Let It Be (A Beatles Story)

Chapter Forty-Two

Warning: This chapter gets a bit darker than normal.  It may be triggering.  If anyone needs help, I'm here.

Everthing had happened the way I predicted that night so long ago.  Paul crying over me, John holding my hand, and my hands covered in blood.  Only the last one wasn't how I expected it to happen.  

As I sat there in the bathroom with my hands coated in the sticky red liquid, I recapped all that had happened that day.  

It was one of the lads' last free days in Paris, and they were determined to make it count.  They went out the two nights before while I stayed there, in my little hotel room.  I was fine with that, though.  It seemed like everyone wanted me to stay alone.  

But not Doctor Baudine.

Paul knocked on my door the next morning, and poking his head in, he said, "Elle, you have a visitor."  He made it sound like I had a choice whether or not to let my "visitor" in.  He opened the door, and in walked a man who didn't look a day older than Brian.  He looked quite professional, and almost looked surprised when he saw me, as if he was expecting something worse.  He took my hand, and said, "Hello, Miss Sullivan.  I am Doctor Francois Baudine."  He had a thick French accent, but spoke excellent English.  

"H-Hello." I said, nervously looking over at Paul.  

He motioned towards the chairs.  "Shall we sit?"  I nodded quickly. 

"Can I get you anything, Doctor?" I asked him.  

"No, thank you."  Clearing his throat, he said, "Mister McCartney, would you mind if we conducted this session alone?"

Paul blushed, feeling a bit awkward.  "No, not at all.  I'll be in my room if you need me."  And with that, he left.  Though I had wished that he stayed.  

After a few moments of silence, he said, "Now, I do not expect you to confide in a stranger, therefore I believe we should acquaint each other first.  Are you English, Miss Sullivan?"

I was surprised that he suggested that, even though I had a slight accent that I had picked up from spending time with the band.  "You can call me Elle, if you'd like, Doctor.  And, no, actually, I'm from America."

Crossing his legs in his chair, he said, "That is not much better."  After seeing the look on my face, he chuckled and said, "I joke.  My apologies, madamoiselle.  How did you come know Monsieur McCartney?"

Looking down at the ground, which I knew was horribly rude, I said, "It's a very long story."

Doctor Baudine smiled.  "All we have is time, Miss Sullivan."

"It is one I don't feel comfortable talking about at the present time," I spoke quickly, hoping we could change the subject.  Though I knew that the subject change was bound to be worse.  

"I see," the doctor considered, "but we shall come back to it.  Now, I have been told that you were caught in a very dangerous position a few nights ago on Pont de l'Alma, one that could have cost you your life.  I've been told by Mister McCartney that this was very unlike yourself, and that he was extremely concerned.  Of course he would be, considering how close you two are," I did not like the way he said that, "I told him that though people seem to be perfectly happy and content with their lives, they can have a deep-seeded sadness or anger that causes them to think irrationally."  He took out a notebook and pen, and asked, "Will you tell me what you saw, thought and heard that night?"

As I tried to find the right words he added, "Say anything that comes to your mind."

After a few moments of silence, I began to speak, and he took quiet notes.  "You see, Doctor, if I were to tell you what happened that night, I might need to go back farther."  He nodded, waiting for me to speak again.  "My...my father was abusive...to both my mother and me.  Not very many people knew, and we all were afraid to report him.  I've had nightmares and hallucinations of him hitting me, and hurting my mother and my friends.  One of the most recent ones was on a night I spent with my friend, and I thought my father came out of the darkness and was...strangling me."  The last part made me choke, and I clutched the armrest on my chair.  Doctor Baudine told me to continue.