The Fixer With A Broken Past

Madelyn Badeaux was a name that was renowned and admired by all. She was a woman of great distinction that carried herself with great pose and she treasured the fact that she could turn the most wretched of people into upstanding citizens. She was the best therapist in all of England and she could certainly get anyone’s life back on track. This mere fact was evident from the lives of her patients. She had a way around people and knew exactly how to fix a multitude of problems, nothing was too big for Madelyn. Except maybe one man could dismantle this theory.

Grant Wiggins was once a man of note and he had it all once upon a time. He lived the typical American dream and one day it all came crumbling down leaving him being the collateral that remained. He was ruined and traumatised by his past. After a series of traumatic events, he found himself in a mental institution and his remaining family wanting nothing to do with him. What exactly led to his unravelling and subsequent psychiatric episodes was a mystery to the nurses and doctors of the Mulberry Psychiatric Institution but one thing was certain was that he was soon to be released from the institution. He would get his life back and the first step was to leave behind the ghosts of his past. Everybody knew this was such a case that Miss Madelyn Badeaux longed for and he must have known because he requested her.

She knew that this strange character was one such a patient that could be the highlight of her career. As a woman, she had much to prove. She believed that she had the solution to all of his mysterious problems because she herself had faced many hardships. Her past was not a thing she spoke of nor did she want to remember because she wished for it not to define her character.

The day finally came when the giant of a man Grant Wiggins, who had been reduced to a mere shadow of a great man, leisurely strolled into Ms Badeaux’s office. He noticed that her office was well maintained as though something was being hidden and her many qualifications hung on the wall as though there to be displayed. He walked apathetically and was greeted by her smile that was unbelievably wide that it made him doubt her sincerity. He pulled out the chair and tried to find a way to sit comfortably in the stiff chair that had given the false impression of being comfortable.

The moment he sat down was when it dawned on Miss Badeaux that she barely knew anything about this man, all she knew was that he was in the Mulberry Phycriatic Institution and he was here to attain some of the former greatness he once had. The normal politeness followed suit and they chatted about mundane things such as the weather but soon enough the time would come to discuss the real matter at hand.

Madelyn Badeaux used her words carefully when talking to patients because she knew the power that words hold. They can either build or destroy. With such power came great responsibility, she had learned this truth through her encounters and transgressions. In her case, she knew that she had to be vigilant because the wrong word could destroy a patient. She had to both destroy the past and build the future which made her job all the more complicated.

As the man sat across from her lacking any visible sense of ease, she tried to edge him on to speak about his past that he so desperately wanted to forget. Every time she even mentioned the past he would tactfully divert and find another topic to ramble on about. He had underestimated her determination because she pressed on. Her many attempts proved futile.

She observed the man’s behaviour with a keen eye as he stared out the window. She did not write anything down but she merely watched him. This is what she was good at, she always knew how to pick out a problem by simply looking at it. This man was different because she couldn’t quite put her finger on what his issue was. Her eyes followed the man’s every movement as he turned his head to face her and his eyes met with hers. She allowed the silence between them to grow until the man had become aware of it.

He sighed heavily and finally appeared as though he was tired of carrying the burden of the past. “One thing I know is that I just want to move on with my life,” he said abruptly. His words felt rushed as though he thought if he talked slower he may mumble and mess up his words.

She reassured him that they would certainly do that and very soon he would be loving his life. She wished the same for herself but she knew that people like her could not achieve true happiness. As soon as she had led Mr Wiggins to her office, she sat behind her desk and briefly contemplated a way that she could find true happiness. She let the thought go and resumed her work. She called the Mulberry institute to try and find out more about Grant Wiggins but there was not much information about him that was known. She knew that no person did not have a past because everyone has a tale to tell but one’s past could be well hidden to depths that she cannot find.

The next appointments came and nothing much resulted from them because he withheld information about his past and the events that led to him being in this position. It seemed that these appointments had become routine and they were devoid any real progress. However, one day he mused bout the fact that such a beautiful woman should be unmarried. He said this statement as though he was trying to examine her and prompt her to speak more about her personal affairs. She shrugged the comment off because it was simply none of his business.

Their meetings became more regular and she had grown to enjoy the man’s company. She felt that there was a familiar air about him and it was as though she had known him far longer than a few months. They talked at great lengths about all topics except his past. After several more meetings, it appeared as though the man was ready to open up about his past.

He sat down in her chair and he no longer had the happy expression he once had. He sat in the chair rigidly as though awaiting a confrontation. He knew that he had come with a mission and he was not going to divert from the true manner of his visit. He had avoided talking about his past with good reason and he knew that today was the day that all would finally come to light.

Madelyn had grown to like the man and felt a sense of comfort around him. She always knew he was a patient but she never withheld her true opinions on certain matters from him. She was surprised by his reclusion from her. She quickly sat down across the grim-looking man.

His gaze fell on her and for the first time, he looked haunted as though his past had finally come back to reap its reward. He held himself up and maintained his gaze. He watched her closely as she lost her sense of ease and stiffened in her chair.

