Broken Wings and Lost Souls — Sarah Ruth Scott

This is the continuing story of Ruth Ashley, a psychiatric nurse working on a mental health unit, experiencing trauma at work and in her private life as she comes to terms with her own sexuality as a lesbian and faces the loss of so many friends. But her biggest loss was her Mother Diane and her girlfriend, Pamela. But Ruth still had Kathy, a close friend and work colleague who supported her; she would always guide her onto a straight path. But what would Ruth face next after almost being killed by Malcolm, her ex-boyfriend? And after his death, Ruth faced an avenging brother named Frank.

She was persuaded by Raven, a schizophrenic woman who believed Ruth was satanic and had to die, but Raven killed Ruths mother, Diane. On her deathbed, she announced that she was not Ruths mother and explained that Pamelas mother was her real mother, and that made Pamela her half sister. Ruth pieced together her life and even began to understand the term cracked porcelain, which Pamela quoted to her when they were together. It was about abuse, and although it was about Pamela and her modeling career as a child, it could also point toward anyone who was abused. Cracked porcelain was a term used by Pamelas mother, Sarah, who considered Pamela as beautiful as newly made porcelain, unblemished and pure, but then when she was abused as a child, she became cracked porcelain.

Ruth thought about her abuse over and over, facing the horror in her sleep with nightmares and then awake with reminders such as smells and the sight of disgusting, perverted old men. Seeing or meeting people who resembled her abuser and the smell of his sweaty body and aftershave that lingered on her clothes. But Ruth had to carry on with her life. Despite such memories and losses, her concern was for her sister, Claire, who was also abused, and for her girlfriend, Cheryl, and of course her faithful friend and colleague, Kathy. Ruth was also keen to help her patients on the mental health unit, supporting their needs. These were her people with broken wings and lost souls.