The next day, Nick and Sara took Bailey to the doctor like they had promised. They were currently sitting in the examination room, waiting for him to come in. Before coming, a questionnaire was sent out to her teacher about her behavior during class, and Nick and Sara both filled one out about her behavior at home.
Nick and Sara suspected that Bailey thought the medication she would be given would be some magic pill that would stop her from being bad at all. She'd talked at length about the monster in her body that made her do bad things, and constantly used ADHD as an excuse for her bad behavior. They hoped the meeting with the doctor would quickly put away any misconceptions about what her medication would do.
Bailey sat between her parents, swinging her feet in a steady rhythm, unable to sit still as usual. She was so excited to finally get to see the doctor, to have him fix whatever was wrong with her inside.
The doctor came in moments later, with a stack of paperwork in his hands.
"Good afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Stokes. Bailey." He greeted them. Bailey immediately sat up and stopped swinging her feet. Funny how she was perfectly well-behaved for certain people.
Nick shook the doctor's hand as he sat down in his standard swivel chair that Bailey loved to play around on.
"Before we begin, I'd just like to check to ask some questions about Bailey's recent behavior. You sent in your questionnaires, I see. Any changes?" He asked, flipping through the documents.
Bailey looked up at her parents questioningly. She didn't know what they'd written about her – probably that she was an awful kid most of the time. Nick and Sara exchanged looks.
"No, it's been consistent with what we answered in the questionnaire." Nick answered for both of them. That would be, she has a short attention span, is easily distracted, has trouble sitting still for extended amounts of time, and loses and forgets things easily.
"Alright." The doctor began. "Well, the results that were produced from your questionnaires and the teacher's were consistent with a child who has ADHD, so I think it would be in the best interest of Bailey to try some medication out, and see how that effects her quality of life." He informed them, scribbling down some notes on a piece of paper.
"Bailey," He turned to her, and she immediately perked up again and acted attentive. "The trouble you've been having concentrating, sitting still, and forgetting things easily – those are all things that can be helped by this mediation I'm going to give you. It's called Ritalin. But I also need to talk to you about what it won't fix." He told her, looking serious.
On the phone, Sara had talked to him about how Bailey thought this would fix everything, almost to the point of having no free will.
"You know people who where glasses?" He started, looking right at Bailey, who stared straight back at him. "Well, the glasses help only a certain part of your body, right? What part do they help?"
"Your eyes. They help you see better." She answered softly.
"That's right. So, your medication will help you control some of your behaviors, but that doesn't mean you're not still in control of your own behavior. You'll still need to make good decisions about what you choose to do. Like, if your parents tell you to go do your homework, you can still choose to do it or not. The Ritalin is not going to automatically make you do the right thing." He tried to explain, hoping it made sense. "Do you understand, Bailey?"
"Yes, sir." She answered politely, giving her head a nod. Nick smiled and gently stroked the back of her head in support. They all hoped that this medication would work, and a normal, well-behaved little girl would emerge – the one they had always known was there.
"Good. I'm going to start Bailey on a dosage of 15 milligrams of Ritalin, and that will need to be taken every 4-5 hours." He scribbled the medication on his prescription paper. "The medication works within fifteen minutes, so if she takes it right when she gets up, that will be plenty of time to work before she gets to school. Another dosage before lunch generally works well, and then late afternoon again."
He ripped the slip off and handed it to Sara.
"We'll do a follow-up visit in about a month. Do you have any questions for me?" He looked between Nick and Sara.
"Any side effects to look for?" Sara asked immediately.
"You may notice a slight loss of appetite or mild sleep disturbance, but all side effects are generally minimal." The doctor explained. "Ritalin's known to be a very safe, dependable medication. But do call me if you notice anything too severe."
Nick and Sara both thanked the doctor and proceeded to the front desk to check out. As Nick was signing some of the papers, Bailey wrapped her arms around his waist, squeezing tight. Nick smiled and rubbed her back with his free hand.
"Daddy, I'm going to be really good from now on." She promised him, still squeezing him tight. Nick could hear the sincerity in her voice, and knew she would try to do just that. They were all willing to give this a try, and hoped they were finally finding the answers to help Bailey.
"I know you'll try your best, baby girl." Nick told her, planting a kiss on the top of her head. "Momma and I will be there to help you."
CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI
A few days later, Mally was finally ready to come home. She had a cast on her right leg, and needed crutches to get around, but there was nothing like being home to make you feel better. Nick had gone to pick her up from the hospital, leaving Sara home with the younger three children.
They pulled up to their home, and to Mally it felt like it had been months since she'd been there. She took a deep breath of relief as her father put the Denali in park.
"Wait there, darlin'." He told her, quickly getting out of the driver's side. Mally rolled her eyes. She could tell that her father was going to be extra protective of her for a while. He wouldn't be letting her do hardly anything for herself, still concerned about her well-being. It wasn't like him to baby her. He was always the type of parent to urge her to do things for herself, but seeing her in this state broke his heart. What would happen when she had to go back to college in a few days?
