I still don't own Degrassi.
AN--this chapter takes you...out of the hospital! and into Joey's head. I'm sorry if its a little messed up there, and the soundtrack's a little annoying, being a constant loop of "everybody wants something" and all. Craig also says the most important words he will ever say.
Days Eleven and Twelve
Craig woke up on Saturday, ate breakfast, and went back to bed, enjoying a quiet day where not much happened.
Meanwhile, back in the neighborhood, Emma was heading upstairs to eat lunch when she heard Joey's voice.
"I got good news-Craig's coming to visit tomorrow for a while, and he should be home for good sometime this week."
At that Emma decided to sit on the stairs and find out what exactly was going on with Craig-Joey had said he was in Ottawa, but she'd just seen him yesterday.
"That's great Joey!"
"Yeah, should be fun...I'm going in Monday to get his test results, then depending he could be out as early as then or as late as Friday-depending on if he needs medication or not. Cause if he does they'll keep him in for a couple days to regulate."
This made Emma even more confused-what kind of illness gets you checked out of the hospital. She then heard her mother enter the room. "Well, as long as Craig gets the help he needs."
Emma had enough then, she entered the room. "What's wrong with Craig? I Heard you guys talking. I know you said he was in Ottawa, Joey, but I saw him yesterday."
"Where'd you see him?" Joey asked, nervously.
"Over by Macalister Hospital, with some nurses."
Joey let out a deep breath. "Oh, ok. He must have been..he's fine."
"What's wrong wit him, Joey? Is he sick, is he dying?"
"Emma." Spike said, "That's really none of your business."
"I want to know!" Emma was worried now, about what was wrong with Craig.
"Emma, your mom said it wasn't your business, and its not. I don't know if Craig wants everyone to know." Emma was truly confused now. "I don't know if *I* want everything to know what a failure I am." Joey looked at his friends. "I feel like one."
Snake responded. "Joey, Craig's sick, there is nothing you could have done, you know that."
"He tried to kill himself. He was that ill and I didn't notice." Joey was nearly in tears now. He really had started to blame himself for Craig's problem, for not realizing what was really wrong with Craig.
Emma stopped where she stood, stunned. Craig had tried to kill himself? Craig Manning? "He what?"
Joey looked at Emma. "He took some pills, he's been at Macalister for 11 days." Emma just nodded. "Don't tell anyone ok?"
Emma nodded again, and went for a walk alone while Joey and Spike and Snake Talked.
Day 12-Visiting Day.
Craig's pass let him out after lunch and was for five hours, so he had to be back by six. When he got out he nearly kissed the sidewalk outside the Jeremiah's house, he was that happy. They did nothing all afternoon-he played with Angie and listened to music, then Joey took him out for dinner.
"How are you feeling?"
"Better, not 100% yet, but better." Craig really did feel better, the time in the hospital had done him well.
"You might have to be on medication, you know that, right?" Craig nodded. "Craig? I'm sorry."
"What is there to be sorry for, Joey? I'm the one who messed up."
"I should have noticed, I should have known. I feel bad because of that, because...you didn't feel comfortable coming to me."
"I wouldn't have felt comfortable going to anyone, I just wanted the pain to stop, Joey. That's all that mattered to me when I did...when I tried to kill myself." It was the first time Craig had said the words, and he knew without knowing what a breakthrough it was. "Joey, it wasn't you. It wasn't. It was me, I'm the one with the illness, the problem."
"I just feel guilty."
"Don't feel that way Joey, I can't live with that..I'm having a hard enough time with what I did."
"Craig...I'm just glad you're getting help, that you'll be ok."
"Thanks Joey."
After dinner Joey took him back to the hospital, right on time, and they talked a bit more, about treatment plans and such, before Craig headed to see Allegra.
"I tried to kill myself."
"Yes, you did. First time saying it?"
"Earlier, with my stepdad." Allegra just nodded. "It feels good to say it, for some reason."
"Because you are coming to terms with what you did, with your illness. Sometimes I still say it--say that I'm depressed, say that I'm sick, say what I did, what I wanted to do. Its good to remember who you are, because that way you don't get sick again." Craig just nodded. He knew he'd always have to remember, to avoid the illness.
