Salted Wounds

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Psychiatric Consultation Room

The lovers of the Alistair siblings sat in the quiet consultation room, their faces filled with anxiety. They had made the difficult decision to admit their partners to the psychiatric ward, but they knew this was only the beginning.

In front of them, a man in his fifties, dressed in a white coat, sat calmly. His face carried a mix of firmness and empathy. His hair was slightly graying at the sides, and a pair of square glasses rested on his experienced face.

He looked at each of them before speaking.

"I'm Dr. Eric Calloway, head of the psychiatry department at Cedars-Sinai." His voice was deep and steady, full of authority yet soothing.

They all remained silent, waiting for further explanation.

Dr. Calloway continued, "I know bringing your partners here wasn't an easy decision. But I want you to know that you did the right thing. They need care, and that doesn't mean they're weak. It means they're human."

Akina bit her lip, hesitant before asking, "What will happen to them now?"

Dr. Calloway crossed his hands on the table. "We will start with individual and group therapy. I will personally lead their group therapy sessions. Each patient will receive a treatment plan tailored to their needs, including medication if necessary. Most importantly, we want to ensure they feel safe, heard, and have hope for the future."

Ethan let out a long sigh. "Will they get better?"

Dr. Calloway gave a small smile, an expression that was neither fully reassuring nor entirely hopeless. "Healing is not a straight path. Some days will feel better, others may be harder. But with time, effort, and the right support—yes, there is hope."

Everyone exchanged glances. No one spoke, but there was a silent understanding between them.

They wouldn't give up on the people they loved.

—

Group Therapy Room, Psychiatric Ward

Victoria, Rebecca, Madison, Davis, Sadie, and Corina sat in a circle in the therapy room. They were all dressed in hospital attire, and the atmosphere in the room was awkward and quiet.

None of them spoke.

Some of them still looked physically weak. Madison was still noticeably thin, Corina occasionally coughed lightly due to her asthma attacks, and Davis was still in pain from his motorcycle accident.

The door opened, and Dr. Calloway walked in.

He pulled a chair to the center of the circle and sat down, looking at each of them.

"Good morning," he finally said.

No one responded.

He didn't seem bothered by it. He simply let out a light sigh before continuing, "I know you may be wondering who I am and why I'm here."

He adjusted his posture, leaning slightly forward.

"I'm Dr. Eric Calloway, the head of the psychiatry department in this hospital. Starting today, I will be leading your group therapy sessions."

Still, no response.

Victoria finally folded her arms across her chest, raising an eyebrow. "So, you're here to save us?" Her tone was dripping with sarcasm.

Dr. Calloway gave a small smile. "No. I'm here to help you save yourselves."

Victoria frowned, not expecting that answer.

Davis scoffed and leaned back in his chair. "What if we don't need help?"

Dr. Calloway looked at him calmly. "Then why are you here?"

Davis clenched his jaw but didn't answer.

Sadie finally spoke softly, "We're here because someone else made that decision for us."

Dr. Calloway nodded. "That may be true. But is there any part of you, even the smallest part, that feels relieved to still be alive?"

No one answered, but no one outright denied it either.

Rebecca stared at the floor, then let out a heavy sigh. "So, what are we supposed to do here?"

Dr. Calloway looked at them with a composed expression.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to. But if you're willing, we can start with one simple thing."

He lifted his hand and pointed to his own chest. "I'll go first. My name is Eric Calloway. I used to be a surgeon, but losing my first patient broke me. It made me question everything and nearly destroyed my own life."

They all looked slightly surprised.

Dr. Calloway gave a faint smile. "But then, I found a new purpose in helping others navigate their own darkness. And that's what led me here."

He looked at each of them. "Now, if you're comfortable, you can introduce yourselves in whatever way feels right for you."

Silence filled the room.

Victoria bit her lip, then sighed. "Victoria Alistair. I'm an actress. And… I don't know who I am without the spotlight."

Rebecca exhaled. "Rebecca Alistair. CEO. I thought success could replace happiness. I was wrong."

Madison lowered her gaze. "Madison Alistair. Model. I… don't know how to feel like I'm enough."

Davis ran a hand down his face. "Davis Alistair. Musician. I'm angry all the time, and I don't know how to stop it."

Sadie folded her hands in her lap. "Sadie Alistair. Doctor. I know how to save others, but I don't know how to save myself."

Corina fidgeted with her fingers. "Corina Alistair. Artist. I'm afraid I'll always be alone."

Dr. Calloway nodded, his eyes full of empathy. "Thank you. That was the first step."

They all exchanged glances.

They were far from healed.

But maybe, just maybe, they had finally taken the first step toward it.

