Categories > Celebrities > My Chemical Romance > Stockholm Syndrome
"Paulina!" Mrs. James threw her arms around her daughter's neck, collapsing onto the hospital bed. "My baby! Paulina! Oh, Paulina. My daughter, my sweet daughter." The woman was shaking with sobs, shoulders heaving, tears sliding down her cheeks onto her daughter's hospital gown.
"Mom," Paulina breathed, wrapping her arms around her mother's frame. She seemed smaller than Paulina remembered. Paulina had never seen her mother cry.
It was almost surreal, the whole thing. Her mother, the hospital, all of it. An IV was stuck in her arm, a drip bag hanging beside her bed; there was an ID bracelet cinched around her wrist; adhesive bandages decorated her left arm where blood had been taken. None of it seemed real. "Mom, I can't believe it's really you."
"I'm here now, honey." Mrs. James sat back and cradled her daughter's face in her palm. A teary smile made Paulina's stomach clench.
"How--how did they...?" Last Paulina remembered, she'd passed out in a park, possibly many miles away from her home. How had she ended up in a hospital, with her mother, no less?
"Well, they found you in Ashbury Park. You know, the one we used to take you to when you were little?" Paulina would have never guessed. So close to home? Had they intended her to be found? They wanted her back with her family? Why would they want such a thing? It seemed a recipe for disaster. "They brought you here. They found your ID in your pocket and found the Missing Persons report on you. They called me when they got you here."
"Where's Dad?" Paulina flinched, before remembering that there was no longer any reason for her to be afraid of asking questions.
"He's on his way, honey. He was in for a case when they called. He had to ask for a court recess from the judge." Paulina nodded. She stared at a spot on the covers at her feet, deep in thought. Suddenly, she gasped.
"Where's Algernon? Where is he?" She twisted and turned on the bed, scrambling at the covers and trying to rip them off herself.
"Honey," Paulina's mother said, becoming very serious. "Who is Algernon? Is he the one who took you? Is that the man that kept you for all these months?"
"No!" Paulina was hysterical, clawing at her arm to rip out the IV tube. Her mother grabbed her hands to stop her. "He's my rabbit! Where is he? Is he gone? Did he run away from me too?" Tears poured down the girl's face, soaking the neck of her hospital gown as they dripped off her chin.
"Paulina, you need to calm down!" Suddenly stern, Mrs. James grabbed her daughter's shoulders and held her still. "Honey, the rabbit is right here." She got up and crossed to the bathroom door, where Paulina finally noticed Al's leash was wrapped around the doorknob. The mother picked up the little rabbit
off the floor and brought it over to her daughter, placing him gingerly on her lap.
It was then, while she stroked his soft fur, some semblance of relief ebbing through her, that Paulina noticed a man standing in the corner. He was wearing khaki pants, a blue Oxford shirt, and a green plaid sweater vest. He wore glasses and no expression on his face. However, his hands were shoved uncertainly into his pockets, something Paulina probably wouldn't have noticed if she hadn't been taught to notice the smallest details of body language, like the fact that when Frank thought very hard about something, he tended to click his lip ring against his teeth, which showed indecisiveness and a fear of making the wrong choice.
"Paulina." Her mother sat down on the bed once more, taking her face in her hands and speaking sternly. "What happened to you? Why do you have a rabbit? Why have you gained weight? Where were you? What has been happening for the past six months?"
"Mrs. James," said the man that was trying not to be nervous. "You're not going to help her by overloading her with questions. I think it would be best if you waited outside." Her grip on her daughter's jaw tightened protectively.
"But--but...I--"
"Mrs. James, I'm not permitted to issue the sanity test with anyone else in the room. I'm sorry, but if you would be so kind..." He gestured out to the hallway before clasping his hands in front of him. The mother sighed and looked at her daughter, standing and exiting.
