Chapter 25 Chapter Twenty-Five

"I know what the hell you're trying to do, Doctor. You're trying to make Ashley think you're her friend." "I'm her friend, Toni, and yours." "No, you're not. You think she's great, and I'm nothing." "You're wrong. I respect you and Aliette as much as I respect Ashley. You're both important to me." "This is real?" "Yes. Toni, I told you that you had a beautiful singing voice, and it was true. Can you play an instrument?" "piano." "Would you be interested if I could arrange for you to use the piano in the rec room so you can play and sing?"

"I might." She sounded excited. Dr. Keller smiled. "Then I shall be glad to arrange. You will play the piano there." "Thank you." Every afternoon, Dr. Keller arranged for Toni to use the rec room privately for an hour.At first, the doors were closed, but when other patients heard the piano and singing coming from inside, they opened the doors to listen.Before long, Toni was playing for dozens of patients. Dr. Keller is going through his medical records with Dr. Lewison. Dr. Lewison said, "What about the other—Alette?" "I have arranged for her to paint in the garden every afternoon. Of course, she will be watched. I think it will be good therapy."

※※※ But Elliot refused.During one session with her, Dr. Keller said, "You didn't use the paint I gave you, Elliott. It's a shame to let them go to waste. You're so talented." How do you know? "Do you like drawing?" "like." "Then why don't you paint?" "Because I can't draw well." Don't pester me. "Who told you that?" "My... my mother." "We haven't talked about your mother. Do you want to tell me about her?" "have nothing to say." "She died in a car accident, didn't she?"

There is a long pause. "Yes. She died in a car accident." The next day, Aliette started to paint.She likes to come out to the garden with her easel and paintbrushes.When she paints, she is able to forget about everything else.Several patients would gather around her to watch.They speak with polychromatic voices. "Your painting should be in the gallery." Black. "You draw really well." Yellow. "Where did you learn to draw?" Black. "When can you paint me a portrait?" Orange. "I wish I knew how to draw." Black. She always felt sorry when the time came when she had to go back inside the mansion.

"I want you to meet someone, Ashley. This is Lisa Garrett." She was a short, emaciated woman in her fifties. "Lisa is going home today." The woman was all smiles. "That's great! And it's all thanks to Dr. Keller." Gilbert Keller looked at Ashley and said, "Lisa has multiple personality disorder. She has thirty alter egos." "Yes, dear. But they're all gone." Dr. Keller specifically pointed out: "She is the third multiple personality disorder patient to leave us this year." Ashley felt a glimmer of hope. ※※※ "Dr. Keller was very compassionate. He seemed to really like us," Elliott said.

"You're so fucking stupid," Toni sneered, "don't you understand what's going on? I told you once. He's pretending to like us so we'll do what he wants. You know it's Why? He wanted to bring us all together and convince Ashley that she didn't need us. So you know what happens next? You and I die. Is that what you want? I In no mood." "Uh, no." Alette said hesitantly. "Then listen to me. We work with the doctor. We convince him that we're really trying to help him. We play him. We're not in a rush. And I promise you, one day I'll get us out of here. "

"It's up to you, Toni." "Fine. Well, then, we'll let the doctor think he's doing a good job." ※※※ A letter from David has arrived.Inside the envelope is a picture of a little boy.The letter reads: ※※※ Ashley studied the photo.He's a beautiful little boy, she thought.I hope he has a happy life. She went to lunch, and when she came back, the photo was on the floor of her room, torn to shreds. ※※※ June 15th, half past one in the afternoon. Patient: Ashley Paterson.A course of sedative-hypnotics.Another me: Aliette Peters. "Tell me about Rome, Aliette."

"It's the most beautiful city in the world. It's full of museums. I've been to them all before." What do you know about museums? "So you want to be a painter?" "Yes." What do you think I want to be, a fireman? "Have you ever learned to paint?" "No, I didn't." Can't you bother people? "Why not? Because of what your mother told you?" "Oh no. I just don't think I'm good enough." Get him out of me, Toni! "Did you experience any trauma during that time? Do you remember anything horrible that happened to you?"

