Dollhouse | scream series ²

Mindful Therapy

Sitting on my bed playing with the matted fur on my giraffe, I watched other residents from the window they were all doing different types of mindful therapy.

I had just come from my own therapy where we hit a willing member of staff with soft foam paddles as 'healthy anger expression.'

Looking around my room, I sighed at the sight of it. It was bare except for the brightly colored flowers that I was being sent once every month on the first of the month; the sender was a mystery, but I appreciated it all the same.

I was -hopefully- in the last few days of my stay here, and I was still in two minds about it, as much as I was desperate to be out of this place I was still a bit nervous about being back out in the world without Sue or the safety of being secure here.

A knock at the door threw me out of my thoughts "come in" I called out as Sue popped her head around the door with a smile before she closed the door behind her, Sue was the only person allowed in here with the door closed.

I didn't need to find an easy exit away from her. She had become like a surrogate mother to me for my duration here; I tried to fight it at first, hissing at her that I didn't need a friend, let alone anything closer than that, but all she did was smile and respect my boundaries.

Over time her patience with me didn't change, but my attitude towards her did. I found myself glaring at the other patients when they treated her in the same manner I used to, and I was put in 'time out' more than once for my aggressive actions towards them.

I had somehow fallen -platonically- for her soft ways, almost unshakable belief in me and mostly the way she swore like a sailor when it was just the two of us. Her laugh, too, was something I'd miss; it was a smokers chuckle that almost always had her crossing her legs.

I wasn't looking forward to that when I get older.

"Afternoon sweetheart," Sue greeted as she made her way over to me with one hand behind her back that didn't make me as nervous as it should've if it were anyone else I would have pounced by now. "How was therapy?"

Smirking softly, I continued to play with Binky's fur remembering the events of my morning "I accidentally hit Roy in the balls with the foam paddle" Sue's mouth turned up into a smirk that mimicked my own.

"Good girl," The older woman whispered, tapping my knee as I told her about my accident with the overly grumpy orderly that pretty much made everyone's lives here that little bit more miserable.

"So, what are you hiding?" I bluntly question, trying to peek over her shoulder as her face drops into a nervous look as she takes her hands from behind her back, revealing a large envelope, and I instantly understand her nerves.

I took the envelope from her hands and blink at the words' Katherine Prescott' then roll my eyes at the words above it 'To the carer of..." just because I was locked up here doesn't mean I can't read my own mail.

Total lie.

Turning it over, I noticed the envelope hadn't been opened that was unusual. I was one of the many patients whose mail had to be regularly checked before I could read it.

Mostly because I had 'fan' mail, interview invitations, and reporters writing to me all wanting to talk about the killings or just wishing to express their views to me. The fans all wanted to show their 'devotion' to me; honestly, they sounded like cultists.

It was just unfortunate that I was in the communal living area when I received the first letter than made me spiral into a rage that had put a few of the other patients in the hospital bay.

Gently prying open the envelope I began to read the words on the page to myself, I felt weird, I was anxious about if I didn't get in, but I was also worried that I did get accepted into Windsor.

My breath hitched before I glanced up at Sue, who had been waiting patiently "What did it say?" Sue looked at me questioningly "Did you?-" she then frowned when I didn't say anything but instead sat frozen "-Oh shit, I'm sorry Kat"

Shaking my head, I let a few tears fall onto the paper "I got in" I whispered in shock as I looked up at Sue again "I got in" I felt Sue pull me into a hug and placing a kiss on the side of my head.

"I'm so happy for you," Sue told me only to stop when she noticed my frozen frame, "Kat?" I put my college acceptance letter down as I sat on my bed quietly thinking, "What's wrong, Katherine?" The older woman asked, stroking a hand threw my hair.

Something I had come to love but would never willingly admit.

"I got in," I repeated quietly, letting the information process as Sue just watched, knowing I was just trying to wrap my head around the significant change coming up "everything is going to change now," I frowned to myself.

"I don't want to leave you," I finalized as I sniffed rubbing my eyes in the sleeve of my dressing gown "I don't want to go" the edges of my peripheral started to darken as my chest tightened.

Sue moved closer to me and gently took my hand in hers "I'll see you again you can count on that" I smiled gripping her hand tighter as my breathing evened out before I exploded into a panic attack.

"Sidney will be so excited to see you again" Sue gushed as I rolled my eyes remembering that Sidney and I would once again be attending the same school, I shared the womb with her for 9 months wasn't that long enough?

"Yeah, Sidney," I hissed bitterly, my dad was so proud when I told him about applying for college, but he couldn't wait to tell me that my darling twin sister had also applied for the same one.

One big happy fucking family.

Although the thought of seeing the look on her face when she sees me again did something to me, I felt an evil cackle bubbling in my throat whenever I pictured Sidney's face dropping at the sight of me.

I can't say she didn't deserve it; leaving me to rot in a psychiatric ward with a broken mind wasn't nice, but I would get the last laugh.

"So, let's hear it, what does it say?" Sue asked gleefully nodded to the paper as my mind began to darken at the thought of Sidney, she was like a slow-acting poison to my mind, and it was rotting my brain.

Smiling at the woman's excitement, I picked up the paper carefully and cleared my throat, "Dear Kathrine Prescott, Congratulations! We are pleased to accept you as a late addition to Windsor College..."