Revenge On the Clarion

Grace Harker didn't get where she was by not being alert. In just five years she had come to rule the Rocky Point Psychiatric Hospital with an iron hand. She was aware that her methods had made her enemies. But more praised her for those very same efforts. In her desk were testimonials from husbands who had had suicidal wives returned to them with a renewed passion for life. There were letters from wives extolling how loving and tender their husbands had become. Parents of teenagers with all of the angst issues of their age were most vociferous in praise of her methods.

Grace tried to not dwell on her failures. Yes they were numerous and often they were left worse off than when they had been admitted but you could not make an omelet without breaking some eggs. Grace felt that her successes more than made up for her failures. After all, NO doctor of any sort could give guarantees. Even the simplest of operations could turn into medical disasters.

The prim forty five year old Grace had heard the rumors that she was going to be investigated. She had prepared herself for a state inspector but her sources informed her that a patient identified as Emily Allen would be checked in in a few days, would actually be reporter Peggy Jeffers of the Clarion newspaper.

The Clarion had been a thorn in Grace's side for a number of years. A young father had checked in and had killed himself hours later. The state had exonerated Grace and her staff but the young man had been a relative of an owner of the Clarion. That person refused to accept the opinion of the state. Grace was vilified as "The Butcher of Rocky Point" in headlines. Grace's libel suits against the paper were slowly making their way through the local courts. The Clarion's stand had cost the paper subscribers but it plunged on full bore with its assault.

A loud contingent of the newspaper's readers eagerly followed the reports of Grace's many "misdeeds." Even Grace's children had caught flack at school because of the paper's dogged determination to generate scandal. It was fair to say that Grace Harker despised the Clarion and all of those who worked for it. And she had every reason to.

Grace quietly thanked her source on the immanent visit from the reporter. She was very careful to not tip her hand. Subtlety she checked into the reporter's background. Peggy Jeffers was an idealist who was totally in the thrall of the paper's owners. She had visions of a Pulitzer or other prize for finally being the one to "blow the lid of Rocky Point." Grace found a picture of the eager young reporter. She was blue eyed with cascading brown hair. Although the picture was only a publicity head shot, the attractive young woman appeared to be in shape. Chuckling silently to herself Grace thought "You know this case might actually be fun." When Peggy Jeffers or Emily Allen or what ever she called herself turned up at the doors of Rocky Point, Grace would be ready.

Peggy Jeffers worked hard on her alter ego of Emily Allen. She had been living as Emily for the last few weeks. She knew that her creation would have to have a traceable past. Working with some of the other reporters, the Clarion had created a very convincing (at least at first glace) paper trail for Emily. Peggy referred to herself now almost always Emily. She felt like Woodward or Bernstein. The Clarion was hardly the Washington Post but if what was going on at Rocky Point was anything like the paper's owner said it was, Peggy would be well on her way to a plumb assignment anywhere she wanted.

She admired Mr. Michael Conner enormously. When he told the sad story of his only nephew's death at Rocky Point. Peggy was POSITIVE that Grace Harker had successfully hidden her culpability for his death. Three years later Mr. Conner still grieved and his rage had not subsided with time. Mr. Conner had taken Peggy under her wing and sold her on the idea of infiltrating the "hell hole" of Rocky Point. Eager to please her powerful and, if she was honest with herself handsome boss, Peggy had volunteered for duty.

It was exactly a week later that an ambulance delivered a suicidal young woman. Grace thought it suspicious that the ambulance arrived just after she had finished her lunch. Ordinarily admissions were earlier or later in the day. Grace decided to investigate. When the ambulance door swung open there was Peggy Jeffers, hair disheveled and lightened to a dishwater blonde. her eyes puffy with tears. Inwardly Grace wore a broad smile.

"What is your name honey?" Asked Grace in a sensitive and sincere manner.

"Emily, Emily Allan" came the reply.

Grace turned to the paramedic sitting next to Emily's stretcher. "What's the story?"

"She made a public scene at the college library went screaming about the building. At first she threatened to jump of the atrium but instead she came up with a box cutter and threatened to slit her writs. She was tackled as she began to cut into her left wrist. It was just a superficial wound. It didn't even require stitches. I bandaged her and brought her here. Shes been calm enough since we got her into the rig."

"Thank you officer." I will take her from here. Grace turned towards the disguised reporter and said in her most pleasant and motherly voice.

"I am Grace Harker, Welcome to Rocky Point. Come along Emily. We will have you feeling better in no time."

The woman calling herself Emily Allan took the proffered hand and allowed Grace to lead her out of the ambulance.

"Let's have a talk in my office." Said the head psychiatrist.

