Everything I Do, I Do It For You

A/N:- Wow, how much I have enjoyed writing this chapter. Please review and let me know if I am delusional or not. LOL!!!

Thanks to everyone who volunteered to be in my group therapy session. Mhawwww, I hope you like your characters.

Candy, I hope you realize that you are in my story for life... Sorry but there's no hope for escape.

Thanks goes out to my beta, LydiaCarol. Cheers.

Disclaimer:- Not my world, its JK’s… I would like to think some of it is however!!!

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Chapter 30:- Hermione Starts Group Therapy

Hermione stood in a corner of the room staring out of the barred windows. Rain was thrashing the windowpane. It was late afternoon; she could tell this by the darkening sky outside. There were others seated, chatting or milling around the room, but she took little notice of them, and no one approached her.

Doctor Andrew Lopes, closely followed by Doctor Carol Harefield, entered the room. Andrew held his clipboard tucked firmly under his arm, while Carol held on to her briefcase.

Andrew took in Hermione’s stance by the window and became pensive for a moment.

After the initial shock, disbelief and denial had worked their way through Hermione’s system, Andrew found her to be quite a courteous, kind and intelligent young woman. She had lashed out at everyone, including himself, and she had even managed to land one of the orderlies in hospital with a fractured jaw. Her medications had been changed after her attempted suicide, and now she seemed to be in a place of calm.

Broken from his reflection, he looked around at the other patients that made up the group.

“If everyone could please take their seats, we can begin,” Andrew spoke with authority in his voice. “We have a new doctor here with us, as well as a new member to our group.”

Hermione heard the scraping of chairs and even a few grumbling noises, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the window and the darkening street below. The rain was almost hypnotic as she watched it falling on the pane.

Heidi was sitting in a chair that she had wiped down with a cloth, now draped across her lap. White cotton gloves adorned her hands. She sat up even more rigidly in her seat as she voiced her concerns.

“Is she going to be here all the time? Is she going to be leading this group or is she just an observer? Will she be prescribing our medication?” She asked this all in a very severe and matter-of-fact voice.

“All your concerns will be addressed, Heidi,” Andrew answered.

Heidi huffed, but she kept her eyes on the new doctor. She hated any change in the routine, and would let Doctor Lopes know this fact when it was her turn to speak.

“Hermione,” Doctor Lopes said, pausing. When she didn’t respond he spoke louder, “Hermione, if you’d care to join us.”

Broken away from her contemplation when she heard her name being called, Hermione turned away from the window. Blushing ever so slightly, she made her way to the only vacant seat in the room, which was next to Doctor Lopes.

She noticed that the seats were in a circle in the centre of the room. Taking her seat, she immediately became fascinated by her shoes, and she didn’t look up to meet the glares of the other occupants of the room.

“Now, if everyone is ready we can begin,” Andrew said. He cradled his clipboard, his pen hanging lazily in his right hand.

“We have a new doctor who is going to be working here at Calan Park.” Andrew looked at Heidi in particular. “Her name is Doctor Harefield and I want you to all make her welcome.”

There were a few hellos and a couple of nodding heads as Andrew continued.

“We also have a new member to our group,” Andrew said, motioning towards Hermione, still examining her shoes.

Hermione felt Doctor Lopes’ gaze on her and she looked up expectantly.

“Now I want you all to be quiet and listen,” Andrew said, glancing at each patient in turn. “Hermione, if you would introduce yourself, we’ll get the show on the road.”

There were now eight pairs of eyes looking at Hermione with interest. She looked up and swallowed nervously.

“My name is Hermione Granger,” she half-choked out the words. Her hands were intertwined in her lap, and her left foot was bouncing up and down on the floor in an uncontrolled motion.

Jennifer laughed, making light of the situation. “Welcome to our little group, Hermione.”

Hermione never looked up at Jennifer, which made her rather annoyed. “Well, I never,” she mumbled under her breath and then turned her attention back to John.

“Thank you for that,” Andrew said, looking kindly at Jennifer before his gaze fell back on Hermione.

Earlier in the week, she had had a talk with Doctor Lopes about group in her one-on-one session with him. He had thought that she was ready to meet other people and had persuasively suggested to her that she give it a try. She had agreed; however, now she wished she hadn’t. She had never been this apprehensive about anything in her life, well not that she was aware of. Which wasn’t saying much, as she couldn’t remember the first twenty-odd years of her life anyway.

“Thank you, Hermione,” Andrew said. He had promised himself, as well as Hermione, that he wouldn’t push her. He would just see if she was ready to open up to the group. However, this was obviously not the case just yet, as he noticed that her gaze fell straight back to her shoes and her entire posture was one of nervousness.

