Song: Broken Girl- Matthew West

(Mr. Alexander) Coralie's Dad:

"We came as soon as you asked us to...is everything alright?" I fill my heart pumping in my chest. Of all the cases that I have ever dealt with over the years being a lawyer this is the one that has torn me apart from the inside out. Of course I am not allowed to be on the case and this is all that I can do is to be here for her. 

"Please come in and have a seat." Sarah goes behind her desk to sit down. We both watch her flip through a folder. I am sure it's Coralie's file. I wonder if she has found out any new information or if Coralie is ready to come home to be with us. The thoughts in my head will not shut off.

"Mr. Alexander...Mrs. Alexander...I have talked with Coralie several times this past two weeks. I know you are requesting that she should remain drug free but I feel that we should reconsider. I would like to try her on something to help with her anxiety and depression. I think it will help with the other things that are going on.

I look back at her like she can't be serious. "You're saying she is depressed?" I know she is freaking depressed but there has to be more to it than just that. And just like that this therapist ready my mind like she knows exactly what I am thinking. 

"Actually it is more than that. Have you ever noticed anything in the past...mood swings, acting differently all together as if she was someone else."

Angie starts crying. "She's had lots of mood swings lately...I thought it was typical you know all teens get really moody...nothing to be concerned about." She wipes her face with her hand.

"I don't know how to say this but I believe Coralie has multi-personalities."

"Are you saying our daughter is crazy?" I bark at her. She doesn't have a clue about my girl.

"No...no I'm not. She is actually very intelligent. Sometimes when something dramatic happens our minds can't deal with it so we all cope in different ways. Coralie created others to take the pain and hurt away."

"So...what exactly are you saying?"

"Coralie...how do I put this....Coralie is just not Coralie. She's created another being inside of her. So when the going gets tough and she can't handle what's going on another part of her comes out."

"I have heard of this before in the court room and have done research before on this type of thing. But are you sure about this?"

"I video my group sessions so that I can later go back and look through it. Sometimes I miss things and when I do one on one with patients I will refer back to the session. I can let you watch part of the session only because it pertains to Coralie. I'm sure you will notice the difference in her within a few minutes of each other."

She pushes play on her laptop and there is our girl sitting with a group of other kids. She seems normal to me. She looks sad and lost like she really doesn't want to be there. God I just want to take her home. I want her to feel safe. I want her to be her again.

Sarah asks her if she wants to share tonight and she shakes it off but then there is this boy that starts talking. Saying he wants to ask her a question...then saying something about her killing someone.

Sarah pushes pause. "So the day before they had a little disagreement...if you look closely you can see the bruises on his neck...caused by your daughter."

"I can't believe Coralie would do that," says Angie as she sniffles into the tissue.

"She didn't," replies Sarah.

I look up at her confused. "Then who did it?"

She pushes play again. "Watch."

"What difference does it make," says Coralie.

He goes on about how if she did he needs a body guard and then wants to know how she did it. When she looks at Sarah...she has a different expression on her face like she's mischievous and almost evil like. Sarah addresses her as Coralie and she spits out, 'I'm not Coralie.'

She proceeds to tell them that she killed him by slicing his throat and setting him on fire. Shit she is talking about Derrick...his vehicle was found burnt down to the frame. She did it.

Sarah tells her that 'Cora' is not allowed in the sessions and Coralie goes on about how she is a part of her and she has every right to be there. Sarah fast forwards a section. Now she is glaring at Sarah like she wants to kill her. She request for her to be taken away because she can't hold someone back any longer. Before they take her she hisses at Sarah telling her that she is not Coralie and then saying that she is not Cora either.

Sarah pauses the video on her expression...her smirking that she is not who they think. I stare into the screen at my little girl and that is not my girl looking back. "As you can see we are dealing with more than just anxiety and depression."

"What caused this...how could this happen...she was our perfect little girl. I just don't get it."

"Well something very bad happened and this is the way she coped with it. She said that you read the journals so I'm sure you know what really happened."

Angie looks at me and starts crying again. I nod my head. "Yes we know what happened."

"Look I know this is hard. I know we can help her here but I have to know what I am working with here. She still won't tell me what happened."

"I gave you the journals...did you not read them?"

"No...I told her I wouldn't. Those are her personal words and thoughts. Matter of fact you should not have read them either because they are private. It may have made things worse...maybe that's why she doesn't trust anyone."

My lawyer side comes out of me. "Look we had just found out our daughter was using...we didn't know what she had been exposed to or what had been going on with her. She shut everyone out. I know we probably shouldn't have read it but we did. We can't take that back."

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

I stand up and start pacing the office. I so want to smash something right now.

"Mr. Alexander...I'm only here to help her. Do you want to help her?"

My eyes fill with tears. "I didn't know...I swear I didn't know...God if I would have known I would have stopped it. I would have done everything in my power to stop it from happening...I would..."

Angie interrupts me, "Just say it...tell her."

I hug Angie. "Baby if I would have known...you believe me don't you...I would have never let that happen to her."

She cries in my arms. I look over at Sarah. "I thought he was my friend. It's all written in the journals...He was molesting our baby girl...apparently for a good two years before he raped her." I choke out as tears stream down my face. A man is supposed to protect his baby no matter what. Dammit! And I didn't protect her from him.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"I had a feeling that she had something to do with killing him...when I read it with my own eyes that's when I had proof that she did it." I sit back down, leaning over placing my head into my hands and I cry harder. I cry because I couldn't save her and now my little girl is paying the price.

"Mr. Alexander...I really think this medication will help some. But it won't work alone. I would like for her to stay her a while. I promise we will take good care of her."

"I told her that I wouldn't leave her this long...and it's already been almost two weeks."

"I really don't think she needs to go home right now...you saw her...you know that I am right."

I keep shaking my head no. "She will never forgive us."

"She will in time...she needs to heal first."

I nod my head. I look up at Angie and she is agreeing with me. "Can we at least see her before we go?"

She closes the file and looks up at me. "I don't know if that would be best."

"Please."

"Really...I think it might set her back. I need your permission to put her on the medication. I will call you when I think she is ready to handle seeing you two."

I shrug. "How long do you think that will be?"

"I'm not sure...hopefully within the next two weeks but to be honest it may be a good month or so."

"Alright...you give her whatever she needs...promise me you will take good care of her."

"I will do everything I possibly can." She reaches over and shakes my hand. 

As we get up to leave all I can think about isleaving her here longer. I can't believe we are doing this. I can't believe weare leaving out girl behind. I feel that she will never forgive us for this.