Alessandra (Bridget Flanery) comes to the aid of Maggie, who has a nasty emotional breakdown.
In this harrowing episode of Harpers Falls, Maggie Harper Atchley has a severe nervous breakdown, and (in a bow to One Life to Live's famous Dissociative Identity Disorder storyline) several different personalities come out to the fore and are almost immediately integrated with the aid of Alessandra Warren and her psychiatrist Aja Dorrance.
Scene[]
Maggie's bedroom. A shattering scream comes out of the room. Mrs. Buxley and Marie Sinclair, Maggie's lady's maid, come into the room. It is Maggie, but yet, not really Maggie.
MARIE: Maggie, are you all right?
ALTER #1 (belligerently): Who are you? And by the way, I am not Maggie.
MRS. BUXLEY: Well then, who are you?
ALTER #1: My name is Meg.
MARIE: Meg?
MEG: Yeh, Meg! I am called Meg. I am here to protect Maggie.
MRS. BUXLEY: Really?
MEG: Yeh. You seem to get what is going on. You know you should understand, I know what happened to her.
MRS. BUXLEY: What happened?
MEG: It is simple! Even to the dimmest bulb in the light fixture! That damned idiot Ian Johnson raped and impregnated Maggie. He literally raped her, and she is now pregnant with a man's baby. I am not sure if she even wants it.
MARIE: May I talk to Maggie please?
MEG: Go ahead, suit yourself, whoever you are. But I will warn you, I will be watching you. Don't hurt her. How do you know her anyway?
MARIE: I am her lady's maid.
MEG: You mean you take care of her, like I do?
MARIE: Yes, I do. I care about her as well. Her whole family does.
MEG: Is that so?
MRS. BUXLEY: Yes, she is. I cared for her as a baby.
MEG (her façade crumbling slightly): You....you DID?
MRS. BUXLEY: Yes, I was her nanny as a baby.
MEG (she is impressed with these people): All right, you two win. I admit you two are something else. I will bring Maggie back. Here she comes.
(All of a sudden, Maggie is back.)
MARIE: Are you all right?
MAGGIE: What am I wearing? Did I do this?
(Maggie is appalled at what she is wearing.)
MARIE: I am afraid so.
(Maggie is fighting inside herself. Yet ANOTHER alter comes out. This one is scared and petrified. Much like Maggie at age four, the year her mother was killed.)
ALTER #2: Mummy?! Where's my mummy?
MARIE: Who are you?
ALTER #2: My name is Aurelius! My mummy always called me her light.
MRS. BUXLEY: Her shining light.
AURELIUS (pleased): Yeah! You know me? Who're you?
MRS. BUXLEY: I am Mrs. Buxley, I am the housekeeper.
AURELIUS (quietly): I think I know you too. Did you raise me?
MRS. BUXLEY: I raised Maggie. Who is a part of you.
AURELIUS (impressed): YOU raised Maggie? When she was little? That Meg character told me you raised her. Didn't she have a mummy?
MRS. BUXLEY: Yes, she did, a mummy who loved her with all her heart.
(All of a sudden, another alter. A woman with a controlled voice, a very stiff British clipped voice comes from her)
ALTER #3 (in a clipped and efficient voice): So, from what I know of you, you two are here to protect Margaret, am I not mistaken?
MRS. BUXLEY: Yes we are. Who are you?
ALTER #3: My name is Andrea. Andrea Hannah Armstrong.
MARIE: Andrea?
ANDREA (in a matter of fact voice): After her mother's birth last name, Anderson. Look, I don't see what is going on here. Margaret needs protection from the miserable cretin who violated her.
MRS. BUXLEY: You and I both know that.
ANDREA (she is clearly not convinced): How would you know?
MRS. BUXLEY: I took care of her when she was a child.
ANDREA (caustically): A lot of good it does now.
MRS. BUXLEY: Not quite, Andrea.
ANDREA (suspiciously): What do you mean? Have you brought a psychiatrist?
MARIE: Yes, we did. We cannot lie to you on this one.
ANDREA (she is convinced of their good will): Well, I will daresay, you are at least honest. And honesty like that cannot go unrewarded. Bring the psychiatrist in, but be warned! I will watch, and I will make sure Margaret is protected.
(Andrea goes back in, and Maggie appears again.)
MAGGIE: What happened.
MARIE: More alters, my dear.
MAGGIE: Do I need help?
(Enter: Aja)
AJA: You won't need hospitalization, Maggie, if that is what you are worried about. You won't need hospitalization, that I assure you. I can work with you right here. With people you are familiar with. I will speak to all your alters, and get to know them.
(Maggie shifts and out comes Meg.)
