In the previous chapter Curtis Mathis was expecting to be sentence to military service instead of jail. Instead, the judge send him to a mental hospital for a psychiatric evaluation.
Across from the table of Dr. Phillip Grey, Dr. Carl White, and Dr. Patricia Ronstate sat Curtis Mathis. Behind Curtis stood two bulky men in white uniforms.
It had been ninety-days since the court had ordered him for a ninety-day evaluation of Curtis from the state’s hospital for the criminally insane. Hospital policy mandated that supervising doctors would meet with Curtis before sending their recommendations to Judge McCullen.
Dr. Ronstate finished reading the order sent to them from Judge McCullen. “Mr. Mathis, do you understand why you are here?”
“You just finished reading my committing judge’s orders.”
“That’s correct. We want to talk with you before we make our final recommendation and send it off.”
“Are you going to tell the judge that I am not crazy and send me back so I can serve my time in county jail?”
“Not so fast.” Dr. Grey interjected. “From what we have observed over the past few weeks, you are not crazy.”
“But what’s the catch?” Curtis said. Over the past few weeks, Curtis learned not to trust what was said at face value.
“We still see you as a danger to yourself and others. We are going to recommend that you remain with us for treatment.”
Curtis’ hands clenched to fists. His facial muscles visibly tightened. “How long are you planning to keep me here?”
“It will be entirely up to you and your progress in treatment.”
Curtis’ head jerked from side to side. A cracking of his neck bones could be heard. “So you are saying I am crazy?”
Dr. White spoke up. “We don’t see you as crazy. We see you more as one on the psychic spectrum.”
“If that’s not crazy, what do you mean?”
Dr. Grey attempted to explain. “In layman’s terms: what we see in you is being mentally unstable. You show little or no empathy to those around you. Still, your actions show planning regardless of the fact that your plans are inappropriate.”
“Isn’t that the same as crazy?”
“No, you don’t disconnect from reality, but choose inappropriate behavior to accomplish what you want. In those choices, you have little or no regard for those who might be affected.”
“So why don’t you just send me back to Tulare County so that judge can sentence me?”
“That’s not what we are recommending.” Dr. Grey continued. “With the appropriate therapy, we believe we can help you change your behavior and thinking to fit within the norms of society.”
Dr. White paused after picking up his pen. “I’m interested in learning what your goals might be after you leave us?”
Curtis narrowed his eyes directly at Dr. White. “I want to join the Marine Corps and go to Vietnam and kill Commines.”
“What makes you so sure you can get into the Marine Corps?”
“In my short time here, I see it as what I could do and be good at.”
Dr. Grey asked, “How did you come up with that conclusion?”
“My father fought in World War II and Korea. When growing up, for every Halloween he always dressed me in a version of his Marine Corps uniform.”
“We don’t really think the Marine Corps will accept you with your record,” Dr. Ronstate added
Disappointment followed by restrained anger could be seen in Curtis. He took a couple of deep breaths. “What do you shrinks think a man like me can do with the rest of my life?”
All three doctors exchanged glances. Dr. White wrote something and then passed it on to Dr. Grey. Dr. Grey nodded. Dr. Grey passed the paper to Dr. Ronstate. She nodded in approval. “The three of us have an idea. How do you feel about gardening and working with plants?”
Curtis thought for a minute before responding. He had learned it would be best to say what the doctors wanted to hear. “My mother was Apache. She always wanted me to get in-tune with nature. After my parents died, I moved in with my dad’s brother. He had me help him mow lawns and do some landscaping-type work.”
“Good. There is an opening for a patient to help the groundskeeper. We think you would benefit from the time spent helping him.”
“Does that mean outside these cement walls?” Curtis asked.
“We are offering for you to work with our groundskeeper twenty hours a week and meet with Dr. White once a week. You will still need to attend one group therapy session a week.”
“For how long?”
“From what our records show.” Dr. Ronstate said. “If we sent you back to Tulare County today, you would spend close to a year in lockup. If you progress in therapy here, after six months we can recommend to the court that you are now a benefit to society and should be released to outpatient therapy.”
Curtis gave a forced smiled at the doctor’s offer. “Will you be paying me anything for working with your groundskeeper?”
“We’ll pay you seventy-five cents an hour when you work helping the groundskeeper.”
“So, I can get out and breathe fresh air?”
“That’s what working with the groundskeeper means.”
“When do I start?”
“If you agree with our offer, I’ll start the paperwork today. It will take a day or two before one of the guards can escort you out to meet the groundskeeper. They both can fill you in what is expected of you from their end.”
“Wait a minute, Dr. Ronstate,” Dr. Grey interrupted. “Look at Curtis’ medication list. We need to get him off lithium and verify that it has not changed his behavior.”
Dr. White explained to Curtis. “Lithium is what we are giving you as a mood stabilizer. Considering the dose you are taking, you cannot be allowed to leave the secure area until we get you off it. Once off it, we must make sure your behavior remains appropriate.”
Curtis reached in his pants pocket and pulled out a handful of pink and white capsules. “Do you mean these?”
“Where did you get those?” Dr. Grey asked as he rose out of his seat.
“I knew you would want to keep me here if I was taking these things. Over the past month, I have been slowly taking less and less.”
“So, you are telling us the orderly who administers your meds hasn’t been verifying that you’re swallowing them?”
“I’ve been faking it.”
Dr. Ronstate did a quick check in Curtis’ folder. “The staff have not reported any emotional outbursts in the last sixty days?”
“You said it, Doc. I am psycho. I plan and adjust my behavior to get what I want. If I had come in here all calm and compliant, you would’ve thought I was a serial killer. You would have poked and examined me to find out my true intentions. Because the staff sees a change in me being calmer and more in-control, you then think I’m getting cured.”
Dr. Ronstate, not liking but accepting what she heard, said, “We are still going to have to watch you for a week without us giving you any medication. If your behavior is still acceptable, we will recommend that you work with the groundskeeper.”
Curtis stood to leave when Dr. Grey said, “Mr. Mathis, before you leave, I have one last question.”
“What’s that, Doc?”
“Considering everything we discussed here, if we let you go outside the secure area and work with the groundskeeper will you come back into the secure area at the end of your work period?”
Both orderlies noticed Curtis’s right hand move behind his back and his index and middle fingers cross.
“I promise.” Curtis said.
