(This is the penultimate chapter. It's quite sad really, to have come to
the end of this, I feel like I've been working on it for so long! Maybe
I'll start another one, but I'll need an idea first! lol! The next part is
written, but I've decided I don't like it so much, so it could do with a
little tweaking! It'll be posted as soon as that's done. Anyway, enjoy this
part, and please let me know what you think! xxJoxx)
PART 11-
What did Mum say earlier?" Jess asked. She and Carter were sat and waiting for the appointment with Dr. Renolds. Harry had been sent to a friend's house, so they could get the best medication sorted out easily without having to worry about him.
"We just talked," Carter answered, shrugging.
"Yeah, but did she say anything about why she left? Or if she's coming back?" He sat in silence, looking down at his hands. "Oh my goodness Dad, it's really bad isn't it?"
"Don't get all worked up about it," he told her gently. "She didn't day she was definitely leaving."
"But she didn't say she was definitely staying either."
"You're not making this easy for me Jessie."
"I just want to know the truth," she whispered, fiddling with her hands in her lap. They sat in silence for a while, until Jess spoke again. "I wish she was here now."
"Yeah, me too." She'd obviously decided not to come along, which seemed to him confirmation that she was planning on going for good. But he wasn't going to let her go that easily, he'd think of something. He also wasn't going to tell Jess that Abby had known about the meeting: it would break her heart to know her Mum hadn't come when she could.
"Jessica Carter?" a short, blonde haired woman asked approaching them and interrupting Carter's thoughts. Jess nodded nervously. She wished she could see Dr. Brighton who she'd been assessed by originally, but as it was she had to cope with another stranger. "And you must be Dad," she said, turning to Carter. He nodded, and held out a hand which she shook.
"John Carter."
"I'm Dr. Renolds," she told them. Although, Carter noted, she seemed to be addressing Jess rather than him, a good sign as far as he could tell. "If you'd both like to follow me, then we can get started." He put his hand into Jess' reassuringly, before standing up and leading her after Dr. Renolds.
*** "Excuse me," Abby said, pushing her way down the steps from the El. However much she loved the business of Chicago, at times she hated the squashing of the crowds. "Excuse me, I've got to get somewhere," she said more forcefully.
"Hey, lady, so have the rest of us," a large, bulky man told her. Ignoring him, she continued to push her way forwards.
"What the hell's going on?" she mused allowed. Several people shouted at her for trying to skip the queue, and she tried her best to ignore them and press on.
"Someone's been hurt, I think," one person provided helpfully.
"Hurt? How bad?" she asked, looking up at the man.
"Don't ask me!" he shrugged, and turned back to his companion. Once again she started to push her way through the crowds, trying to get to the injured person.
"Excuse me, I'm a nurse. Excuse me. Yes, I can help. I'm a nurse at County General. Excuse me, I need to get through." She eventually made it to the front of the crowd, where a woman was lying completely across the exit from the steps. She approached the policeman who was trying to stop the crowd from pushing forwards. "I'm a nurse," she told him, before approaching the woman. There was a boy stood next to her, who Abby turned to. "Is this your Mummy?" The boy nodded shyly. "Okay, can you tell me her name?"
"I call her Mummy. My Daddy calls her Lisa though."
"Okay. Lisa, can you hear me?"
*** "Right Jessica, from the notes I have from Dr. Brighton, and my little talk with you, I think the best thing for you is going to be a course of valproate. In my experience that's far more effective than the traditional lithium, but if it doesn't quite do the trick we have that as a backup. Is that okay by you?" Jess turned to Carter.
"Is that right, Dad?" she asked nervously.
"I'm not a psychiatrist, sweetie, but it sounds right to me," he told her reassuringly. She turned back to Dr. Renolds and nodded.
"Your reaction to the valproate will need to be monitored, so I suggest we meet every two weeks, just to check up on everything. I can alter your prescription, and we can just have a little talk about how you feel about everything."
"Thank you."
"Get your Dad to book an appointment with the receptionist on your way out. She'll print out a prescription for you too." All three stood up, and Dr. Renolds shook hands with Carter, and smiled at Jess. "I'll see you in two weeks."
*** "This is Lisa," Abby filled Chen in as they rushed through the ER to the trauma room. "Was pushed down the steps from the El: query head trauma, her stats are right down. GCS of 2-1-4."
