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He frowns. “Didn’t she tell you? Naturally, after what happened, I recommended psychiatric treatment. Left untreated, the trauma she suffered can only cause damage that may manifest in her behavior later.”
The bit about the treatment is news.
Concern creeps into his expression. “I hope she’s heeding my advice and seeing someone to help her deal with the trauma.”
“You know her diagnosis. Do you think she’s capable of suicide?”
He doesn’t as much as blink. “I’m not at liberty to discuss—”
“Her wellbeing is at stake.”
He searches my face. “Did something happen?”
“She went far into the sea today, so far that she wouldn’t have made it back if I didn’t have a bodyguard watching out for her.”
“I see,” he says, his frown deepening. “That’s a matter you should discuss with her psychiatrist."
“It’s your opinion that interests me.”
“I’m not a qualified psychiatrist or—”
“I don’t care. You treated her. You must have an opinion. Is she capable of suicide?”
He blows out a sigh. “I can’t say yes or no. All I can say is that she suffered such severe emotional trauma her brain short-circuited. It’s rare, but it happens in very violent cases.”
“And?”
He fixes me with a look. “And there’s a history of suicide in the family.”
That false belief, I ignore. “Based on only the trauma, it’s possible then.”
His smile is patronizing. “Anything is possible. Whether it’s probable is a different question.”
“How high is the probability in your opinion?”
“That, I can’t say.” He steeples his fingers as he scrutinizes me. “If you think she’s a danger to herself, admitting her to a psychiatric hospital is an option.”
“I’m not going to lock her up in an asylum.” I dig my nails into the padded armrests. “All I’m asking for is a risk assessment.”
“Look, as I said, I’m not a psychiatrist, but what I can tell you is that Sabella is vulnerable on all levels right now—emotionally, physically, and mentally.”
“What will help? Medication?”
“Perhaps. I saw the news about her late father’s so-called second family. She’s just been through death and learning some shocking news about someone who was very close and dear to her. She can’t demand explanations from the deceased. She’ll be left with questions and doubts. What she needs now is a lot of patience and stability.”
“What kind of stability?”
“No drastic changes.”
“Such as?”
“Anything known to have a major impact on stress levels.”
I clench my jaw. “In other words, taking her back to Corsica after the funeral wouldn’t be conducive to her state of mind.”
“Definitely not. I advise against any major changes in the near future, and moving countries counts high on the list of major changes. First of all, she’ll have no friends or family, no social safety net in a new country. That’s not ideal for her mental state of mind. What she needs right now is her circle of support. She’d have to learn a new language and adapt to a new lifestyle. All of this takes enormous emotional investment—making new friends, learning to commute, to communicate, to get a new job, to earn a rightful place in society, to find a sense of belonging, to combat the outsider syndrome, to—”
“Fine,” I say with something close to a growl. “I get it.”
