"Your Mum sent you again?" He enquired, his midnight blue eyes twinkling with amusement.
"No… not this time," She managed to choke out through her sandpaper throat.
"Look, I know we usually avoid talking about your …" He hesitated, searching for the right words, delivering them gently, "episodes… now you need to think about why it is you came to me and feel free to tell me whatever you are comfortable with."
She ignored him for now, her eyes locking not so much on the little green notebook in front of him but more so the only words on the page.
Maysilee Donner. - Severe Juvenile Bipolar Disorder
Maysilee squeezed her green eyes shut, trying to focus on remaining composed and breathing deeply, the scent of coffee calming her, as the cool breeze of the late afternoon air wafted in through the window. She pinched the stiff fabric of the armchair between her fingertips and for the first time she opened herself up to someone and told them everything.
"He didn't mean to, Mum wasn't home, he snapped and then my sister…"
"Slow down, start from the beginning and try to remember everything for me."
Maysilee had just woken up, in a fit of screaming, sweating and heavy breathing. She couldn't remember what had materialised in her unconscious but whatever it was had shaken her to the core. She crawled out of bed in a mess of sheets and teddy bears and fumbled down the hall in the dark, tears streaming down her face, searching for the comfort only her Mum or Winnow, her sister could provide. She had swung open the door to her parent's room before she remembered. Her Mother wasn't here; she had left to her friend's place for the week to have a break from looking after Maysilee, the doctors recommended it. The door had crashed against the wall as she backed away from figure of her Dad rising from the mattress, awakened from the noise. She spun around and ran back to her room crashing and banging down the barely lit hall. She climbed shakily down into that space between her desk and the wall, her hiding place, before he could reach her. All of a sudden he was outside her door, about to make all matters worse and then she heard the stern voice of her sister protecting her again. He had started yelling at Winnow to move out of the way, but she didn't. Hanna had pulled her legs up to her chest and clamped her hands over her ears, trying to dodge the poisonous words he spat out.
"She's messed up in the head." He screamed, the house seeming to quiver with fear along with her. Her father's voice was rising with every word he said and then she heard it, there in that room she heard the tiniest of sounds that changed her life forever. She heard the words she had been longing to hear, that gave her the courage to try to control her problem, not sulk in the corner. Her sister's retort was soft but delivered with confidence and control.
"No. She's not."
There was silence, the counsellor thinking about what to say next, he heaved a deep breath.
"Hanna, I'm sorry, maybe I can…"
"Why are you apologising to me? Today I found out something very important…"
"And what is that?"
"After Winnow said that to him, I heard him crying." She looked up, her eyes wet with tears.
"I found out that he cares."