Grace had determined that however she treated their reporter, the Clarion would spin the tail into a horror. Since what she actually did do would not matter,the head psychiatrist decided to give the newspaper what it wanted while also trying to find a legal way to hold on to Emily/Peggy for as long as possible. A prolonged incarceration would erode the reporter's resistance. If the journalist was forced to admit her scheme of entering Rocky Point under false pretenses, no one would believe her tales of mistreatment, further, if she were to make a full confession on video, Grace would easily win her libel suits against the Clarion. It would be a lot of fun to take the snot out of Michael Conner AND his pet reporter!

In Grace's office Emily Allan turned on the hysterics. Grace had to admit that the slim young woman was quite an accomplished actress. Her tales of woe was like a bingo game of psychiatry buzz words. Emily complained of paranoia, abuse, and feelings of worthlessness. Grace let her carry on for a while and said,

"Emily. I am going to put you in a seventy two hour hold at minimum. You have a lot of issues we have to work on. As to what happens now. We will admit you. There are some papers for you to sign. As part of the assessment process you will be asked to strip down to your birthday suit. This is done for your safety and that of myself and my staff. We have to be sure that you are not smuggling in weapons or other contraband and we need to examine your skin for signs of previous self injury. This will allow us to begin to get a full picture of and extent of your illness. After your assessment we will decide on where and how you are housed. Presently I believe you to be a great danger to yourself and others."

Grace smiled inwardly the many times that Peggy Jeffers signed the name Emily Allan to the forms placed in front of her. The woman had committed fraud and several felonies by claiming to be someone she was not. The fact that she asked to be admitted as a charity case only compounded her sins as the Clarion was well equipped to pay for her care. (Peggy had been asked to use charity funds because Mr Conner refused to give Rocky a Point a dime "Even to blow the lid off the place!") After the many forms were signed Grace said,

"Follow me, Emily."

Sighing heavily the reporter followed to a small white room. Peggy had was prepared for this. She had been briefed as to what to expect by former patients of Rocky Point and other psychiatric facilities. She considered it part of being a brave reporter. Along the walk with Grace the two women were trailed by two very large uniformed attendants. All three entered the room.

"Now Emily you are going to hand me the articles of your clothing as I ask for them. IF your treatment merits interaction with other patients these will be returned to you or suitable clothing will be provided from our stores. Perhaps your contact person can bring you a change of clothes but it will probably be some time until you are permitted visitors, I believe that you are a very sick woman Emily. Now hand me your shoes and socks."

Emily looked at the hulking men. Both were at least six feet tall and looked to be very strong, "But these men..."

"Are nurses who are here for my protection. I have had too many upset patients, such as yourself, try to jump me in this room. People in manic or emotional episodes can be very strong, far stronger than any woman, Now let's have those sneakers and socks."

"But..."

"Emily if you are uncooperative I CAN have Steven and John here forcibly undress you. I'm sure you DO NOT want that. Now get moving!"

With dread the pretty young reporter began to untie her sneakers and slid off her white ankle socks. Grace examined the socks and sneakers. Her keen eye and touch found what was obviously a secret compartment in the sneakers but Grace decided not to expose her new charge just yet. She had other plans for her.

Grace examined between the reporter's toes and examined the soles of her feet.

"I'm looking for needle marks and cuts. We will be going over EVERY inch of your skin."

"Now you will hand me your blouse."

The woman pretending to be Emily Allan gazed at the large men behind Grace, took a deep breath, and began unbuttoning her simple aqua blouse with rolled up long sleeves. Feeling uncomfortable she slid off the garment. The male nurses noticed that the woman being examined filled her white bra quite nicely.

Grace took a close look at the cuts healing on Emily's wrists and arms. Peggy had chosen to give herself some wounds that looked like self injury scars to boost her credibility and likelihood of admission.

Grace looked at the wounds. They were obviously carefully placed so as to cause minimal damage. While cutters tended to be careful, they were not this careful. Usually there were some signs of flinching or pulling away. This woman had no signs of that. It looked as though she was sedated when her arms were cut. Grace thought that analysis very probable. The woman before her looked to be in fine health, with a flat toned stomach. Most emotionally damaged people were not in such fine shape. Depression or paranoia often caused lethargy, hunger and, often, at least a few pounds overweight or underweight. The reporter looked like she never missed a day at the gym. It was time for her to spring a surprise on the intrepid reporter.

"Now Emily, I need your jeans."

The reporter bit her lips as she worked the blue jeans down her magnificently tapered legs. She handed over the jeans, her hands trembling a bit. It was at that moment that Grace palmed the razor blade that she had kept hidden in her hand. It clattered to the floor as though it had fallen out of one of the jean pockets.

"Miss Allan! What have we here?" Grace wore a stunned expression as she bent to pick up the razor blade. The reporter's eyes grew as large as saucers.

"I DON'T know where that came from Mrs. Harker!"

Grace put a knowing smile on her face and said, "Oh I'm SURE of that Emily. Just as I am sure you have no idea how you received the cuts on your arms. This is why you have to be searched and why your search must now become more detailed. Hand over your brassier!"

Emily's eyes grew wide and darted to the large men behind Grace Harker.