"Thanks Abby, we'll take it from here," she responded as the gurney was pushed into place. "Chuny, get me a CBC, chem-7 and arrange a CT." Abby stepped back out of the trauma room, and straight into the little boy.
"Hello again," she said, bending down to his level. "I'm sorry, I never asked you your name!"
"Connor. And I'm five," he said proudly, holding up five fingers.
"Really? That's very big. I'm Abby."
"Is my Mummy going to be okay?" he asked anxiously.
"Dr. Chen is a very, very good doctor, and she's helping your Mummy at the moment."
"So she's going to be okay?"
"I don't know Connor, we'll have to wait and see." She took his hand and started to lead him to the admit desk. "Now, I have a very special friend here called Frank. How about you sit with him until we know what's going to happen to your Mummy?" He nodded, and she led him up to Frank and introduced them. "You make sure Frank behaves, Connor," she said, smiling at him as she walked away.
She looked up at the clock and saw the time. Twenty to eight. She sighed, and turned to walk into the doctor's lounge. She might as well wait around and see what happened to Lisa, since she didn't have anything else to do.
"You should still go, Abby?" Susan said from behind her.
"What?" she swung around to face Susan.
"You were going to go meet Carter and Jess at the meeting."
"You don't know that!"
"And you think it's too late. You might as well try Abby, I know you really want to go back to them."
"I can't now, Susan. He'll already have thought I've given up on them," she said, sighing sadly.
"He will not think that." She was determined that these two were going to live happily ever after, like they deserved. "Go, Abby."
*** "Let's get you home, hey?" Carter said, taking Jess' hand and walking away from the reception desk. "We can go pick that rascal brother of yours up, and I'll ring for a pizza, how does that sound?"
"Good," Jess replied quietly. They walked in silence until they were sitting in the jeep driving along.
"You're being a bit quiet Jessie," he said, glancing across at her. Her eyes were shimmering with wet, and she was fiddling with her nails. "Don't cry sweetheart. Everything's going to be fine."
"How can it be?" she asked, sniffing. "I have to take pills for the rest of my life, and my Mum's left. It can't get much worse."
"They're always making advances in medicine. The treatment of bipolar disorder is very different today to what it was twenty years ago. It could change again. And Mum will come back, she just needs time."
"You don't believe that, do you Dad?" she turned to look at him, trying to gauge his reaction. "You don't think she will come back, I can tell. I want her back Dad!"
*** Abby ran into the reception area, her hair flying everywhere around her face. She skidded to a halt in front of the desk, and turned to the woman behind it. "Is there a man with two kids in one of the consultations?" she asked, breathless. "A girl and a boy, 12 and 7. Girl has long light brown hair, she normally ties it up in a ponytail."
"There was a man and a girl of about 12, but no boy. Bloke was quite good looking, and."
"Yes, that's them!" Abby interrupted. "Where are they?"
"Well they left five minutes ago." Abby stared at her in disbelief. She'd missed it, she'd actually missed it. What was she supposed to do now? Go back to the hotel for the night? "Did you want something, miss?"
"No, thank you," she said, as she began to walk away. She had a sudden urge to just give Jess a big hug, and tell her everything would be okay. But she couldn't do that, because she wasn't around her anymore. She'd never be able to hug her again, she realised. Or Harry, her sweet little boy. And John.she loved him so much, what would she do if she lost that?
There was only one thing to do. She exited the psychiatric department and made her way back to the ER, to find a friend with a spare key.
*** "They eat all the little boys?" Harry asked incredulously.
"Yup, every single one!"
"Even little Harry Carter boys?" he asked. Carter nodded. "What about Jessie?"
"Nope," she said, looking up from her book. "I'm a girl, they don't like the taste of girls."
"That's right," Carter said, smiling at her. "And do you know what they find especially yummy?" Harry shook his head. "Little boys of about 7 who don't go to bed when they're supposed to."
"Really?" he asked, his eyes going wide. "Daddy, don't let them eat me!"
"Well, there's not much I can do if they find you really tasty."