"No. I was very happy." Toni! ※※※ Patient: Ashley Paterson.Hypnotherapy Sessions, Another Me: Toni Prescott. "Do you want to talk about London, Toni?" "Yes. I had a wonderful time there. London is so civilized. There are many things to do there." "Did you have any trouble then?" "Trouble? No. I'm very happy in London." "Hasn't one of the bad things you can remember ever happened?" "Of course not." How are you going to handle this, fool? ※※※ Every session of therapy brought back memories for Ashley.When she goes to bed at night, she dreams that she is at Universal Computer Graphics.Shane Miller was there, and he was complimenting her on some of the work she did. "We really can't go on without you, Ashley, we're going to keep you here forever." Then, the scene cuts to a prison cell, and Shane Miller is saying, "Uh, I don't Would love to do it now, but in this situation, the company is going to fire you. Naturally, we can't have anything to do with things like that. You understand, don't you? There's nothing personal about it. "

When Ashley woke up in the morning, her pillow was soaked with tears. ※※※ Aliette is upset by the repeated sessions of therapy.They reminded her how much she missed Rome and how happy she was with Richard.We can have such a happy life together, but it is too late now.too late. ※※※ Toni hated those therapy sessions because they also brought back so many bad memories for her.Everything she does is to protect Ashley and Elliott.However, is anyone grateful to her?No.She was chained up and taken away as if she were a criminal.But I'll get out of here, Toni promised herself.I will get out of here.

