truth!” Emily yelled.
“I’m not implying that you’re lying, Emily,” said Linda hastily. “It’s just that this is so difficult to believe. It’s like hearing that the world is flat.” Looking at Dr. Travis, she continued, “Bruce is a nice boy. He’s always been easygoing. A really good kid. He’s never been violent before, not that we know of. Perhaps he was rough with Emily when they were playing when they were children, when we first all moved in together, but nothing like this … I don’t understand.”
Owen looked at his watch. “Perhaps he hasn’t left Hedden yet. What if I go get him and—”
“Owen, I’m sure they’ve left by now. Whit said the limo was on the way.”
“All right then. Look, Bruce returns Sunday night,” Owen told Dr. Travis. “Is there any chance we can have a meeting then?”
“I’m afraid not,” Dr. Travis replied. “The soonest would be Monday morning.” She flipped through an appointment book. “Ten o’clock. Would Bruce be allowed to leave classes?”
“I’ll make sure he is.”
“Go ahead,” Emily said bitterly. “Ask your precious Bruce what I did that made him rape me!”
“It’s not that,” Linda said. “We just … we just need to hear what he has to say.”
“Yeah, and you’ll believe him and not me. You only care about him. Your perfect Bruce. You hate me for telling you, don’t you?”
“God, no, Emily,” Linda said. “Honey, we don’t hate you. We’re just so completely shocked.”
All at once Emily was overtaken by a yawn so enormous her whole body spasmed with it.
Dr. Travis said, “I think this would be a good time to break for the day. It is tremendously hard work, dealing with these powerful memories and emotions. Telling you—telling you both what happened took incredible courage. It was a significant step for Emily, and a necessary one.”
“Honey,” Linda said, “Bruce is in New York for Thanksgiving. If you could come home …”
“I want to stay here.”
“Shall I come in? Take you out to dinner at the Academy Inn …”
Emily shook her head.
Dr. Travis interceded. “Emily is dealing with a trauma. You wouldn’t expect her to go out with a broken leg. She needs rest, and she needs to work on healing in a safe place, with people trained to help her.”
“I understand that, but can’t I do anything ?”
“Trust us. Let her rest.” Dr. Travis rose and opened the door. “Emily, you probably would like a nap.”
Emily yawned again and stood up. When her mother rose to embrace her, Emily recoiled, turning her shoulder toward her mother. Emily’s face was dark, sullen. Owen had arisen, too, but he stopped dead, warned away by the anger in his stepdaughter’s eyes.
Linda said, “I love you, Emily.”
“I do, too,” Owen said.
“Yeah, right,” Emily muttered, and went out the door and down the corridor to her room.
After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Owen said, “She’s angry with me.”
“She’s angry with you, and her mother, and Bruce, and herself,” Dr. Travis replied. Opening the door again, she led them out into the hall. “I have some brochures in the other room that might be of assistance to you.”
They followed her to her office and stood awkwardly just inside the door, as obedient as drugged creatures. Dr. Travis closed the door and motioned them toward chairs.
“I can’t understand this,” Linda said. “It’s too much. Too terrible.”
“Sit down,” Dr. Travis said. “Let’s talk a moment. I know this is difficult for you both. And I imagine it’s going to get worse for a while. You might want to get a therapist for yourselves.” Turning, she picked up some brochures from a shelf behind her desk. “I’d like you to take these home with you and read them. They might help you; they might help you in understanding what has happened to Emily.”
Owen stared at the brochures in Dr. Travis’s hand. Printed in black and white with vivid purple graphics
“I’m not implying that you’re lying, Emily,” said Linda hastily. “It’s just that this is so difficult to believe. It’s like hearing that the world is flat.” Looking at Dr. Travis, she continued, “Bruce is a nice boy. He’s always been easygoing. A really good kid. He’s never been violent before, not that we know of. Perhaps he was rough with Emily when they were playing when they were children, when we first all moved in together, but nothing like this … I don’t understand.”
Owen looked at his watch. “Perhaps he hasn’t left Hedden yet. What if I go get him and—”
“Owen, I’m sure they’ve left by now. Whit said the limo was on the way.”
“All right then. Look, Bruce returns Sunday night,” Owen told Dr. Travis. “Is there any chance we can have a meeting then?”
“I’m afraid not,” Dr. Travis replied. “The soonest would be Monday morning.” She flipped through an appointment book. “Ten o’clock. Would Bruce be allowed to leave classes?”
“I’ll make sure he is.”
“Go ahead,” Emily said bitterly. “Ask your precious Bruce what I did that made him rape me!”
“It’s not that,” Linda said. “We just … we just need to hear what he has to say.”
“Yeah, and you’ll believe him and not me. You only care about him. Your perfect Bruce. You hate me for telling you, don’t you?”
“God, no, Emily,” Linda said. “Honey, we don’t hate you. We’re just so completely shocked.”
All at once Emily was overtaken by a yawn so enormous her whole body spasmed with it.
Dr. Travis said, “I think this would be a good time to break for the day. It is tremendously hard work, dealing with these powerful memories and emotions. Telling you—telling you both what happened took incredible courage. It was a significant step for Emily, and a necessary one.”
“Honey,” Linda said, “Bruce is in New York for Thanksgiving. If you could come home …”
“I want to stay here.”
“Shall I come in? Take you out to dinner at the Academy Inn …”
Emily shook her head.
Dr. Travis interceded. “Emily is dealing with a trauma. You wouldn’t expect her to go out with a broken leg. She needs rest, and she needs to work on healing in a safe place, with people trained to help her.”
“I understand that, but can’t I do anything ?”
“Trust us. Let her rest.” Dr. Travis rose and opened the door. “Emily, you probably would like a nap.”
Emily yawned again and stood up. When her mother rose to embrace her, Emily recoiled, turning her shoulder toward her mother. Emily’s face was dark, sullen. Owen had arisen, too, but he stopped dead, warned away by the anger in his stepdaughter’s eyes.
Linda said, “I love you, Emily.”
“I do, too,” Owen said.
“Yeah, right,” Emily muttered, and went out the door and down the corridor to her room.
After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Owen said, “She’s angry with me.”
“She’s angry with you, and her mother, and Bruce, and herself,” Dr. Travis replied. Opening the door again, she led them out into the hall. “I have some brochures in the other room that might be of assistance to you.”
They followed her to her office and stood awkwardly just inside the door, as obedient as drugged creatures. Dr. Travis closed the door and motioned them toward chairs.
“I can’t understand this,” Linda said. “It’s too much. Too terrible.”
“Sit down,” Dr. Travis said. “Let’s talk a moment. I know this is difficult for you both. And I imagine it’s going to get worse for a while. You might want to get a therapist for yourselves.” Turning, she picked up some brochures from a shelf behind her desk. “I’d like you to take these home with you and read them. They might help you; they might help you in understanding what has happened to Emily.”
Owen stared at the brochures in Dr. Travis’s hand. Printed in black and white with vivid purple graphics
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