Mally undid her seatbelt as her father opened her door. He helped her swing her legs over and she slowly edged her body out until her good leg touched the ground. Nick grabbed her crutches from the back seat, holding her steady with his other arm. When she was set, he stayed inches away, holding his hand close by in case she were to stumble.
"That's right, just take it easy." He told her, matching her step for step as they made their way up to the front porch.
"Dad, I am capable of walking by myself. I'm not going to break." She told him, smiling.
"I'm just taking precautions." He gave her a look, but he was in a light mood. Nick knew she was a sensible girl when it came to her medical care. He could tell she wanted to get up and be active as soon as she possibly could, but that she needed to wait for everything to heal. Nick hated, though, that he was starting to question her judgment in his mind. He thought she was sensible enough not to drive hundreds of miles on a whim to visit her boyfriend; he thought she knew better than to get behind the wheel when she was tired; and he thought they had an honest relationship. It hurt that she'd lied to him, but it hurt even more that she had shown so little self-respect to drive cross country for a guy.
When they entered the house, they were almost bombarded by three little bodies. Aidan and Bailey knew better than to rush up to her and hug her while she was on crutches, but Mari was only two. She ran to her big sister and threw her arms around her casted leg, almost knocking her over.
"Mawwy! Mawwy home!" She yelled excitedly, hugging her leg tightly. Nick reached down and plucked her up, setting her on his hip.
"We have to be careful around Mally right now." He explained patiently, kissing her on the cheek several times. "Be gentle."
"I be genta daddy." She assured him, watching as Mally carefully made her way over to the couch. He watched as Sara helped her sit down, propping her leg up on the seat, and set her crutches nearby on the floor.
"I know you will, baby." Nick kissed her one more time, and then set her down. Before he even had time to think, Bailey threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his waist.
"Daddy, guess what I did at school today?" She asked him excitedly. Nick smiled down at his daughter, relieved to now be seeing her genuinely happy. Bailey had been on her medication for a few days now, and they were already starting to see drastic improvements. She wasn't so argumentative, and they could actually carry on a conversation with her without her getting distracted. They were in constant communication with her teacher, and she too had noticed drastic changes. Bailey was getting all her work done, and hadn't gotten in trouble at school since she'd started taking Ritalin.
"What did you do, sweetheart?" He asked, bending down to kiss her head.
"Miss Lorden said I was being so good, that she let me be the helper for the day. I got to pass out papers, and be the line leader, and she even let me erase the board!" She reported excitedly. It meant the world to Bailey to be Miss Lorden's special helper, and they all knew only the most well-behaved children in the class got that special privilege. A week ago, Bailey would have never been chosen for this.
"That's great, Bails. I'm proud of you. See what happens when you work hard?" He pointed out.
"It's cause of my medicine." Bailey told him, taking his hand and tugging on it.
"Well, the medicine's helping you, but you're making much better choices." Nick told her. He wanted Bailey to realize that though it was harder to control herself when she didn't have medication, she was still in control of her own actions.
Bailey smiled at him a little and then gently tugged on his hand again so they could join the rest of the family over where Mally was sitting, her leg propped up on the couch. Mari was intrigued by the huge hard white thing on her sister's leg and was currently touching it curiously. She started knocking on it, and even put her ear up to it. Nick smirked a little at his youngest as Aidan came over to sit on his lap.
"Mawwy, what that?" She asked her big sister, her big eyes looking up at her.
"That's my cast." Mally started to explain patiently. "I broke a bone in my leg, and the cast helps the bone heal in the right way."
"Hurt?" She asked her sister, a worried look in her eyes.
"Not anymore." Mally reassured her, reaching out to stroke her little sister's hair. "Hey, do you want to draw on my cast to make it pretty?"
Mari's eyes lit up at the idea. Coloring was a favorite activity, as for any two year old. Sara got out a few markers that she could color with, and decided putting some newspapers underneath was a good idea, in case Mari's hands went wayward. Bailey and Sara also took their turn to sign their names on Mally's cast.
Nick was just watching, holding his only son in his arms. He'd been a bit subdued the last few days, worried about his older sister. Now, Aidan was smiling again, giggling at how his youngest sister seemed to just be scribbling all over Mally's cast. Bailey was all smiles, helping Mari draw a little flower on the cast. He knew that Mari was enjoying this softer, more patient side that Bailey was now showing. And Mally – she was taking the kids climb over her like a trooper, laughing and joking with them like she'd never gone through the horrible ordeal of a car crash. She was safe right now, but Nick knew that in a few days, she'd have to go back to college. And he wouldn't be able to look out for her well-being – Jason would. And the kid did not have a very good track record in Nick's book.
CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI
Later that evening, Nick and Sara had finally gotten the younger three children bathed and into bed, with minimal protesting. Mally was again somewhat stapled to her position on the couch, her parents sitting on the other. Moving was too much of a hassle right now, though she guessed she'd have to get used to it again when she went back to school. She longed to have the cast free and her body healed so she could again go back to the sports she loved and the college partying. Some spring break this was turning out to be. Jason still hadn't called her.
