Seeking Asylum

Electroshock Therapy

Henry and John open the Doctor's office door. "You called, sir?" John says.

"Escort Miss Pendleton to the Electroshock therapy room. I'll be in shortly to conduct the therapy," he waves them away as they grab my arms and legs.

The process of kicking and trying to push them off of me begins all over. I'm able to get my legs free. One of them tries to shake some sense into me. The other kicks my legs out from underneath me and the now have hold of my legs again.

They carry me into a dark room. A single, white table sits in the center, illuminated by a lamp. The two men put me on top of the table and struggle to buckle the restraining belts. Doctor Ridgeway enters and he is now dressed in his white coat and gloves. He tells Henry and John to leave, but I don't want them too. I don't want to be alone with the Doctor.

He smears petroleum jelly on the sides of my head, around my temples. He puts a cap on my head that is connected to a box with numerous switches. I didn't want to guess what any of them did.

"I've never had a patient quite as tough as you," he says as he shoves a rag in my mouth. "There's no doubt in my mind that you are very, very sick. It's only day two and we're using the electroshock therapy already. This will calm you down, I promise." He flicks a switch and all I feel are painful tingles down my entire body.

He flicks the switch off and my entire body drops. I must have tensed up. I want to struggle against the restraint buckles before he can flip the switch again, but I can't. Neither my arms nor legs could move an inch. I felt like I was going to pass out at any moment. Doctor Ridgeway called for John and Henry to carry me back to my room.

Lucky for them, all they had to do was hoist me up. I couldn't fight them. They carried me to my room, my feet grazing the floor the entire time. It hurt, but I couldn't move to do anything about it. All of my strength had been taken from me. The two men laid me on my bed. I could hear them informing the female nurse of what had just happened. I learned that her name is Charlotte.

She came in and sat on the side of my bed. "Hello, Caroline," she sounded saddened. "I am so terribly sorry for what you have just endured. We usually treat patients that have depression with electroshock therapy. I will have a talk with Doctor Ridgeway when I see him. According to your charts, this isn't the appropriate treatment," I hear her say as I slip into unconsciousness.

•

It must have been hours later because I awoke with Charlotte opening my door to inform me it was dinner time. I was able to sit up. Some of my strength had returned, but I still felt weak. "Did you talk to Dr. Ridgeway, by any chance?" I asked, rubbing my eye.

She came in and closed the door. "Yes, I did," she whispered. That's when I noticed the huge bruise under her eye.

"How did you get that?" I asked sleepily.

"Please report to the cafeteria for dinner," she quickly spouted out as she rushed out of the room.

That was all I needed to know that Dr. Ridgeway was the one that was very, very sick. I now also knew that it would probably be a long, long time before I'm released. I walked myself to the cafeteria, feeling utterly defeated. I sat and ate my dinner alone again.