AN--this chapter takes you...out of the hospital! and into Joey's head. I'm sorry if its a little messed up there, and the soundtrack's a little annoying, being a constant loop of "everybody wants something" and all. Craig also says the most important words he will ever say.
Days Eleven and Twelve
Craig woke up on Saturday, ate breakfast, and went back to bed, enjoying a quiet day where not much happened.
Meanwhile, back in the neighborhood, Emma was heading upstairs to eat lunch when she heard Joey's voice.
"I got good news-Craig's coming to visit tomorrow for a while, and he should be home for good sometime this week."
At that Emma decided to sit on the stairs and find out what exactly was going on with Craig-Joey had said he was in Ottawa, but she'd just seen him yesterday.
"That's great Joey!"
"Yeah, should be fun...I'm going in Monday to get his test results, then depending he could be out as early as then or as late as Friday-depending on if he needs medication or not. Cause if he does they'll keep him in for a couple days to regulate."
This made Emma even more confused-what kind of illness gets you checked out of the hospital. She then heard her mother enter the room. "Well, as long as Craig gets the help he needs."
Emma had enough then, she entered the room. "What's wrong with Craig? I Heard you guys talking. I know you said he was in Ottawa, Joey, but I saw him yesterday."
"Where'd you see him?" Joey asked, nervously.
"Over by Macalister Hospital, with some nurses."
Joey let out a deep breath. "Oh, ok. He must have been..he's fine."
"What's wrong wit him, Joey? Is he sick, is he dying?"
"Emma." Spike said, "That's really none of your business."
"I want to know!" Emma was worried now, about what was wrong with Craig.
"Emma, your mom said it wasn't your business, and its not. I don't know if Craig wants everyone to know." Emma was truly confused now. "I don't know if *I* want everything to know what a failure I am." Joey looked at his friends. "I feel like one."
Snake responded. "Joey, Craig's sick, there is nothing you could have done, you know that."
"He tried to kill himself. He was that ill and I didn't notice." Joey was nearly in tears now. He really had started to blame himself for Craig's problem, for not realizing what was really wrong with Craig.
Emma stopped where she stood, stunned. Craig had tried to kill himself? Craig Manning? "He what?"
Joey looked at Emma. "He took some pills, he's been at Macalister for 11 days." Emma just nodded. "Don't tell anyone ok?"
Emma nodded again, and went for a walk alone while Joey and Spike and Snake Talked.
Day 12-Visiting Day.
Craig's pass let him out after lunch and was for five hours, so he had to be back by six. When he got out he nearly kissed the sidewalk outside the Jeremiah's house, he was that happy. They did nothing all afternoon-he played with Angie and listened to music, then Joey took him out for dinner.
"How are you feeling?"
"Better, not 100% yet, but better." Craig really did feel better, the time in the hospital had done him well.
"You might have to be on medication, you know that, right?" Craig nodded. "Craig? I'm sorry."
"What is there to be sorry for, Joey? I'm the one who messed up."
"I should have noticed, I should have known. I feel bad because of that, because...you didn't feel comfortable coming to me."
"I wouldn't have felt comfortable going to anyone, I just wanted the pain to stop, Joey. That's all that mattered to me when I did...when I tried to kill myself." It was the first time Craig had said the words, and he knew without knowing what a breakthrough it was. "Joey, it wasn't you. It wasn't. It was me, I'm the one with the illness, the problem."
"I just feel guilty."
"Don't feel that way Joey, I can't live with that..I'm having a hard enough time with what I did."
"Craig...I'm just glad you're getting help, that you'll be ok."
"Thanks Joey."
After dinner Joey took him back to the hospital, right on time, and they talked a bit more, about treatment plans and such, before Craig headed to see Allegra.
"I tried to kill myself."
"Yes, you did. First time saying it?"
"Earlier, with my stepdad." Allegra just nodded. "It feels good to say it, for some reason."
"Because you are coming to terms with what you did, with your illness. Sometimes I still say it--say that I'm depressed, say that I'm sick, say what I did, what I wanted to do. Its good to remember who you are, because that way you don't get sick again." Craig just nodded. He knew he'd always have to remember, to avoid the illness.