"I'll be right outside if you need me, honey." She closed the door softly behind herself, leaving Paulina alone with the strange man that she assumed was a psychotherapist of some sort.
"Paulina, my name is Dr. Coker."
"You a shrink?" Paulina quite enjoyed this new freedom to ask questions.
"Sure, something like that." He leaned up against the window sill, beginning to bite his lip before quickly stopping himself. He was relatively young, about as young as he could be and have a PhD. "The state sent me. Since you're eighteen and an adult, they need me to test and make sure you're mentally stable, and capable of making your own decisions regarding this case. Do you think you feel up to answering a few questions today?"
"Sure, whatever." So the state had sent him. It made Paulina wonder how long she'd been there. Dr. Coker had a slight five-o-clock shadow. Either he'd been called right when Paulina had been found and hadn't had the chance to shave, or, being young as he was, he let his facial hair grow out so he'd be taken more seriously and not be treated like a child. Either way, his rugged appearance did nothing to still Paulina's nerves, the way it seemed a therapist should.
Coker cleared his throat. "Alright, then let's begin. Full name?"
"Paulina Corrine James."
"Mother's full name?"
"Celeste Marie Smith James."
"Father's full name?"
"Henry Joseph James."
"What school did you attend prior to this incident?"
"South County Public High School."
"Do you know what year it is?"
"2011."
"Who's the president?"
"Oh, for Christ's sake. What is the point of all this? President must be...Ronald Reagan! That's it! That's who it is!" Paulina glared at Coker, who cleared his throat nervously.
"I have to take every answer you give seriously, so you should probably--"
"Give me a break, Mr. Coker," Paulina said, rolling her eyes. She had intentionally omitted the "Dr." from his title to piss him off. "You can see I'm sane and of sound mind. Let my mother back in."
"Uh...it's Dr. Coker, actually," the man said, his toe tapping inside his shoe. "And I can't just say you're sane. It could be detrimental to your well-being."
"I'm eighteen. Every other eighteen year old is permitted to make their own decisions without taking a sanity test." Paulina rolled her eyes and cocked an eyebrow. She didn't want to do all this right now. She wanted everyone to just leave her alone.
"Yes, but not every eighteen year old has been kidnapped and dropped off the face of the earth for six months. Paulina, you have to understand that you could have gone through things seriously detrimental to your mental health. There could be testimonies you have to give, medical tests to go through, papers to sign, and we have to make sure that you know exactly what you're doing when you do all those things." Paulina sighed and shrugged.
"Whatever. Do I seem insane to you?"
"You know, a lot of people would fail you for being so belligerent," Coker told her, trying to sound a lot more confident than he was. Paulina smirked. "But I can see you're just...stressed from all the excitement. You pass."
"Yippee," Paulina said dully.
"Do you want me to send your mother in?"
"Yes," Paulina said, looking out the window. "Wait...no. I'd like some alone time for a while..."
"Very well." With that, Coker departed, closing the door behind himself. Paulina could hear his voice and her mother's as they discussed her sanity. Paulina sat back and pushed her fingers through Algernon's fur.
"Where are they, Al?" she asked the tiny rabbit. "Why did they leave me?" Of course, the rabbit didn't answer, just set to work chewing a hole through the hospital sheets. "He said he loved me, Al. You don't just say that to someone and then leave them...So what's going on?"
Why, hello there. Yes, I'm back from the southern depths of Tumbling Shoals, Arkansas. It's been a long two weeks, let me tell you. I know I promised to update the minute I got back, but my connecting flight out of Atlanta was delayed three hours, and I didn't get home until one in the morning. I just did not feel like reformatting this whole thing from my iPod to my computer that night. I'm sure you all understand. And I've been out all day, hanging out with my friends and all, since I haven't seen them. It was fun. I had fun. Surprisingly enough, I only got two chapters done in as many weeks. I was busy, I guess. Sorry. But fear not. I know this chapter was short and whatnot (and perhaps not the greatest), but the next one is longer, and just better, in my opinion. Anywho, that's all for now. Please go comment/subscribe/prove you haven't given up on this story because I have to make it longer. Okay. OverAndOutxx
"Mom," Paulina breathed, wrapping her arms around her mother's frame. She seemed smaller than Paulina remembered. Paulina had never seen her mother cry.
