Author's note

I have not posted for a while because I've been too busy cleaning and fixing my property up for the last two weeks so the Department of Children and Family's will deem our place safe enough for my Roommate's 18 year old Brother to come live with us. Like me he is slightly Autistic but with a very high IQ and is in perfect touch with reality. Like me he has no defects other than he can't read or respond to facial expressions. Oh yes, unlike me he is mute because of a crushed larynx but that is a mechanical defect not a mental defect. But unless my farm is "monked" to make it safe enough for him as if he were a demented 8 year old they will not allow him to come live with us! They locked him up for over a month in a mental hospital for no other reason than because his mother died when his adult sister happened to be out of town and and he was only 17 at the time. When he turned 18 he should have been as emancipated as any other in-his-right-mind, of normal IQ 18 year old would be. But no! Because he is mute and cannot read or respond to facial expressions and is thus "different" they were treating him as Dr Greeley wanted to treat Cupid 1998 in First Loves! (Keep this gentle, intelligent, harmless, homesick, misses his family and highly competent Person locked up at great expense for his own and everyone else's "safety." :( (Check out that episode on You tube). Yes, this sort of thing really does happen in real life! So I'm too tired for any more Author's notes tonight. Go read some of my others! :P

Cupid and Livy Paint the Town Pink

Milton asked his best Therapist. "Claire are you going to the conference in Hawaii? I know it's just a major drug ad, but hey! It's a free Hawaiian vacation! You could comfort yourself with the thought you wouldn't be prescribing their meds much so you would be so to speak harming them a little by you making them pay for a week long recreational break from Sachs-Gordon."

Claire sighed, "Milton you know I'm not completely anti-medication. They have their place. Much mental illness often really is a case of the spirit being willing but the flesh being weak. I'm just against the overuse of them. That's all. They can and should be used to help the Patients control themselves and feel better, not used to chemically straitjacket them to the point the Staff finds them easier to handle! Because a little rebellion and mischievous can indicate a Patient is getting better or at least is trying to!"

Milton shrugged. He knew Claire's viewpoint and he didn't feel like arguing with her about it at that moment. He was more interested in trying to get his visibly tired and half burned out, best Therapist to rest and recreate for a week.

Claire sighed, "Milton you know my reason for not going!"

Milton cocked his head, "What, Claire?"

"Milton! Duh! I'm legally chained to Trevor by the hospital board's requirement I write a weekly report on him. So the only vacation I've been on in five years I had to take him with me, not that he minded. I know he'd love to go to Hawaii too. Who wouldn't? But I also know Trevor has to work this week. It's his Boss's, Great Aunt's, ninetieth birthday celebration and Felix already plans to leave Trevor in charge of the bar. So he will be managing it!" Claire gave her boss a smug smile. "Pretty good for a Patient so out of touch with reality he is still convinced after five years of therapy he's a Greco-Roman god!"

Then she frowned, "But that means I can't go to Hawaii. " But then she grinned again. "Unless I take him up on his offer to write his own psychiatric reports! He could! He could even do a great job! I am betting you wouldn't even be able to tell the difference!" Claire laughed. "He knows exactly how we think. He has no insight, but he knows exactly how we think. He just doesn't believe it. But he knows all our psychobabble and how to use it accurately. He can describe himself in psychiatric terms perfectly! I know this because I've heard him do it several times. We'll be in public and he'll make some Olympian comment and be overheard and when eyebrows go up or he's questioned he responds with, 'Do you want my viewpoint or my beautiful Lady Psychiatrist's?' Either one they pick, or both, they get an ear-full!"

Milton laughed, "I bet they do! You ought to ask him to at least help you write them! I know he offered to when we first released him."

Claire gave her boss a Mona Liza grin, "I get so tired of writing them so I do and he does! No one has noticed!"

Dr Greeley's eyes widened!

She said quickly, "Oh I supervise what he writes. And I never let him write the whole thing. But he has written major parts of lots of them especially in the last two years! And it is very true no one even noticed the difference! He's harder on himself than I am. But as I said, to him it's a lark. He doesn't believe a word of it. He told me once he ought to go into writing Science Fiction because this little weekly assignment is giving him so much practice!"

Milton laughed. "For the amusement of it let him write the whole darn thing this week. I know he's doing it so it's not like you will be being dishonest. Do go, Claire!"