Dr. Eric Calloway sat in the center of the circle, his gaze calm yet attentive. In front of him, the Alistair siblings sat with various expressions, ranging from tension to exhaustion.

Between them was a small table, and on it, Dr. Calloway placed a large image he had prepared—a brown wooden door.

At first, no one reacted.

But then, he said the name.

"Edward Alistair."

As if an invisible switch had been flipped inside them, chaos erupted in an instant.

Victoria's eyes widened before panic consumed her face. "No... no..." Her voice rose into a desperate scream, tears streaming down. She collapsed onto the floor, her body trembling, sobbing so hard she could barely breathe.

Rebecca turned pale. Her chest heaved in sharp gasps, and within seconds, every muscle in her body tensed so violently that she began to seize. She bit her lower lip until it bled, gripping the arms of her chair with shaking hands.

Madison hunched over, clutching her stomach, biting the sleeve of her shirt to suppress the pain suddenly attacking her gut. "No, not again... it hurts..." she whimpered, her body curling up as if trying to disappear.

Davis clenched his teeth, his fists so tight his knuckles turned white. "Bastard..." he hissed, his deep voice full of hatred. He tried to stand, but his chest suddenly tightened, an unbearable pain on his left side making him stumble and fall to his knees.

Sadie let out a faint sound before her head slumped forward. The world around her spun so fast that her vision blurred. Cold sweat dripped down her temples, and before anyone could stop her, her body collapsed onto the floor with a dull thud.

Corina's eyes widened. Her breath came in short, frantic gasps, and her hands instinctively clutched her throat. She reached into her pocket, searching for her inhaler—only to remember she no longer had one. Her body began to shake, and within seconds, she passed out in her seat.

Outside the Therapy Room...

Their partners waited outside the therapy room, restless, knowing this was the first session since their hospitalization.

Amir paced back and forth, occasionally glancing at the door anxiously. Ethan sat with his hands tightly clasped, deep in thought. Lea Marie hugged herself, feeling uneasy. Akina stood with a tense expression, listening intently. Ravi tried to remain calm, but his eyes betrayed his concern. Malik let out a heavy sigh, trying to keep himself together.

Then, Victoria's scream pierced through the walls.

Every head snapped toward the door.

Then came a loud thud. The sound of a chair scraping. Sobs. Groans of pain. Labored breathing.

"Shit! What's happening in there?!" Akina rushed forward, reaching for the door, but Ravi caught her arm.

"We can't just barge in. We have to trust Dr. Calloway," he said, though his own voice wavered.

Davis's voice growled in anger. Madison's choked sounds followed. Rebecca made a strange noise—almost like a moan of pain.

"I can't take this!" Lea Marie nearly lunged for the door, but Ethan grabbed her hand.

"Wait. Let's see if Dr. Calloway can calm them down," he said, his voice trembling.

Akina, Lea Marie, and Malik exchanged glances. They hated this. Hated waiting, doing nothing.

But they knew—this was a battle that had to be fought from within.

Inside the Therapy Room...

Dr. Calloway remained seated. His gaze was not panicked, but it was sharp with vigilance.

One by one, he observed them. Victoria was still crying hysterically. Rebecca's body was still convulsing, almost lifting off her chair. Madison remained hunched over, gasping, clutching her stomach. Davis was kneeling, his eyes red with fury and pain. Sadie lay on the floor, her body lightly trembling. Corina was barely breathing.

He did not try to touch them.

Instead, his voice remained calm—deep, but firm.

"You are not there anymore."

Victoria flinched, her sobs pausing for a moment.

"You are not in that house anymore. Edward Alistair is not here."

Rebecca, her body still rigid, showed a faint reaction.

"Look around you."

Davis, still kneeling, slowly glanced around, breathing heavily.

"Where are you now?"

Madison, her body trembling, whispered weakly, "The hospital..."

"Yes," Dr. Calloway affirmed. "Not your old home. Not your past. He is not here. Only you—and me."

Victoria finally lifted her head. Her eyes were still wet, but she was no longer screaming.

Sadie blinked a few times, groaning softly. Corina was still weak, but her eyes opened slightly.

Rebecca was still struggling with the pain in her body, but her seizures gradually subsided.

Davis was still clutching his chest, but he now sat back against his chair, trying to steady himself.

Dr. Calloway inhaled slowly, looking at each of them.

"Trauma doesn't disappear in a day. I am not asking you to forget. But what we can do is face it—little by little, together."

No one responded. But this time, no one resisted.

This was a difficult beginning.

But for the first time, they did not feel alone in the darkness.

As the earlier chaos settled, the therapy room fell into silence—not the peaceful kind, but the kind that pressed down like a suffocating weight.

