Silent Storm Lesbian Story

01: Skype

Davie laughed, her body shook slightly, her eyes sparkled and she winked,"That's a big if! When I visited in March it wasn't quite this bad!"

Carter nodded in understanding. "Yes, Dr. Kaplan. It's at its worst right now. Give it a couple months. It will get better."

"Ok Carter, and it's D-A-V-I-E please." Davie grinned,"Unless you take one of my classes."

"Okay! You got it! And I just may take one of your classes. When the Dean of the medical school interviewed me he said there's been quite a bit of buzz around the medical school over your arrival."

Davie put her hands up and shook her head in modesty. She signed as they moved toward baggage claim. "Well, I'll do my best to impress."

"Oh, I got the distinct feeling you've already impressed them. I think part of my job is to make sure you're just as impressed with Tulane and New Orleans."
----

Davis Kaplan was born and raised in Seattle Washington. Her parents, administrative executives working at the Washington Athletic Club in downtown Seattle, were expecting a son 27 years ago. When a little girl arrived they were surprised but no less happy. They kept the name "Davis" and called her Davie from day one.

Just before she turned 18, Davie endured a traumatic experience that left her mute. Her inability to speak or vocalize language in any way seemed to be psychosomatic in nature. There was no physical reason she should not be able to vocalize. She simply could not speak words after the trauma. No other vocalization seemed to be impacted, just language.

To this day no one, not Davie's parents, not her doctors, not her therapists has ever been able to break through with her. Because Davie still laughed and sighed and vocally prompted without using words; in the early stages of her condition many people thought she was just refusing to speak. It took some time for her to "explain" to people that the words were "locked-in" and she was unable to force speech even though she desperately wanted to hear her own voice again.

For almost 10 years she has not spoken at all and she has never communicated in any way or in any detail about the death of her best friend, Evelyn Reese. Those words and memories were imprisoned in her mind. Davie felt like she could see them occasionally through the "bars" but could not free them.

In order to bridge the communication gaps Davie learned American Sign Language. As a Masters and PhD candidate she worked with an interpreter for the courses she taught and the conferences she attended. Many times individuals mistakenly assumed that Davie was deaf which proved to be sometimes awkward and sometimes amusing.

Once Davie entered the University of Washington's Speech Pathology program she threw herself into her studies and accelerated through the program and earned her PhD. Specializing in Selective Mutism in children. Her research and therapy focused on social and environmental treatment. Last year, with the help of her interpreter she presented a TED-Med Talk in Chicago that garnered international attention.

"Well, my plan is to get you settled at your hotel. Are you all set for your living arrangements?" Carter moved and talked but made sure to maintain a pace that allowed him to look over and see Davie's hands.

"Yes, I'm in Hampton Inn for a few days. I've rented a small row house on Maple. I'll buy next year after I get to know New Orleans a little better."

"Great, good plan! There are a lot of little niche neighborhoods and areas. I'll spend the next week giving you the lay of the land of the university and surrounding areas. I think you'll find that you won't need a car right away but you might want one at some point. Until then, streetcars and Uber or Lyft are both good options if you get in a pinch."