destruction.”
A week later, nerve and muscle testing established the diagnosis. Jacob referred P.J. to Michael Brader, the Chief of Neurology at U.C. Medical Center in San Francisco. His examination and review of the testing confirmed the diagnosis.
Julie leaned forward. “Don’t you have anything that works?”
“I’ve talked to Jacob about treatment. We have a few drugs that might help, but I won’t mislead you; so far nothing has had a permanent effect on halting the progression of the disease.”
Robert Hughes took the elevator to Brier Hospital’s fifth floor. He knocked on Carleton Dix’s door.
“Come in, Doc.”
“Do you have a moment?”
“Of course, Bob. Moments like this make up my daily life. What can I do for you?”
“I’d like information about your teen group.” He hesitated. “We’re having a tough time with Sarah.”
“I know.”
“You know?”
“This isn’t that large a community. I work with teenage girls who attend Piedmont High with Sarah.”
“We’re in trouble with her. We’ve tried everything but a nunnery, and I’d consider that too, if I believed it would work. This is way beyond mere teenage rebellion. Her behavior is destructive and we’re ready to admit that we can’t handle her anymore.”
“I’d like to help you Bob, but...let me be honest. I’ve heard a lot about Sarah from the other girls, none of it good. It isn’t that I avoid the tough cases, you should see what we’ve had in the past. But for the sake of my girls, I avoid taking on anyone who may adversely affect the dynamic of the group.”
“I understand, and to be completely candid, I can’t blame you. Do you have any other recommendations?”
The chaplain thought a moment then licked his lips. “Why don’t I sit for a few minutes with Sarah. Maybe we can work something out.”
Chapter Eleven
After dinner the next night, Robert Hughes paraphrased his conversation with the chaplain.
Sarah stood. “Carleton Dix! The chaplain? Are you out of your fucking minds?”
Robert stared at his daughter. “Use that language with your friends, if you will. It doesn’t impress me.”
Marilyn’s eyes were red from crying. “We’re trying to help you before it’s too late.”
“You want me to join with those dorks, those slackers who are only in that group because they got busted.”
Marilyn shook her head. “That’s not true. They discuss things that are important to girls your age. Kelly Cowan is in the group and her mother says she loves it.”
“Keep it real, Mother. I don’t hang with Kelly since she got back from the loony bin.”
Robert tightened his jaw. “Make it hard or make it easy, but go you will.”
“You people will never learn.” Sarah ran to her room and slammed the door.
Marilyn turned to Robert. “This may be a mistake. If she doesn’t respect the man, I don’t think he’ll get anywhere.”
“How much worse can it get? One day soon, if we can’t get to her, she’s going to leave.”
The YMCA on Allston Way in Berkeley donated a room each Wednesday night for Carleton Dix and his TeenTalk group.
Sarah Hughes sat on the sofa in the foyer outside the meeting room picking at her fingernails. She wore a short black skirt and a blue tank top.
Kelly Cowan smiled as she arrived for the meeting. “What are you doing here?”
“What do you think?”
Kelly sat next to Sarah. “I think you’re seeking spiritual enlightenment.”
“Right.”
“I don’t know what happened, Sarah. We were tight.”
“Until you went all lame on me. That loony bin did something to your mind.”
Kelly looked at her feet. “It was bad, Sarah. I went bonkers. They helped me see that I was giving away my future. For what? In many ways, I feel more in control of myself than I ever did with the drugs and the booze.”
“I have a flash for you, Kelly; it’s all a load of shit, the easy way out. You really want to be like
A week later, nerve and muscle testing established the diagnosis. Jacob referred P.J. to Michael Brader, the Chief of Neurology at U.C. Medical Center in San Francisco. His examination and review of the testing confirmed the diagnosis.
Julie leaned forward. “Don’t you have anything that works?”
“I’ve talked to Jacob about treatment. We have a few drugs that might help, but I won’t mislead you; so far nothing has had a permanent effect on halting the progression of the disease.”
Robert Hughes took the elevator to Brier Hospital’s fifth floor. He knocked on Carleton Dix’s door.
“Come in, Doc.”
“Do you have a moment?”
“Of course, Bob. Moments like this make up my daily life. What can I do for you?”
“I’d like information about your teen group.” He hesitated. “We’re having a tough time with Sarah.”
“I know.”
“You know?”
“This isn’t that large a community. I work with teenage girls who attend Piedmont High with Sarah.”
“We’re in trouble with her. We’ve tried everything but a nunnery, and I’d consider that too, if I believed it would work. This is way beyond mere teenage rebellion. Her behavior is destructive and we’re ready to admit that we can’t handle her anymore.”
“I’d like to help you Bob, but...let me be honest. I’ve heard a lot about Sarah from the other girls, none of it good. It isn’t that I avoid the tough cases, you should see what we’ve had in the past. But for the sake of my girls, I avoid taking on anyone who may adversely affect the dynamic of the group.”
“I understand, and to be completely candid, I can’t blame you. Do you have any other recommendations?”
The chaplain thought a moment then licked his lips. “Why don’t I sit for a few minutes with Sarah. Maybe we can work something out.”
Chapter Eleven
After dinner the next night, Robert Hughes paraphrased his conversation with the chaplain.
Sarah stood. “Carleton Dix! The chaplain? Are you out of your fucking minds?”
Robert stared at his daughter. “Use that language with your friends, if you will. It doesn’t impress me.”
Marilyn’s eyes were red from crying. “We’re trying to help you before it’s too late.”
“You want me to join with those dorks, those slackers who are only in that group because they got busted.”
Marilyn shook her head. “That’s not true. They discuss things that are important to girls your age. Kelly Cowan is in the group and her mother says she loves it.”
“Keep it real, Mother. I don’t hang with Kelly since she got back from the loony bin.”
Robert tightened his jaw. “Make it hard or make it easy, but go you will.”
“You people will never learn.” Sarah ran to her room and slammed the door.
Marilyn turned to Robert. “This may be a mistake. If she doesn’t respect the man, I don’t think he’ll get anywhere.”
“How much worse can it get? One day soon, if we can’t get to her, she’s going to leave.”
The YMCA on Allston Way in Berkeley donated a room each Wednesday night for Carleton Dix and his TeenTalk group.
Sarah Hughes sat on the sofa in the foyer outside the meeting room picking at her fingernails. She wore a short black skirt and a blue tank top.
Kelly Cowan smiled as she arrived for the meeting. “What are you doing here?”
“What do you think?”
Kelly sat next to Sarah. “I think you’re seeking spiritual enlightenment.”
“Right.”
“I don’t know what happened, Sarah. We were tight.”
“Until you went all lame on me. That loony bin did something to your mind.”
Kelly looked at her feet. “It was bad, Sarah. I went bonkers. They helped me see that I was giving away my future. For what? In many ways, I feel more in control of myself than I ever did with the drugs and the booze.”
“I have a flash for you, Kelly; it’s all a load of shit, the easy way out. You really want to be like
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