Hi all, this is the new chapter; please R&R, criticism welcome. I have
written 2 other chapters. I will put them up in the following weeks. The
language may differ....
I get by with a little help
Dr Abbot stood in front of his front door, getting his coat of the tall wooden stand he got ready to go and see Ephram. Amy watched him get ready on the stairs. "Dad, please let me come with you" Dr Abbot turned round to face his daughter "I have already told you no, Ephram is probably in bed you wont beable to talk to him or see him for that matter so no you cant come." And before Amy could let out another word Dr Abbot gave a final and adamant "No!" before walking out the door. Amy watched him walk of, sighing she went back to making a cup of coffee in the kitchen.
After an afternoon of regret had passed, Dr Abbot walked up some familiar porch steps and knocked on a large white door. He stood with his doctor's case, waiting patiently for an answer.
Nina was busy in the kitchen, washing up some crockery when she heard the knock at the door. Pausing she dried her hands on the dishcloth and proceeded towards the door.
Ephram was still lying in his bed lost in a dream of darkness. Thoughts of his mother, his grief stricken father and Delia crept in to his dreams. His demons looked him in the eyes causing him to whimper and cry out.
Back from their friends, Delia and Sam played out in the garden. Playing tag they hid behind trees and chased eachother around the garden. Delia was none the wiser about her father's whereabouts and her brother's mental state, to her the world was still a small place.
Dr Abbot waited for the sound of a crunching and someone opening the door he picked up his case and greeted Nina. "How is he?" he asked when he walked into the entrance. Nina smiled "A lot better I checked on him every half an hour like you said, he seemed normal." Dr Abbott grinned, his face turned from happiness to that of awkwardness "Look I-" Nina cut him of. "Don't okay from my point of view you save Ephram today, your problem isn't with me or Ephram. This time it's with Andy." Dr Abbot thanked her, Nina saw him reach into a bottomless pit of a pocket and pull out a small white rectangular piece of card. "Here is a number of some counsellors, I remembered a patient I had a couple of years ago he suffered panic attacks. He wasn't the same situation as Ephram but he went to see a counsellor." He laughed "I can remember it like it was yesterday he came running in to my office ecstatic, and when I asked him what was wrong he said nothing he said that for once there were no panic attacks and it was all down to this man" Dr Abbot held the card and then turned it round "Dr Edwards" he read "He cured this man of panic attack, and when I called him to ask what he had done he said he cured him of all his demons." Nina took the card out of Dr Abbot's hands "And you think this Dr Edwards can do the same for Ephram?" Dr Abbot nodded "I do" Nina understood. "Okay well have a word with Ephram about it." Dr Abbot pointed towards his room "Is he through there?" Nina shook her head.
Dr Abbot walked through to Ephram's room. The young teenager was agitated in his dreams though but Dr Abbot pulled up Ephram's desk chair and proceeded to get his stethoscope out and listen to the teenager's chest. Listening to the sound of his heart Dr Abbot was relieved to hear the chest loose and working to its best ability. After taking his temperature Dr Abbot put everything back into his case, he left the inhaler on Ephram's bedroom table and left a note telling him how to use it and when. But before he could depart Ephram woke up abruptly and greeted Dr Abbot.
