Concordi Discordia

MW: Will you please state your name for the recording?
CM: Catriona Morton.
MW: Thank you. And your date of birth?
CM: Seventeenth of October, nineteen –seventy-two.
MW: Now, Ms. Morton, do you know where you are?
CM: I was hoping you were going to tell me that.
MW: Ms. Morton, you are currently being held in police custody for –
CM: What? Custody? But I haven’t done anything wrong! And what about my Hattie? What’s happened to her?
MW: Who is this - Hattie?
CM: My daughter. She’s only nine. Where is she? No one’s taking care of her or anything!
[There is the sound of hysterical sobbing and inaudible speech]
MW: Ms. Morton, please calm down. I’m sure Hattie is fine. We need to take care of you now.
CM: But I don’t need looking after! It’s Hattie that does!
[A tissue is pulled from a box]
MW: Here, take this.
CM: Thank you.
[The crying becomes quieter, then stops. A pause]
MW: Ms. Morton, do you mind me asking you to roll up your left sleeve?
CM: Why?
MW: I just want to take a quick look at something.
[There is the sound of shuffling and footsteps]
CM: Ouch!
MW: Ms. Morton, how did you get this bruise?
CM: I – I’m not sure.
MW: It looks a few days old. Can you think back to then?
CM: No, I can’t say I can. It was probably Hattie hitting me with her schoolbag.
MW: Like all little girls, right?
CM: Right.
[Both laugh rather tentatively]
MW: What’s Hattie like? Is she lively? Loud? Or shy?
CM: I could never wish for a more beautiful little girl. She’s sweet, and kind, and inquisitive. She wants to know things. She’s loud and confident and loves everyone and everything. I don’t know what I w- would do without her. She – she’s perfect.
MW: Ms. Morton, I’m very sorry to be the person to have to tell you this, but are you aware that you suffer from dissociative identity disorder?
CM: What’s that?
MW: It’s more often known as multiple personality disorder.
CM: Are you suggesting that I’m not fit to take care of my daughter? I love her! She’s mine!
MW: No, Ms. Morton. What I’m saying to you is that Harriet – Harriet isn’t real. She lives inside of you only.
[A shriek is heard]
CM: NO!
MW: I hope you understand how difficult it is to tell someone something like that. [A pause] I’ll stop the interview now, give you some time to think things over.