Claire's face brightened. "You are letting me off from the required Trevor report for a whole week!?"

Milton sighed. "I just ball and chained you with that because I was resentful of our difference in opinion about the use of psyche meds. I see nothing wrong with rendering a dangerous or difficult Patient harmless with the proper use of high doses of medication. It is better than one of them harming the staff! But with Trevor your result speaks for itself! I don't think anyone else could have done what you did, Claire. You've done wonders with your 'god from Olympus!' You've got him so functional he's management material! That's amazing considering what he was! I really never thought he'd get off the harmless ward!"

Claire sighed, "Milton he's always been highly functional. He just lied his way out of the hospital and you know it. The fact he could fool us all speaks tons about his competency level right from the beginning. I just helped him with his homesickness. That's all. I told him where all the best Greek and Italian restaurants were in town. I was his welcome wagon not his Shrink! Tripple A could have helped him about as much if the Lady behind the counter was pretty! His counseling sessions are fun for both of us but he isn't getting any better because he knows how to play me like a violin! About all I do for him as a Therapist is over here! I use my professional skills on you and Dr. Freschette and Charles to keep you persuaded not to recommit him! He's still as rock solid certain he's off that Mountain in Greece as he was the day Isaac first brought him to me in your office. But its mostly his memories that are delusional, Milton. What he is got hardly even counts as a psychosis because he copes with day to day reality just fine. He always could. I didn't do anything for him."

Dr Milton Greeley shook his head, "He thinks the gods are watching him, Claire. That's pretty paranoid psychotic!"

Claire said thoughtfully. "Is it Milton? You believe at least sometimes that God, the Big G God is watching you and you confessed to me you wish your faith were stronger! Is that any different?"

Dr Greeley protested, "I don't think I'm God's child. Oh! Never mind!" His face reddened. "Of course we Christians are supposed to think we are God's children!"

Claire laughed, "Touche! And he only hopes his family is watching him. Unlike the Big God (who he also believes in by the way) his gods only have selective omnipresence not total omnipresence. They can watch any thing they want to anywhere but not everything at once. So at any one moment his family may be watching him, or not. He insists he has no way to know. I believe him. He's been honest about the rest of his delusions, so why not that? But his belief they are, his hope, is not psychotic paranoia because he wants them to! It is psychotic self soothing at worst. A new term I just had to make up but what else can I do with a Patient who has come up with a brand new way to be crazy? Or it's just religious beliefs like most of the rest of us have. Because his firm conviction he's a god it isn't hurting him any, Milton, except once in a while it causes him social difficulty. But he gains Friends and Acquaintances due to his belief he's a little g god more than it causes him to lose them. I know it brings in business for the bar! He does You tube videos openly proclaiming himself to be Cupid and People come into the bar to meet 'Cupid' and he does not disappoint them. He's become Tres Equis's advertizing icon and he milks that for all it's worth! It brings in the business and he dotes on the attention."

Dr. Greeley asked, "Do they realize he really means it?"

Claire shrugged, "If they become Regulars and many do, they start to suspect it and eventually figure out that 'yes he does." Or the other Regulars spill the beans. That throws some of them for a loop but few quit coming. By then Trevor has worked the magic he really does have; his charm. And the fact he's a genuine Lunatic only adds to his mystique!" Claire grinned. But some suspect he really is Cupid!"

Dr. Greeley looked at Claire. Dr Greeley stared thoughtfully at Claire. "You do need a vacation! If I didn't know any better I'd think you were in love with him!"

Claire laughed nervously, "Of course not! He's an interesting case, that's all. And my book about him is going to be a best seller, when I finally do get him cured so it has an ending!" She frowned, "It's taking a whole lot longer than I'd thought it would!"

Dr. Greeley nodded. But it was then he KNEW! He couldn't blame her! She had no one else. It seemed all the Men in her life came and went like fools except for this one delusional Patient who tried to stick to her like glue! He had more sanity in that area than her so called "normal" Beaus because really nothing physical was keeping her Patient from simply taking off one day and ending his psychiatric treatment with his feet headed West or South. But he was sticking around for some reason and putting up with the monthly blood tests which he absolutely detested which he was legally required to submit to as a court ordered member of New York's, Psychiatric Outpatient Commitment Program despite his being on no medication and never showing a single sign of substance abuse. And it was definitely not because he had any insight he needed treatment. So! What would come of that? It was hard to say! Claire deserved some happiness and it was obvious Trevor made her happy. But it was a risky relationship! What if Trevor's mental state deteriorated? Or what if he got BETTER? Would she be in love with the original Persona or was her attraction to him strictly the mystique of, "who was he, really?" And even the ridiculous but not completely discountable, "was there any chance he really was a god?

