Ressler, Listen to Me
Part 13
Author's Note: I am not a psychologist, but the term 'nervous breakdown' is no longer medically used, so I went with psychotic break instead.
Please review.
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Don sat on the bed spooning yogurt into Liz's mouth while she looked out at the water. After a day of darkness, he had opened the blinds in their room and not shut them since.
"How would you feel about a walk today?" Don asked as he pulled the spoon back and watched her swallow. She'd not eaten a thing since they arrived, and he had decided to take measures into his own hands.
Liz shook her head in the negative. He spooned more yogurt into her mouth and gave her a soft smile. The doctor had told him not to push too hard, concerned she would have another mental break if she wasn't allowed the time she needed to recover. Apparently, after all the stress of the last few years, culminating in Neville Townsend's death, her brain just shut down in a big way.
"What about sitting out on the patio, the warm breeze is…" Don started.
She took more yogurt from him and gently shook her head in the negative and closed her eyes, a soft tear making it's way down her cheek.
"Honey," Don said softly as he leaned forward and wiped it from her face. "It's okay, you'll get there."
He watched her swallow hard and then move to lay back down.
Don rose from the bed and took the yogurt back to the kitchen and placed the bowl and spoon in the dishwasher. He stood there shirtless in some khakis and leaned heavily on the counter with his forearms, his head dropped down. She had reacted in such a different way than he expected that his head was still reeling from the change. Don had spent most of the first night sitting on the patio in the dark, the doctor had sedated Liz heavily that night and advised Don to hide any medications, sharp objects or chemicals. He said he didn't think Liz was suicidal, but better to be safe.
Don sighed and stood back up looking around the beautiful villa with sweeping views of the water, breeze blowing in the open windows, colourful plants and flowers spaced all over the villa and patio, and bowls of ripe fruit sitting and waiting t be eaten. If this place couldn't knock Liz out of the dark place she was, Don wasn't sure what would.
They had no clothes besides the ones from China, which did not really work in this climate. He needed to buy a few things. He needed to buy her some dresses and a bathing suit in hopes she would, at some point, get out of bed. He had asked for the villa for the month, with an agreement that, if needed, the month could be extended. It was shoulder season in the Azores, so the possibility was there, and Don appreciated that Liz was not being rushed to recover on a timeline. He wanted her back, desperately, but he also knew that it wouldn't happen overnight. He just hoped Agnes understood that it may be a couple of weeks or a month before she could see her mom.
Don walked back toward the bedroom and shucked off his pants, climbing into bed next to her and pulling her against his chest. She put up no resistance and seemed to settle comfortably against him. He hadn't slept much last night, so a late morning nap was probably good for the both of them.
He was just starting to drift off to sleep when he felt her place a kiss on his chest and the words 'thank you' were whispered. Don only had the energy to give her hip a small squeeze before he drifted off the sleep. He woke hours later to Liz still collapsed on top of him sound asleep. Don slipped out from underneath her and padded to the washroom to relieve his bladder, grab a shower, and pull the khakis back on his body with a long sleeve white shirt. He called the doctor and asked if he could come check on Liz and stay with her while he ran some errands.
Three hours later, he was returning from Lagoa with his hands laden with bags. He'd bought a half dozen pairs of shorts and shirts for himself, a bunch of bright & loose dresses for her, some wraps for her at night, he grabbed flip flops for them both, swim trunks for him, and a two-piece for her. Liz was tiny, so he hoped everything he bought fit her.
"How is she?" He asked the doctor who was sitting in their living room reading a newspaper.
"She needs more fluids," the doctor said. "I don't want to have to IV her again unless necessary."
Don nodded. He would make her rink more often.
"I convinced her to ingest a half litre while you were gone," he said. "She should drink 2 litres a day for the next few days."
"How long can you stay with us?" Don asked.
"I am due back at my hospital in 4 days," the doctor said. "I anticipate she will be in a better place by then, but the mind is tricky and one can never tell."
"And if she's not in a better place?" Don asked, worried.
"I will reach out tomorrow to the local hospital and find a contact for you," the doctor said before he rose and walked toward the door. "I will return in 3 hours with some more medication."
Don nodded and watched the doctor leave, carrying the bags to the bedroom to put away for when she would wear them.
When he walked into the room she was laying in the bed, looking out to the water with her eyes open.
"Hey," Don said as he walked inside. "How are you feeling?"
Liz gave him a small smile and looked inquisitively at the bags.
"I did some shopping," Don chuckled. "You might not like my taste in women's clothing, but I did my best."
He may have heard a singular chuckle emit from her mouth, but it happened so quickly he couldn't be sure.
Don put the bags down and pulled out one dress after another to show her. Liz gave him a tight-lipped smile and seemed to like his choices. They were all long, flowy sundresses in bright colours and patterns that he hoped would help lift her mood. He pulled out the flip flops and looked at her feet laying on top of the covers.
"The woman said, based on your height you were probably a size 41, which is an 8?" Don asked her. "So, I got you these."
Liz sat up slightly and Don stood wondering what she was going to do, put on a dress or the shoes?
"Can you help me have a bath?" Liz asked him.
Don smiled at her and nodded and dropped all of the clothes and shoes and went to her.
"Of course," he said as he helped her stand and walked with her to the washroom where he quickly drew a bath and helped her get undressed.
She cautiously stepped into the tub and sat down, the water coming to her nipples and leaned back against the back of the tub.
Don grabbed a wooden chair from the bedroom and placed it next to the tub so he could be close.
"I love you, Liz," Don said softly as she dipped a cloth in the water and then wiped it over her one arms.
She closed her eyes and sighed at his soft treatment of her.
"I love you too," she said as she started to cry.
"No, don't…" Don said as he dropped the cloth and leaned to wipe her eyes.
Soft sobs started to come from her and Don felt paralyzed in his ability to comfort her. She was in pain, and he was sitting on a chair, trying to lean over and awkwardly pull her to him.
Don released her and pulled off his shirt and pants and underwear and climbed in the tub behind her. She turned in his embrace and sobbed against his chest while he held her, gently rubbed her back, and kissed the top of her head. She cried and cried, and the water cooled. When she seemed to settle a little, he sat up and turned on the tap, bringing more warm water into the cool bath and she sighed against his chest then turned so her back was leaning against his front.
Don fished around for the cloth, soaped it up and slowly washed her with soothing strokes, soft words spoken, and Liz safely in his embrace. He washed and rinsed her hair and helped her stand from the tub, while they both toweled each other off. He walked her into the bedroom, ripped the tags off a soft sunshine yellow cotton sundress and pulled it over her head before she lay back down in their bed and closed her eyes. While she drifted off to sleep Don emptied the tub, threw her clothes in a laundry bag, and got some fresh underwear on before he climbed into bed next to her, pulled her into his arms and kissed her temple.
"You are going to be yourself again, Liz," Don whispered into her ear. "I will make sure of it."
He felt her sleepily nod against him before she finally drifted off into a place of complete rest, her wet hair tickling his nose, and her even breathing reassuring him that she would be fine.
To be continued….