cool, it’s just a conversation, he told himself.

  “What do you mean? Did she say something about him to you before she died?” Mila was getting nervous. Was it possible

  that her mother knew what was really going on?

  “We had a conversation or two, look, I just know she didn’t think very highly of him, and I think if you’re working with him, you might want to be cautious. That’s all.” Leo watched as the look on Mila’s face went from worried to angry.

  “Well, you obviously don’t know what you’re talking about. Dr. Blackmore’s a highly respected psychiatrist.” Mila was getting very flustered. How dare he come in here and start interrogating me about who I work with, she thought.

  “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to upset you.” Leo could tell he hit a nerve.

  “I just don’t understand why you think he’s bad news.” Breathe Mila, don’t lose your cool, she reminded herself.

  “Apparently, your mother and Maggie were looking into some of his extra-curricular activities at the hospital in Freyhill, and found some disturbing things.”

  “What extra-curricular activities? What type of disturbing things did they find out?” She was getting worried; how much does he know?

  “All I know is that your mother found out that he was doing something illegal at the hospital, and she was looking into it.”

  “Well, she must have been mistaken; he’s highly respected in the psychiatric world. I’m sure he’s not into anything illegal.”

  Mila quickly looked down and played with her salad while she tried to regain her composure.

  “You know, I went over to the hospital and tried to get the notes your mother had on him, but they were gone. It looked like someone pulled everything out of the file drawer in a hurry, kind of suspicious, don’t you think? When I ran into Maggie, I asked her about it, and she offered to help me; but then something happened to her.”

  “What do you mean, what happened, is she ok?”

  “She will be, but apparently she had some sort of attack at the hospital that day, and they had to remove one of her kidneys. She’s perplexed and confused; and thinks it might have been done maliciously, but she doesn’t have any proof.”

  Leo watched Mila’s reaction to what he was telling her to see just how deep she was in. Oh, you know something don’t you, but I can tell you aren’t going to spill, not with that poker face, he thought.

  “That’s terrible about Maggie, but there’s always something wrong with her,” Mila replied flippantly, trying to steer the conversation away from Dr. Blackmore.

  Leo knew that wasn’t true, Krystal always said that she wished the rest of her staff were as healthy as Maggie. He thought about saying that to Mila but decided against it. He knew it would probably spark a fight, and he didn’t want that.

  Unfortunately, now it was obvious to Leo that Mila was working with Dr. Blackmore, and probably pretty closely, judging by the way she got so defensive so quickly. He decided to push a little more to see just how deep she was in.

  “So, what type of work do you do with this Dr. Blackmore?”

  “We’ve been testing new drugs for OCD and severe anxiety. I have a lot of patients that can benefit from them.”

  “Is that legal?”

  Mila glared at him, and Leo knew immediately, he shouldn’t have asked that.

  “Of course, it’s legal,” she said getting very defensive again.

  “Of course, I’m sorry. I’m just worried about you, just like your mother was before she died.”

  Leo was worried that he may have stepped over the line. He looked at Mila and could tell that she was at her wit's end. He felt terrible; he wasn’t trying to upset her; he was just trying to warn her to be cautious around Dr. Blackmore.

  “
You know, you can’t just come in here and lecture me, throw accusations around, and act like you’re my dad or something.”

  “I know I’m not your father, but I’m the closest thing you have to one, and I’m just watching out for you.”

  “I don’t need you to watch out for me, I’m a grown woman, I’m fully capable of taking care of myself.”

  “That you are, but I think you should also know that your mother’s death may not have been an accident. I think someone might have deliberately hurt her.”

  “What are you talking about? Do you have any proof? Did something show up in an autopsy?”

  “No, we never got a chance to do an autopsy, the hospital was too quick to cremate her; it’s more of a hunch.”

  “Oh, and let me guess, it was Dr. Blackmore that did it. I’m done. I don’t have time for this, Leo.” Mila had heard enough. She pushed her salad away and quickly stood up, grabbed her purse off the back of the chair, and turned to leave.

