The morning after

The very next morning, Andy and I were on a red-eye flight to Sims University.   I didn't want to go but Andy said we should and needed to go.

We met with Dr. Bill, Sierra's therapist...

...and Dr. John Simlius, the university president, in one of the administrative offices.

A few moments later our daughter showed up.  She was as defiant as ever, shooting Dr. Bill a look that would probably melt steel.

"Sit down, you two."  Dr. Bill took a deep breath.  "Here we are, once again, with a kid who is out of control.  This girl Sierra is probably ten to twenty times worse than your son, who I had.  I've reviewed her entire record, from elementary school through Fort Starch, and now this incident here at the university.  When you've got seasoned military guys at Fort Starch, people who've worked there for thirty years, saying she's one of the worst kids they've ever seen, you've got a problem.  There's something seriously, seriously wrong here, and it's our job to find out what it is."

"Dr. Bill," I felt compelled to reply, "we've been trying to tell you.  We've done everything you said.  We read all the books, we complied with the order to send her to Fort Starch, what more do you want us to do?"

"I want to do a complete psychological workup on her.  A full examination, head to toe.  I want to find out what's really going on inside her brain.  I read through that entire record, and I've listened to what the two of you, plus your older daughter Sage, have told me, and I have a suspicion that there's something neurological going on.  Something is happening inside this girl's brain that is making her behave this way." 

Next it was Dr. John Simlius, the university president.  He spoke with a thick, crusty British baritone.  "Mr. and Mrs. Cheesman, here at the university, we believe in helping young people find their way in life.  When I was contacted by Fort Starch and agreed to take your daughter on, it was with the assumption that the work had been done at the military school.  Due to her high test scores and her demonstrated athletic abilities, we believed that your daughter was an excellent candidate for our physical education program.  Unfortunately, with this arrest for defacing public property, combined with what students have reported to me of her sleeping in the hallway of the bowling alley and another incident front of the movie theater, it doesn't seem to be the case.  I do agree with Dr. Bill that an intense, rigorous psychological examination is probably necessary for your daughter."
We knew about the theater incident, but not the bowling alley.  That one was news to us.

"I agreed with the assessment of Fort Starch," I said, "and I thought college would help her like it did her older brother and sister.  Her older sister more so, I think, than her brother, but they were both helped.  Her sister really blossomed at school and I hoped the same would happen for her."
"There's no reason not to believe it can still happen, Mrs. Cheesman.  I have also looked through this young lady's record.  She has high aptitude scores in physical education and technology.  We just have to figure out what's going on and try to get her on the right path."

As the day continued to progress, we were locked in a hopeless battle with Sierra.

"How are you doing, sweetheart?" Andy asked.  "I know your mother's got reservations about you going to Egypt.  And I know you want to go, because it was the first item on that bucket list of yours.  Remember that, Sierra?  That list of things you want to do?  I'm pretty sure getting arrested was not on that list.  You can't go to Egypt sitting in a jail cell, love."

"Sierramyst, precious," I pleaded, referring to her by her full name, "you've got to stop this, or you really are going to wind up in jail."
"I don't care if I go to prison."
"Yes you do. You wouldn't be saying that if you didn't.  Believe me, you do not want to go to jail."
"So the shrink is going to poke at me."
"No, Sierra, he's not going to poke at you.  He's going to examine you, find out why you're doing the things you're doing.  Why did you open your sleeping bag in the aisle in the bowling alley?"
"Cause, I was tired and I didn't feel like walking back to the dorm."
"What about in front of the movie theater?"
"Same difference."
"Tell me how you got arrested."
Sierra shrugged her shoulders.  "I was spray painting a wall and this guy walked up to me, showing his badge."
"That's it?"
"Yeah, what else do you want me to say?"

Then, I heard Andy continuing to work his magic.  "How about it, Sierra?" he asked her.  "You go take that psych test, and I'll consider letting you go to Egypt."