Dr. Eric Calloway sat calmly, allowing the Alistair siblings to catch their breath.

Victoria, Rebecca, Madison, Davis, Sadie, and Corina were still shaken. Their eyes were wet, their breathing uneven, their bodies aching from the overwhelming reaction just moments ago.

But it wasn't over yet.

"This brown door," Dr. Calloway's voice was soft but piercing, "is not just an image. It is something you all carry in your memories. The same trauma—one you experienced together."

Victoria wiped her tears roughly, looking away. Rebecca sat rigidly, suppressing the pain in her body. Madison bit her lip, her eyes red. Davis was still clutching his left chest. Sadie kept her head down in silence, while Corina hugged herself, trying to steady her breathing.

Dr. Calloway continued, "Tell me... what is behind that door?"

Victoria shut her eyes, holding back a sob. But before she could answer, Davis spoke first.

"Mother's screams."

Their breath hitched in unison.

Davis stared straight ahead, his eyes vacant. His voice was heavy but clear. "We were just kids. We... we were only children."

The air in the room grew even heavier.

"We were playing with Mom," Madison whispered. "I remember... I was playing with my Barbies. Victoria, Rebecca, and Corina were playing house. Sadie was playing doctor. Davis was playing with his toy cars..."

"Then he came," Rebecca said, her voice trembling. "Father."

Victoria bit her lip until it bled.

Davis clenched his fists but said nothing.

Corina, the youngest at the time, simply lowered her head, her small hands gripping the fabric of her hospital pants tightly.

"He was drunk," Sadie's voice was barely audible. "Lipstick on his shirt. Reeking of alcohol..."

Rebecca swallowed hard, her body stiffening again as if about to seize.

"He grabbed Mom right away," Victoria's voice cracked, "and we all tried to stop him... hitting his legs, pulling his shirt... screaming for help..."

"But he didn't care," Davis cut in coldly. "He lifted us like fucking dolls and threw us onto their bed."

Madison covered her face. "We couldn't fight back."

Sadie bit her lip, trying to hold back tears. "We were trapped inside. He locked the door from the outside."

Silence.

They were all drowning in that painful memory.

"And then... we heard everything," Rebecca's whisper was barely a sound, yet it was devastating. "We heard Mom scream... cry... beg... and we couldn't do anything."

One by one, they lowered their heads, their shoulders shaking.

Corina finally lifted her face, tears streaming down her dark cheeks. "I didn't know what was happening back then..." her voice was hoarse. "I was too young. But I remember crying and hiding behind Victoria and Rebecca."

Sadie nodded. "Me too. I just cried and covered my ears."

Davis gripped his hair. "I wanted to break down that door. I kicked it, punched it, screamed at it. But I couldn't do anything. I was just a powerless, stupid kid."

Victoria sobbed. "We were all powerless."

Rebecca closed her eyes. "We cried... we all cried..."

Silence once again filled the room.

Dr. Calloway let them cry. He let them release everything that had been buried so deep for so long.

Outside, their partners listened, their expressions stricken with horror and heartbreak.

Lea Marie anxiously bit her nails. Akina rested her head against the wall, her jaw clenched tightly. Malik let out a deep sigh, wiping his face with his hands. Ethan looked as if his entire world had lost its balance. Amir clenched his fists, his eyes filled with emotion. Ravi stood rigid, his head bowed in sorrow.

After what felt like an eternity, Dr. Calloway finally spoke again.

"I want you to know," he said, his voice calm yet firm, "that this trauma is not your fault."

Victoria lifted her tear-filled eyes. "But... but we couldn't protect Mom."

"You were children."

They all fell silent.

"How could small children fight against a grown man, drunk and consumed by rage?" Dr. Calloway continued. "No matter how many times you kicked at his legs, no matter how many times you screamed, you were never the ones to blame."

Victoria's tears fell again, but this time, not just from sadness—his words hurt, yet they touched something deep inside her.

"But we still couldn't save her," Rebecca whispered.

"And that hurts. I understand."

Silence.

Dr. Calloway went on, "You may have thought that by achieving the greatest success in the world, this pain would go away. But trauma doesn't work like that. It lingers, hidden, until one day it explodes in unexpected ways. Just like what's happening to you now."

The Alistair siblings remained silent, letting his words sink in.

"But you're still here," Dr. Calloway said, his voice deep. "You're still standing. And that means you're stronger than you think."

Victoria looked at him, her eyes red.

Davis finally let out a breath, lowering his head.

Rebecca wiped her face.

Madison held Sadie's hand.

Corina closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing.

They weren't healed. They were still broken.

But for the first time in their lives, they didn't feel alone in their brokenness.