It was good she was going out of town for a week! And Trevor could have fun writing his own report! Dr. Greeley smiled a little at the thought! He'd keep quiet and see if the rest of the hospital board even noticed the difference!

Claire walked into the bar. "Claire Bear!" Trevor crowed. "Long time no see!"

She laughed, "You saw me at lunch time. I have a favor to ask of you. And I have a happy announcement!"

Trevor stared at her. "Please tell me you aren't getting married to someone I never heard of! Give it a few more years for you to warm up to the idea of marrying a "Lunatic" and that will be my job!"

Claire sighed. "You definitely are delusional! But no. I'm not getting married. I don't even have a Boyfriend, Trevor!"

Trevor gave her a love-besotted grin, "You have moi!"

Claire shook her head and frowned, "You are my Patient! And maybe we are getting too close, so this will be good for the both of us."

Trevor's face fell, "You are leaving!"

Claire nodded, "Yes, but its only for a week! I get to go to Hawaii! I get to go to Hawaii!" She started Snoopy dancing around the bar much to Trevor's delight at her uncharacteristically uninhibited behavior."

He laughed, "So who writes the darn reports?"

She laughed. "You do just as you've always wanted to! Dr Greeley wants to play a trick on the rest of the hospital board and see if they even notice a difference!"

Felix overheard. He started laughing too. So did Charley Wilcox and several of the other Regulars. "Trevor we'll help you write them!' Charley promised.

Trevor grinned ruefully, "I don't know about that! I could end up looking like an ax murderer!'

Charley's eyes twinkled, "Oh we guarantee that!"

Trevor frowned, "Hey folks I want to stay on this side of the street!"

Felix asked, "You said you had a request of Trevor?"

Claire said, "Oh thanks, Felix. I almost forgot!" She gave Trevor a sweet smile, "Trevor while I am gone would you keep my Mother out of trouble?"

That evening when Dr Claire McCrae went back to her apartment she called her Mother with the happy news, "Guess what Mom I get to go to Hawaii for a whole week!"

"Oh my dear that is wonderful! Are you taking that handsome boyfriend of yours?"

Claire sighed, "Mother now you and I have been over this. I even had Trevor sign a release so I could keep reminding you of it. Trevor is my patient not my boyfriend. I see him professionally because he needs constant guidance and supervision because his grasp of reality is a tad shaky. Which brings up something." Claire got a smug and mischievous grin on her face but of course on the other end of the phone Livy McCrae could not see that. Claire crossed her fingers. If this worked she would be killing two Dinosaurs with one boulder and could go off to Hawaii feeling a lot less anxious. "Mom I need someone to sort of keep an eye on Trevor. He certainly isn't dangerous or I would definitely not be asking this but he is a very eccentric and unpredictable. Without a little guidance he could get himself in trouble. So if you would be willing to spend some major time with him and keep an eye on him this week I could go off to Hawaii feeling a lot less anxious." That last statement certainly was the truth! Then Claire held her breath as well as crossing her fingers.

Livy said, "spend a lot of time with that handsome, charming, intelligent and mysterious man? Oh Claire I would just love to! He really is Love you know! My heart senses it. He isn't as nuts as you think he is! What we are seeing is not the real him. There is Someone else inside."

Claire shuttered. "Well maybe you can coax the real Someone out. I have had no success after five years. Wouldn't it be ironic if she did?"

Livy shook her head,"I didn't mean it that way. I mean there is a real god inside of the Human body."

Claire sighed and gazed at the ceiling imploring Whoever really was in charge to sane up her Mother! "Well, Mom I don't need you to encourage him. Just keep him out of trouble!"

Livy tut tutted, "Don't worry dear. You know how sensible and down to Earth I am. I will be a pillar of stability and he will learn from my example!"

Ironically more the other way around if at all. Thought Claire to herself. Out loud she said, "Yes! That's exactly how I want you to be with him, stable, sensible. I don't want to come home to any surprises!'

Livy passed her hand across her chest, "Cross my heart and hope to die! Then she spit on her hands, rubbed them together and splashed spittle at the phone.

