“Typically, PTSD is treated by combinations of counseling, psychotherapy and drugs,” Evan offered.
She rolled her eyes at him. “Are you serious, Evan?”
“Completely,” Alik said, jaw clenching.
“We don’t have time for this. Creed is alive! I have to get my ass to Germany and rescue him before Williams starts Phase II of his pre-apocalyptic, biogenetic murders using your brother’s babies!” She yelled to both Evan and Alik.
“We do have to devise a plan for Creed, but first, we need to help you, Meg.” Theo spoke from the back of the room. He walked toward Margo and sat on the floor at her feet, offering his support to the conversation.
“You want me to see a shrink?” Meg asked the room, disbelievingly.
“Eventually, yes, but first, I think we need to seriously discuss an SSRI to help you. The sooner it gets into your system, the better. It does take a couple of weeks for it to work its way into the brain’s neurotransmitters and patients begin to feel some relief from their symptoms.” Evan was looking at her earnestly.
“What the heck is an SSRI?” she asked, getting more frustrated by the minute. This was all feeling so surreal. She half expected the lamp beside her to start dancing across the floor, or blood to begin seeping out of the wall, or the sound of metallic spheres rolling together to echo through the room. Nothing felt real. Meg couldn’t trust anything to hold still and not turn into a Salvador Dali painting, melting, morphing into the impossible.
Speaking slowly, as though to a nut job in a straightjacket, Evan elaborated, “SSRI is an abbreviation for ‘selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor.’ It’s a widely used drug that works specifically with the chemical serotonin in the brain. The serotonin is responsible for helping you feel happy, content and peaceful. In people who have experienced trauma and are suffering from PTSD, the natural serotonins in the brain get absorbed too quickly, leaving the sufferer constantly feeling raw, depressed and anxious. The SSRI slows the reabsorption of serotonins, giving the brain time to feel the benefits of contentment. Does that make sense?” He asked slowly.
She felt like punching him in the mouth instead—hard.
That’s your reaction to a lot of things lately, she reminded herself.
“I’ll make you a deal,” Meg said to the room. Everyone sat quietly, waiting to hear the terms of her agreement.
“I’ll take whatever drug you think I need to fix my—what did you call it—my ‘fractured psyche,’ if you agree we come up with a plan to rescue Creed.”
“I have an idea about how to get Creed out,” a voice said from the side of the room. All eyes turned to see who spoke. It was Farrow.
“Great, Farrow,” Margo said, tipping her head to the side just a little, like Maze does when he’s trying to figure something out.
“What’s your plan?” Alik asked as he walked to grab her hand and bring her into the middle of the loose circle of family. He encouraged her to take his seat on the sofa and plopped casually on the floor next to her.
The two had become very close friends over the last several weeks, though they never crossed any lines. Alik was always a gentleman.
Farrow was still trying to find an identity that wasn’t predefined by her superiors at the Facility. It was difficult for her as she really was highly intelligent, trained to kill, could execute the patience, stealth and mental agility required to be a sniper assassin, but she had no idea how to live outside of following direct orders. The seventeen-year-old had so much to learn.
Sometimes simple things like, deciding what toppings she wanted on her pizza would bring her quiet tears. She didn’t know what movies or books she liked. She couldn’t decide if she liked to run on the treadmill or outside. She found joy in the simplest tasks, like washing her clothes and folding them however she wanted—or not folding them at all and living out of a laundry basket. She had followed orders her whole life. Now she was free. It was a huge adjustment.
Alik was a gentle friend to the girl, and though he was two years younger than her, it didn’t seem to matter to them. Alik’s easygoing way was a tonic to Farrow’s tense, unsure responses to her new world. In the end, Ali would say or do something completely disarming and get Farrow giggling, sometimes even through her tears. Meg wasn’t surprised at all to see them so comfortable side by side now.
Farrow took a deep breath before speaking, “You have been the family I never knew I could have. I didn’t even know family like this existed. You took me in and healed me, though I was your enemy. You offered me a home and accepted me. Meg, you even used your gift to heal my sadness, though it took such a physical toll on you. I can never repay your kindness.” Her large doe eyes glistened with emotion as she looked around the room.