Where'd You Go, Bernadette(46)
5:31 PM TV turns on by itself. Channels changing. It stops at a Lakers game.
5:31 PM Big screen changes to Outlook. A blank email opens. The cursor goes to the TO: field. It’s writing on its own! BERNADETTE. The cursor jumps to the message field: TED TALK WENT WELL. CLICKER DIDN’T WORK. TOO BAD NOBODY HERE KNOWS POWERPOINT. DAVID POGUE IS KIND OF UNCOORDINATED. P.S.: LAKERS LEADING BY 3 AT THE HALF.
The place is on its feet. What can best be described as a roar is coming from the audience. Branch gets up and pulls the “Band-Aid” off his forehead and holds it up.
5:32 PM Branch: “In March, we ship Samantha 2 to Walter Reed hospital. Go to the Microsoft website today and watch a video of paralyzed veterans using Samantha 2 to cook for themselves in a smart kitchen, watch TV, work on a computer, even care for a pet. At Samantha 2, our goal is to help our wounded veterans live independent and productive lives. The possibilities are endless. Thank you.”
The audience goes ape-shit. Chris has taken the stage and is hugging Branch. Nobody can believe what they just saw.
*
Voilà. There it is, Samantha 2.
*
From: Audrey Griffin
To: Soo-Lin Lee-Segal
I’ve had enough of you. Do you understand? Enough!
*
From Dr. Janelle Kurtz
Dear Mr. Branch,
I have received your inquiry regarding your wife. Perhaps I have misread your intent, but what you genially refer to as “supervised R&R,” which you fear Bernadette won’t “be too keen on,” is, in practicality, asking that she be detained against her will at Madrona Hill.
The procedure for such extreme action is detailed in the Involuntary Treatment Act, Title 71, Chapter 5, Section 150, of the Revised Code of Washington. Per the ITA, in order for a County Designated Mental Health Professional to place an individual on an involuntary hold, the CDMHP must thoroughly evaluate the person and determine if they are an imminent danger to themselves, others, or property, due to a psychiatric illness.
If you believe your wife poses such a threat, you must immediately call 911 and have her taken to an emergency room. There she will be assessed. If it is determined that Bernadette does present such a threat, she will be asked to voluntarily seek appropriate treatment. If your wife refuses, her civil liberties will be suspended and she will be transferred to a state-licensed psychiatric hospital and put on an ITA hold for up to seventy-two hours. From that point, it’s up to the courts.
Madrona Hill, on Orcas Island, is unique in that along with our renowned inpatient and residential treatment, we operate the only private psych ER in the state. Therefore, I witness the devastating effects of involuntary commitment every day. Families are ripped apart. Police, lawyers, and judges get involved. It goes on public record, for all future employers and financial institutions to see. Because it is so costly in terms of blood, treasure, and emotion, involuntary commitment should be considered only after every other option has been exhausted.
As you describe it, your wife’s behavior is cause for concern. I was surprised to learn that she isn’t in therapy. That seems like a logical first step. I’d be happy to suggest some wonderful psychiatrists in your area who could meet Bernadette and ask the proper questions so she can receive appropriate treatment. Don’t hesitate to call if this is a path you choose to pursue.
Sincerely,
Dr. Janelle Kurtz
*
IM exchange between Dad and Soo-Lin during a staff meeting
SOO-LINL-S: Everything OK? You seem distracted.
ELGINB: Starting to question my sanity. Home stuff.
SOO-LINL-S: If you were to share your stories about Bernadette at a VAV meeting, you couldn’t get through two sentences without getting TORCHed. TORCH stands for: Time Out, Reality CHeck!
SOO-LINL-S: Any time a speaker slips into the abuser’s story—for instance, if I were to say something like “I know I’m always tired and all I want to talk about is work,” which is what Barry used to accuse me of—someone stands up and TORCHes them by yelling, “Time Out, Reality CHeck!”
SOO-LINL-S: It teaches us to separate our reality from our abuser’s story, which is the first step toward halting the abuse cycle.
SOO-LINL-S: I know you’ll be uncomfortable with some of the VAV terminology. I was, too. I thought, I’m not being abused by Barry.
SOO-LINL-S: But at VAV, our definition of abuse is intentionally broad and esteem-positive. We are victims, make no mistake about it, but we want to move beyond victimhood, which is a subtle yet important distinction.
SOO-LINL-S: Elgie, you are a Level 80 at the most successful company in the world. You’ve vested out three times. You have a daughter who’s thriving academically despite several heart surgeries.
SOO-LINL-S: Your TEDTalk is ranked number four on the all-time most-watched list yet you live with a woman who has no friends, destroys homes, and falls asleep in stores?
SOO-LINL-S: I’m sorry, Elgie, you are hereby TORCHed.
ELGINB: Thanks for this, but I kind of have to concentrate. Will read more carefully after meeting.