“When you first met your new foster mother, what did you think?”
Ben trembled a little and she watched him closely for signs of distress.
“Mrs… Mrs. Cosburn was… she was… perfect.”
“How was she perfect?”
Ben’s expression showed his awe. “She moved with a grace I- I can’t describe. The way she walked. The way she moved her hands. The way she tilted her head when she listened to you. It was mesmerizing! Her smile… it went right down to her soul. Many people smile and don’t mean it. Her, you could see it in her eyes. It was real. She was real! She wouldn’t tolerate lies.”
Ben jolted again as a frown slipped over his face.
“All is good Ben. Rise above it. Float with my voice. We’re safe here,” she said calmly and Ben’s expression gradually cleared. When she was sure he was back in his neutral state she began again.
“Your new foster fathe-”
Ben suddenly thrashed against his restraints, straining to get free. He gasped when his ribs protested and his eyes rolled back as he slumped back to the mattress, unconscious.
Dr. Granger stared at Ben in shock. She placed a sticky note in the docket indicating how far along she’d gotten and frowned as she thought she would have gotten a little further along.
She was going to avoid speaking about Walter Cosburn until she’d mined all of the information about his wife she could get from Ben’s mind. Checking Ben’s pulse she noted it was just a little rapid but he was gradually calming. She’d have to begin her next session this afternoon.
Dr. Granger stood by the window in Dr. Rao’s office watching the night shift staff begin to make their way into the building. It had been a long day. She’d taken Ben through three sessions and each time she got a little further along before something would trigger Ben’s aggression. She was going to have to restrict herself to only doing two sessions as they were draining for her as well as her patient.
“So he’s reacting well to the hypnotherapy then?” Dr. Rao asked. He wasn’t a big advocate for this method himself but he’d seen it used successfully.
“Yes. I can get him into the dissociative state and guide him along but there are some hair trigger land mines in there. Mention anything that leads to thoughts of the foster father and Ben’s adrenaline surges. He overloads and out he goes. I can’t risk that happening too many more times as the memories may submerge once more if they prove to be too painful.
“It’s a fascinating case!” Dr. Rao said wistfully.
“You understand why he chose a female doctor now though, right?” she asked.
“Yes. I can’t say I’m not disappointed but I get it,” the man replied with a sigh. “So what’s next?”
“Ben’s clearly indicated that his 12 year old self had strong feelings for Mrs. Cosburn. She was nurturing and it sounds like she saw something in him as well. I’m hoping this isn’t leading to some kind of sexual abuse,” Dr. Granger said with a wince.
“It seems like it’s almost a given in these circumstances,” Rao replied.
“Could be… but I’m not getting that vibe from Ben. Tomorrow I want to expand on his relationship with the woman but very carefully.”
Rao nodded. He just wished he could sit in on these sessions.
Ben was smiling at Hannah who was trying her best to feed him soup while he stroked her leg. She was leaning against the bed to bring the spoon to his mouth but this put her leg within reach of his hand which was still secured to the bed.
He was exhausted from the sessions he’d had today but he was also hungry.
“Ben! Stop that!” she growled at him as her hand wobbled above the bowl.
“Are you sure?” he asked as his fingertips caressed her hip.
“Y- yes! Please just let me feed you!” she begged.
He looked into her eyes and nodded pulling his hand back. “Sorry.”
She nodded and fed him the remaining soup. Then she buttered the roll on his tray and fed him pieces of it by hand. He caught her fingers with his lips a few times and she felt a flush running up her neck. She caught the twinkle in his eyes and huffed at him, stuffing the remaining quarter of the roll into his mouth.
Ben grinned and finished off the mouthful.
“Drink?” he asked, batting his eyelashes at her. She snorted and put the straw between his lips so he could finish off his milk. He asked for water next to rinse out his mouth.
Once she put his tray away she sat on the edge of his bed and took his hand in hers. “I’m going to ask Dr. Granger when you’ll be able to get these restraints off.”
