Day 169 - PTSD Story

PTSD Story

Matthew Ryan Fischer

Ashlyn sat in the waiting room flipping through a magazine she wasn’t really reading and trying to remain calm. She hated going to the doctor’s office. There were always too many sick people. It made her nervous. The stench of death always seemed to coat everything, and everything smelled unnatural and unholy. The waiting room was actually rather clean and no one seemed to be actively dying, but that was little consolation for Ashlyn. She still hated this place.

The Transcendental Holistic Health & Wellness Group advertised itself as a quiet, therapeutic space where the soul would be inspired and self-actualization realized. From the outside it seemed like any number of other co-op non-profits, a low-cost alternative to traditional health care. Some of the practices were more controversial than others. Doctors studied the mind and body as well as the spirit. They encouraged the use of herbal remedies instead of pharmaceuticals. There was a room for yoga and meditation to help the healing. But even with a few practices like this, nothing seemed too far out of the realm of traditional medicine.

Bree arrived and saw Ashlyn. She crossed the room to an open seat.

“How are you?”

“You didn’t have to come.”

“Don’t be silly, you’re my sister.”

“I shouldn’t have called. I know you have mom to look after...”

“Nonsense. I’m here. What do you know? What’s he have?”

“PTSD.”

“That’s rough. What happened to him?”

The Transcendental Holistic Health & Wellness Group did have another side. A side that wasn’t exactly traditional. A side that wasn’t exactly advertised. There was a separate wing, with several practitioners that offered off-the-record assistance with off-the-record problems. These were not available to the common client. But for a special few, usually those that knew someone that knew someone who would make a referral, a whole range of enchanted options became available.

“What was it? A possession?  Exorcism?”

This type of care was known as “private care for those with private needs.” Discretion was paramount.

“He went to look into the abyss and when the abyss looked back he was found wanting.”

A casual visitor would never know what was happening on the other side of the building. A casual visitor might not ever believe it even if they saw it.

“That’s not so bad. I knew someone that looked into the abyss once.  Not all it’s cracked up to be.”

“Try telling that to my husband.”

The Transcendental Holistic Health & Wellness Group was a co-op of the occult. There were energy enhancements and chakra cleanses and enlightenment reversals. Bokors could cure a zombi. A shaman could connect patients with their spirit animals. A guru could help find inner peace.

“He’s tough. He’s going to pull through.”

“Yeah, he better.”

“He will.”

Ashlyn was nervous. She wasn’t sure she could make it without her husband. Post Traumatic Spiritual Disorder could turn bad very quickly and very easily. For a moment she bitterly wished her mother had never introduced her and Bree to magic. Sometimes it seemed like it was nothing but trouble.

Ashlyn took her sister’s hand in silence and held it for a long time.