𝑬𝒍𝒍𝒂 𝑹𝒐𝒃𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒐𝒏

     I’ve never seen Jeffrey in that state before. I know he’s having a hard time coping ever since Adrienne killed herself, although he didn’t open up to me till Sarah showed up at the lakehouse. That’s one of the reasons I moved into the lakehouse with him. I knew Jeffrey wasn’t emotionally stable. I suspected that he was still finding it difficult to accept Adrienne’s suicide. I’ve witnessed him wake up from nightmares with earsplitting yells. I’ve seen him get drunk; something he doesn’t normally do. I’ve heard him scream at a woman just because she mentioned Adrienne.

     But I didn’t think it was this serious. What I witnessed in Dr. Scott’s office took me aback. I had thought he was ready to seek help. That’s why I brought him to the hospital, but it seems Jeff is so disturbed that he doesn’t want to face his fears.

     Dr. Scott clears her throat, bringing me to the present. We walk across a long hallway in the hospital where she works talking. Serious-looking nurses and doctors pass by briskly, their light footsteps resonating in the background. People are seated on couches. Some are busy on their phones, others have their faces hidden behind newspapers. As we go farther away the noise minimizes, and I hear Dr. Scott clearly while she speaks.

     I’ve known Dr. Scott for years now. She helped me overcome my emotional stress after ending my abusive relationship with Nick. She’s a great therapist. I know that from years of being under her care.

     “After you called me on the phone and told me about him, I suspected PTSD, and my session today with him confirms it.”

     She stares at me, and I notice the seriousness on her face. I say slowly, “It’s bad, isn’t it?”

     She bobs her head. “It is. Jeff isn’t only having nightmares and flashbacks. He’s afraid of them, and he doesn’t want to face them. He’s trying as hard to avoid his worst fears, and it’s only going to get worse.”

     “Can you help him?” I ask anxiously.

     “I can, but first, tell me about his traumatic experience. He’s not going to tell me, but I’m sure he has told you.”

     Dr. Scott looks into my eyes. “He trusts you. It’s not a hundred percent guaranteed that patients with PTSD will open up to their therapist during their first session. That’s why I asked you to join our session. A familiar face always helps.

“Jeff thinks I’m a stranger, so he’s not going to open up till I gain his trust. I’ll need to understand his traumatic experience before I can help. How long have you known him?”

     “It’s been several years... perhaps six or seven.”

     “And you’re just friends?”

     I’m reluctant to tell Dr. Scott about my relationship with Jeff, but I want Jeff to recover, so I have to be forthright with her. I know I can trust her to keep it between us.

     “No.”

     “All right. Tell me about his traumatic experience.”

     I tell her about Adrienne Styles, and how they were happily married until the incident between Jeff and me. I continue with the car accident that led to Adrienne’s memory loss. And then I conclude with Adrienne’s suicide.

     “That’s why he blames himself for his wife’s death. He thinks he caused the accident because of their argument.”

     Dr. Scott heaves a sigh and adjusts her glasses. “Well, that explains a lot. His PTSD was triggered by his betrayal, guilt, and self-loathing. These three are powerful factors capable of causing anxiety disorders and PTSD.”

     “Can you help him?” I ask again, staring blankly at her face.

     “The question should be ‘can he help himself?’”

     My face puckers as we walk to a couch and sit down. “I don’t understand.”

     “Of course, you don’t,” she says. “Jeff has to face his worst fears to recover. He has to accept that he cheated, and Adrienne is dead, and there’s nothing he can do about it. We can begin therapy, but it’ll be another dead end if he doesn’t stop wallowing in guilt and self-loathing. I’ve seen patients in his situation, and it gets nowhere.”

     “Isn’t there something you can do to cure him? It’s worsening.”

     “I could prescribe some meds to suppress the anxiety and help him sleep better. Other than that, there’s nothing more I can do without his cooperation.”

     Jeff can be stubborn when you want him to do something, but I think I can talk him into cooperating for his own good. I don’t want the father of my child to end up going crazy. I look at Dr. Scott. “I’ll do everything I can to get him to cooperate.”

     She gives me an assuring smile. “If anybody can, it’s you. Jeff trusts you.”

     I hope he trusts me enough to listen to me.