MEG: Well, well, so, you're the shrink? Good! About time we get some action to help protect Maggie. And the plus is you're a female. Someone who can reach Maggie at her level.
AJA: Yes, that is our aim. So, you must be Meg.
MEG: Yep, my name is Meg. Glad to meet ya, Doc. You're the one who is gonna help her?
AJA: I will certainly try.
(Inside Maggie's brain, a struggle ensues between Meg and Andrea.)
ANDREA: You ridiculous little tart! Let me handle it!
MEG: Lay off her, you old bat!
ANDREA: I am protecting Margaret!
MEG: No, you're not! You don't care about her, lady! All you want to do is to control her, just like you control all of us!
ANDREA: Lest you forget, I am the gatekeeper. Margaret is needing protection, and you know that.
MEG: And you think I cannot protect her?! Maybe my methods aren't the same as yours, lady, but I will not let her be hurt. I am protecting her, just the same.
ANDREA: And you think I won't let her be hurt?! You ought to know this, Meg. Margaret is very dear to me. If it wasn't for her, none of us would be here at all!
MEG (angrily): And THERE you have it! Were it not for Maggie, none of would be here, even you, you old bat!
ANDREA: I will forget that insult towards me, Meg, But it is Aurelius that needs to be protected too. She was traumatized.
MEG (Sarcastically): No kidding! She's a four year old! Of course she needs protection! You think I don't know that?!
(ANOTHER alter comes, this one is a quiet teenage boy.)
ALTER #4 (quietly): Squabbling again, are you? You know, this gets tiresome! Come on, just pack it in! You two are always at it. Aurelius is crying again.
ANDREA: I am sorry, Jason. Meg doesn't seem to know her place.
(Meg fumes as she glares at Andrea, cursing under her breath)
JASON: It's not me you have to worry about. It's Maggie we have to take care of.
MEG (her anger subsiding): You're right, kiddo. It's our Maggie we have to be concerned for.
ANDREA: So let me do my work.
JASON: All right, Andrea.
(Andrea glares at Meg.)
MEG: Oh, all right! Whatever! Go for it, you old battleax. Just don't manipulate things the way you always do!
ANDREA: I cannot promise that, Meg, but I will try.
MEG (shooting a glare): That is all I ask. You warned them that you will be watching them, well, Andrea, I will be watching YOU!
ANDREA (dismissively): As you wish, so be it.
MEG (in a snarky tone): Don't be such an old fogey, Andie. We're all in this boat together.
ANDREA: I said, don't ever call me "Andie"! I hate that name.
MEG: I forgot! Hell, you always call Maggie, Margaret! She's not a Victorian princess!
ANDREA: Margaret is her name!
MEG: But she has been called Maggie all her life.
ANDREA: We'll discuss that later. Right now, I have work to do.
JASON: Please, Meg. Let her work.
MEG (relenting): All right, Jaybo. I'll lay off her. But I am only doin' this because you asked me to.
(Enter Alessandra Warren. What we did not know about her was that she is a certified hypnotherapist. She comes at Aja's request.)
ANDREA: What are you doing here, miss?
ALESSANDRA: I am here to help.
ANDREA: What do you do?
ALESSANDRA: I am a hypnotherapist. I am quite certified.
ANDREA: I see.
ALESSANDRA: I am here to help Aja.
ANDREA: Very well, then. Do as you must. But, as I have warned Dr. Dorrance, so shall I warn you. I will be watching, and no harming Margaret! I do not want her traumatized for ANY reason! She has had enough trauma in her life.
ALESSANDRA: No harm will come to any of you. And especially not Maggie.
ANDREA (convinced): All right then. As long as we are in agreement on that point. Margaret should not be hurt. Hypnotism will not be hurtful by any means, from what I know.
ALESSANDRA: That's right. All it is, is a very deep sleep. And Andrea, with you being the gatekeeper, you certainly need rest.
ANDREA (she is very tired): I confess you are right, Ms. Warren. All right then, as you will. I certainly can use the rest.
ALESSANDRA: Thank you.
(She touches Maggie's forehead, and she instantly drops off to sleep.)
MRS. BUXLEY: What happened?
ALESSANDRA: Something I learned. I am a certified hypnotherapist. I want to pull my way in the world, and so I work.
MARIE: Good. Maybe this will help out.
ALESSANDRA: What I need right now is silence. Aja and I are going to try to integrate all of the personalities into Maggie's main psyche.
AJA: I hope it works.
ALESSANDRA: Me too. I don't want to hurt anyone. I refuse to see someone hurt her.
(Marie and Mrs. Buxley watch while Alessandra and Aja talk to Maggie's alters.)
AJA: Andrea, before you rest, I must ask. Why have you always called her Margaret.
