Read The Godforsaken Daughter for Free Online

attracted you to our little neck of the woods?”
    “I needed a change. Hunted them where?” He had no intention of telling Balby about his private life.
    “The Isle of Innisfree, no less. An island’s the best place for them. They can scream their silly heads off without annoying others. I blame that Lennon fellow and his deluded wife. What’s her name . . . Sounds like an egg?”
    “Yoko.”
    “That’s the one. Where do you stand on him ?”
    “Lennon or Janov?” Henry smiled. “Sorry . . . well, interesting theory, Janov’s. But I don’t believe reexperiencing early trauma actually benefits the patient much. Helping the patient understand why it happened and how they don’t have to keep recycling it is a more worthy approach.”
    “Hmm . . . You’re a ‘talking’ man, then. Medicating not much on your radar?” He lifted a steel ball on the Newton’s Cradle and released it, thereby setting its tick-tock mechanism in motion.
    “It has its place, but not at the exclusion of listening.”
    “Good luck to that! Cathartic discharge is all very well, but give me imipramine any day. Cutbacks, Henry, cutbacks.”
    “Sorry, I don’t follow.”
    “We’re here to keep them out of St. Ita’s, if at all possible. The place is at bursting point. Alcoholics and battered women, as usual. Here at this clinic we hold back the tide. Bottom line: If they don’t actually try and kill you, they can be managed in the community.”
    His temporary replacement was flabbergasted, but said nothing. He resolved to do things his way, cutbacks or not.
    “Now, there’s one fellow you might find a strain. He refuses all medication—so he’s right up your street. Thinks he’s John Lennon. Has got the hair, glasses, and Liverpudlian accent all down to a T. It’s D.I.D. without a doubt. Spent ten months in Burtonport with Janov’s lot.”
    “Interesting.”
    “Well, I never usually give up on a patient but this one takes the biscuit.” He puffed sharply on the pipe, thrice in succession. “Were you born in Belfast? Any family there?”
    “As good as. Lisburn. Not far from it. My father still lives there. And you?”
    “Born and raised here in Londonderry—or Derry, depending on your persuasion. Know the psyche well. That’s a bonus in this line of work. Doesn’t do to shift about.” He gripped the pipe stem between bared teeth; his cadaverous face, dappled in the light reflected from the Newton’s Cradle, reminded Henry of a Mexican sugar skull. “Been about a bit yourself, have you?”
    “Here and there.”
    “A married man, are you?”
    “Yes . . . yes, indeed.”
    “How many times?”
    “What?” Henry was taken aback. “Why, once . . . of course, and I hope, my first and last.” He allowed himself to think of Connie for one brief moment.
    Balby let out a laugh. “Good luck to that . Give it time. I’m on my third. The first couple of times, I married accidently, you could say.”
    Henry grinned.
    “We psychiatrists . . . hard bunch to live with, apparently.”
    From the waiting area came the clamor of raised voices. Miss King was declaiming loudly.
    “Please sit down, Mr. Flannagan! Dr. Balby is not ready to see you yet.”
    Seconds later, two curt raps on the door and the secretary put her head in.
    “Excuse me, Dr. Balby, but Finbar Flannagan is here and is being abusive, as usual.”
    “AKA John Lennon to you, Henry. Show him into Dr. Shevlin’s room, Miss King. He’s Henry’s problem now.”
    “I wish you courage and forbearance,” Miss King said, addressing Henry over her spectacles, before withdrawing promptly and shutting the door.
    “Well, he’s all yours.” Balby got up. “I’ll be interested to know how you fare. Treat him as a test case. You must come to dinner on our return from Massachusetts. Beatrice would like to meet you.”
    “Yes, I’d love to.”
    “Right, that’s settled. You’ll be needing that.” He handed over a file of case notes with F.