awake for a little bit but wasn't feeling well again. We induced her back to sleep for her body to relax. When she wakes up again, we'll encourage her to eat."
"Woof!"
The weird barking noise sent a bit of happiness through me. Who knows why, but it made me suddenly want a pet.
"How did that pet get here?"
"Her name is Cyrus and I brought her here." The man spoke.
"How dare you come to our home!"
"Stop changing the subject, Violet," the man snapped. This Violet woman was quiet, and the man let out a heavy sigh.
"Will she be okay?"
"Yes. She should be awake in an hour or so..." The woman trailed off.
"What?"
"When was the last time Alice had a mental examination? Or spoken to a therapist?"
"When she was younger. After...an incident at school, she was acting secluded and wasn't talking much," the man explained.
"That was because she was stressed about the short school transfers and the principal had thought it was the right decision for her to speak to a therapist for a few sessions. We stopped going after the coverage for them ended," Violet declared.
"I want you to take her to a therapist."
"Why?" Violet asked. "She's perfectly fine."
"Why, Clover?" the man questioned, the concern in his voice as clear as day.
"I believe Alice...plans to hurt herself. As in, if she has to endure one more school transfer, she doesn't see another path for her to walk on, but one that ends."
"When did she say such nonsense? She must have been tired or-"
"Violet. Stop," the man cut her off.
The vibe I got now was chilling. If I could shiver, I would have. If only my mind was creative enough to imagine who this person was. To gather an image of the man who was protective of his daughter's rights and took things rather seriously.
The elderly woman sounded a little delusional. Almost as if she was living in a different world and not perceiving the same information as the rest of us.
Even with my floating mindset, I could tell that the conversation held a force of seriousness. That the discussion was on a path of life and death and the life of the girl named Alice was at risk.
Was it due to this woman's delusional viewpoint that this Alice was suffering? Was not having her dad be there for her causing more damage than being around an alcoholic person?
Being alcoholic didn't mean you were abusive. The harm was to the individual putting a bottle to their throat. Not anyone else, unless their behavior or words led them to hurt others.
"She said this today?" the man asked.
"Yes."
"I'll talk to her."
"She doesn't-"
"Wake up, Violet! If you think for a second I'll lose my daughter because you think school is the best environment, you better get your brain checked."
"She needs to graduate like her peers. It'll do her good! She can get a job and get a career for herself! She's not dropping out of school. Or being homeschooled. Home school children can't get into universities like Harvard or those other schools for gifted students like her. She's had a 4.0 GPA her entire life. I won't let you ruin her future."
"She won't HAVE a future, Violet, if she kills herself!"
"You don't know that!"
"The signs are all there! Just like back then. But of course, you were too blind or delusional to see them. It's just a phase, my ass."
"You're in no po-"
"I'm her father!" the man roared. "You think you’re so perceptive?! Then tell me why your daughter left?! I guess you saw that coming, didn't ya?!"
The room went quiet.
"Chambers." The authoritative woman's voice was softer now, but the man huffed, and I heard pacing footsteps.
"No. I won't lose Alice. She's my light. She's the reason why I'm standing here. When Liz left...she was the one to comfort me. The alcoholic father who threw bottles when I was mad at the world. She'd quietly walk up to me and stroke my cheek. She'd whisper how everything was going to be okay and that she loved me. She had no clue what was happening, and yet she was more mature than grown adults who only pointed out my flaws instead of realizing the source of the problem!" he barked.
"Chambers," the woman softly repeated. "We know early on. We can prevent this."
"If I have to find the best therapist in this entire country, I will. If I have to stay with her day and night, I will. You," he paused, "will not stop me. I've given you