“Dr. Tyler, Mr. Gale showed up unexpectedly and is wondering if you have a moment for him?”

“He’s here right now?”

“Yes Dr. Tyler.”

Tyler grumbled and swept a pencil off his desk in between his fingers, “Send him in.”

Terry walked in timidly and ashamed.

Tyler looked up at him and twirled the pencil in his hand, “What can I do for you Terry?”

Terry took two steps forward and the doctor motioned for him to sit on the couch. “I take it you couldn’t wait for our appointment tomorrow?”

“I’m sorry Dr. Tyler but something just happened…or has been happening that I’ve kept from you these past few weeks.”

The comment peaked Tyler’s interest and he sat up in his chair setting down the pencil.

“Why would you keep something from me, you know I’m here to help and I can’t be expected to help you if you will not be straightforward with me. I thought we settled this a long time ago, Terry. You tell me everything.”

“I know, but…I just didn’t want to listen to the advice I knew you’d give me if I had told you.”

“That is the reason you’re here, you know. To receive my advice. So, tell me what it is you’ve been hiding.”

“You know how I told you sometimes I can’t control my outbursts…”

“Terry, did you do something to your wife?”

“I kept her in quarantine.”

“What do you mean ‘quarantine?’”

“She was screwing around, and I just knew she was dirty, filthy..” Terry’s eyes grew a shade darker and sweat emerged under his brow. “I thought she needed to be held against her will – to be cleansed and to redeem herself.”

Dr. Tyler stareed at Terry in bewilderment. “You can’t be serious. You locked her up! Where?!”

“I took her to the basement.”

“Oh my God! Oh my God, Terry! What the hell were you thinking?!”

“I did what needed to be done!”

“What needed to be done was to put you in a ward for heaven’s sake! Why are you so defensive, did you expect me to just shove this under the rug?! This is criminal – what you’ve done! I can’t imagine what this woman is going through! Where is she now?!”

“I let her go. I don’t know where she went.”

“Do you realize she might’ve gone to the police with this?”

Terry rose, “She wouldn’t do that! She knows better now! She’s a better person!”

Dr. Tyler stood up slowly and almost reassuring, “Please sit down Terry, I want to hear all of it. Maybe I can help you if the police find out. Sit down.”

Terry obeyed and rigidly took his seat.

Tyler reflected for a moment and called his secretary, “Gwen, please cancel all appointments today, I have very important business. Apologize to my clients and tell them I will call all of them later tonight. Also, find out which ones are available on Saturday.”

“Certainly Dr.”

Dr. Tyler fixed his gaze on the broken man in front of him. “Terry, I need you to tell me all that happened.”

Father Henry tried to reassure Merriam, “Merriam what do you mean Terry ‘quarantined you?’”

“He kept me in the basement for a month, saying he was cleansing me of my sin of adultery. But…he raped me and I don’t understand how that isn’t wrong? Why did God let this happen, I repented, you heard me, you blessed me and said all was forgiven.”

“Merriam – what Terry did to you was not an act of God. I can tell you now that what Terry did was wrong and…”

Merriam looked up with a swarm of hate in her eyes, “Unforgivable.”

Father Henry closed his eyes, “How did this come to be, Merriam? How did he find out about Robert?”

“I don’t know, I guess he was meant to find out about it.”

“No Merriam. I know you’re confused on whether he’s wrong or you’re wrong, but you are the victim here, and Terry is the one who has let evil control him.”

“Father, I don’t know what to do, I don’t know where to go.”

“Would you like to talk to the police?”

“No. I’m too scared. I still love Terry.”

The priest grabbed hold of his cross, “Well, we have sleeping quarters upstairs, you can stay here as long as it takes.”

“Thank you so much father.”

“I insist that you let me call for a doctor to do an examination – I promise it will remain totally private.”

“Ok, Father.”

Terry’s crying settled, “I found out she was cheating on me with this guy, Robert from a bar.”

Tyler interrupted, “How long?”

“Only one night. But one night is enough – she sinned. She’s so high and mighty about her Christian faith and then she commits one of the worst sins of all?!”

“Go on.”

“So I didn’t know right away, I was suspicious, and then I overheard a telephone call to her best friend, Sarah, and they were talking about this guy Merriam met at a bar and how she went with him to a hotel. As soon as I realized my suspicions were right, I waited for her that night and rehearsed what I’d say to her. I was going to leave her. And I was remembering the whole time how you told me not to let the rage control me, that I had to be a strong person and be calm. But she was so uncaring and cold…if you’d been there you would’ve seen how aloof she was about the whole incident. She knew I knew. I could see it in her eyes. And I slapped her. And it all spiraled out of control after that night. She went to her friend’s house and the next morning she went to work. When she came home that night I apologized and confronted her about Robert and she acted like she didn’t know that I knew! And I couldn’t take it, I tried to control myself but the urge to make her take me seriously was just to strong. I hit her, and dragged her to the basement. I…” Terry sobbed, “I stripped her, hosed her down with a water hose, and made her scrub her skin raw…so she wouldn’t be dirty. Then I put her in a bathrobe and made her a bed on the floor and she just lied in it for two days. I put food in the basement twice a day, and she lied dormant. But soon she started screaming and cursing in the most horrible language. And I couldn’t let her carry on, so I…so I…raped her to shut her up. And I fed her less. I wanted her to feel the torment my heart felt when she betrayed me. And Sarah never called because I had pre-recorded Merriam and I on the answering machine telling her we were going on a vacation to Cancun.”

“My God, Terry. I didn’t see you as this kind of person. You could have killed her. Not only have you damaged her body, but you’ve damaged her spirit, her frame of mind. And all that time, while this was going on, you were still coming to my office with not the slightest notion that you had taken your own wife prisoner!”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, Terry, sorry means nothing to me, and it certainly means nothing to her! I don’t know what to do with you right now. I recommend that you commit yourself to the ward for close observation.”

“But, Dr!”

“Listen, Terry. It’s your best option right now. Commit yourself or I will make sure the police commit you to jail.”

“Please don’t tell the police all this.”

“I’ll take you to the hospital myself.”