It's Not All What It Seems...

My second day on the job and I was as happy as ever. Going up the eerie elevator now gave me butterflies. Butterflies.
Finally, the third floor.
I blushed and opened the still hard-to-open grate. I heard the sound of chainsaw type thing and boards clashing to the floor. I followed the noise to a big empty room at the end of the hallway past my office.

"Good morning" Bert said as he looked up.
"Good morning, Bert" I said as I smiled.
He smiled then went back to cutting boards.
"Shouldn't you be wearing protective gloves?"
"Mom, I've been doing this for years. I'm fine."
"Bert, if you cut your finger off."
"You're a doctor."
"A doctor in neurology."
"Whatever" Bert said as he turned off the machine.
"Are you alright?" I asked as I tied my hair up.
"My brother's up my ass about getting this work done to let patients in... It's hard doing this myself. I do this on the weekends, I do this until like 12 AM. Joseph's office I did first. The whole first floor I did myself."
"Bert... He should hire workers for you"
"It's not in the budget" he said as he put his hands over his face in shame. "I'm gonna kill myself with all this work, Linds."
"...I'll help." I said as I smiled. "I'll come in on weekends with you."
He smiled and lowered his hands. "You need off too, babe."
"Bert, please? I have one patient so far. I won't get work until you finish."
He sighed and threw his head down in defeat.
"Alright. One condition."
"Yes?"
"You will not under any circumstances use any power tools without me present. I don't even want you near them. Understood?"
"Yes, Bert."
"Alright." He said as he smiled. "For your safety."
I smiled and patted his shoulder. "Oh! By the way, I brought you coffee."
"You did?" He said as he raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah.. You come here really early...You told me last night. So, I wanted to bring you coffee to wake you up." I said as I handed him a travel mug. "It's from my home. You can keep it, if you'd like."
He smiled and took a sip.
"Thanks. I appreciate this..." He said as he looked up at me.
"You're welcome." I said as I went back towards the elevator. "I have to go back. I'll see you later on."
"Is dinner still on?"
"Of course!"
"Good!"

I smiled and went back down the elevator. I clicked the B button and headed down. I closed my eyes and prepared myself to meet with my puzzle, but all I could think about was Bert. It was quite selfish but.. I couldn't help it. Bert has these breath-taking eyes that were as blue as sapphires. His face is so well defined, his scruffy vibe is so sexy. He's just... I open my eyes to find myself back to the dim-lit basement. I open the grate and look around.

"Hello!"
"Q..Quinn?"
"Yes! Hello!" He said as he ran up and smiled. "Good morning Dr. Cobain!"
"Good morning, Quinn!" I said as I smiled. "You must be a morning person."
"Nah, I'm just excited!"
"Why?"
"My wife's pregnant!"
"Oh! Congratulations!" I said as I hugged him and smiled. "You're going to make the best father, Quinn. I haven't known you for that long but, you give me a strong vibe." I said as I looked at him.
"Thank you, Dr. Cobain!" He said as he smiled big. "We've been planning for so long.. It's hard for us... I just got this job. My other job paid good but, I never had time off. And when we had time, she never got pregnant." He said as he looked down.
"Don't be sad." I said as I put my arm around him. "You have a baby on the way, no matter what happened in the past. This is for real. This is now. If you need help, you can call me. My number is in Joseph's office or I can give it to you whenever."
Quinn looked up and smiled big. "Thank you... so much." he said as he hugged me. "By the way, Gerard wanted you yesterday."
"Yesterday?"
"After you left. In the middle of the night, he was calling your name."
"....He has my number."
"It was in his sleep."
"Did he sound like Gerard?"
"He sounded like Gerard."
"Do you notice any... personalities?"
"Well.. His violent one, yeah." Quinn said as he looks down and holds his arm

"Tell me, please" I said as I sat at his desk with him. "Everything you notice about Gerard."
"Gerard talks to himself... a lot. Which I feel bad for. I mean, I go in there and talk to him but, it escalates into him attacking me." Quinn said as he rolled up his sleeve and showed me a bite mark.
"...He bit you?"
"Yup."
"How does he talk to himself? What does he say?"
"He does it in these...awkward voices. Like he's acting out a script with himself. One voice is deeper and the other is himself... the deeper one takes over, though. It's like he's being possessed. I think he's being possessed." Quinn said as he looked at me. "I'm not Catholic but... I think we need a priest before we get some exorcist stuff happening in here."
I sighed and looked at him.
"...It's not the devil?"
"Nope, not the devil."
"I'm not familiar with mental illnesses that's why I'm a security guard."
"It's okay, Quinn" I said as I smiled. "You just helped me a great deal."
"I did?"
"Yep. Anything else that Gerard does that's... weird?" I said as I pulled out a notepad and a pen from my purse to start taking notes.
"Uhm.."
"Okay uh.. Are their triggers to him attacking you?"
"When I try to give him medication, try to give him dinner, try to get him to shower... it's rare though. He does it on occasion. He normally doesn't attack but, he does."
"He attacks in a deep voice?"
"... Come to think of it... Yeah."
"Great." I said as I smiled. "Can I see Gerard?"
"ID card?"
"Not yet.." I said as I frowned.
"Go ahead" he said as he slid his in through the key card reader and smiled. "I'll be out here."

I walked in to find Gerard sitting in the chair facing the wall. I knocked so I wouldn't invade his thinking.
"...Gerard?"
No response.
"....Hello?"
No response.

"Gerard, it's me, Dr. Lindsey Cobain. I'm gonna walk in and sit on the bed. Okay?" I walked in gently and closed the door behind me. I put my purse down and took off my suit jacket. I walked over to the bed and sat down. He didn't move an inch or speak during that whole time.
"Gerard?" I said as I went to put my hand over his. He abruptly grabbed it and whipped his head around immediately to look at me.
I just looked at him.

"Who are you?"
"I'm Dr. Lindsey Cobain. I'm Gerard's psychiatrist."
He nodded and looked at my blouse.
"Do you like my blouse?"
"..Sure." He said as he put his hand on my thigh.
"So, tell me about yourself."
"Strip." He said as his hand went further up my thigh.
"Gerard."
"I'm not Gerard!"
This was going nowhere fast. I needed another strategy.
"If you answer my questions honestly I'll unbutton my blouse. If you answer dishonestly, I'll button it back up. Deal?" I said as I put my hands up to my blouse.
"Okay, deal."
"How old are you?"
"You don't wanna know."
"We can't play this game if you don't play fair."
He gripped my thigh. He ran his hand up my skirt to my panties.
"You don't belong up there."
"You don't belong giving... me a boner." he said as he laughed.
"You aren't Gerard."
"Fuck. Him." he said as he pushed me on the bed and got on top of me.
"Get off of me!"

This monster got on top of me and ripped off my shirt. He pinned down my wrists but, luckily, I kneed him in the nuts and kicked him off. I picked up my stuff and left. This has to be one of his personalities. A rapist of some sort, who knows. Quinn asked what was wrong but, I just walked past him. I couldn't be bothered. I didn't want anyone to see me like this. To see me break down. The second I got to the elevator, I couldn't stand it. The barriers of my lids couldn't hold back the waves of my tears much longer. I felt shameful. I felt like I've already given up on my patient. My second day on the job and I was as miserable as ever.