He stared at me, stood, found the drawing paper,
and proceeded to construct a fleet of paper airplanes.
For the next quarter hour he waged a solitary
battle of epic proportions, destroying entire
cities, massacring thousands, stomping and shouting
and shredding paper until Mal’s antique Saruk
was covered with confetti.
After that he drew for a while but wasn’t happy
with any of his creations and tossed them, crumpled;
in the trash. I tried to -get him. to talk about
the runaway episode but he refused. I reiterated
‘the danger and he listened, looking bored. When I
asked him if he’d do it again he shrugged.
I brought him back and took Darlene into the
office. She wore a pink pantsuit with a faint dia-
mond pattern and
piled high and. sprayed in place. She’d
of time on her
worn and scared. After seating herself she pulled a
handkerchief ‘out of her purse and passed it from
hand to. hand, kneading and squeezing.
“This must be really hard on you,” I said.
Tears oozed out’of her eyes. Up went the hand
kerchief.
“He’s a crazy man, Doctor. He’s been getting
crazier all along and now he won’t let me go without
doing something really crazy,”
“How have the kids been doing?”
“April’s a little clingy–you saw her out there.
She gets up a couple of times at night, wants to
come into our. bed. But she’s a sweet thing. He’s my
problemi just angry all the time, refusing to mind.
Yesterday he said the ef word to Carlton.”
“What did Carlton do?”
“Told him he’d whip him if he did it again.”
Great.
“It’s not a good idea to et Carlton involved in
discipline at this point. Having him there is a big
adjustment for the kids in the. first Place. If you-tet
him take over they’ll feel abandoned.”
“But Doctor, he can’t use language like that!”
“Then you need to handle it, Mrs. Moody. It, s
important for the children to know that yoU’rerthere
for them. That you’re in charge.”
‘;Okay,” she said, without enthusiasTM, “Iqt try
it.”
I knew she wouldn’t comply. The word try was
the tipoff. In a couple of mont] she’d be wondering
why both children were ornery and miserable -and
impossible to manage.
164 Jot Kel/ermn
I did my job anyway, telling her that-both of the
children could benefit from professional help. April,
I explained, showed no serious problems but was
insecure. Therapy for her was likely to be short-term
and could reduce the-risk of more severe proly
lems in the future.
Bicky, on the other hand, was a troubled little
boy full of anger and likely to run away again. She
interrupted at that point to blame the running away
on the. boy’s father and said that come to-think of it
he reminded her of his father.
“Mrs. Moody,” I said, “Bicky needs the chance
to blow off steam on a regular basis.”
“You know,” she said, “Carlton andhim are starting
to get along better. Yesterday they were playing
catch in the backyard and having agreat time. I’
know Carlton’s gonna be a good influence on him.”
“Great. But that won’t take the place of professional
help.”
“Dtctor,” she said, “I’m broke. Do you know how
much lawyers cost? Just being here today is draining
me dry.”
“There are clinics that operate on a sliding scale
based on ability to pay. I’ll give some numbers to
Mr. Worthy.”
“Are they far? I don’t drive freeways..”
‘”I’ll try to find one close to you, Mrs. Moody.”
“Thank you doctor.” She sighed, picked herself
up, and let me hold the door for her.
Watching her trudge down the hall like an old
woman it was easy to forget she was twenty-nine
years old.
I dictated my findings to Mal’s secretary as she
typed silently on a court stenographer’s machine.
When she left he brought out a .bottle of
Walker Black and poured us each a couple-of fia,.gers
“Thanks for coming by, Alex.”
“No problem, but I don’t know that. i( did any
good. She won’t follow through.”
“I’ll see to it that she does. Tell her it’s important
for the case.”
We sipped Scotch.
“Incidentally,” he said, “the judge hasn’t gotten