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The Therapy Session
Carol lay in the hospital bed crying uncontrollably with her wrists strapped to the guardrails.
Tears streamed off her face onto her pillow.
She tried several times to free her arms but the sedative they'd given her sapped her of her energy and strength.
Several minutes later, the psychiatric ward's head nurse, Betty entered her room. She sat on the edge of the bed,
and untangled Carol's thick ponytail of Auburn hair. "Now, now, my dear," Betty said, gently stroking Carol's cheek.
"You need to calm down."
"I want to go home!" Carol said, hoarsely.
"I know you do," Betty replied. "You've been deeply hurt by your fiance breaking off your engagement. But, flying into
a rage and taking your anger out on others won't solve the problem.
Rather than look at it as a tragedy, think of it as a real opportunity.
A great deal of mental and emotional good can come out of it."
"You think?" Carol replied between sobs.
"Of course," Betty replied, reassuringly.
Carol stiffened uncomfortably as Betty hugged her. She hardly knew the woman. Although her touch felt comforting and somewhat
inviting, Carol's nervousness and confusion reinforced the emotional barrier she'd erected.
"There now, I'm just trying to help you relax a little," Betty said. She tweaked Carol's IV sedative drip. "This will help
calm some of that rage you have inside you. If you'll let me, I'll help you deal with this problem so you
can get back on the road to recovery."
Carol's eyelids began to droop, and she mumbled, "You will? How?"
"You just leave it to old Betty. I'll make all the necessary arrangements, and we'll deal with your fiance's rejection together.
Okay?"
Carol nodded, and dozed off.
"That's it; get some rest, my love. I assure you, everything will be all right."
After several days of therapy and group sessions, the hospital staff reduced Carol's drug intake. Carol however,
hid the moments when rage against those she distrusted threatened to overcome her.
The only one she really trusted was Nurse Betty.
One day, Betty stepped into Carol's room after lights were turned off for the evening curfew.
She sat on the bed next to Carol, whose restraints had been removed a few days earlier."
She rubbed her back, as she'd always done. Her touch however, felt a little more rough than usual.
"Carol, it's time we take care of your problem," Betty whispered. "I've arranged a day pass for you
with me as your escort."
"You did?" Carol replied, feeling a little uneasy at the straightforward tone of Betty's voice.
"That's terrific, but what are we going to do?"
"We are going to show your ex-fiance what he missed out on."
"How?"
"Leave that to me."
The following day, Betty and Carol left the hospital on the day pass described as re-orientation therapy.
They drove to her ex-fiance's, Ben's office and waited in the parking lot for him to leave.
"Okay Carol," Betty said, "I want you to go and confront him. Tell him how he hurt you and that
you will never let him do that again. Then, tell him you don't want any of the jewelry and presents he's
given you and have him come to your car to take them back."
"But, we don't have any of those things."
"Don't worry, just promise me you'll let me handle it, no matter what."
It was seven PM. The two women had sat in the parking lot all afternoon and it was well after sunset
when Ben finally decided to leave his office. They watched him cross the parking lot toward his car.
Carol walked over to Ben's car and confronted him. Then, she had him follow her to her car.
When she arrived at the spot where they'd parked, Betty and the car were gone.
"I'm sorry," She said, turning to Ben, "the nurse who drove me here has gone, so I can't give you back anything."
"What the hell is this?" Ben yelled, "some kind of sick joke?"
"No," she replied.
"Listen you crazy bitch! That's why I broke it off from you. You're nuts, and I'm not
going to live my life with a nut case."
Ben turned and stormed off toward his car. At that moment,
tires squealed as Nurse Betty peeled around the corner in her car.
Ben froze in the headlights like a deer. Betty accelerated, and his body slammed dead
center against the hood of the car . Carol stood stunned, watching her ex-fiancee fly over the car.
Betty calmly backed up, and ran over him again and again. Then, she drove to where Carol stood, and
opened the passenger door.
"Come on, honey," she said, "let's go back to the hospital.
I know this must have been hard for you."
Carol however, slid into the passenger seat and smiled quietly.
She said nothing, and stared out the car window until they arrived at the hospital.
As Betty parked the car, and shut off the ignition,
Carol leaned over and kissed her.
"You see," Betty said, "you can extract revenge without
getting angry and losing control. That's what will keep you sane."
"Thank you," she said. "I do feel much better now.
As a matter of fact, I found that quite exciting,
and would like to do it again."
"Betty stroked Carol's hair. "I knew you would. When you first arrived,
I told myself you and I would make a perfect pair. We'll rid the world of men scum, one by one."
Hal Kempka's stories have been published in magazines and ezines such as:
Long Story Short, The Shine Journal, Fiction Flyer, Black Petals, and Microhorror.com, as well as, The Beaches of Belmont
hardcover anthology. He lives in Highland, California with his wife and son, and is currently working on a novel set in Vietnam.
Email: Hal Kempka
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