"He won't sleep if you scare him like that," a voice interrupted from the doorway. Carter, Jess and Harry all turned to look at where the sound had come from. Harry's scared little face suddenly broke out in a massive grin. He leapt up off the sofa, and dove towards the door, all thoughts of little boy eating monsters gone from his head.
"MUMMY!"
***
PART 11-
What did Mum say earlier?" Jess asked. She and Carter were sat and waiting for the appointment with Dr. Renolds. Harry had been sent to a friend's house, so they could get the best medication sorted out easily without having to worry about him.
"We just talked," Carter answered, shrugging.
"Yeah, but did she say anything about why she left? Or if she's coming back?" He sat in silence, looking down at his hands. "Oh my goodness Dad, it's really bad isn't it?"
"Don't get all worked up about it," he told her gently. "She didn't day she was definitely leaving."
"But she didn't say she was definitely staying either."
"You're not making this easy for me Jessie."
"I just want to know the truth," she whispered, fiddling with her hands in her lap. They sat in silence for a while, until Jess spoke again. "I wish she was here now."
"Yeah, me too." She'd obviously decided not to come along, which seemed to him confirmation that she was planning on going for good. But he wasn't going to let her go that easily, he'd think of something. He also wasn't going to tell Jess that Abby had known about the meeting: it would break her heart to know her Mum hadn't come when she could.
"Jessica Carter?" a short, blonde haired woman asked approaching them and interrupting Carter's thoughts. Jess nodded nervously. She wished she could see Dr. Brighton who she'd been assessed by originally, but as it was she had to cope with another stranger. "And you must be Dad," she said, turning to Carter. He nodded, and held out a hand which she shook.
"John Carter."
"I'm Dr. Renolds," she told them. Although, Carter noted, she seemed to be addressing Jess rather than him, a good sign as far as he could tell. "If you'd both like to follow me, then we can get started." He put his hand into Jess' reassuringly, before standing up and leading her after Dr. Renolds.
*** "Excuse me," Abby said, pushing her way down the steps from the El. However much she loved the business of Chicago, at times she hated the squashing of the crowds. "Excuse me, I've got to get somewhere," she said more forcefully.
"Hey, lady, so have the rest of us," a large, bulky man told her. Ignoring him, she continued to push her way forwards.
"What the hell's going on?" she mused allowed. Several people shouted at her for trying to skip the queue, and she tried her best to ignore them and press on.
"Someone's been hurt, I think," one person provided helpfully.
"Hurt? How bad?" she asked, looking up at the man.
"Don't ask me!" he shrugged, and turned back to his companion. Once again she started to push her way through the crowds, trying to get to the injured person.
"Excuse me, I'm a nurse. Excuse me. Yes, I can help. I'm a nurse at County General. Excuse me, I need to get through." She eventually made it to the front of the crowd, where a woman was lying completely across the exit from the steps. She approached the policeman who was trying to stop the crowd from pushing forwards. "I'm a nurse," she told him, before approaching the woman. There was a boy stood next to her, who Abby turned to. "Is this your Mummy?" The boy nodded shyly. "Okay, can you tell me her name?"
"I call her Mummy. My Daddy calls her Lisa though."
"Okay. Lisa, can you hear me?"
*** "Right Jessica, from the notes I have from Dr. Brighton, and my little talk with you, I think the best thing for you is going to be a course of valproate. In my experience that's far more effective than the traditional lithium, but if it doesn't quite do the trick we have that as a backup. Is that okay by you?" Jess turned to Carter.
"Is that right, Dad?" she asked nervously.
"I'm not a psychiatrist, sweetie, but it sounds right to me," he told her reassuringly. She turned back to Dr. Renolds and nodded.
"Your reaction to the valproate will need to be monitored, so I suggest we meet every two weeks, just to check up on everything. I can alter your prescription, and we can just have a little talk about how you feel about everything."
"Thank you."
"Get your Dad to book an appointment with the receptionist on your way out. She'll print out a prescription for you too." All three stood up, and Dr. Renolds shook hands with Carter, and smiled at Jess. "I'll see you in two weeks."
*** "This is Lisa," Abby filled Chen in as they rushed through the ER to the trauma room. "Was pushed down the steps from the El: query head trauma, her stats are right down. GCS of 2-1-4."
