“I’m sure you’re aware, Mr. Townsend, this trip was made on a bit of a short notice. We haven’t had much time to get Oliver used to the idea of having company.”
I nodded at the doctor in the white lab coat, who I towered over by at least six inches.
“Is he awake?”
Dr. Stein nodded. “He’s been up for a couple of hours. Had his breakfast and his first therapy session of the day where we informed him that you’d be coming to speak with him.”
“Is he agitated?” I questioned as we continued down the long, sterile hallway, toward the doctor’s office. I swear I’d been in prisons, jails, police stations, and plenty of hospitals. None of which was more fucking depressing than walking the halls of a psychiatric facility. The linoleum floors, white walls, and stupid paintings of flowers in baskets were enough to drive me insane. I couldn’t wait to get out of there.
“No more than usual,” he responded, pressing his back against the wooden door we’d come to. “However, Oliver hasn’t had much contact with people outside of this facility since he was dropped off. We’re trying to get him acclimated to encountering new people.”
Folding my arms across my chest, I glared down at the doctor. “What are you saying, Doc?”
He swallowed and let his hand linger on the metal handle, his pupils roving from one side to the other behind the lenses of his glasses. “We ask that you approach this interview with sensitivity. We might have to end it abruptly if he gets too worked up.”
I shook my head. “As long as I get what I came here for.”
The doctor continued to appear uncertain, but he nodded and pushed the door open. I entered behind him.
“Please, take a seat on the couch.” He pointed at a light blue loveseat that sat against the left far wall of his office. It sat perpendicular to his desk. “I’ll have Oliver sit in the green chair across from you. It’s where he sits whenever he comes to my office.”
I nodded, remembering that the doctor had mentioned the importance of keeping Oliver in a routine.
“The orderly and nurse will be in shortly with Oliver.” Dr. Stein paced in front of his door for a few minutes, seeming uncomfortable.
Soon, there was a knock at the door, and finally, Oliver Wilson entered. I looked him over. It appeared as if he’d gained weight since the last time I saw him, which was a good thing. I supposed all that living in the woods and moving from one town to the next for months would cause someone to lose weight. Especially Oliver, since he’d been off of his meds.
“Oliver,” I said, standing, taking over for the doctor. I respected Dr. Stein’s position, and his need to make Oliver feel as comfortable as possible, but I still had a damn job to do. I needed answers and didn’t have time to pussyfoot around.
“Do you remember me?” I questioned, staring down at him.
Oliver peered up at me, hesitantly before moving to sit in the green chair. A wrinkle appeared in between his dark eyebrows. Soon, however, they lifted, almost touching his hairline.
“You came and got me out the woods,” he remembered.
I nodded. “That was my team and me.” I moved back, taking a seat on the edge of the couch, bracing my elbows against my knees. “Oliver, do you remember what you said to me right before I dropped you off?”
Another confused look. Followed by remembrance. “The girl. Did you find her?”
I shook my head. “That’s what I came to speak with you about. Do you remember the girl’s name? What she looked like?”
“Um.” He pondered. “Long, dark hair. She was darker-skinned. Maybe Mexican or something. She spoke Spanish. I didn’t talk with her much.”
“Did she give you her name?”
“Martina, I think. That’s what I called her after she said it.”
“Good. Did she tell you anything else about herself?”
He shook his head. “I can’t really remember much during that time. I had a lot of shit going on in my head.”
I sat back, nodding in understanding. The voices in his head during that time were probably overwhelming. Also, they were the reason why I’d ignored his initial comments about a girl in the first place.
“She was pregnant?”
He hesitated before giving me a slight nod. “But I don’t know if that was one of my delusions.” He glanced over at Dr. Stein, before turning back to me. “There were so many voices in my head. I didn’t know if she was real. The meds helped with the voices, but I still remember seeing her. I think that means she was real.”
“Martina. Did you get her last name, possibly?”
