Page 57 of Seduce & Destroy

“Hi—”

“This is my daughter, Laney. She’s been sick for a couple of weeks. She looks pale, sleeps little, and is anxious a lot.” He listed my ailments like accolades: “Migraines. Fainting. Rashes.” I covered the redness around my neck. “What is the matter with her?”

The doctor looked at me, uncertain, before he spoke curtly back to him. “That’s what I’m here to find out Sir, don’t worry.” Turning his gaze back to me he said, “Good afternoon, Laney. My name is Dr Archibald Borley, I’ll start by asking what you think the problem is?”

“I’m really not sure. I’ve had episodes before. Usually, they’re caused by a mental crisis, but I haven’t felt necessarily stressed for a while now. Grief-stricken, sure, but stress, not really.”

“Stress is a silent killer. It marinates under the surface and often presents itself before you even know it. I understand that the fainting is induced by anxiety?”

“Yes.”

“Was it sparked by the grief?”

“No, I got diagnosed with anxiety four years ago.”

“Medicated?”

“Counselled.”

“Are you still seeking counsel?”

“No.”

“I see.”

“It’s not that. I know it. It’s something else. It’s something concrete.”

“Mental health issues are concrete. What has made you think otherwise?”

Father let out a huff at that moment, rolling his eyes, but Dr Borley went on, “Grief is a stressor. You might not have even realised it as a cause. It’s a process; it’s still early days into the grief. I understand you have a funeral coming up soon. That’s fresh—”

“It’s something else!” I burst out. My head hurt again. “It’s something external, I know it.”

“Sure, Laney.” He smiled pleasantly, placing a hand on my leg.

I flinched.

“Moving on,” Father growled.

Dr Borley ran some routine tests, checking my blood pressure, reflexes and heart. When they all came back normal, well within healthy ranges, he returned to his line of questioning.

“Do you have experience of prolonged issues similar to this prior to this episode?”

“It’s new.”

“Okay. Any other diagnosed disorders apart from anxiety?”

“Not that I know of.”

“Do you have any allergies?”

I opened my mouth to respond, but Father interjected.

“To tea tree oil, yes.” He spoke fast, brief and direct. “Why is that relevant?”

“Well, prolonged exposure to an allergen can develop into a case of chronic inflammation, like migraines, fainting and difficulty breathing.” He looked at me. “These are the symptoms you complained of. And such agitators on the body can induce mental flare-ups from the stress.”

“You think that’s the case?”