Part 37 (2/2)
Toni's voice hardened. ”What?”
”Bill tells me that you asked him to help you escape from here.”
”That son of a b.i.t.c.h!” There was fury in her voice. She flew out of the chair, ran over to the desk, picked up a paperweight and flung it at Dr. Keller's head.
He ducked.
”I'll kill you, and I'll kill him!”
Dr. Keller grabbed her. ”Toni-”
He watched the expression on Ashley's face change. Toni had gone. He found that his heart was pounding.
”Ashley!”
When Ashley awakened, she opened her eyes, looked around, puzzled, and said, ”Is everything all right?”
”Toni attacked me. She was angry because I found out she was trying to escape.”
”I-I'm sorry. I had a feeling that something bad was happening.”
”It's all right. I want to bring you and Toni and Alette together.”
”No!”
”Why not?”
”I'm afraid. I-I don't want to meet them. Don't you understand? They're not real. real. They're my imagination.” They're my imagination.”
”Sooner or later, you're going to have to meet them, Ashley. You have to get to know one another. It's the only way you're going to be cured.”
Ashley stood up. ”I want to go back to my room.”
When she was returned to her room, Ashley watched the attendant leave. She was filled with a deep sense of despair. She thought, I'm never going to get out of here. They're lying to me. They can't cure me. I'm never going to get out of here. They're lying to me. They can't cure me. She could not face the reality that other personalities were living inside of her... Because of them, people had been murdered, families destroyed. She could not face the reality that other personalities were living inside of her... Because of them, people had been murdered, families destroyed. Why me, G.o.d? Why me, G.o.d? She began to weep. She began to weep. What did I ever do to you? What did I ever do to you? She sat down on the bed and thought, She sat down on the bed and thought, I can't go on like this. There's only one way to end it. I have to do it now. I can't go on like this. There's only one way to end it. I have to do it now.
She got up and walked around the small room, looking for something sharp. There was nothing. The rooms had been carefully designed so that there was nothing in them that would allow the patients to harm themselves.
As her eyes darted around the room, she saw the paints and canvas and paintbrushes and walked over to them. The handles of the paintbrushes were wooden. Ashley snapped one in half, exposing sharp, jagged edges. Slowly, she took the sharp edge and placed it on her wrist. In one fast, deep movement, she cut into her veins and her blood began to pour out. Ashley placed the jagged edge on her other wrist and repeated the movement. She stood there, watching the blood stain the carpet. She began to feel cold. She dropped to the floor and curled up into a fetal position.
And then the room went dark.
When Dr. Gilbert Keller heard the news, he was shocked. He went to visit Ashley in the infirmary. Her wrists were heavily bandaged. Watching her lying there, Dr. Keller thought, I can't ever let this happen again. I can't ever let this happen again.
”We almost lost you,” he said. ”It would have made me look bad.”
Ashley managed a wry smile. ”I'm sorry. But everything seems so-so hopeless.”
”That's where you're wrong,” Dr. Keller a.s.sured her. ”Do you want to be helped, Ashley?”
”Yes.”
”Then you have to believe in me. You have to work with me. I can't do it alone. What do you say?”
There was a long silence. ”What do you want me to do?”
”First, I want a promise from you that you'll never try to harm yourself again.”
”All right. I promise.”
”I'm going to get the same promise now from Toni and Alette. I'm going to put you to sleep now.”
A few minutes later, Dr. Keller was speaking to Toni.
”That selfish b.i.t.c.h tried to kill us all. She thinks only about herself. Do you see what I mean?”
”Toni-”
”Well, I'm not having it. I-”
”Will you be quiet and listen to me?”
”I'm listening.”
”I want you to promise that you'll never harm Ashley.”
”Why should I promise?”
”I'll tell you why. Because you're part of her. You were born out of her pain. I don't know yet what you've had to go through, Toni, but I know that it must have been terrible. But you have to realize that she went through the same thing, and Alette was born for the same reason as you. The three of you have a lot in common. You should help each other, not hate each other. Will you give me your word?”
Nothing.
”Toni?”
”I suppose so,” she said grudgingly.
”Thank you. Do you want to talk about England now?”
”No.”
”Alette. Are you there?”
”Yes.” Where do you think I am, stupid? Where do you think I am, stupid?
”I want you to make me the same promise that Toni did. Promise never to harm Ashley.”
<script>