The muscle in his jaw ticked. “Look, I just think it would be better if we wait for the next call.”
When she merely continued to stare at him, he finally sighed. “It’s a teenage girl. A suicidal teenage girl.”
“Oh.”
He nodded. Said softly, “We’ll take another call.”
Because she’d told him about Beth. And he’d read about Rachel. And he didn’t think she’d be able to handle it.
Was he right? The minute he’d said the words suicidal teenage girl her heart had nearly exploded out of her chest. Now her mouth was dry and her hands clammy. Keep it together, Nina. This isn’t about them and it isn’t about you. It’s about a different girl who might need you. Or one down the road who might benefit if the MHIT program got the green light.
She cleared her throat. “No. It’s okay. If this is clearly a mental health call, it’s best I—I see how Officer Harrison handles things.”
He turned to look at her, his eyes grim. When he made no move to exit the vehicle, she did it herself. She heard him curse lightly before opening his own door again. They followed the sounds of voices through the front door and the adjacent hallway. A middle-aged woman wearing a pink housecoat and turquoise flip-flops stood in an open doorway. They could hear the low murmur of a male voice in the bedroom and hysterical female sobs getting higher and higher.
“This is Anne’s mother,” Simon said and although Nina nodded at the woman, she couldn’t help wondering what the officer and Simon were thinking, letting the woman stand there in full view of her daughter. For all they knew, the mother had upset the daughter and her presence was continuing to do so. When they peeked inside, Nina immediately stiffened.
The uniformed officer was talking to a teenage girl, telling her everything was going to be okay. The girl, however, had backed herself into a corner, a sure sign that she needed space, but Officer Harrison hadn’t gotten the clue. When he took a step closer, his hand on his weapon—maybe his Taser—the girl flinched and shifted, giving Nina a good view of the long-bladed kitchen knife in her hand.
Anne’s mother moaned as her daughter stabbed repeatedly at her thigh, nicking herself so that her light Capri pants grew spotted with blood.
“What’s he doing?” Nina asked. “He needs to back off.”
He looked at her like she was crazy. “She’s harming herself. He’s going to disarm her so we can transport her to a hospital under a 5150 watch. Standard procedure.”
“He’s only making things worse. She’s a wall walker. He needs to back away.”
“He can disarm her easily enough.”
“And risk someone getting hurt in the process? Trust me, Simon. Ask him to back away.”
Simon looked at her, seemed to struggle with himself, then said to Officer Harrison sotto voce, “Officer, return to the hallway, please.”
Officer Harrison looked confused but backed toward them. Immediately, the girl stopped stabbing herself.
“Leave me alone,” she screamed. “I just want to die. I can’t live like this. Can’t live—” She jabbed the point of the knife in her thigh again. Now the blood trickled down her leg instead of dotting her capris. The situation was escalating as Anne’s mind took her further and further into a deep, dark place.
“Can I talk to her?” Nina asked Simon, pushing back the constriction in her chest.
He nodded, his lips so tight they lost color, but he didn’t take his eyes off Anne.
“Anne,” Nina called out gently, “I’m not with the police. I’m a doctor and I just want to help you. Will you talk to me?”
It took her a few tries, but within minutes she had the girl’s attention. Anne’s breathing started to slow and she inched closer toward Nina. Suddenly, however, she froze.
“I don’t want to talk to them. To the men. You come in and I’ll talk to you.”
Nina glanced at Simon, who this time met her eyes. He shook his head.
She turned back to Anne and said, “My friend is afraid you might accidentally cut me with your knife. If he stays in the doorway, will you put it down?”
Shakily, the girl did as she asked, placing the knife on a small television console.
Nina moved forward, but Simon grabbed her arm. “The knife’s still within her reach.”
“It’s okay. She’s calmed down. She’s not going to hurt me.”