The first of many revelations that he had been withholding was that his name was in fact not Grant Wiggins. This was peculiar for Miss Badeaux because it was rather a big secret to unearth so randomly. She chose not to speak and rather just stared at him, she did not have anything to say.

He continued to explain that he had changed his name after his life was about to go into turmoil but the rumours of him being wealthy and of aristocratic origins were true. He had chosen to change his name so that he could control the narrative that spun around him and no one could tell his story.

She lowered her gaze. She knew that she had her work cut out for her. There are not many reasons as to why people change their names. She brushed the revelation aside and continued to ask him about his past, begging him for some insight into his present self.

He looked down for the first time and let out a hushed chuckled. “Don’t you want to know my real name,” he said as he raised his head. He knew that his real name held many truths and was the gateway into unlocking the many secrets of Miss Madelyn Badeaux.

Generally at this stage with a patient, she would have gone through all the steps to help them move on and leave their horrid pasts behind them but in this case, she had just managed to scrape the tip of the iceberg. She pursed her lips looking for the words to say that would explain her lack of interest in his real name. “Well, it is not the most important part-” she begun to say before he interrupted her. “I think it is,” he stated bluntly.

She could feel the tension that had grown between them and she felt more distant from him. She watched the man stand up and walk to the window. She made him aware of the fact that they had spent so much time together and yet they had made very little progress until this session.

He peered out the window and muttered, “Aren’t you the best.” His tone implied that he meant this ironically because he did not believe that she was any good at her job. He thought she was better described as a failure.

She knew the title followed her around but she was losing the hope of maintaining this title. This man had consistently denied her many attempts to uncover his past but he had suddenly decided to be forthcoming with his information. “You say you want to forget the past but you appear pleased to dwell in it,” she said in an attempt to bring the attention back onto him. The thing about the past that she knew all too well was that it would always fight to return if it was not resolved.

His eyes settled on her as though he was a hunter that had just found his next meal.

She could hear his footsteps approaching her as each successive thud got louder. She could feel his presence and she was familiar with the sense of danger that had come over her. Weakness was one thing she would not show which is why she chose to maintain her position.

He retreated to his chair after he had pulled her chair closer to him. He spoke this time with clarity and soundness that she had not heard before, ” William Higginson.”

She knew the surname but she reserved any conclusions she may have made about him. Despite this, she could not stop her mind from wondering. She thought that maybe this could be the man. She could feel her heart racing and the imminent thud soon followed. She gripped the chair.

He knew he had unnerved her. A smirk g played on his lips as he watched her discomfort. “I want you to suffer as I have suffered,” he said as he got up and gripped her by her shoulders.

She knew that her actions would catch up to her. “A murderer,” his words echoed in her ears. She tried hard to fight back but all she could do was cower. She felt his hands tighten around her and he dragged her. She felt the cool air brush past her as she sat on the window sill.

His hand held her and were the only thing stopping her from falling out of the window. He could hear her gasping for air and he felt no pity for her because she had wronged him. He moved his hands from her shoulders and placed one hand around her neck. He wiped away her tears with the other. He made sure he held her face towards him, he wanted her to see him. “Open your eyes,” he shouted.

Tears were flowing out of her eyes and she felt powerless to do anything. She was indeed a murderer and the reason he had lost his wife and two youngest children. The actions she had tried to escape finally caught up with her. She felt his hand tighten around her neck and she felt his body move closer to hers. “Why,” she felt his breath over her ears. She knew what he was asking.

He felt anger towards her because she had taken so much from him. He restrained himself from killing her because he needed a reason why someone would commit such a heinous crime. He could hear her soft cries, he didn’t want her to cry because she deserved what was happening to her.

“I didn’t know,” she said. She felt her body being thrown to the ground as she had just finished saying the last word. The carpet scraped her face as she landed. She knew he was furious and she knew that she would soon pay for her actions. She felt the man’s hand grabbing her body. The snag of her white flimsy blouse exposed her.

“What did you say,” he whispered in her ear. She repeated the statement. He gripped her once more. The words rang in his head and he felt his fist hit the soft flesh of her body. He heard a whisper. He was determined to hear an answer. He demanded an answer once more.

She panted and felt the pain of his blows. She remained silent because she knew if she spoke, he may kill her. “I’m sorry,” she said because that is all she could say.

His hand tightened around her and this time he held her out of her window. He roared at her as she felt her heart racing. “All I want is peace,” he pleaded. She began to speak and he listened carefully to each word that she said.

She said she only intended to hurt his wife when she drove into the car. His grip tightened causing her to speak more quickly. She made it clear that his wife had promised her a great deal that she did not fulfil. This answer was not sufficient for him. He knew the whole story, it was not his cheating and devious wife he cared about but rather his innocent children.

He howled like a wolf and eyed her. He could see she was bruised and injured. No feelings of pity arose in him as he let go of her neck and pushed her. He watched her fall. For a brief moment, she looked as though she was flying.