  “Mila, please don’t leave. Come on, let’s talk this out.”

  It didn’t matter what he said, Mila had to leave before she cracked. Leo seemed to know way too much about Dr. Blackmore, and the longer she stayed, the more infuriated she got.

  When Mila got out to her car, she immediately got in and drove away; she didn’t want to risk Leo coming after her. She thought about what he had said about her mother; was it possible that someone deliberately killed Mama? Mila didn’t want to believe it.

  As she drove, she thought more about what Leo had said.

  Working with Dr. Blackmore was supposed to be an easy way to make some extra money, but now things were starting to spiral out of control. Mila noticed Morningside Park was coming up on the left side of the road. She decided to pull in and go for a short walk to try and clear her head.

  The park was beautiful today, very peaceful. There were several children playing in the distance on a jungle gym and swings, there was a young couple walking their two Shih Tzu’s around the walking track, and a game of soccer was well underway in the sports field. Mila walked over to a grassy patch next to the soccer field and took off her shoes to walk barefoot in the grass. It always seemed to calm her down.

  Mila thought about her work with Dr. Blackmore, and suddenly, she was deep in the memory of how she started working with him. She had just graduated from college and was feeling the pain of the massive loans she had from school, and the new ones that were piling up from starting her practice when she ran into her friend Jessica Stratford.

  She and Jessica started school together; they were paired as roommates in the dorm. Within days, a lasting friendship was budding. After college, Jessica married her boyfriend and had a baby. Mila and Jessica tried to keep in touch, but it was difficult. Mila was busy trying to set up her practice, and Jessica was dealing with a new practice, marriage, and motherhood.

  Then one day Mila was shopping in Santa Monica, and she ran into Jessica. The two had lunch and caught up. When Mila

  talked about how her loans were killing her, Jessica told her how she was earning extra money by working with Dr. Blackmore.

  Mila was intrigued and asked what she had to do. Jessica said all she did was recommend patients for a new trial drug, and if they work out, she gets paid. Mila asked how much she gets, and was amazed to find out that for each patient that worked out, Jessica received five hundred dollars. At that rate, Mila could pay off her loans and get a good nest egg going much sooner.

  When Mila asked what Dr. Blackmore did with the patients, Jessica told her that he talks with them, and if he feels that they will benefit from the new medication, he administers the first dose. Jessica told Mila that Dr. Blackmore was always looking for new doctors to join his team, and if Mila was interested, Jessica said she would be happy to introduce her to Dr. Blackmore.

  Mila thought about it and decided to meet with Dr. Blackmore to find out more. Jessica set up the meeting, and Mila was a hit, she was hired on the spot. At first, it was great, she was sending several patients over, not all of them worked out, but many of them did. However, what seemed like good money quickly became not enough. It was becoming more expensive to set up her practice then she thought it would be. She needed to make more money.

  Mila called to schedule a meeting with Dr. Blackmore. She wanted to ask if she could send patients over for any other drug trials, so she could earn more money. Dr. Blackmore told her he was working in Freyhill the next few weeks, and if she wanted, she could come there to meet with him. Otherwise, she would have to wait for him to return to Los Angeles.

  At first, it seemed strange to Mila that he would be working in a hospital in such a small town, but then she remembered that Burt Apricotty, the towns own billionaire, had

  donated his entire fortune to the hospital when he died last year. Freyhill hospital used the money wisely and purchased a bunch of state-of-the-art equipment. Now more and more doctors are traveling the distance to use the new equipment.

  Since Freyhill hospital was also where her mother worked, Mila decided to meet with Dr. Blackmore there. She thought it would be nice to surprise her mother with an unannounced visit after the meeting. When Mila got to the hospital, she was told that Dr. Blackmore’s office was on the eighth floor. She quickly went upstairs, carefully looking around to make sure that no one who knew her would see her, and spoil the surprise.

