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CHAPTER TWO
I WENT TO FIND DIOMEDES to report on my meeting with Alicia. He was in his office, sorting through piles of sheet music.
“Well”—he didn’t look up—“how did it go?”
“It didn’t, really.”
Diomedes gave me a quizzical glance.
I hesitated. “If I’m going to get anywhere with her, I need Alicia to be able to think, and feel.” “Absolutely. And your concern is...?”
“It’s impossible to get through to someone when they’re so heavily medicated. It’s like she’s six feet underwater.”
Diomedes frowned. “I wouldn’t go that far. I’m not familiar with the exact dose she’s on—”
“I checked with Yuri. Sixteen milligrams of risperidone. A horse’s dose.”
Diomedes raised an eyebrow. “That’s certainly quite high, yes. It could probably be reduced. You
know, Christian is the head of Alicia’s care team. You should talk to him about it.”
“I think it’ll sound better coming from you.”
“Hmm.” Diomedes gave me a doubtful look. “You and Christian knew each other before, didn’t
you? At Broadmoor?”
“Very slightly.”
Diomedes didn’t respond immediately. He reached over to a little dish of sugared almonds on his
desk and offered me one.
I shook my head.
He popped an almond in his mouth and crunched it, watching me as he chewed. “Tell me, is
everything friendly between you and Christian?” “That’s an odd question. Why do you ask?” “Because I’m picking up on some hostility.” “Not on my part.”
“But on his?”
“You’ll have to ask him. I have no problem with Christian.”
“Hmm. Perhaps I’m imagining it. But I’m sensing something.... Keep an eye on it. Any aggression
or competitiveness interferes with the work. You two need to work with each other, not against each other.”
“I’m aware of that.”
“Well, Christian needs to be included in this discussion. You want Alicia to feel, yes. But remember, with greater feeling comes greater danger.”
“Danger for whom?”
“For Alicia, of course.” Diomedes wagged his finger at me. “Don’t forget she was highly suicidal when we first brought her here. She made numerous attempts to end her life. And the medication keeps her stable. It keeps her alive. If we lower the dose, there’s every chance she will be