New Place, New Life {Dr. Yates}

[Rachel E. Koontz]

Rachel was led through the new place. She had been at Sunset Hospital for two years. She knew it and knew the routine. Here? Everything was so new and Rachel felt like a rat trapped in a cage. The two people escorting had been told not to touch her so they knew not to piss her off. Rachel was nervous. She was unsure of anything here. She may have never tried to escape before, but she had most certainly thought about it.

Being new she would have to learn EVERYTHING all over again. Like bathrooms. Were they in the rooms or were they elsewhere? That was one of the important things that Rachel needed to know. Soon she was dropped off in the Surveillance Room. Normally she wasn't the kind to pace, but this was a new place and Rachel had no idea what to make of it. She wasn't even sure who her doctor was to be. Ivy Penndragon had been her last doctor and Rachel had gotten used to her.

Now she was to have a new doctor and go through the motions all over again. Anyone would be nervous about it. Ivy had told Rachel that not every doctor was nice or had her best interests at heart. Well at least Rachel was warned. Her dirty blonde hair was a mess as she had been allowed to have the window a bit when she was brought here. With a sigh the girl took a seat and waited.

[DR. J. YATES]

Jackson sipped at his morning cup of coffee, reading over the paper in his office. It was a little something he did every morning that never varied. His wife and children knew better than to plan anything for the time when he was reading the paper, cover to cover. There were all of these ways to get information faster they insisted; the internet was the way to go Dad. He didn't pay them any mind. The newspaper was something tangible, something he could rely on for facts, even if the articles were skewed one way or another. It was something you got used to after reading as much as he did. He'd had to pick up a new newspaper since he moved here and to be honest, the conservative bullshit that some of the columns were spewing made him debate skipping entire parts of the paper. But, he was not one to change so easily. Old habits not only died hard with him - they went out like suicide bombers.

An orderly rapped on his office door and Jackson frowned, annoyance written on his face even as he told the man to enter. The orderly could obviously spot the disgruntled look because he gulped slightly before delivering the news about the new patient. Jackson waved the man away before returning to his paper. Whoever she was she could wait until he finished. He was not a man to be rushed in his simple pleasures. Little things like that were so readily thrown away in this world and he was more the type to savor them. Well...those and some rather lucrative things as well.

He finished the paper before taking a last swig of his coffee before he gathered the file presented to him by the orderly earlier and began to read. Oh wonderful. Anti-social personality disorder. Some little punk was already on his roster and it was only his second week there. He rolled his eyes. Probably didn't get enough attention as a kid or some shit like that and now was hell bent on making everyone else's life hell just so she could be special. Oh yeah, this was going to go really well.

Moving into the surveillance room Jackson locked eyes on the girl and attempted a smile in her direction. Maybe she's been misdiagnosed...yeah right. He extended his hand to her.

"Ms. Koontz. Welcome to Twinridge. My name is Dr. Yates and I'll be your psychiatrist for the time you're here."

[Rachel E. Koontz]

Rachel eyed the hand warily, but time with Dr. Penndragon had softened her a little. She had gone from high risk to medium risk and with one more moment of hesitation shook her new doctor's hand. "Hello Dr. Yates." Rachel said politely. Already she disliked the man. Something about him made her want to go berserk, but she kept herself in check. It would not do to shame Dr. Penndragon on her first day here. The girl took a seat and stared at Dr. Yates trying to figure him out. If he was to be her psychiatrist while she was there then she needed to get to know him.

Of course not every aspect of his life was her business, but Rachel needed to know him enough to best gauge how her time here would be spent, whether it would be by following the rules (yeah right), or causing problems once in a while. There were some questions zooming around Rachel's mind, but she was unsure if she should ask them. After all she didn't trust her new doctor. Hell, Rachel rarely trusted guys and those who touched her without some form of permission in advanced got to see her not so pretty side.

Dr. Yates was different. Obviously he had read her file so knew her disorder, but he had offered his hand. However, that did not mean Rachel trusted him. Oh no far from it. The girl tended to reject guys because of what her adoptive father did to her and her adoptive mother while she was growing up. Rachel narrowed her eyes, but not in anger. No she was contemplating the man in front of her. Then she leaned forward and said, "I hope you know that I might not be the perfect little angel you hope I should be. You read my file so you should know what happens."

With that she leaned back. Hopefully, this would get a reaction out of him in some way and she could figure him out. Rachel needed to learn more about her doctor. After all he would be the one prescribing her medication each day. Pfft! Most times Rachel got a hissy fit at that thought. For now though she needed to make a good impression. After all when Rachel had first met Dr. Penndragon she had been way high up in the high risk category. Now she was recovering, but still had episodes. Though there was one thing Rachel hoped for... freedom. She wanted to be cured so she didn't have to spend her entire life in a mental institute. Oh yes. That was what Twinridge was, another mental institute. Rachel leaned back in her chair and folded her arms, waiting.