  When she got up to the eighth floor, it was almost deserted. Apparently, the floor was closed to patients right now because they were remodeling. Most of the staff was gone too. It was then that she noticed Dr. Blackmore walking out of a room in full bloody, scrubs. She found it quite strange, but didn’t think it would be appropriate for her to ask about it. Mila wondered why a psychiatrist would ever perform surgery. She wanted to leave, but before she had the chance, Dr. Blackmore saw her and motioned her over.

  He immediately apologized for his appearance and said he likes to wear the scrubs because they are comfortable, and he explained that the blood was because he was just helping a nurse clean up a pint of blood that had fallen on the floor. The story seemed a little thin, but Mila reminded herself that she had no reason to not believe him.

  She asked him about the possibility of sending over patients for different drug trials. Dr. Blackmore told her that was definitely a possibility, but if she could find patients that do evil things due to their mental issues, she could earn up to five thousand dollars a patient. He asked her to follow him to his office, and he gave her a list of what he was looking for and how

  much each one paid. Mila glanced at it and then folded it up and put it in her purse for later.

  Mila was thrilled for the opportunity to earn more money, but still, there was something about seeing Dr. Blackmore in the bloody scrubs that just rubbed her wrong. As she was walking out to her car, to head back to L.A., her phone rang. She looked at the caller ID, it was her mother… Mila had utterly forgotten that she was going to surprise her after the meeting.

  She reluctantly picked up, and when Krystal asked her what she was doing, Mila lied and said she was just leaving the gym and asked if she could call her back later. Mila didn’t know why she lied; it just came rolling out of her mouth, and before she knew it, she was backing up the lie with more just to get through the conversation.

  Mila no longer wanted to surprise her mother, she just wanted to get away and figure out why she had such a bad feeling about working with Dr. Blackmore after seeing him in the scrubs. There was something inside her telling her something was wrong, but she didn’t want to listen.

  By the time Mila got home, she was feeling much better. She had pretty much pushed seeing Dr. Blackmore in the bloody scrubs to the back of her mind. The thought of earning so much more a patient, to help her pay down her debt much faster, was in its place.

  Mila had gone into her own world, remembering how she met Dr. Blackmore and didn’t notice the soccer ball coming right for her. Suddenly, she felt the impact of the ball hit her, and she fell to the ground. She
laid there a minute before she realized what had happened.

  “Oh my gosh ma’am, are you ok?” yelled a young teenage girl with long dark hair pulled back in a pony and dressed in hot

  pink shorts and a tight black and pink tank top running towards her.

  “Um, I think so, what happened?” Mila asked as she tried to sit up and compose herself.

  “You got hit on the head with a soccer ball. Didn’t you see it coming?”

  “I guess not.”

  “You need to be more careful.”

  “Yes, I do.”

  The young girl was staring at her, rocking back and forth nervously, and then she said,

  “Do you mind if I take the ball back? We just tied it up, and there are only a few minutes left on the clock.”

  “Sure, I’m fine,” Mila replied, as she wiped the grass off her skirt and stood up. The girl quickly grabbed the ball and ran back to the soccer field to finish her game.

  Mila quickly decided that this was enough nature time for her today. She preferred to be somewhere without flying soccer balls. She walked back to her car, got inside, and drove off.

  Chapter 12

  Larisa arrived at Dr. Blackmore’s office a few minutes early. As she got out of her car, she paused and smoothed her teal pencil skirt, then walked up to the office door. When she stepped inside, she immediately noticed a young woman with long dark curly hair, and bold piercing eyes, which were perfectly lined, sitting at the reception desk.

  “Do you have an appointment?” Sofia, the receptionist, asked as she quickly put away the remaining portion of her breakfast of avocado toast.

  “Yes, my name is Larisa Bergman. I have a 9:00 a.m. appointment.”

  “Oh yes, I see your name here on the schedule. You’re a few minutes early, would you like to have a seat? Someone will call you back in a few minutes. There’s hot water on the table over there if you would like some tea.”