It was almost surreal, the whole thing. Her mother, the hospital, all of it. An IV was stuck in her arm, a drip bag hanging beside her bed; there was an ID bracelet cinched around her wrist; adhesive bandages decorated her left arm where blood had been taken. None of it seemed real. "Mom, I can't believe it's really you."
"I'm here now, honey." Mrs. James sat back and cradled her daughter's face in her palm. A teary smile made Paulina's stomach clench.
"How--how did they...?" Last Paulina remembered, she'd passed out in a park, possibly many miles away from her home. How had she ended up in a hospital, with her mother, no less?
"Well, they found you in Ashbury Park. You know, the one we used to take you to when you were little?" Paulina would have never guessed. So close to home? Had they intended her to be found? They wanted her back with her family? Why would they want such a thing? It seemed a recipe for disaster. "They brought you here. They found your ID in your pocket and found the Missing Persons report on you. They called me when they got you here."
"Where's Dad?" Paulina flinched, before remembering that there was no longer any reason for her to be afraid of asking questions.
"He's on his way, honey. He was in for a case when they called. He had to ask for a court recess from the judge." Paulina nodded. She stared at a spot on the covers at her feet, deep in thought. Suddenly, she gasped.
"Where's Algernon? Where is he?" She twisted and turned on the bed, scrambling at the covers and trying to rip them off herself.
"Honey," Paulina's mother said, becoming very serious. "Who is Algernon? Is he the one who took you? Is that the man that kept you for all these months?"
"No!" Paulina was hysterical, clawing at her arm to rip out the IV tube. Her mother grabbed her hands to stop her. "He's my rabbit! Where is he? Is he gone? Did he run away from me too?" Tears poured down the girl's face, soaking the neck of her hospital gown as they dripped off her chin.
"Paulina, you need to calm down!" Suddenly stern, Mrs. James grabbed her daughter's shoulders and held her still. "Honey, the rabbit is right here." She got up and crossed to the bathroom door, where Paulina finally noticed Al's leash was wrapped around the doorknob. The mother picked up the little rabbit
off the floor and brought it over to her daughter, placing him gingerly on her lap.
It was then, while she stroked his soft fur, some semblance of relief ebbing through her, that Paulina noticed a man standing in the corner. He was wearing khaki pants, a blue Oxford shirt, and a green plaid sweater vest. He wore glasses and no expression on his face. However, his hands were shoved uncertainly into his pockets, something Paulina probably wouldn't have noticed if she hadn't been taught to notice the smallest details of body language, like the fact that when Frank thought very hard about something, he tended to click his lip ring against his teeth, which showed indecisiveness and a fear of making the wrong choice.
"Paulina." Her mother sat down on the bed once more, taking her face in her hands and speaking sternly. "What happened to you? Why do you have a rabbit? Why have you gained weight? Where were you? What has been happening for the past six months?"
"Mrs. James," said the man that was trying not to be nervous. "You're not going to help her by overloading her with questions. I think it would be best if you waited outside." Her grip on her daughter's jaw tightened protectively.
"But--but...I--"
"Mrs. James, I'm not permitted to issue the sanity test with anyone else in the room. I'm sorry, but if you would be so kind..." He gestured out to the hallway before clasping his hands in front of him. The mother sighed and looked at her daughter, standing and exiting.
"I'll be right outside if you need me, honey." She closed the door softly behind herself, leaving Paulina alone with the strange man that she assumed was a psychotherapist of some sort.
"Paulina, my name is Dr. Coker."
"You a shrink?" Paulina quite enjoyed this new freedom to ask questions.
