Danielle
David studied the alter sitting there. They weren’t immediately recognisable, so he watched them for a moment, while they seemed to be getting their bearings. They looked alarmed at where they were and, when they saw David, the alarm seemed to transform to terror.
“It’s ok, you’re safe,” he said, gently.
The alter stared at him. Who was this? David wondered. Whilst the look of fear was unfortunately common especially with some younger members, he felt as if he had seen this particular alter before. However the fact he didn’t know who it was must mean each time he had seen them it was brief and/or he was never given a name.
“Have we met?” he asked, still talking in a soothing manner.
She looked at him for a few seconds, the fear still evident, before dropping her head again.
“Well in case we haven’t met, I’m David, I’m the doctor that sees the Collective. I am pleased to meet you. I would really like to know who I am talking with. Would you be able to tell me your name?”
She looked at him, then dropped her eyes again without answering. That wasn’t unheard of - sometimes it took a while for them to trust him enough to tell him their name. But David couldn’t help wishing he knew who he was speaking with.
He waited, studying this obviously young person. It was hard to know where to begin, without any knowledge of who he was with.
“Can you tell me how long you have been around?”
Shaking the head, no.
“That’s ok. Can you tell me what you get up to when you are out here? Or maybe within?”
Again a shaking of the head.
This was a challenge, David thought. The alter looked around the room, still appearing to be terrified, and David took the opportunity to study them a little more. It was interesting that, although he knew it was the same body, it could look quite different with different alters in control. Studying this one, he could see they were more slumped in the seat than some of the more confident alters, but not as depressed in appearance as someone like Jo. And they definitely appeared to have a somewhat younger appearance and if he had to guess, he would say they were not an adult. And she was obviously scared. No, David mentally corrected himself. She wasn’t just scared, she was clearly terrified.
So, a teen who is terrified. He spoke to Jodie and Josephine quite often, and they had mentioned one within their midst who seemed to fit the bill.
He took a punt. “Danielle?”
The alters eyes widened and then she was gone.
Sam
Shift, switch. “Why the fuck do I always end up here?” Sam demanded, stretching the back out as she came to the fore. “And while I am at it, can’t people sit up straight when they are out here? The body is too old to curl up like a fucking pretzel.” It played havoc with the body when they (especially the younger members) sat slouched or hunched over.
Disappointed the other alter left before he had much interaction with them, he tried to accept this was just the way it was with the Collective. “Hey Sam.” He greeted her with a smile. “I don’t know why you always end up out here, the last alter left in a hurry.”
“Great, so they just shove me out here instead.” She crossed her arms in a defiant gesture. “Lucky me,” she added, sarcastically.
Thankfully David wasn’t easily offended – he just smiled and then asked “It does seem if they leave in a hurry, you are often the one who replaces them.” He looked at Sam, then asked “Do you know who was with me? Before you were ‘shoved out here’ as you said?”
“What?” Sam asked, obviously surprised. “Don’t you know?”
“No, I confess I don’t know who it was.”
“Well, did you even ask?” Sam’s eyes narrowed.
“I did, yes. I asked a couple of questions, but all they did was shake their head. They didn’t say anything.”
“And?”
David said, “And I wondered if it was a teen. I wondered if it was Danielle.”
“Dani?” Sam’s eyes widened, surprised about this possible turn of events and obviously not very happy about it.
“As I said, I don’t have proof, but…”
“What makes you think it was her? No offense doc, but how the fuck would you know?”
“Well I’m not certain. But I just feel like I have seen her before, and it was Josephine that once told me it sounded like I was describing Danielle.”
“I hope it’s not her, that’s for sure.” Sam furiously bent the neck until it cracked. “Fuck!” she angrily exclaimed.
David waited a moment, then simply said “Sam?”
“Dani is a fucking hot mess, she has no place out here, especially now. With all the shit going on at the moment, we don’t need ones like her out here.” Sam crossed her arms in front of her in a defensive yet defiant gesture.
“Perhaps her coming out front is because of all that is going on at the moment? She is being triggered out?”
“I dunno, but it is so fucked up, y’know? Why the hell is this all happening now? Jo trying to knock herself off, then splitting off, now this! What the fuck is happening?”
“I don’t know.” David answered. “Trudi mentioned something about possibly lots of memories being relived, and it bleeding through to everyone else. What do you think?”
“How the fuck should I know?”
“Well, does it sound like it could be a possibility?” David knew Sam had more knowledge about the functioning of the Collective than she liked to let on.
“I guess it could be, but who the fuck knows?”
Realising he was not going to get a straight answer from her, he simply said “Well, I am sure it will all make sense in time.”
“Yeh, you say that, but it doesn’t help now, does it?”
“I suppose not.”
After Sam left, David thought about what had just transpired. He didn’t understand why things were in such a state of flux at the moment either, although it did make some sense what Trudi was saying. But whatever the reason, it did bother him, as when things changed like this, it resulted in more upheaval for the Collective as a whole.
He wondered if he was right, and he met Danielle today. And was she out here because something triggered her out? He hoped that the next time he saw the Collective, they would have an answer for him. No doubt Sam was storming inside right now, demanding to be told what was happening.
** ** **
The doctor had that right. Sam was within, yelling at Trudi. “What the fuck is going on? Was that Dani that the doc saw? Why did she suddenly put in an appearance out there?”
“Calm down, Sam.” Trudi said in her detached way. “I did not know Danielle was seeing the doctor. However she has every right to see him, just as much as anyone else.”
“Waste