On the other end Claire had a pretty good idea of what her Mother had just done because she had been at the business end of such wet promises, which her Mother broke as easily as water dried. She shuttered. They were certainly safer together than apart but even so she was taking a risk! But she said into the phone. "Thanks Mom! I knew I could count on you. My plane leaves at noon tomorrow. I have to go pack!"

The next evening after Claire had left for the Islands of Aloha which Cupid insisted was still another name for him, Livy and Cupid had lunch together overlooking the scenic vista of Mortal Humanity's biggest and most amazing Metropolis.

Cupid gazed at that, "Amazing view, Livy! It is if you Mortals ripped the stars from the velvet sky with your bare and fleshly hands and bound them to the dark Earth!"

There were stars in Livy's eyes too, "Oh Cupid! How beautiful!"

The god of love smiled, "Don't let Dr Grumpy hear you actually call me by one of my real names!"

Livy laughed, "And don't let my Daughter here you call her. Dr. Grumpy though is it ever true! Especially lately!"

Cupid nodded, then frowned, "Livy she needed this vacation!"

Livy nodded and swallowed, "Yes she does Poor Baby. She needs more than that though, Cupid, when are you going to marry her?"

Cupid shrugged, "I would be giving up my godhood to do so before I get a hundred couples matched. But for her I would do it. So, when SHE is ready, future Mother In Law!"

They smiled at one another and reached out both their hands and high fived.

Cupid smiled wisely and got a look in his eyes that Livy could not quite read but it seemed gentle and wise and ancient. "I am three thousand and five years old now. Unlike a Mortal Man I can be ever so patient. She will come around, eventually."

Livy nodded. Then as they ate a pizza together and sipped wine and admired the amazing view Claire's Mom was delighted to hear tales of many of Cupid's adventures both on and off Olympus. "He thinks he's Don Quixote? Oh Trevor that's as good as what you've got! I am beginning to see why my Daughter became a Shrink. You meet the most interesting and lovely People!"

Trevor grinned, "you think I'm crazy too and yet your Daughter trusted me to keep you out of trouble!

Livy McCrae laughed her musically pleasant laugh. "Did Claire tell you that? She told me I was supposed to keep you out of trouble!

At that Cupid laughed. He belly laughed and his eyes twinkled. He ended up having to wipe laughter tears out of his eyes. "Now that we know her little secret there are only two ways to handle it. Either we get in lots of trouble or better yet we do just the opposite. We team up to do something so utterly wonderful she's flabbergasted and ashamed of herself for her harmless little duplicity!"

Liv McCrae rubbed her hands together. "I like number two."

Cupid grinned, "I knew you would! Great minds think alike! Let's put our two supposedly crazy but really just colorful minds together and see what mental music we can make, thinking in two part harmony!"

Claire came back from her vacation to find the very long wall along 26th street had been painted with a mural of Trees, Flowers, white clouds, a smiling Sun, Bluebirds, Doves and Grass. As she drove along That's nice, she thought. Those gang tags were so ugly. It's obviously done by Amateurs. It's not professional level artwork but it's much nicer than what was there! Must have been Cub Scouts or something.

She walked into the door of her apartment and her nose twitched. She smelled paint and heard her Mother and her favorite problem Patient giggling together. Well she had told them to watch each other!

She walked into the kitchen and there they were completely covered in the exact same shades of paint as the mural! It was obvious they not only hadn't tried to keep paint free, they'd deliberately worked at covering themselves as thoroughly as possible!

But not a speck was on the carpet or the furniture because Trevor had the foresight to cover everything first with newspapers and ripped up plastic garbage bags.

"OK! Explain!" She commanded.

Trevor's eyes twinkled as he gave his cutely-angry Shrink a cheery explanation , "We compared notes and found out you told each one of us to keep the other out of trouble! That called for benevolent retaliation of the gods! I persuaded the neighborhood Cop to ignore the fact we were painting a public wall without a permit."

Claire was amazed and puzzled. "But how did even you finish it this quickly? I was only gone a week!"

Her clever Patient grinned, "Remember how Tom Sawyer got his neighborhood Irregulars to help him whitewash his Aunt Polly's fence?"

"Yes."

Trevor and Mama were grinning twin grins and obviously her Mother was under 'Cupid's' gentle 'mojo.' They said together, "That still works!"