Chapter 4: Unexpected Ally

Brian was at his wits’ end. The usually peaceful Miller Mansion had turned into a war zone. He was caught in the middle of it all. Anna was unpredictable because she was going off her medication, and that made her prone to mood swings and difficult to deal with. To make matters worse, he couldn’t help but feel she was punishing him for his forceful treatment of her at the hospital.

The moral implications of the role he had undertaken worried him. Victor’s threats hung over him, and he couldn’t imagine Anna leaving the mansion in the state she was in. But he knew that could not continue forever. Eventually, Anna would heal and would want to go out, and he had to prepare for that.

While Anna stayed huddled in her room, Maria was running the show at the mansion. Maria had the highest authority over the staff. Another thing to note was that only Brian and Maria were allowed to see Anna. He had tried to explain to Maria what was happening to Anna, but Maria, in due respect, remained evasive on all accounts. While she listened, she never answered his questions clearly and showed no willingness to help him.

He had spoken to Jim and other doctors as well, but they were unwilling to intervene either. They agreed to wait for Anna’s condition to stabilize on its own before proceeding with the tests. But Brian did not have the liberty to wait. He wanted a plan, and he wanted it now.

Brian knew he could not reason with Victor, nor could he trust Anna completely. He decided that he’d do his best to stay close to Anna, gather intelligence on her, and influence her behavior subtly. Brian could still recall how Anna had reacted to his forceful approach at the hospital. While she was not exactly submissive, it was easier to deal with her by not giving her a choice.

He sat down in his chair, pulling up the medical file on Anna. As he scrolled through her history, certain patterns emerged. She was always better whenever mood stabilizers or anti-anxiety medicines were started. Could he use this to his advantage?

Brian ran a hand through his hair, trying to come to terms with what he was about to do. As a doctor, it was his responsibility to heal Anna, but right now he was dwelling in morally ambiguous territory. If his ideas and methods were exposed, he would be risking his career, but he did not have much choice in the matter. With Victor’s threat, he had to act quickly.

He dialed a colleague who specialized in pharmaceuticals. As the call was connecting, waves of guilt washed over him. Everything he was thinking about went against his principles as a doctor, but he was determined. When his friend finally called and asked how he could help, Brian set down the guilt. Anna’s well-being would come first, no matter the slight bending of the ethical rules.

Brian thought of using a new medication to make Anna more receptive to his suggestions. It was not the ethical way, but it was the most practical solution he could come up with. It would help him introduce the major changes to her lifestyle with the least resistance. He also wanted to flush out old medication from her body and rewire the emotional triggers. While he hadn’t figured out everything yet, getting Anna in a malleable state would be a good start.

One week had passed since he had moved to Miller Mansion.

Brian rubbed the bite mark on his wrist, but even as he looked at the bruising on his face and the lines of scratches on his hands and neck, he hardly winced at the sting of the antiseptic on the open wounds. It was nothing to what Anna had put him through.