Chapter 59:  An Extensive Measure Of Research

Maureen's Office, The Runnels Building, Denver, Colorado...

Dr. Maureen Welch paced the floor of her office as she attempted to make sense of the past few days following her latest session with her business partner, Julia had informed her that he had come home late one night after being absent since the last time she had a conversation with him. Julia had spoken of his violent outbursts and his tendency toward destructive behavior but she had not believed it would have gotten this bad. They only had one session and Julia expected her to know exactly what was wrong with Hadrian when she had not even a clue as to how this might have happened to him in the first place. Her original theories were wrong as she had never seen a severe case before. According to her range of knowledge in this kind of case, her best friend and colleague was suffering from a form of Dissociative Identity Disorder.

Maureen was at a loss for words as she sat at her desk with the radio playing at a low volume in the background. She had seen cases before but Hadrian's outburst, when Adrian took over, was fascinating and overwhelming. She wondered what could have happened to such a sweet and caring person to trigger such a drastic break in his psyche.

She continued to jot down a few notes and make preparations for her next patient, Mr. Colin Winters when there was a knock at her door before it opened completely and Hadrian walked in with a blank expression on his face aside from whistling a strange tune and sat down in one of the available chairs.

"H-Hadrian?" she said confused after not having seen him since their last session.

He said nothing for a few moments as he settled into the chair before turning in her direction.

"Help him," he said indicating that Hadrian had not at all been in charge in that moment.

"Adrian," she said knowing all too well that the well-meaning alter was doing his best to assist his host counterpart.

"Very good," said Adrian attempting to revert control to Hadrian, but failing due to Lonnie's continued fight to keep himself in charge.

Maureen sighed.

There was only one way to put an end to this and for that, she needed to speak directly to Lonnie herself. While he had been dangerous, she didn't see the harm in getting much-needed information from him to see how best to treat her dear friend.

"If this is going to work I need to speak with Lonnie," she said.

"No," replied Adrian. "He cannot be reasoned with."

"Lonnie might have a diagnosis that is affecting Hadrian," replied Maureen. "I need to see him myself to examine him."

"Treat Hadrian, Lonnie is a lost cause," replied Adrian in a stern tone.

"It doesn't work like that Adrian," explained Maureen. "Lonnie is clearly having a psychotic break and it's affecting Hadrian and Julia's lives...now if we can treat his symptoms by identifying what it is, we can get Hadrian well again."

Adrian sighed and his ears perked to the sound of the radio playing in the background. The volume was low but he could still hear the onset of an upbeat tune and turned his attention back to Dr. Maureen.

"I will attempt to assist," he said his voice as cold and clinical as ever. "Turn up the music."

Maureen had not known what to make of this strange new development or what it had to do with music, but she did as he suggested and a seemingly familiar old tune came on with an upbeat vibe that confused her at first, but she watched Adrian twitch in the chair before he full-on got to his feet and rushed her at the onset of the song and pinned her against the nearby wall via his hand on her throat. There was an intense rage behind his eyes and he seemed rather agitated.

{"Since you've been gone....all that's left is a band of gold..."}

Lonnie smashed his fist into the nearby wall close to Dr. Maureen's frightened face as he searched out the source of that song.

"WHO THE FUCK TOLD YOU TO PLAY THAT!?" he growled enraged much to the shock and horror of the good Doctor as she trembled at the sight of him.

She knew instantly what Julia had to deal with as she felt herself becoming small in the horrifying presence of the infamous Lonnie.

Dr. Maureen had barely gotten to utter a word before the door to her office opened and Colin Winters managed to rush to her aid tackling a further enraged Lonnie and pinning him to the ground as Maureen came to her senses.

"I HATE THAT FUCKING SONG!" growled Lonnie narrowing his dark gaze at them both. "GET THE FUCK OFF ME!"

Maureen and Colin managed to get Lonnie into the nearest chair and tie him to it in a bid to restrain him. He wasn't in the least pleased nor did he like the song that continued to play in the background.

"TURN IT OFF!" he shouted annoyed at being restrained while he struggled in the chair. "TURN IT THE FUCK OFF!"

Colin was shocked to see what had become of the man who had once been his calm cool and collected therapist a few months prior.

"Dr. Rawsone?" he said confused as he looked over at Maureen. "Dr. Welch is this...what's going on here?"

Maureen sighed grateful for the assistance as she turned her attention to Colin. He was to be her next client but it seemed Lonnie and Adrian had other plans.

"Thank you for coming to my aid, Mr. Winters," she said still gasping and attempting to deal with the pain from the marks on her neck. "I don't know what he'd have done if you hadn't come along."

Colin glared at what he had known to have been Dr. Hadrian S. Rawsone.