Nick noticed his daughter's downturned face and the way her eyebrows knitted when she was thinking about something upsetting. He'd tried to protect her from things all her life, but the kid had once again found herself in a less than pleasing situation. Nick could tell that in addition to her broken leg, she also had a broken heart. He hoped that this situation would prove to Mally that this Jason kid wasn't good news. What kind of boyfriend sends a tired girl on a long trip at night without even bothering to call to make sure she got home okay? Nick had tried to raise Mally to be confident and have self-respect, but he feared that as soon as Jason called, all would be forgiven and she'd run back into his arms. Mally deserved so much more than that punk, but how could he prove that to his daughter?
Mally set out a huge sigh and rubbed at her eyes, tired of the gameshow that was playing on the television.
"Are you getting tired, Mally?" Nick asked his daughter.
"Yeah." She answered quietly, not taking her eyes off the television screen.
"Well, let me help you up to bed." Nick offered, getting up from his seat and walking over to where Mally lay. The pain in her face was still readily apparent, and he wished he could fix it. He wished he could just erase Jason from her memory and go on. Her life would be so much better without him.
Nick scooped his daughter up in his arms with a bit of a grunt, and Mally put her arms around his neck.
"Goodnight, mom." She told Sara.
"Night, Mal. Sleep well." Sara wished her daughter, snuggling down further in her seat. Nick carefully worked his way through the living room and up the stairs, taking extra care not to knock her leg against anything. It had been years since he'd carried Mally like this, and he realized how much he missed it. His first born held a special place in his heart.
Nick gently placed Mally down on her bed and helped her scoot under the covers. She looked up at him, disappointment in her eyes. Nick sat down on her bed and decided now was as good a time as ever to bring up his feelings.
"Sweetheart, you've seen a little down this evening." Nick said, stroking some hair away from her face. "Is there anything you want to talk about?" He asked gently, hoping that his daughter would still open up to him. They'd always had a close relationship, and she knew her dad would always be there to listen to her problems.
Mally sighed and looked down at her hands.
"I don't know. I guess I'm just disappointed that Jason hasn't called yet." She admitted. In her heart, she knew that Jason had been treating her less than admirably, but her young mind was telling her she still wanted him.
"Yeah. It's tough waiting on a phone call." He acknowledged. Mally could tell he wanted to say more, but was reluctant to pry into part of her life where he wasn't wanted.
"Dad, I know you don't like him." She said first, looking up at him. He didn't protest or dismiss it away, so she knew he agreed. "This doesn't look good, but you haven't met him yet."
Mally saw his jaw tighten, trying not to go into a big long spiel about how she needed to respect herself.
"Mally, what am I supposed to think when the guy who's been dating my daughter allows her to drive by herself very late at night hundreds of miles. I don't like the fact that he convinced you to drive all that way to see him in the first place." He told his daughter honestly.
"Dad, it was my choice to do that. I haven't seen him all week, and he happens to live hundreds of miles away. I know it wasn't the smartest thing to do, but it was my choice." She defended. Nick supposed he should be proud that she'd admitted what she'd done wasn't right, but he wasn't going to let Jason off the hook as easy as that.
"He never should've agreed to let you do that." Nick told her.
"Dad, I hate to break it to you, but I can make my own decisions. I wanted to see him, and I don't need to ask you or ask him for permission to drive to California if that's what I want to do."
"And here you are, a few days later, with a cast on your leg after getting into an accident, wondering why he hasn't called. What kind of guy doesn't call to make sure you're alright?"
Mally was getting really frustrated and Nick could tell. He hoped he was getting through to her.
"It's not like I'm marrying this guy, dad. We're just dating. I wish you wouldn't make such a big deal about it."
"It's a big deal when my little girl gets injured because of the guy she's dating. He's not looking out for your well-being."
"It was an accident!" She raised her voice, sitting up in her bed, glaring at her father. Mally and Nick both took a few deep breaths, realizing that they were both getting upset. Mally started again, in a calmer voice. "Dad, I know you're trying to look out for me, but it's my decision who I want to date, not yours."
Nick stared at her for a few moments, seeing the determination in the eyes of his daughter. She was right. She wasn't a teenager any more, and he couldn't tell her what to do. He couldn't regulate who she was friends with or who she dated. Nick just had to trust that he'd done a good job raising her and instilling enough self-respect for her to realize what a jerk this guy was.
Nick sighed. "I know I can't tell you who to date, Mal. But promise me that you'll really think about the way he's been treating you." He asked her calmly, though he wanted to shake some sense into her right now. "I just want to make sure you're being treated right, because you deserve it. You know that, right?"
"Yes, dad." She said softly. If only he knew how much she'd been thinking about it. She really liked Jason, and really thought that if she helped him change a few things, he would be exactly the man her father hoped for her.
"Okay." Nick leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. "Get some sleep, sweetheart."
Nick helped her settle back down and shut the light off, closing the door behind him. He hoped his daughter listened to his advice. He feared that her well-being depended on it.
