The year is 1988. The hospital is big and boring. All the walls are painted bright white, with a blue stripe going all the way around. The tile floor is cold and hard, something you wouldn't want to fall on. We walked to what my mom called the "pediatric ward". "Don't be scared," Gerard said. "It's time for your MRI, Mikey," Cathy said, checking off something. My eyes began to feel heavy... I looked around the room. My dad was holding my mom, who was sobbing softly. Three weeks later, we went back to the neurologist. He said that they found something on the scan. Did they see Adrian? "Mr. and Mrs. Way, by the looks of your son's scan, he appears to have schizophrenia." After a few more questions, Dr. Goodman left the room and my mom began to cry again.
My name is Michael James Way. Most people call me Mikey. I am eight years old and in the second grade. I have an older brother Gerard, who is eleven. My best friend is Frankie, he is a year younger than me, but we are in the same grade. I also have another best friend, his name is Adrian. I'm the only one who can see him. He sits right next to me at lunch, but nobody knows he is there. My brother's friend and my friend Ray sits across from him, Frankie sits on my right side, and Gerard sits across from me. They think I'm "weird" when I talk about Adrian, but I know in my heart he's real. I have a doctor's appointment after school. They are going to talk to me about Adrian and put me in a machine that scans my brain. I hadn't eaten anything all day, Mom told me it was because they were going to put me to sleep.
"I'm not!" I replied, shifting in the hospital bed.
"Then why are you shaking?" my dad asked.
"I'm...cold," I said. Gerard leaned over and gave me a hug.
"Good luck," he whispered.
"Thanks," I said.
A nurse came in with a clipboard.
"Hi Mikey!" she exclaimed.
"Hi!" I responded.
"I'm Ashley. I'm here to ask you a few questions. Are you okay with that, sweetie?"
"Yeah." Ashley pulled up a chair to the end of the bed
"How are you, Mikey? Have you been feeling well?"
"Yes."
"Do you currently take any medication?"
"Just some lithium pills."
"How many?"
"Two, during breakfast."
"What effect do they have on you?"
"It stops Adrian from showing up. Same with Sandy and Rudolph. The doctor told me they would help. Since 'eight, almost nine, year olds should be growing out of the imaginary friend stage'."
"You weren't supposed to hear that!" my mom spoke up.
"I did," I said. It didn't bother me. Everyone else let their "friends" go, but mine were still there.
"Who are your friends?" the nurse asked.
"Frankie is my best friend. I tell him everything. Everyone can see him."
"What about Adrian, Sandy, and Rudolph?"
"Adrian is smart. He helps me remember my multiplication. Sandy is a dog, just like the one in the musical Annie. He lets me pet him at night. Rudolph is from Germany, he dresses funny. He talks funny, too. Nobody can see them except me."
"They all sound like wonderful people!"
"They sure are."
"Do you have any bad habits?"
I began to stutter. I didn't like to talk about it. "I, um, when I get anxious, and when the bad voices come, I smack my head. Hard. It hurts."
"What kinds of bad voices?"
"The voices that tell me that no one loves me. The voices that tell me I'm all alone. The voices that tell me I'll be stuck like this forever."
"Those are all thoughts that a little boy like you shouldn't have to have. I'm sorry, dear".
"It's okay, I guess".
"Any other things I should know?"
"No."
"Okay. It was nice talking to you, sweetheart. I'll go get Cathy. She'll be putting you to sleep".
"Okay," I responded.
"We need to put you to sleep, if you didn't know that already," Cathy said with a smile. She brought in the tray with the needle on it.
"I'm not worried about it. My mom told me everything I need to know." Needles don't even bother me.
"Do you want me to hold your hand?" Gerard asked.
"If you want to," I said. Gerard smiled and I smiled back.
"Are you ready, Mikey?"
"Yeah".
The nurse put the needle in my arm. It stung a little and made my eyes water.
Blackness...
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"Oh Mikey," Mom hugged me.
"Is something wrong?"
"We don't know yet. I was just so nervous about my baby boy," she said, wiping her tears away.
My mom put her head in her hands and began to cry.
"It also appears to be increasing with age. Does that make sense to you?"
"A little bit," my dad said, "When he was five, he had one imaginary friend. He could tell the difference between what was real and what wasn't. Now, Adrian and the others are real to him. There is no distinction."
"I see," Dr. Goodman said, scribbling on his clipboard, "Do you see this red area here, Michael?"
I nodded my head.
"That is the area that is affected. We, meaning the medical community, are still not certain what causes schizophrenia. It is usually genetic. Does anyone in your family have schizophrenia?"
"Nobody, Dr. Goodman." my mom replied, wiping her tears with a tissue.
"It's going to be okay, Mikey," she said, holding me and stroking my hair, "It's all going to be okay."
My mom was more emotional than I was.
"It's just another special thing about me," I responded with a smile.
Gerard wrapped his arms around me.
"You're so strong. I want to be like you when I grow up," he said.
That made me feel good inside. Especially since the voices told me that Gerard didn't love me. My mom wiped her tears away and put her head on my dad's shoulder.
"I don't feel like cooking. Let's just go out tonight," she laughed. I was grateful to have such a caring family. I'm not quite sure what exactly "schizophrenia" is, but I know with my family's love, I can pull through anything.
