Two orderlies rushed up and grabbed the woman by her elbows partially lifting her off the ground. A woman dressed all in white came running out of the double doors and down the steps.
“Did Wilhelmina hurt you?” she asked.
“No not at all, she’s merely having an attack,” Sigmund answered, “Miss Bambauer is that you?”
“Gentlemen please take Miss Chafers back to her room and clean her up. She is having another episode.” Then the woman all in white looked back toward Sigmund asking, “Do I know you?”
“Fifteen years ago, I spent a few weeks investigating your asylum. You helped show me around.”
“Oh yes now I remember, I’m surprised you remember me.”
“Helena Brandywine, I would like you to meet Miss Lydia Bambauer, head nurse here at the asylum,” Sigmund introduced the woman.
“Pleased to meet you, but I’m headmistress now. And yes, I am still Miss, not Missus,” she offered her hand for Helena to shake.
“It is a pleasure to meet a friend of Sigmund’s. I know so little about his past. There are times I wondered if he even had one,” Helena took the woman’s hand and shook it as she were a friend, eyeing her manservant, “What is wrong with that lady?”
“Depends on who you ask, we aren’t supposed to discuss patient’s files. Hypothetically if we are speaking about a case similar to this, the doctors might say that she suffered auditory and visual hallucinations. Some might say she has a gift, a seer, and her episodes allow her a glimpse into the future. Others might say she looked too long at the fire and something looked back. I guess it all depends on your perspective.”
“Is there any hope she will recover?”
“One can always find hope, that’s one thing nobody can ever take from us, but I’m afraid the hope for Wilhelmina to ever get better is very slim. She’s been here a long time.”
“Do her visions ever change? Does anyone ever take her serious?”
“Oh, her visions change all the time. I can’t answer if anyone takes them seriously. I know no one at this institution would admit to believing her.”
“Was Missy Whitaker recently admitted?”
Lydia smiled wide, “I see what you did there. I just told you we’re not supposed to discuss admitted patients, but since she has never been admitted… I can tell you no, her father investigated the possibility. As far as I know, he never came and got the final signatures from the doctors, so he could put her away.”
“Are you telling me that a person can be admitted to an asylum without ever being diagnosed by the admitting physician?”
“My you are a smart young lady. Yes, if you dig deeper, you would find more than a few residents here who are held against their will, purely because three relatives agreed that they needed to be kept safe.”
“That’s insane! There is nothing to stop unscrupulous people from abusing the system.”
The head nurse took Helena by the arm and started leading her back to the car. “That’s not the end of it, most of the people who are committed are women. What makes matters worse, the male doctors interview the male orderlies, and they don’t do a very outstanding job of screening them. If you tell anyone, I told you this I will deny it. At present, we are investigating three different orderlies for having inappropriate relations with inmates against their will.”
“That’s barbaric, who defends these poor women?”
“That is why I work here, and many of my fellow nurses work here. We know there is little science can currently do for these patients, our legal system is even worse. The best we can do is defend the patients inside these fences and try to keep them safe.”
“What of the doctors?”
“Some of them feel as we do, some don’t. Do yourself a favor, never get so out of line with your community that your family would have you committed to protect the name. That’s what the system has taught me.”
Helena had no words to express her outrage. Back at Bessie, Lane laid against the hood relaxing as they came up. Helena mad at the world, slapped her hand on the metal of Betsy, causing Lane to jump.
“I suggest the three of you head on out it will be getting dark soon. Strange things happen around Santa Clara after the sun goes down,” the headmistress turned to leave.
“Thank you so much for your time Lydia, your assistance is greatly appreciated.”
“You’re welcome, Sigmund. Remember Helena become the strongest you can be so no one can ever take your freedom away from you,” with that Lydia headed back to the main building.
“I never would’ve allowed them to bring your mother here. I would’ve taken the two of you away before that ever happened,” Sigmund said opening the door for Helena.
“Right now, I’m trying very hard not to be ill. I never knew there were places like this in the world,” Helena slumped into the seat of the automobile.
“Lane, I think we’re done here how long till we can leave?” Sigmund asked as he walked towards the back of the vehicle.
“I would like to have thirty minutes more, but I can be ready in five if you need me to be.”
“I think we need you to be,” Lane began preparing for the trip back. Sigmund joined Helena in the back seat, he gave her a small crystal glass in which he poured a shot and a half of brandy.
“I had no idea this adventure would take us down this path. For that, I’m sincerely sorry,” Sigmund said.
“I told you I’m not a baby anymore,” knocking the brandy back without a cough.
Disguised:
What started out as an exercise to take Helena’s thoughts off her stepfather’s failure to
