Chapter 32

 

“Howie!” Bianca cried in relief when Howie came bursting into her room.  “Thanks for coming.”

 

“No problem!” said Howie, hurrying to her bedside.  He leaned forward as if to hug her, but stopped and hung back instead, looking at her in concern.  “How… how are you feeling?”

 

“Okay.  A little achy,” said Bianca.  “I probably don’t look the greatest either.”

 

“You look fine.  Bean, what happened?  Did you just lose control of the car or what?”  Howie stared at her, his forehead creased with perplexity.  Bianca squirmed under his gaze.

 

“I… I don’t really know,” she said helplessly.  “I don’t remember, I mean.  The last thing I remember was leaving work, and then I woke up here.”

 

“Leaving work?  Why did you leave work?  I thought you said you weren’t getting off till five tonight,” said Howie, this thought just occurring to him.  He remembered Bianca telling him over the phone that she was going to try to get off at five o’clock that night so they could all go out to dinner together later.

 

“Um… long story,” Bianca said, shifting uncomfortably again.

 

Howie frowned.  “Bianca… uh… you didn’t… take anything, did you?  At work, before you left?  Or this morning before work?”

 

“No!” Bianca exploded.  “Of course I didn’t!  Did that nurse tell you I did?”

“She said that… well… that they found some… uh…”

 

“Drugs in my bloodstream, I know,” Bianca finished, glaring at him.  “And you believed her?”

 

“No!” Howie exclaimed quickly.  “No, not really.  I just thought I’d ask you and see what you had to say about it.”

 

“It’s a lie, that’s what I say.  A mistake in the lab or something.”  Bianca stubbornly crossed her arms over her chest, then winced in pain and quickly removed them.

 

“That’s what I thought too,” said Howie, a little relieved, a little confused.  Could the lab really have messed up?  Switched Bianca’s blood sample with someone else’s, maybe?  He wasn’t sure, but he was hoping that’s what had happened. 

 

He was hoping Bianca was telling him the truth.

 

***

 

That afternoon, after Howie left, someone else came to visit Bianca, a doctor by the name of Franklin.

 

Dr. Franklin was a tall man with graying brown hair and a tan, lined, kind face.  “Hello there, Miss Parker,” he said, shaking Bianca’s hand from her bedside.

 

“Bianca,” Bianca said automatically.  “You can call me Bianca.”

 

“Alright, Bianca it is then,” the doctor said with a smile.  “My name’s Dr. Franklin, and I’m from the psychiatry department here at the hospital.”

 

The hint of a smile that had appeared on Bianca’s lips immediately vanished.  “Psychiatry department?” she repeated.  “You’re a shrink then?”

 

“Well, we don’t use the term ‘shrink’.  I’m a psychiatrist.”

 

“Same thing,” Bianca said flatly.  “Listen, I’m not crazy or unstable, nor am I a drug addict.”

 

“I never said you were any of that,” Dr. Franklin said with a patient, knowing smile.  “I’m just here to talk to you.  You can tell me whatever you want, and it will remain strictly confidential.”

 

Yeah, like I’d dump all my problems on some complete stranger, Bianca thought, struggling not to roll her eyes in front of him. 

 

Dr. Franklin looked expectantly at her for a moment or two, waiting, and when she didn’t say anything, he cleared his throat.  “Okay, then.  There are some things I’d like to talk to you about, if you don’t mind.”

 

I do mind, Bianca thought, but she gritted her teeth together and replied in a less-than-enthusiastic voice, “Sure.”

 

“Wonderful.  Now, Nurse Betsy tells me you don’t remember much about the car accident.  Is that still true?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Okay.  Perfectly fine.  Now, what do you remember before the accident?”

 

“Leaving work.  That’s the last thing I remember,” said Bianca.

 

“Were you upset when you left work?” asked Dr. Franklin.

 

Bianca narrowed her eyes at him.  “Why does that matter?” she asked carefully.

 

“Just a question,” Dr. Franklin replied, smiling.

 

“Yeah, I was a little angry,” said Bianca truthfully.  “So what?”

 

“Is there anything bad going on in your life right now?  Anything been troubling you recently?  Any traumatic events?”

 

She should have just kept her mouth shut or answered, “No.”  But before she considered either of these two options, she gave him an honest answer.  “Yes,” she said.  “My boyfriend was killed… almost two months ago.”

 

“I’m so sorry,” said Dr. Franklin sympathetically.  “You must be going through a horrible time right now.  You miss him a lot, don’t you?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Do you ever think life’s not worth living without him?”

 

Bianca blinked at the doctor.  “Excuse me?”

 

Dr. Franklin pursed his lips and studied her with a serious expression.  “What I’m saying is… Bianca, was this a suicide attempt?”

 

***

 

 

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