The Doctor

On the seventh day, Catherine returned.

I was napping, deeply in sleep with my phone at earshot  and when I heard the doorbell. Thinking nothing of it, I grumbled, turned over, and proceeded to drift off again. The person at the door rang it again, and this time I had little choice but to throw off my covers and answer it. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and opened the door to see no one else by Catherine.

And there she was: dirty, unwashed but smiling. "Elizabeth...hey. I have to apologize for acting so crazy. Things have been really, really weird as of late, and it's so--"
I threw my arms around her without letting her finish. I couldn't believe it: my Cathie had safely returned to me! Tears welled in my eyes and spilled over onto my cheeks, which in turn landed on her clothing. She hugged me back.

"I love you, too, Ellie. I really do." she whispered.

"Where did you go?"
Here she stepped back and looked at me oddly. "Wait. Why did you ask me that?"

I motioned for her to come on inside. Behind us I closed the door and locked it, just in case. "You were gone for seven days. Your parents and I tried calling you. Hell, we all tried to contact you. I went to your house the day after the beach and you weren't there. I looked everywhere!"
She folded her arms in concentration, "Are you...sure?"

I responded, "I'm 100% positive."
Catherine suddenly got this look in her eyes, a look similar to understanding. She slowly nodded her head in a 'oh, so that's it' kind of way. "Well," she murmured "You will never have to worry about that ever again. I'm getting my shit together."

I laid a hand on a shoulder. "I'm happy about that, Catherine. I am. But where were you this whole time?"
Here she looked at herself, noticing the mud, dirt and grass stains, some dried and some fresh. It looked as if she had taken a hike for six days and then slept in a field full of weeds. Her nostrils and upper lip were crusted with dried blood. "I don't have the slightest clue. I woke up outside of my room but didn't think much of it. I remembered how anxious you were about me...and here I am."

That was quite unnerving to hear. Even Catherine herself was clueless as to where she went and why she was missing.

I spread the word that Catherine had come back, much to the relief of every last person I knew. Rebecca still wanted her to go see a psychiatrist, which everyone agreed was the best course of action. Catherine herself thought it a wise idea. Luckily for us, a doctor was indeed available.

Dr. Alphonse Frey, a very clever and amiable man with several degrees in several fields came to her rescue. He gladly took Catherine as his patient, saying that she indeed need the help of a trained professional to get rid of these ailments, hopefully by the time of our wedding. I remember standing in his huge office with all those books and diplomas that proudly testified the extent of his knowledge. I saw copies of books by Frederich Wilhelm Von Junzt and Ludwig Prinn, two very notable German authors. 

One time when I accompanied her to the office, Dr. Frey offered me some herbal tea and cherries that he picked from his garden. I ate the entire bowl by the time they were done. Catherine liked him, I liked him, everyone liked him. Things were indeed looking up for all of us.