“Now we will go around the circle, and I want you to each introduce yourselves for the benefit of Hermione and Dr Harefield. Then I want to find out how the last couple of days have been for you,” Andrew said.

“We will begin with you, Candy.” Andrew stated, looking over towards Candice, who was seated to his right next to Hermione.

Candice was jolted back to reality when she heard her name being called by Doctor Lopes. She had been daydreaming previously about the perfect house that she was going to purchase when she got out of Calan Park.

“I’m Candy,” she spoke in an excited voice. “I have been well these past couple of days. Orderly Hamesh got me the realtor magazine yesterday, and I have been looking at this beautiful home that I want to purchase when I get out of here, and then …”

Candy was cut off by Joe’s laughter. “As if you’re ever going to get out of here,” he said, continuing to laugh.

“Now, Joe, you’re not the doctor here, and I would ask you to keep quiet until it is your turn to speak,” Andrew said, looking over at Joe with a stern expression.

Joe swiftly changed his expression to one of innocence, as he settled back in his seat with his arms folded across his chest.

“Candy, there’s nothing wrong with having dreams,” Andrew said, looking back at Candice. She now had a faraway look on her face and was staring at a spot on the floor about a metre in front of her. Andrew knew that was all he was likely to get from her, so he moved on to his next patient.

After an outburst earlier this year, Jessica was one of the few patients in this group who still had to be heavily medicated. She had almost killed Heidi and had to be restrained. Joe of course had egged her on in his own way, and that little stunt had procured him a night in a padded cell, euphemistically known as “the quiet room.” Obviously Joe hadn’t learnt his lesson, although he was much more subdued now.

Jessica had her knees drawn up to her chest; her arms were wrapped around her shins with her head resting on her knees. She was rocking back and forth, looking quite agitated.

Several long seconds passed, and when it looked like Jessica wouldn’t speak, Heidi took up her plight.

“Her name’s Jessica,” she stated. “I can’t tell you how her week has been, because I don’t usually associate with her,” Heidi finished, looking at Doctor Harefield.

“Thank you, Heidi. Now if you will just introduce yourself,” Doctor Lopes said. He hadn’t expected Jessica to speak, really, as she was still on some pretty heavy meds; however, he felt that he had to at least try.

“Why am I stuck in here with such retards?” Joe spoke out once more, throwing his hands in the air.

“Joe, that is your second warning,” Andrew spoke sternly. “If there is another, then it will be the quiet room for you tonight.” He finished and looked back to Heidi.

Joe mumbled something under his breath, taking up a defensive posture in his seat. He otherwise kept quiet.

“Thank you, Doctor Lopes,” Heidi answered. She sat up in her seat, her gloved hands placed neatly in her lap, her feet together. Her back was straight as she began to speak. “My name is Heidi and I have been a patient here for a year and a half.” She never took her eyes off Doctor Harefield as she continued. “This last week I have noticed that thirty-two of the rules were broken in this establishment. Most of these said rules have been misinterpreted by the people sitting here in this very room, though I don’t know how they can be misunderstood, as I go over them every week. ” At saying this she looked around at each patient. She kept her glare a little longer on Joe, who shrugged his shoulders at her. “I hope that Doctor Harefield will stick to the rules set forth by you, Doctor Lopes.” Frowning, she looked from Carol’s face to Andrew’s. “Now, if you’ll just answer my previous questions, then you may go on to the next patient,” she said, while pointing her gloved right hand at John.

“Yes, Doctor Harefield will be here at Calan Park for a while.” Andrew raised his hand up to cut off any questions that Heidi had. “No, she won’t be leading this group, as she is just an observer at this time. To your last question, as to whether she will be prescribing your medication or not, I don’t believe so, although one day in the distant future she may. Now does that answer all of your questions?” Andrew asked.

Heidi merely inclined her head and took to scrutinising Doctor Harefield once more.

John was staring openly at Hermione. He thought she was the prettiest woman he had ever seen in his life, and his wife had had nothing on her. Her hair reminded him of a halo upon her head. He could feel Jennifer’s hand draped over his shoulder, caressing his left upper arm. It was quite stimulating, but now, it was most unwanted. He had his sights set on Hermione. Even her name was different, special, and she seemed more like him then Jennifer ever was. Sure, it was nice to have a female basically throwing herself at you like Jennifer did, but it was always the same with her. John reached up and removed Jennifer’s arm from around his neck. His eyes never left Hermione’s face, although she was still looking intently at her shoes.

Jennifer was taken back when John removed her hands from his person. This small gesture didn’t go unnoticed by Andrew, but he held his tongue as he waited for John to speak.

“I’m John,” he began. “And my week just got a whole lot better,” he added, still looking at Hermione.