“I had them off today for a bit,” Ben said.
Hannah looked at him in surprise. ‘Really?”
“Between my second and third session with Dr. Granger two big orderlies came in and let me take a shower and use the toilet which was a real treat. They put me back into the restraints afterwards.” He looked down at his hand in Hannah’s. “I think I need them during the sessions.” He was silent for a bit. “When I wake up my arms are sore and my ribs hurt. I don’t know what I’m doing but… maybe the doctor is safer if I’m locked down.”
“No Ben, maybe you are. I don’t believe for a minute that you’d be a danger to Dr. Granger… or me,” Hannah said firmly.
He just looked into her eyes for a moment then nodded. “You’re probably right.” He smiled. “Your hand feels good.”
“So does yours,” she replied with a smile.
“Have you heard from Tina or the others?” he asked.
“Only every five minutes.”
Ben snorted at her weary tone. Suddenly his eyes began to well with tears. He missed his family. Knowing they were worried about him just made it harder not to see them. “When-”
“Not yet Ben. Doctor’s orders. Soon,” she said and he nodded shakily. “Get some rest. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“I love you, Hannah.”
Her breath caught in her throat. She forced herself to breathe again. “I- I love you too Ben. Sweet dreams.”
His eyes widened in worry as he suddenly remembered his dreams from the last time he’d had these sessions.
She leaned over his chest and kissed him tenderly before slipping off the bed and leaving his room before he could see the tears pooling in her own lashes.
ties. While not classically beautiful she was pretty and wore her graying ebony hair in loose waves to just above her shoulders. Though she was only 5’ 4″, eyes were always drawn to her when she moved through a room.
When she became aware of her audience she paused and smiled at his look of awe and admiration.
“That… was beautiful, Mrs. Cosburn! I- I’ve never seen anyone dance like that before,” he stammered.
She smiled at him and he soaked up that genuine happiness directed at him. “Do you dance?” she asked, her delicate accent lending her soft voice an exotic quality.
He looked back at her in shock. “No! I could never move like that! I’m too clumsy,” he mumbled.
“Come here,” she said lifting her hand to hold it out to him.
Ben felt his body moving forward, drawn to her hand, before he was aware of the decision to move. His jaw dropped in shock.
Her hazel eyes lit up as she smiled at him. “I think you can move very well when you allow your soul to control your body, not your mind.”
“I don’t know how to dance,” Ben gasped.
“This is good. You have nothing to unlearn. A blank canvas is preferable,” she said, tilting her head to him as she smiled gently.
She began to move in slow, simple steps and he felt drawn along after her like he was dandelion fluff to her summer breeze. He couldn’t take his eyes off hers and he saw the joy born in them.
They moved from side to side and she increased the difficulty of the steps. When he’d look down towards his feet he’d falter and each time she’d tell him to look her in the eyes and he would just flow with her. When they finally finished, both were breathing hard though he’d never seen her happier. There was a sparkle in her eyes.
She nodded. “I can work with this!”
Ben blinked at her.
“I will teach you to dance!” she said with a wide smile.
“How did you learn to dance so beautifully!” he gasped.
“I was once Marguerite Durand, destined to be a star of the stage when I was a young woman in France. But that was a long time ago and a terrible little man in Germany destroyed that dream.”
“World War II?” Ben said in surprise.
“Yes, I fled my beloved homeland before the troops arrived.” Her expression became sad and Ben ached to return the smile to her face. “I could not afford to leave on my own so I married the man who is now my husband and joined him on the ship crossing the Atlantic.” She tilted her head as she looked at him. “Many of my friends did not escape. I tried to find them but they are lost to me. I was lucky to survive.”
“Did you dance on the stage here in the States?” Ben asked and her expression closed up. “I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have pried,” he exclaimed.
“No, it is alright,” she sighed. She touched his arm and Ben froze. “My husband would not let me dance for anyone but him. Now… he does not want me to dance at all. You must not tell him we were dancing!” she said holding his eyes with hers.