Page 43 of Dark Desires
I used to work in a hospital, so I know that for a fact. My job right now can be depressing, but it’s never hospital-cafeteria depressing.
“Aura…“ Salinas starts.
“No, I did this,“ she says, interrupting him. She fidgets with a gold ring on her index finger.
“You didn't do anything. Trine is an adult, and this is not your fault,“ Salinas says. She turns her head to look at him, her eyes narrowing as she does. “Thank you for that, Father, but that's not what I meant. I mean, when Trine was a kid, I did this too. This same exact thing. I got myself committed so that she and her father wouldn't get hurt because of me.“
Salinas shakes his head. “But she’s still an adult, and she’s hurting,“ he says. “Her decisions might not make a lot of sense right now, but that doesn’t mean they won’t.“
“But her decisions do make sense,“ Aura counters. “She’s doing what she thinks she needs to do to protect you. I don't like what this is doing to her. I don't like what it's doing to the three of you. I can tell you care deeply about my daughter. But I want to warn you that there is nothing any of you can say or do that's going to make her think that this isn’t what's best for her and for all of you. What she wants to do is help you.“
Rei rakes his fingers through his hair, his jaw hardening. “She needs to understand that we don't need saving,“ Woods says. I’m surprised to hear the sharpness in his voice, but maybe I shouldn’t be. It’s obvious he doesn't like feeling helpless. None of us do. And, aside from meeting Trine, our bad days seem to outnumber our good days, especially lately.
Aura sets her gaze on Woods, her jaw hardening, too. She’s defiant. “She's doing her best with the information that she has. The fact that you don't understand that alarms me. Even I understand that. You're a freaking psychiatrist, you should realize that it’s stupid of her to think that she’s going to think she won’t have to save you.“
“How about this? Because I'm a psychiatrist,“ he says, “I realize that most children mirror their parents’ conflict resolution style, and this could have been a simple conversation.“
She narrows her eyes. I think she’s going to snap at Woods at first, but she doesn’t. “Like I said, this is my fault; I’m not denying that. I don’t know if I could ever be as forgiving as Father Salinas here. There’s a part of me that thinks I should have come clean with her in the first place, but I didn't think she would've believed me. And she was a child. I didn’t…I mean, how do you begin to explain this to a child?“
Woods opens his mouth, but he clamps it shut almost immediately. Aura looks like she’s about to cry. None of us are having a good time. “Let me ask you something, Father,“ she says. “Do you think she's in danger now?“
“I don't believe she's not in danger,“ he replies simply. “She’s going to be watched, right? So if she needs medical intervention, someone will intervene.“
“Yes,“ Aura says. “And, if we have 72 hours, then we need to get ready. We need to prepare for when she gets out, so you guys can do your job.“
“An exorcism,“ Salinas says. It’s not a question. He’s just stating it.
“And then…I don’t know. Maybe that way, she'll be okay. She does need your help,“ she says. “She still needs your help. That’s why I called you in the first place.“
“Okay, Aura,“ Rei says. “If you say so. But wewillneed to get Trine’s consent. This isn’t up to you.“
Aura sighs. She leans forward, her fingers interlaced in front of her so they obscure the bottom half of her face. She peers at us, her eyes narrowing as she does. Then her gaze lands on Rei before she speaks. “I know you don't think I'm a good mother.“
“I didn't say anything about your skills as a mother,“ Rei says quietly.
“But you implied it. Let's not kid ourselves; I'm not stupid, and neither are you. I have made a lot of mistakes in my life. Trying to make sure my little girl is okay is not one of them. I know that for a fact.“
“And you think the only way to help her is with an exorcism?“ Woods says, heavy irony in his voice.
I don’t want to hear them arguing. I just want to make sure that Trine is going to be okay. “Salinas is right,“ I say. “I fail to see how she could get seriously hurt when she's under supervision for seventy-two hours and there are doctors watching her.“
Salinas nods. “Right,“ he says. “But I don't think it will be easy. I don't think it'll be fun.“
I jump to my feet, barely resisting the urge to pace. “It doesn’t need to be fun. It doesn't need to be easy. We just need her to stay alive.“
“And after that?“ Aura asks. She sounds like she’s about to cry.
“And after that, we'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe,“ I say.
Aura takes a deep, shaky breath, leaning back against the chair. “Look, guys, I don't like what this is doing to her. I don't like what it's doing to the three of you. I can tell you care deeply about my daughter. But there is nothing I can say or do that’ll make it better, that’ll make her forgive me. Even if we had managed to talk to her about it before she decided to do this, I’ve been there before. I know that there’s nothing anyone can say that’ll make her think that this is not the best thing for her.“
“Right, okay,“ I say. “So what now?“
“Now,“ Salinas says. “We get ready. Because isolating her might have accelerated whatever presence is inside her.“
Rei nods. “Right,“ he says. “And even if it hasn’t, when she’s released, things are going to be hard for her.“
“So we just need to be there for her.“