Joe sighed dramatically.

Andrew didn’t even acknowledge Joe’s little outburst as he replied to John, “Well that’s terrific.”

Andrew’s gaze fell on Jennifer next. She had turned away from John and was sulking. Her arms were folded haphazardly across her chest, and she was shifting every couple of seconds in her chair.

Andrew cleared his throat and Jennifer turned around to face him. A huge fake smile addressed her lips.

“Hi, I’m Jennifer,” she said, still smiling, as she ran her tongue across her lips. “My week has been great.” She shouted out the word “great” and was glancing at John every once in a while, shooting him daggers through the corners of her eyes. She screamed, “That was until that little bitch,” turning in her seat and pointing a finger in at Hermione, “came into our group and screwed the whole thing up.” She jumped up from her seat. The look on her face was one of fury, and she looked as though she would pounce at Hermione at any second.

Hermione had looked up to see what all the fuss was about, and was flabbergasted to see one of the female patients standing and pointing a finger at her.

Doctor Lopes stood quickly and stepped in between Hermione and Jennifer to intervene in whatever was about to take place. Hermione was also on her feet as her eyes scanned the room nervously. She looked like she was trying to decide whether to stand her ground or take flight; however, Andrew spoke up before she could make her decision

“Jennifer,” he stressed, his tone carrying a warning, “I will ask you to please take your seat.” He paused, watching her.

Her face changed from rage to tranquillity in a split second.

“Of course, Doctor Lopes,” she replied in a sugar-coated voice, and took her seat.

Andrew turned to Hermione, who was still glancing around the room nervously. “Hermione,” Andrew spoke calmly. “Please take your seat too.”

Hermione looked up at Doctor Lopes and back to Jennifer, who wasn’t meeting her eyes, and took her seat. She immediately looked back at her shoes but trained her ears on the female patient who had threatened her, in case she suddenly lunged for her again.

Andrew looked over towards the door and saw Head Orderly Robert Finn peering through the glass. Robert had his hand on the doorknob; however, he knew from previous experience never to interrupt the doctor in one of his sessions.

Andrew lifted his hand, while looking at the door, to motion that everything was fine, and turned his attention back on the patients. Looking them over, he noticed that Jessica was rocking steadily faster and looked like she would explode at any second.

’Great,’ Andrew thought, ’just what we all need now is for Jessica to go off the deep end.’ But that event, thankfully, never happened; she gradually slowed down her rhythm of meticulous swaying to the measured speed that she had been rocking at previously.

“Well, that was sure fun,” Joe said in a bored tone, shifting around in his chair.

Andrew turned towards Joe and gave him a warning glance before going back to his chair and sitting down in it once more. He looked over at Jennifer, who was smiling at him sweetly; her hand was playing with the collar of the thick jumper that she wore in a seductive manner.

He stole a quick glimpse at Carol, who was seated to his left. She seemed to be taking everything in her stride; he was pleased that she had shown her maturity in not jumping up at the first sign of a confrontation.

“Okay, then,” Andrew nodded, looking intently at Joe. “It’s your turn now.”

“Well, as most of you are already aware, my name is Joe,” he said all of this in the same bored tone he had used for his previous statement. “However, unlike all of you,” he motioned around the room lazily with his left hand, “I don’t belong here. You see, I have been misdiagnosed and I shouldn’t even be in this group.”

Andrew was listening to all this with a blank expression on his face. He had heard this all before, but for Carol’s benefit, he let him continue.

“However,” Joe continued, “as the good Doctor sees fit to keep me here, against my will I may add,” Joe shot Andrew a wary look before continuing, “I have no choice but to bear this burden.” He sighed. “All I ask is to be switched to another group, a group with more intellectual people. I mean, look at what I have to put up with.” He moved forward and sat on the edge of his chair. He looked like he wanted to stand but thought better of it.

He flicked his hand towards Hermione first. “You,” he said in an accusing voice, “I mean I don’t really know you, but all you’ve been doing is staring at your shoes. A real winner there, doc.” He sneered, looking back at Andrew.

Hermione just ignored him and didn’t look up when he spoke to her.

Joe continued on. “Candice,” he spat out as he flicked his hand in her direction next. “As much as I have loved all this talk about ‘your new house,’ do you really believe that after spending close to twelve years in this fine institution, that you would honestly be leaving it?” He smirked at her as she looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “No, you’re in here for life, I’m afraid. It doesn’t take a degree in psychiatry to see that.”

“Don’t even get me started on Jessica.” The disgust was evident in his voice as he moved on to the next patient in his tirade. “For as long as I can remember her being here, she hasn’t uttered a single word. Pathetic, really.” He moved his head to the side as if examining her, a sad look crossing his face. It was quickly replaced by a grin as he sniggered to himself quietly.