ANDREA: It is her name. Why was she called Maggie?
ALESSANDRA: Her mother named her that.
ANDREA (quietly): Her mother. Her late mother, how she misses her so.
AJA: Everyone does.
JASON (quietly): She cries and thinks that nobody sees her. I am the one who comforts her and calms her down.
AJA: That is the way it is, Jason. It's her way of grieving.
MEG: She really misses her Mama?
ALESSANDRA: Yes, she does. Where's Aurelius? I have a bear for her.
(Along comes little Aurelius. She quietly takes the bear that Aja has for her and goes to sleep in her little bed.)
AJA: Now, I can deal with you individually. I will not destroy you, any of you.
JASON: I have no doubt that you won't hurt us.
MEG: Me too. This is for our Maggie, right?
AJA: Right.
ANDREA: I still have my reservations. How can she heal from this?
ALESSANDRA: She will heal. She has people around her who adore her. She has a large family who will be with her every step of the way in this recovery. And Aja and I will help her.
ANDREA (she is impressed): All right, Ms. Warren. The only thing I am concerned about is Margaret's well being.
AJA: Why can't you call her Maggie?
ANDREA: It would be like calling a person named Andrew, Andy. You see, Dr. Dorrance, Margaret is her name, I know everyone calls her Maggie, and I have no issue with it, I really do not. But that doesn't mean I have to call her Maggie. I call her Margaret because I feel it is a very beautiful name. Why everyone shortens names anymore is beyond me.
MEG: I don't mind people calling me Meg.
ANDREA: That is you, all over, Meg.
(Meg glowers at Andrea. Aja steps in.)
AJA: Meg, she means well.
MEG: That is cool, I just rebel against her.
ALESSANDRA: Why?
MEG: She is so strict!
AJA: Have you ever thought that she was maybe thinking of your best interests?
MEG (subdued): No, I never thought of it that way. It's not easy to be a teenager. I always thought she was a battleax who was always driving me crazy. She is too much like a mother.
ANDREA: What you need to see, Meg, is that I am the mother of everyone here, and it is my job to protect Marg......that is, Maggie.
MEG (impressed): Hey, did ya just hear yourself? Even you called her Maggie! Wow! there is hope for you after all!
ANDREA (she allows herself a smile): Yes, that means something. All right, my dear ladies, I am ready to be integrated. As long as it is understood that she is taken care of as she deserves and needs to be. For in reality, she is still a teenager of fifteen years old and needs to be loved.
AJA: And she will be, Andrea. I assure you of that.
ALESSANDRA: Ready for integration?
JASON: Yes, ma'am, I am.
MEG: You betcha I am ready! As I ever will be.
ANDREA: Yes, I'm all set for this.
(Aurelius, in her bed, waves bye-bye, and everyone shimmers and fades. They all merge into Maggie's main psyche.)
AJA: I think she will be all right now.
(Maggie stirs.)
MAGGIE: What has happened?
ALESSANDRA: You are fine. In fact, I have some letters for you.
MAGGIE: From Meg; Andrea and Jason. Who are they?
AJA: Your alters.
MAGGIE (reading Andrea's letter): My dearest Margaret, I am a part of you; my name is Andrea. I took my name from your Mother's birth name, Anderson. I only want to know what is best for you. Wherever you are, I will always be with you, like your mother will always be in your heart. With all my love, Andrea.
AJA: Here's Meg's.
MAGGIE: Heya, Maggie. This is Meg, here. I am the more fun-loving one of our little bunch. I hope you can let your hair down sometimes. I am always gonna be there for you, hon. Love ya, honey, Your BFF, Meg.
ALESSANDRA: They are to the point.
AJA: Here's Jason.
MAGGIE: Hi there, Maggie. My name is Jason, and I am the more introspective of all of us. I want you to know I am there when you need to be quiet, you know, when you need to be into thought. And I am always going to be on your side. You will always have me in your corner, just like Meg will be too. Always your friend, Jason.
ALESSANDRA: They are all integrated, Maggie. No worries.
MAGGIE: Thank you, all of you. And I think I know what to do with the baby when it is born.
ALESSANDRA: What's that?
MAGGIE: I think I will do my best to raise the child. I have to do my bit. The father was a cretin, and he will face his dues; but I will not see the child suffer for it.
AJA: Very wise decision, my girl.
ALESSANDRA: And you will have my help. Always.
MRS. BUXLEY: Me too. And your father will help.
(Enter Craig.)
CRAIG: That is right, my girl.
(Maggie's eyes fill with tears, but this time it's more of happiness. She realizes that she is loved.)
MAGGIE: Thank you.
(The scene fades)