"Thanks Abby, we'll take it from here," she responded as the gurney was pushed into place. "Chuny, get me a CBC, chem-7 and arrange a CT." Abby stepped back out of the trauma room, and straight into the little boy.
"Hello again," she said, bending down to his level. "I'm sorry, I never asked you your name!"
"Connor. And I'm five," he said proudly, holding up five fingers.
"Really? That's very big. I'm Abby."
"Is my Mummy going to be okay?" he asked anxiously.
"Dr. Chen is a very, very good doctor, and she's helping your Mummy at the moment."
"So she's going to be okay?"
"I don't know Connor, we'll have to wait and see." She took his hand and started to lead him to the admit desk. "Now, I have a very special friend here called Frank. How about you sit with him until we know what's going to happen to your Mummy?" He nodded, and she led him up to Frank and introduced them. "You make sure Frank behaves, Connor," she said, smiling at him as she walked away.
She looked up at the clock and saw the time. Twenty to eight. She sighed, and turned to walk into the doctor's lounge. She might as well wait around and see what happened to Lisa, since she didn't have anything else to do.
"You should still go, Abby?" Susan said from behind her.
"What?" she swung around to face Susan.
"You were going to go meet Carter and Jess at the meeting."
"You don't know that!"
"And you think it's too late. You might as well try Abby, I know you really want to go back to them."
"I can't now, Susan. He'll already have thought I've given up on them," she said, sighing sadly.
"He will not think that." She was determined that these two were going to live happily ever after, like they deserved. "Go, Abby."
*** "Let's get you home, hey?" Carter said, taking Jess' hand and walking away from the reception desk. "We can go pick that rascal brother of yours up, and I'll ring for a pizza, how does that sound?"
"Good," Jess replied quietly. They walked in silence until they were sitting in the jeep driving along.
"You're being a bit quiet Jessie," he said, glancing across at her. Her eyes were shimmering with wet, and she was fiddling with her nails. "Don't cry sweetheart. Everything's going to be fine."
"How can it be?" she asked, sniffing. "I have to take pills for the rest of my life, and my Mum's left. It can't get much worse."
"They're always making advances in medicine. The treatment of bipolar disorder is very different today to what it was twenty years ago. It could change again. And Mum will come back, she just needs time."
"You don't believe that, do you Dad?" she turned to look at him, trying to gauge his reaction. "You don't think she will come back, I can tell. I want her back Dad!"
*** Abby ran into the reception area, her hair flying everywhere around her face. She skidded to a halt in front of the desk, and turned to the woman behind it. "Is there a man with two kids in one of the consultations?" she asked, breathless. "A girl and a boy, 12 and 7. Girl has long light brown hair, she normally ties it up in a ponytail."
"There was a man and a girl of about 12, but no boy. Bloke was quite good looking, and."
"Yes, that's them!" Abby interrupted. "Where are they?"
"Well they left five minutes ago." Abby stared at her in disbelief. She'd missed it, she'd actually missed it. What was she supposed to do now? Go back to the hotel for the night? "Did you want something, miss?"
"No, thank you," she said, as she began to walk away. She had a sudden urge to just give Jess a big hug, and tell her everything would be okay. But she couldn't do that, because she wasn't around her anymore. She'd never be able to hug her again, she realised. Or Harry, her sweet little boy. And John.she loved him so much, what would she do if she lost that?
There was only one thing to do. She exited the psychiatric department and made her way back to the ER, to find a friend with a spare key.
*** "They eat all the little boys?" Harry asked incredulously.
"Yup, every single one!"
"Even little Harry Carter boys?" he asked. Carter nodded. "What about Jessie?"
"Nope," she said, looking up from her book. "I'm a girl, they don't like the taste of girls."
"That's right," Carter said, smiling at her. "And do you know what they find especially yummy?" Harry shook his head. "Little boys of about 7 who don't go to bed when they're supposed to."
"Really?" he asked, his eyes going wide. "Daddy, don't let them eat me!"
"Well, there's not much I can do if they find you really tasty."
"He won't sleep if you scare him like that," a voice interrupted from the doorway. Carter, Jess and Harry all turned to look at where the sound had come from. Harry's scared little face suddenly broke out in a massive grin. He leapt up off the sofa, and dove towards the door, all thoughts of little boy eating monsters gone from his head.
"MUMMY!"
***