"We Don't have all day, Emily. There's nothing you have that my men haven't seen a thousand times before."

Peggy Jeffers/Emily Allan was confused. She had no idea where the razor blade had come from but she felt sure that Grace had encountered it honestly. Emily tried to recall if she had placed an extra razor blade for her box cutter in her pocket. She honestly could not remember if she had. Having no reason to suspect a trick, the reporter concluded that she must have absentmindedly placed it in her pocket. She recalled that at the end of a typical day, she often found things in her pockets or purse that she could not remember having handled during the day. Sometimes it was a large amount of change or packs of gum. Once she had found a Canadian five dollar bill and had no idea where she had picked it up. Peggy cursed her own supposed negligence as she reached around and unclasped her bra.

Grace had to admit that the Clarion reporter certainly had great tits. They were young and firm with light brown areolas and pink nipples like the end of a pencil eraser. Emily made a move to cover herself but Grace instructed her to keep her hands at her sides. Grace examined her skin and examined her breasts for signs of abuse or self injury.

"Now, Emily, You will have to remove your panties so we can see if you are trying to smuggle anything inside you."

The reporter looked at the male nurses once more. One of them was packing an obvious bulge.

"Mrs. Harker, can't that be just between us" said the reporter as she gestured at the men.

"No it cannot, Emily, I have already found a razor on you. The panties come off and then you will squat and cough and then you will turn around and spread your ass cheeks. Then we will examine your mouth, check through your hair, and then we will get you a gown. The quicker you do as instructed the faster you are in a gown."

The reporter thought she would be sick as she slid her panties off her slim firm hips. For verisimilitude, she had died her nicely trimmed bush the same dishwater blonde as that on her head.Upon seeing that Grace thought,"Well our little actress is certainly committed to her role."

Peggy blushed all over as she got into a squatting position and coughed until Grace was satisfied. Later she thought she could feel the male nurses cover every inch of her naked body with their eyes as she turned, faced the wall and spread her cheeks as ordered.

Grace examined Peggy/Emily's mouth and combed out her hair with her fingers. Sure that the reporter had been thoroughly humiliated Grace handed the embarrassed woman a short paper gown and as the reporter put it on, informed her,

"Based on our intake interview and the fact that you were trying to smuggle in contraband in the form of a potentially deadly razor. I am going to place you in isolation for twenty four hours. You won't be permitted to leave the room you are assigned to. You get a bedpan and your meals are slid through the door. I know that it is not pleasant but we can keep a constant watch on you in that environment and you will be no danger to yourself or others. It is also a very firm way for us to reinforce to you your utter helplessness and need to reach out to your doctors for healing. Twenty four hours alone with just your thoughts IS very therapeutic. It puts our patients in a much more conducive mindset."

Grace Harker paused to let her words have full effect and then she said,

"If we do not find further contraband, your clothing, save your underwear, will be returned to you. I have had young women try to hang themselves with their brassieres or suffocate themselves with their panties. Such incidents will NOT be repeated on my watch! Now follow me Emily."

The reporter tried to hide as much of herself as she could in the tiny gown. It was so short that it barely hid her pubic hair from view. It tied in the back with three ties but they caused it to bag, exposing much of her ass. The only thing it his well was her breasts but only if she was not viewed from the side. In some ways the gown was more embarrassing than total nudity.

She was led to a small padded cell with a forbidding looking metal door. There was a guard station to the left and on the television monitors at the station was a live feed of cameras from the cells. The young reporter decided that she did not like this situation at all. For the first time she began to wonder if she was capable of doing justice to this story. Naively She believed the worst was behind her as the door closed and locked behind her. She looked about the cell. There was a stainless steel bedpan on the padded floor, next to it a half a roll of toilet paper. A water bottle was attached to the door. Peggy/Emily realized that to get a drink of water she would have to stand on her tiptoes and suckle the tube on the water bottle as though she were a gerbil or a lab rat. Very apt she thought.

Emily looked up at the camera, she realized it could cover all parts of the cell. Over the intercom the reporter heard Grace say, "Make yourself comfortable Emily, Dinner is in three hours. Your bedpan will be changed out at eleven P.M. And eight A.M. You don't want to miss your bedpan exchange. Now you need to think about what has brought you here today and how you want your life to improve. I will say goodnight to you now."

The young reporter was not positive, but she thought that she detected a bit of mockery in Grace Harker's last instructions to her. Peggy/Emily chalked that up to nerves and tried to make herself comfortable in her cell, when she sat the gown bunched up, exposing every bit of her lower body. Emily had noted that the guard watching the monitors was male. She realized that there was no way for her to get comfortable without exposing something she did not want to. Peggy considered herself a strong and resourceful woman but this final indignity caused her to burst into tears.

In her office, watching the feed from the nosy reporter's cell, Grace Harker smiled broadly at the tears she saw and the cries she heard. "Yes this is going to be so much fun." She told herself.