darker_london | Renee / Remy / Emilie / Doctors - breaking the news

Renee was idly flicking through one of Pierre's manga comics when her parents entered the room. "Hello," she smiled, pleased for the unexpected visit. The smile fell away almost immediately, though, when she noted their sombre expressions. "What's wrong?"

"This is Doctor Martinshire," Remy introduced the man hovering in the doorway behind them. "He and Doctor Fitzpatrick would like to have a word with you."

Renee nodded, but said nothing. Was there something else wrong with her? Why wasn't anybody saying anything?

"Renee," the one named Doctor Martinshire addressed her, sitting down by her bed. "How are you feeling today?"

"Well, at the moment I am feeling quite anxious, Doctor. Will somebody please tell me what this is about?"

Doctor Martinshire tried to smile reassuringly, but it was one of those doctor's smiles that you just knew to be false. "Of course, Renee. Doctor Fitzpatrick tells me you're doing very well physically. That is good news, isn't it?"

"Yes," Renee responded coldly. "Please answer my question."

"Renee," her father gently admonished. The French girl simply raised her eyebrows at the doctor.

"Well," the doctor began, "I say you're doing well physically, but I must admit that we - that is myself, Doctor Fitzpatrick, and your parents - do have some concerns about your mental well-being."

"I'm fine mentally. I've lost none of my faculties. My grip of the English language has not diminished one jot, and my French is even better. I've all my memories, I know what year it is and where I am. I'm not entirely sure what you have to be worried about."

"Renee," Doctor Martinshire continued in a somewhat more condescending tone. "You've readily admitted to having made an attempt on your own life. Now, that's not something we can take lightly, you know. We just want to look after you."

"It wasn't an attempt on my life," Renee returned. "I just wanted to get rid of the baby."

"Well, now that's a whole other matter in itself, isn't it?" the doctor pointed out. "That must have been very stressful for you. But there are other ways of dealing with that kind of problem, you know."

"Yes, well, they say hindsight is twenty-twenty. It seemed like the best thing to do at the time. It was a matter of misplaced faith, Doctor, nothing more."

"What do you mean?" Doctor Martinshire was genuinely puzzled.

"Think back to the terrorist attacks if you must, doctor. Those were actions ruled by misguided faith. As were mine."

The doctor leaned forward, confusion upon his features. He looked to Renee's parents for a moment, but judging from their expressions, this was all news to them, too. "So, Renee, are you telling me that you did this out of service to... God?"

Renee snorted. "Certainly not your God, if that is the name you use. I prayed to Isis, Osiris and Horus for protection. And then I called upon Sebekh to take my child."

Doctor Martinshire nodded as a few more pieces of the story began to fall into place. "And then you stabbed yourself- I mean, your baby."

"Yes. And my wound remains a testament to the non-existence of the gods that I had placed my trust in. So you see, there is nothing for you to worry about, Doctor Martinshire. It shan't happen again."

"Well, I'm afraid that's a risk we can't afford to take, Renee," Doctor Fitzpatrick finally put in. "I've recommended, and your parents have agreed, that it is in your best interests to be admitted to the Regents Park Children's Psychiatric Ward, pending a favourable assessment of your mental state. As soon as you are physically well enough-"

"Like Hell you'll be locking me in there! I'm not fucking crazy!"

"Renee, please," her father interjected. "It's for your own good."

"There's nothing good about it, Father," she snapped. "I cannot believe you are doing this to me!"

Doctor Fitzpatrick had disappeared, but Renee was in no state to notice.

"Renee..." Emilie was in tears.

"I do not want to hear a word from you," Renee yelled at her. "How could you possibly do this to me? Why, Mother? Why?"

There would be no answer to her question. Doctor Martinshire was ushering Renee's parents out of the room. Too late, Renee noticed the nurse about to jab a hypodermic into her arm. Had all of that been merely a distraction? Those fucking bastards! She tried to pull away from the nurse, but Doctor Fitzpatrick held her down in a strong grip. Already weak, she was no match for him as the nurse pumped her full of sedatives, and the world around her seemed to slow almost to a stop...