My Hockey Alpha

 Chapter 100 Stockholm Syndrome

Nina

“I’m ready to cooperate with my treatment.”

A smile spread across Edward’s face at my words. “I’m so glad, Nina,” he said, giving my hand a squeeze. “Shall we begin?”

I nodded.

“Repeat after me…”

…

Over the course of the next several treatment sessions, Edward’s treatment began to work. Slowly but surely, my ‘memories’ of the university, of Lori and Jessica, Tiffany and James, Enzo and everyone else who I had created in my mind, started to become foggy.

I slowly began to learn that I had been having these hallucinations and delusions for a long time, which was why my loving mother sent me to Mountainview Psychiatric Facility. I had been there for four years, but was stuck inside of a fantasy in my head that Edward couldn’t get me out of. My electroshock therapy must have freed my mind from this fantasy just enough for his treatment to work, he said. I was so grateful for Edward; soon, I would be home with my family. I would be fixed. Just like Justin.

Eventually, he took the restraints off of my wrists and ankles and allowed me to walk around my room. He told me that, in time, he would let me meet the other patients and doctors — but for now, I had to stay in my room in case I had another delusion. He said that the last time he let me roam with the other patients, I had a delusion and hurt someone really badly. I didn’t want to hurt anyone again.

Our sessions increased in frequency and intensity. Sometimes it became too intense and the delusions would start to come back; I would start to think that Edward was holding me hostage somewhere and that my friends were looking for me, but over time, I started to get better at controlling the delusions by repeating the mantra that Edward taught me.

“My name is Nina Harper. I am a patient at Mountainview Psychiatric Facility. I am sick, but Edward will fix me and make me better. When I’m better, I can go home to my family.”

Sometimes, my mantra still didn’t work. Once, Evil Nina, as I had come to call her, gained too much control and made me bite Edward. He hit me really hard in the face and left me in my room for hours, but once I calmed down, he came back and told me how he only hit me to bring me back to my senses. He gave me some medicine, and then I felt completely better. Evil Nina didn’t come out as strongly after that, although Edward kept giving me the medicine from that point forward. I felt immense peace, thanks to Edward and the medicine he gave me.

“Are you ready for another session?” Edward asked one day. I nodded vigorously and dropped the crayons he had given me, then held a drawing I had been working on for him behind my back before running up to him with a childlike grin on my face.

“I’m ready,” I said.

Edward peered over my shoulder to see what I was holding behind my back. “What’s that you’ve got there, Nina?”

I grinned even wider and held the drawing out for him to see.

“I drew this for you,” I said.

“Oh, how sweet.” Edward took the drawing and studied it, but his smile faded as he did so, instead turning into a deep and twisted scowl. Without a word, he crumpled up the paper and tossed it on the

floor. “Go sit down.”

I felt my eyes well up with tears. “What did I do wrong?” I asked.

“I said to go sit down!”

I jumped and ran over to my bed, where I sat cross-legged in the center. Edward sighed and kicked the crumpled drawing aside as he came over to sit on his stool across from me. I held my tears in, just like how he taught me to, and prepared myself for our session. I must have drawn something he didn’t like, but it was okay; Edward would help me make sure I didn’t do it again.

“Now,” he said, pulling the chair up to me. “Let’s begin. Repeat after me…”

He began to speak, but abruptly stopped as there was a knock on the door. I felt my heart leap into my throat. Since I had been here, I had only seen Edward. Why would one of the other doctors be coming into my room? Was my drawing so bad that Edward didn’t want to be my doctor anymore?

Much to my surprise, however, Edward cursed under his breath. He grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me off the bed.

“Ow!” I exclaimed.

“Shut the fuck up,” Edward growled. He dragged me over to the closet where he locked me up once when Evil Nina came out and threw me in there. “Stay here, and stay quiet.”

I clapped a hand over my mouth as he closed the door. Being in the darkness made Evil Nina want to come out, but I pushed her back down as I listened.

There was a female voice.

“I brought someone for you.”

“Oh? Who?”

“Mr. Rivers himself. In the flesh.”

There was a long pause. Then, Edward spoke again. “Bring him here.”

Suddenly, I heard an all-too-familiar voice. “Let Nina go before I kill you.”

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Evil Nina came out momentarily. She started to scream and bang on the door before I could stop her. I heard Enzo shout something, followed by what sounded like a violent scuffle. A crash, a grunt, and the sound of a body hitting the floor.

Then… Silence.

Evil Nina kept screaming, but no one came for a long time. She got up and paced in the closet. She chewed her nails and slammed her body weight against the door in a desperate, but futile, attempt to get out. She ripped at her hair and sank down to the floor, where she buried her head in her knees and sobbed, calling Enzo’s name until her throat was hoarse.

Finally, after what must have been hours, Edward opened the door. Evil Nina leaped to her feet and lunged toward him, but he was prepared. He had a syringe in his hand and jabbed it into her neck, making her stumble and fall onto the floor. Her vision started to fade in and out.

When Edward’s face came into view, she used the last bit of her strength to spit at him.

“Repeat after me,” he said, wiping the spit away and cradling her in his arms. “My name is Nina Harper. Come on, I know you’re in there. Say it.”

I felt myself beginning to take control again over Evil Nina. “M-My name is Nina Harper…”

“I am a patient at Mountainview Psychiatric Facility. I am sick, but Edward will fix me and make me better. When I’m better, I can go home to my family.”

With each word of my mantra, I felt myself coming back into control. Evil Nina went quiet, and she went away. But then, Edward added something new to the mantra: “Enzo Rivers is a bad man, but Edward has him locked up where he can’t hurt me. Edward is my savior.”

Before I could repeat the words, the medicine kicked in and everything went dark