|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dr. Carlton arrives at the Sheppard residence at exactly 6:30. Dressed for his date with Glenda later, he wears a dark grey over a crisp, ivory shirt. After ringing the doorbell, he waits for one of Donna's parents to answer the door.
Dressed to impress
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A stocky man with a thick spread around his waist opens the door holding a copy of the day's paper. He looks at Jack before saying, "Hello?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Oh, hello Doctor Carlton, nice to meet you," he says as he stuffs the paper under his arm and holds out a hand. "Call me Craig. Carol told me you would be stopping by. Please, come in."
Craig Sheppard steps aside for Jack to enter, the house a detached place in the city's better neighbourhood and as the Wizened enters, he instantly gets the smells of home baking.
"Carol," Craig calls out, "Dr. Carlton is here." A slender woman with a greying bob appears wearing an apron. "Oh my, is it half six already? My apologies, I lost track of the time." She also holds out her hand.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dr. Carlton shakes each hand as it is offered, smiling at each of them as he enters their home.
"Office hours are over... Jack is fine. It does smell wonderful, whatever you are baking. Do you need to finish up with anything before we begin? I thought we might sit down somewhere comfortable and get started."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"No, no, just making some cookies for Donna," Carol replies before Craig shows Jack through to the lounge. "Please, have a seat, can I get you a drink at all?" he offers with a pleasant tone.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jack hesitates for a split second, then thinks better of it.
"I'm fine, thanks."
But boy, do those cookies smell good...
Dr. Carlton pulls Donna's file out of his briefcase, and reviews the particulars of her condition. Once the Sheppards have both made themselves comfortable, he pulls out a fresh sheet of paper and begins to take notes as he speaks to them.
"First, I would like you each to describe Donna's behavior in your own words. Then tell me what your thoughts and feelings about her behavior."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Craig and Carol settle themselves down opposite Jack and when he asks the question, they both look to each other before Carol starts to explain Donna's condition.
"It happened months ago when she woke up one night screaming. We were both shocked but put it down to simply bad dreams and thought nothing of it. It was when she began to draw quite disturbing pictures that we sought out Dr. Lawney who took an interest in Donna's pictures. She took some of them before...well, before she passed away."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"I see. Perhaps I could see one before I leave?"
Doctor Jack begins to feel an small, insistent itch at the back of his brain as he looks through Dr. Lawney's notes for any reference to the drawings.
"Do you know of anything that might have shocked of frightened her prior to the beginning of the night terrors? Sometimes nightmares can be the mind's way of attempting to deal with an especially confusing or traumatic event."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Craig, could you get one of the earlier ones please," Carol says to her husband. As he nods and heads off, Carol ponders the Doctor's question. "Honestly, no. That was one of Dr. Lawney's initial concerns, the fact that Donna hadn't suffered anything vaguely traumatic."
Draft this Post