"Sure, something like that." He leaned up against the window sill, beginning to bite his lip before quickly stopping himself. He was relatively young, about as young as he could be and have a PhD. "The state sent me. Since you're eighteen and an adult, they need me to test and make sure you're mentally stable, and capable of making your own decisions regarding this case. Do you think you feel up to answering a few questions today?"
"Sure, whatever." So the state had sent him. It made Paulina wonder how long she'd been there. Dr. Coker had a slight five-o-clock shadow. Either he'd been called right when Paulina had been found and hadn't had the chance to shave, or, being young as he was, he let his facial hair grow out so he'd be taken more seriously and not be treated like a child. Either way, his rugged appearance did nothing to still Paulina's nerves, the way it seemed a therapist should.
Coker cleared his throat. "Alright, then let's begin. Full name?"
"Paulina Corrine James."
"Mother's full name?"
"Celeste Marie Smith James."
"Father's full name?"
"Henry Joseph James."
"What school did you attend prior to this incident?"
"South County Public High School."
"Do you know what year it is?"
"2011."
"Who's the president?"
"Oh, for Christ's sake. What is the point of all this? President must be...Ronald Reagan! That's it! That's who it is!" Paulina glared at Coker, who cleared his throat nervously.
"I have to take every answer you give seriously, so you should probably--"
"Give me a break, Mr. Coker," Paulina said, rolling her eyes. She had intentionally omitted the "Dr." from his title to piss him off. "You can see I'm sane and of sound mind. Let my mother back in."
"Uh...it's Dr. Coker, actually," the man said, his toe tapping inside his shoe. "And I can't just say you're sane. It could be detrimental to your well-being."
"I'm eighteen. Every other eighteen year old is permitted to make their own decisions without taking a sanity test." Paulina rolled her eyes and cocked an eyebrow. She didn't want to do all this right now. She wanted everyone to just leave her alone.
"Yes, but not every eighteen year old has been kidnapped and dropped off the face of the earth for six months. Paulina, you have to understand that you could have gone through things seriously detrimental to your mental health. There could be testimonies you have to give, medical tests to go through, papers to sign, and we have to make sure that you know exactly what you're doing when you do all those things." Paulina sighed and shrugged.
"Whatever. Do I seem insane to you?"
"You know, a lot of people would fail you for being so belligerent," Coker told her, trying to sound a lot more confident than he was. Paulina smirked. "But I can see you're just...stressed from all the excitement. You pass."
"Yippee," Paulina said dully.
"Do you want me to send your mother in?"
"Yes," Paulina said, looking out the window. "Wait...no. I'd like some alone time for a while..."
"Very well." With that, Coker departed, closing the door behind himself. Paulina could hear his voice and her mother's as they discussed her sanity. Paulina sat back and pushed her fingers through Algernon's fur.
"Where are they, Al?" she asked the tiny rabbit. "Why did they leave me?" Of course, the rabbit didn't answer, just set to work chewing a hole through the hospital sheets. "He said he loved me, Al. You don't just say that to someone and then leave them...So what's going on?"
Why, hello there. Yes, I'm back from the southern depths of Tumbling Shoals, Arkansas. It's been a long two weeks, let me tell you. I know I promised to update the minute I got back, but my connecting flight out of Atlanta was delayed three hours, and I didn't get home until one in the morning. I just did not feel like reformatting this whole thing from my iPod to my computer that night. I'm sure you all understand. And I've been out all day, hanging out with my friends and all, since I haven't seen them. It was fun. I had fun. Surprisingly enough, I only got two chapters done in as many weeks. I was busy, I guess. Sorry. But fear not. I know this chapter was short and whatnot (and perhaps not the greatest), but the next one is longer, and just better, in my opinion. Anywho, that's all for now. Please go comment/subscribe/prove you haven't given up on this story because I have to make it longer. Okay. OverAndOutxx
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