All Four Of Me

Chapter 13

"She's too young to be so damaged. It's not fair." Chris says somberly, removing his hand from Kenzie's arm and moving away from the side of the bed so that I have better access.

I know how he feels considering I work with vulnerable and emotionally damaged children every day, and he is right, it is absolutely unfair that Kenzie is suffering from the condition that she is. She could have had the whole world if she had just been given the chance at a normal life, but instead she had faced years of abuse and a constant lack of stability with her living arrangements, all of which she had no control over.

Nothing about Kenzie's life up until this point has been fair, but there isn't anything that can be done to change what has happened in the past. All we can do is try to give her a better future.

"Anyway, how bad is the injury?" Chris enquires, pulling himself out of his miserable state by changing the topic.

"It looks like her nails only broke the first layer or two of skin, so the lacerations themselves aren't a major concern." I answer with a sigh "It's what's going on in that head of hers that I am most worried about."

Patching up a couple of scratches is easy, but trying to patch up fifteen years worth of suppressed emotions and hidden trauma is a whole new ball game. I can only attempt to fix the issues that I am made aware of, so in cases like Kenzie's where she is reluctant to share her demons it makes it extremely difficult to find the correct strategies to start the healing process.

In a way, trying to help Kenzie recover from her psychological injuries is like trying to navigate a minefield while blindfolded. One wrong move could have catastrophic consequences for both her emotional wellbeing and any progress she has already made in the past or could potentially make in the future.

That is why I have spent the past week searching endlessly for a psychologist or psychiatrist who not only has the experience and expertise to properly identify Kenzie's condition, but also the patience it will require to address her triggers and the gentleness to provide the appropriate treatment. It has been more difficult than I would have liked, but finding the right doctor to consult with Kenzie is the most crucial step in starting her healing process and if I can't find a doctor that she is comfortable with then the chances of her making any improvement are very slim.

I have a few of my colleagues in mind who may be able to assist, but ultimately the final decision will come down to Kenzie. If she is unable to connect with one of them then I won't force her to keep seeing them. It is about time she got to have some input on decisions relating to her own health and treatment regardless of the fact that she is still a minor.

"Why don't we go downstairs and discuss this with the others. I'm sure that Nathan could use some reassurance right about now, I can hear him pacing from here." Chris rolls his eyes at his own statement but the friendly smile that graces his face shows that he I only being playful. Even I have to admit that sometimes Nathan can be a little intense when it comes to his protectiveness over the people he cares about, but ultimately it just proves that he is a good man.

"Sure, I don't see her waking up for a while so I suppose we should go and put Nate out of his misery." I shrug, placing Kenzie's arm back down on the mattress, watching as she unconsciously draws it closer to her body in search of some warmth.

Taking my jacket off, I place it over the top half of her body, making sure that the collar is tucked beneath her chin and her arms are completely concealed beneath the fabric. I don't know what it is about my jumpers that she finds so comforting, but within a few seconds her body shifts so that her legs are curled closer to her body and her face is pressed gently into the collar of the jacket.