※※※ The calendar has been turned page by page, and a year has come and gone.Dr. Keller became increasingly discouraged. ※※※ "I read your latest report," Dr. Lewison said to Gilbert Keller. "Do you think there is really a gap, or are they playing a game?" "They're playing tricks, Otto. They seem to know what I'm trying to do, and they won't let me do it. I think Ashley really wants to help, but they won't let her. Usually under hypnosis Under the circumstances, you can find out about them, but Toni is very powerful. She has complete control, and she is dangerous." "Danger?" "Yes. Think about it, how much hatred would it take for her to kill and castrate five men?" ※※※ Things didn't improve for the rest of the year. Dr. Keller was having success with several other patients, but Ashley, the one he cared about the most, was making no progress.Dr. Keller had a feeling that Toni liked playing tricks on him.She was determined not to let him succeed until one day there was an unexpected breakthrough in the situation. It began with another letter from Dr. Paterson. ※※※ ※※※ Three weeks later, Dr. Paterson arrived, along with an attractive dark-haired woman in her early forties and her three-year-old daughter, Katrina. They were ushered into Dr. Lewison's office.He stood up as they entered. "Dr. Paterson, it is a pleasure to meet you." "Thank you. This is Miss Victoria Aniston and her daughter Katrina." "Hello, Aniston, Katrina." "I brought them to meet Ashley." "Excellent. She's talking with Dr. Keller now, but they'll be over soon." Dr. Paterson said, "How is Ashley doing?" Otto Luisen hesitated. "I wonder if I can talk to you alone for a few minutes?" "Row." Dr. Paterson turned to Victoria and Katrina. "Look, there seems to be a beautiful garden there. Why don't you wait for me there? I'll meet you with Ashley." Victoria Aniston smiled. "Okay." She glanced at Otto. "Nice to meet you, Doctor." "Thank you, Miss Aniston." Paterson watched the two of them leave.He turned to Otto Luisen. "Any questions?" "I'll be frank with you, Dr. Paterson. We're not making the progress I'd hoped for. Ashley says she wants help, but she's not cooperating with us. In fact, she's resisting treatment. " Dr. Paterson looked at him, puzzled. "why?" "It's not uncommon. At a certain stage, patients with multiple personality disorder are terrified of seeing their alter ego. It scares them. The thought of someone else living in their mind and body and taking over them at will ...well, you can imagine how shocking that would be." Dr. Paterson nodded: "Of course." "There is one thing that confuses us about Ashley's question. These disorders almost always stem from a period of sexual molestation in the patient's childhood. We don't have any record of this in Ashley's medical records, so We don't know at all how and why this trauma was created." Dr. Paterson sat there silent for a while.When he spoke, his tone was quite heavy: "I can help you." He took a deep breath, "I keep blaming myself." Otto Luisen watched Paterson carefully. "It happened when Ashley was six years old. I had to go to England. My wife couldn't. I took Ashley with me and my wife had a cousin named John there. I don't know, but John has... a relationship problem. One day, I had to give a report, and John offered to watch her. When I came back that night, he was gone. Ashley was in a complete Complete hysteria. It took a long time to calm her down. Since then, she refused to let anyone near her, she became shy and withdrawn. A week later, John was arrested for a series of child molestation. Arrested for the crime." Dr. Paterson's face was full of pain. "I never forgave myself. I never left Ashley alone with anyone since then." There was a long silence.Otto Lewison said, "I am very sorry. However, I think you have given us the answer we have been looking for, Dr. Paterson. This way, Dr. Keller will be able to prescribe the right medicine." "It's been so distressing that I haven't talked about it before." "I understand." Otto looked at his watch. "It will be a while before Ashley is finished. Why don't you go to the garden with Miss Aniston? When Ashley comes, I will let you She went out." Dr. Paterson stood up and said, "Thank you. I'll go right away." Otto Luisen watched him go.He couldn't wait to tell Dr. Keller what he had heard. ※※※ Victoria Aniston and Katrina are waiting for Paterson. "Have you met Ashley?" Victoria asked. "In a few minutes, they'll get her out," Paterson said.He looked around the empty garden. "It's a lovely place, isn't it?" Katrina ran up to him: "I still want to go to heaven." He smiled. "Okay." He picked her up, tossed her into the air, and caught her when she fell. "Higher!" "Pay attention. Let's go." He threw her up and caught her again, and she screamed with joy: "Do it again!" Dr. Paterson had his back to the building, so he didn't see Ashley and Dr. Keller come out. "Higher!" Katrina screamed. Ashley stood frozen in the doorway.As she watched her father play with the little girl, time seemed to splinter into pieces.Everything after that happens in slow motion. ※※※ Flashes a scene of a little girl being thrown into the air... "Go higher, Dad!" "Attention. Go." Next, the girl was thrown onto the bed... A voice said, "You're going to love this..." A man's figure goes to bed beside her.The little girl was screaming, "Stop it. No. Please, don't." The man is in the shadows.He was pushing her down, and he was stroking her body. "Doesn't that feel good?" ※※※ Suddenly, the shadows disappeared and Ashley could see the man's face.It's her father. Now, watching him play with the little girl in the garden, Ashley opened her mouth and started screaming. Dr. Paterson, Victoria, and Katrina turned their heads, startled. Dr. Keller said quickly, "I'm so sorry. It's been a bad day. Come back another time, okay?" He took Ashley inside. ※※※ They took her to an emergency room. "Her pulse was abnormally fast," Dr. Keller said. "She was in a fugue state." He moved closer to her and said, "Ashley, you have nothing to be afraid of. You are safe here. No one will hurt you. Just listen to my voice and relax...relax...relax... " This took half an hour. "Ashley, tell me what happened. What's upsetting you?" "Father and that little girl..." "What happened to them?" It was Toni who answered. "She couldn't face it. She was afraid he was going to do to that little girl what he did to her." Dr. Keller stared at her for a moment. "What... what did he do to her?" ※※※ This is in London.she is in bed.He sat beside her and said, "I'll make you very happy, baby," and started tickling her, and she was giggling.Then...he took off her pajamas, and he started playing with her. "Don't my hands make you feel good?" Ashley started screaming, "Stop it. Don't do that." But he wouldn't stop.He pushed her down and continued to fiddle... ※※※ Dr. Keller asked, "Is that the first time this has happened, Toni?" "yes." "How old was Ashley?" "She's six years old." "And that's when you were born?" "Yes. Ashley is too scared to face it." "What happened after that?" "Father comes to her every night and goes to bed with her." Now, the words come tumbling out, "She can't stop him. When they come home, Ashley tells her mother what happened, but she scolds her A lying little bitch. "Ashley was afraid to go to bed at night because she knew that Daddy would come into her room. He used to force her to touch him and then play with her. He said to her: 'Don't tell anyone about it, or I'll be wrong. Love you again' she can't tell anyone. Mom and Dad are always fighting and Ashley thinks it's her fault. She knows she's done something wrong but she doesn't know why and Mom hates her. " "How long has this been going on?" Dr. Keller asked. "When I was eight..." Toni hesitated. "Go on, Toni." Ashley's face changed, and it was Arriet sitting in the chair."We moved to Rome, where he did research at a hospital," she said. "Is that where you were born?" "Yes. Ashley couldn't take what happened one night, so I came to protect her." "What's going on, Elliott?" "Dad came into her room while she was asleep. He was naked. He crawled into her bed and this time he forced his way into her. She tried to stop him, but she couldn't. She begged him to Don't do it anymore, but he comes to pester her every night. He always says: 'This is a man's way of showing a woman that he loves her, and you are my woman and I love you. You must never tell anyone This thing.' She can never tell anyone." Ashley was crying, tears streaming down her cheeks. All Gilbert Keller could do was take her in his arms and tell her that he loved her and that everything was going to be okay.But of course this is impossible.I am her doctor. ※※※ By the time Dr. Keller returned to Dr. Louison's office, Dr. Paterson, Victoria Aniston, and Katrina had left. "Well, here's what we've been waiting for," Dr. Keller said to Otto Lewison. "We finally have a breakthrough. I know when Toni and Alette were born and why. We're going to see a huge change from now on." Dr. Keller is right.Things started to move.