He recognized the cold and angry stare as if he'd seen it a thousand times. This was just the way Hadrian had looked as a child when pulled into the principal's office for breaking the nose of one of his fellow students. He had told them the boy thought it a good idea to bully him and that he answered in kind.

"Well, look who it is!?" said Lonnie still annoyed by the song playing behind them. "The Bastard."

Maureen looked from Colin to Lonnie in confusion.

"Do you two know each other?" she asked with an arched brow.

"I'm his father," admitted Colin not taking his eyes off the scoffing Hadrian.

"No he's not," replied Lonnie with contempt. "He's little Hadrian's dear old dad, to me he's just "The Bastard."

Colin seemed shocked to hear his son refer to him the same way his ex-wife had before her untimely demise. He even had her venomous tongue and expression. This was a far cry from the well-put-together yet very reserved man he met when attempting to seek counseling for his past issues. Dr. Rawsone was largely recommended by anyone he spoke to known for empathy and decisive reasoning.

The man in the chair wasn't in the least empathetic nor was he prone to any kind of reasoning.

"TURN THAT FUCKING SONG OFF!" growled Lonnie having had enough of it. "IT WAS THE BITCH'S SONG AND I CAN'T FUCKING STAND IT!"

Maureen walked over to the radio and turned it down. Lonnie seemed to relax a bit although he still glared daggers at both Maureen and Colin respectively.

"I turned down the radio and now in return I would like to know whom that song reminded you of," said Maureen taking over in rare doctor form.

Lonnie had a smug expression on his face.

"Why don't you ask "The Bastard" here," he replied with a smirk.

Colin sighed.

He was afraid of this being an issue when he first started treatment after finding out that one of the resident doctors had been his long-lost elder son. He never spoke to anyone much about his first marriage, let alone about his first wife. He barely confessed to his family about his eldest son.

"I believe he is referring to his mother, my first wife," replied Colin looking a bit somber as he spoke which seemed to amuse Lonnie.

"You should be as dead as she is." The enraged younger man remarked bitterly.

Dr. Maureen felt a bit out of sorts finding out all of this information about her dear friend that not even he had been privy to.

"I know what you want lady and I ain't gonna give it to you," replied Lonnie turning his attention back to Maureen. "You don't know what you are doing and quite frankly you should quit while you're ahead."

"And what is it that I want?" asked Maureen.

Lonnie glared at her with a smirk filed across his face.

"Looks like the song is over," he said seemingly pleased. "And you ain't got enough leverage for me to care at this time."

Maureen sighed knowing all too well that Adrian had been right about him, but she did make a few observations that might assist Hadrian in dealing with him on his own.

Colin stood confused as Lonnie seemed to disappear and a very groggy and confused Hadrian seemed to come to and look around the room unsure of how he got there or why he'd been tied up.

"M-Reen?" he asked still reeling from his onset of headache.

"Hadrian," said Dr. Maureen with a sad smile.

"Why am I tied up in your office?" he asked with an arched brow.

"A good friend, brought you in and your father was kind enough to offer assistance," she replied keeping the major details about what happened to herself. He still had not been aware of his condition nor the fact that she knew about it.

"My father?" asked Hadrian before taking a look at Colin Winters. "I don't see Jasper here."

"I mean your biological father, Mr. Colin Winters." supplied Maureen curious as to what had happened between the two of them that drove this apparent wedge that ensured that Hadrian never even mentioned the man before now.

"I don't know anyone by that name," growled Hadrian upset, but not wishing to give Colin the satisfaction that he still cared about what he'd done to him.

Colin seemed a bit disappointed for the time being but decided not to press it. Hadrian had seemingly been through enough as it was these past few weeks.

"One of these days you and I are going to have to talk," he said before untying his son. "When that day comes I hope you will give me a chance to explain some things to you...you were a boy after all and I was just young and dumb."

Hadrian didn't seem interested in much talk from this man and turned his attention back to Maureen.

"Tell me you can do something about whatever it is that is going on with random theses blackouts," he said knowing all too well that Lonnie must have been in control at some point.

Maureen nodded.

"I can." she said walking over to her desk and scribbling on her prescription pad. "

She walked over and handed it to Hadrian.

"Go down to the pharmacy and get this filled immediately." she urged. "Then go home to your wife, you should see some improvements within the week."

Hadrian looked at her for a few moments and nodded gratefully despite knowing the meds tended to have anti-anxiety effects.

He left the office and Maureen turned her attention to seeing her actual patient, Colin Winters for the first time since he entered her office.

"Now Mr. Winters....you want to tell me why you've changed your last name?" she began with an arched brow. "And why is it that you've abandoned your firstborn son?"

Colin sighed as she closed the door behind Hadrian and sat down in the now vacant chair his son left behind.

He had concluded that this was going to be a long and unpleasant trip down memory lane.