Peggy Holloway - Judith McCain 04 - Jupiter Returns by Peggy Holloway Read Free Book Online Page A

a new pair of jeans, a bright green long sleeve tee shirt, and a bright pink pair of sneakers.
    “The other children have been trying to draw her out, but she just stands there like that. I’ve had to feed her because she sits at the table and won’t pick up her fork,” Mrs. Frazier explained.
    “Does she dress herself?” I asked.
    “No, I have to dress her and she doesn’t put up a fight about anything. She just lets whatever is going to happen to her, happen. The police had her examined at the emergency room when they found her but they found no bruises or any signs where she had been abused in any way.”
    I stooped down in front of the little girl and tried to make eye contact but she turned her head away.
    “Would you like to ride in my car?” I asked. She kept standing there without responding.
    “I have a lot of fun things to do in my office. Do you like to draw and paint? I have a twin sister who is an artist. I also have some very nice dolls to play with. Would you like that?”
    She was completely withdrawn and wasn’t going to respond no matter what I did. “Has she had any nightmares?” I asked Mrs. Frazier.
    “I don’t know. If she does she doesn’t wake up screaming or anything like that. I think you’re going to have to just take her. That’s what we had to do when we brought her here from the police station.”
    When I picked her up she was light as a feather . She didn’t mold against me, like most children do when you hold them, but kept her body rigid. I buckled her into the front seat of my car and got behind the wheel but she didn’t look to see where we were going.
    I had an office at the FBI headquarters but I decided to take her to my old office in a house in Montrose. I had sold my practice to Dr. Alvarez but he was kind enough to let me use the play room when I needed to. I didn’t have a play room at the FBI.
    I called him on my cell phone and he said I was welcome to use the play room but I needed to be finished by one o’clock. He had a play session at that time.
    I carried Jane into th e play room and put her down. I could tell she wanted to look around. She raised her head just enough to see what was there but only moved her eyes.
    “You like it here?” I asked her but didn’t expect a reply. To my surprise I noticed the slightest nod to her head and smiled to myself.
    I usually get down in the floor with the children I do play therapy . Wearing sweatpants and a tee shirt, I had come prepared. I took a playhouse down off the shelf along with all the little people. Usually you can tell something about what the family of origin by the way the client will arrange the people in the house. This technique works with both children and adults.
    Next, I put out drawing paper, colored pencils, and paints on the low table where there were child-sized chairs.
    I usually would have had all of these things out before the child came in but in this case I was glad I didn’t. As I watched her, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed her turning her head ever so slightly and looking to see what I was doing. I love it when I learn something from my patients and I had just learned something.
    I pretended I didn’t notice her watching me. I sat cross-legged on the floor and began arranging the furniture and people in the playhouse.
    T he lesson I had just learned from her was sometimes it’s better to just do and not talk. She soon came over and squatted next to me and watched what I was doing. As I was putting the daddy inside the house she grabbed my hand and took him away from me and put him behind me.
    I usually would have said something like, “You don’t want the daddy in the house?” or, “Did daddy leave?”
    I remained silent and moved aside while she rearranged everything. She took out all the people except the mommy and little girl. She laid the mommy on the kitchen floor and put the little girl standing over the mommy. I almost had to bite my tongue to keep silent. She