Andrew looked over at Jessica, who was still rocking back and forth, apparently unaffected by Joe’s words.

Joe looked at Heidi next, who sat even more rigidly in her seat; she was staring openly at Joe.

“Heidi,” he said as a sad smile graced his thin lips. “Always the one for rules, aren’t you.” It wasn’t really a question, so Heidi kept her mouth shut. “Well not anymore, you can take all of your rules and shove them.”

Heidi let out a small humph as if she was revolted by Joe’s words, but she remained silent.

“And you,” he pointed a finger at John. John’s eyes remained focused on Hermione as though she was the most important thing in the room.

“Someone had better get you a box of tissues, you wretched excuse for a man. You have been sitting there the entire time drooling over Hermione, and she probably doesn’t even know you exist.”

John burst into tears at Joe’s obvious lack of tact. He covered his eyes with his arm and sobbed openly.

Jennifer jumped up. “It’s not true!” she shrieked. “John doesn’t have the need to look at anyone as plain as Hermione.” She threw her arm behind her head pointing at Hermione, never taking her eyes off Joe. “I mean why would he, when he has someone as beautiful as me?” she finished.

“Well, maybe,” Joe replied calmly, “he doesn’t go for cheap and nasty trash like you, but instead goes for the deaf and dumb.” He threw his arms up in the air and rolled his eyes.

Jennifer was fuming mad and turned back to John, who was still staring at Hermione. “It’s not true, is it?” she asked, bending down in front of him and blocking his view of Hermione.

John moved his head so he could get a better view of his angel.

Jennifer brought her hands up to caress his face, “Tell them, John. Tell them it’s not true.” Her voice took on an edge of uncertainty as she continued to hold his face in her hands.

Joe leant back in his chair with his arms across his chest. A huge grin made its way to his face. ’Well, my job here is done,’ he thought, congratulating himself.

Andrew thought that he had better stop this before it went any further.

“If you could please take your seat again, Jennifer,” Andrew spoke.

After a few seconds Jennifer’s hands slid down from John’s face to his knees, and then she took her seat once more. She reached over and gripped his hand, giving it a little squeeze, but he did not respond.

“Now, Joe,” Andrew said, looking over to Joe when Jennifer was seated once more. “What’s making you feel so angry towards the group?”

“I’m not angry,” Joe countered, switching his gaze back to Doctor Lopes. “I’m just making a very astute observation,” he maintained, his grin widening.

“Remember we had a little agreement in our group, not to pass personal attacks on the other members.” A crease folded on Andrews’s brow.

Joe laughed out loud while raking his hand through his hair.

Andrew turned his attention to John, who was still sobbing, though somewhat more quietly, into his arm.

“John, do you have anything to say to Joe?” He invited an answer though he was quite sure he would not receive one. He was surprised when John spoke up.

“I don’t have anything to say to him.” John spoke through the tears, not looking up once.

Jennifer turned her angry face towards Joe and spat, “Why don’t you have a look in the mirror and have a go at yourself!”

Joe stood up so quickly he knocked over his chair. His hands were clenched into fists at his sides, and he looked like he would explode at any second.

Andrew got to his feet quickly as he pushed the red button on his beeper. There were two orderlies in the room within seconds.

“Come on, Joe,” Orderly Finn said whilst making his way over towards Joe. “How about we go out into the hall and grab a drink of water?”

Joe, calming down almost instantly, looked over at Robert Finn and nodded his head. “Anything to get away from these retards,” he replied, making his way out of the room.

Robert, holding on to Joe’s arm, escorted him from the room and closed the door with a resounding click.

Andrew looked around at the other patients in the room. Hermione was still looking at her shoes; she seemed unaffected by Joe’s outburst. His eyes slid over to Candice, who had fresh tear tracks down her cheeks and who was staring, once more, at something that he couldn’t see on the floor.

Jessica looked the same, still rocking back and forth with her head on her knees and her arms wrapping around her shins. He moved along to the next patient, Heidi; he noticed that she was fiddling with her gloves and failed to meet his eyes.

John, too, had calmed down with Joe’s presence removed, and he was looking at Hermione once more, with a dreamy expression on his face. Jennifer was again gazing at both Andrew and Carol, whilst still clinging on to John’s hand.

Andrew took in a deep breath and spoke.

“As we discussed before, we will, in a few weeks, be inviting a family member to join us in our group.” Andrew spoke as though what had just occurred in the room had never taken place. “Until the next session, I would like for all of you to think of who you would like to extend this very special invitation to. I would also like you to explain to me why you have chosen them to be your support person.”