Dr Abbot paused and went to sit back down beside Ephram's bed. "How are you feeling?" Ephram let out a breath "Better thank you." "Good, good I left a note and inhaler on your table if the attacks happen again." Dr Abbot looked at Ephram curiously "You know earlier you said you had, had the attacks before?" Ephram thought hard "I don't really remember I was pretty spaced out." "Well you mentioned having these attacks before, does your dad know about them?" Ephram gave Dr Abbot a sighing look "They always happened when my dad was at work, usually I would just settle myself down by lying down, but they went away until Colin's death and dad being all weird. They came back but they seem worse this time. Dad had so much on his plate I just, I didn't want to worry him I-" Dr Abbot stopped him. "Babbling wreck is not a good look." Ephram inhaled some air and smiled. Dr Abbot pulled out the card, which he had recently shown Nina. "Have you thought about seeing someone?" Anxiety may be bringing on these attacks. I had a patient he was pretty much cured after getting some things of his chest, excuse the pun." Ephram rubbed his eyes "No way am I seeing a counsellor, I don't need to, I am fine." Dr Abbot huffed "You call fine having breathing attacks, you call fine having nightmares" Dr Abbot cut of Ephram before he tried to hide it "And don't deny it. Ephram you're a teenage boy, who is under a lot of pressure. You have taken on this dad figure for Delia, whilst yours is escaping for the weekend and then some. You only lost your mom a year ago, which must have been really hard on you I wouldn't blame you if you were wanted someone to talk to." Ephram looked away from him, a tear rolled down the side of his face "Just admit that you need help and you would of already taken the first step." A couple of minutes passed and Dr Abbot arose from the chair "Tell me your answer soon okay?" But there was no reply so Dr Abbot started out of the room but just as he got to the entrance he heard Ephram ask him to come back so he obliged and sat back down. Ephram wiped the tears from his eyes "Dr Abbot your right" he sniffed "I need your help." Dr Abbot smiled at Ephram "Then its help were going to get you."
The next day Nina had sat down Delia told her the story from beginning to end. She told her why her dad wasn't coming home on Sunday instead Tuesday would be the day her fresh dad was back and why Ephram was in his bed on Saturday night. What do you think her reaction was? Sad, scared, worried? Combine those things and you have a frightened eight-year-old girl who had to be comforted by her Big Brother and told everything was going to be all right. But the truth was Ephram had no idea anymore about his dad? His health? And Delia's sanity? Instead he took a gamble on the good path not the bad one. His dad had phoned on Sunday night, spoken to Nina, Ephram and Delia. They all agreed an uplifting beat was in his voice and their father was well on the way to recovery. That to Ephram was the best sign in ages, and that was the little piece of hope he had left.
Irv and Andy were sitting on the dock outside the log cabin they had been staying at with a glass of water each. "How was everyone?" Andy smiled "Fine, fine although I felt like they were hiding something from me, Ephram in particular was awkward speaking to me." Irv sighed "To be honest it was probably the relief of you sounding so well." Andy put his glass down next to the deck chair he was sitting on "I can't say that this trip hasn't helped me, because that would be lieing. I love it out here, its peaceful and stress free. But I know that when I get home it will back to a bunch of faces blaming me, that's why I needed a few extra days." Irv shook his head "I am sure it wont be, remember what I told you when we first came here and you were upset for leaving the children and not saying goodbye and I told you that you were such a wreck they just wanted you back to your old self and that it didn't matter you didn't say goodbye because it was getting you back that mattered more then anything?" Andy nodded "Yes." "Well when you go back there its not going to matter what anyone else thinks because your children will have their old dad back," Andy smiled "You know what Irv, your right, I am going to go back home on Tuesday, see my kids and be with my family for the first time in ages!" he grinned.
language may differ....
I get by with a little help
Dr Abbot stood in front of his front door, getting his coat of the tall wooden stand he got ready to go and see Ephram. Amy watched him get ready on the stairs. "Dad, please let me come with you" Dr Abbot turned round to face his daughter "I have already told you no, Ephram is probably in bed you wont beable to talk to him or see him for that matter so no you cant come." And before Amy could let out another word Dr Abbot gave a final and adamant "No!" before walking out the door. Amy watched him walk of, sighing she went back to making a cup of coffee in the kitchen.
After an afternoon of regret had passed, Dr Abbot walked up some familiar porch steps and knocked on a large white door. He stood with his doctor's case, waiting patiently for an answer.
Nina was busy in the kitchen, washing up some crockery when she heard the knock at the door. Pausing she dried her hands on the dishcloth and proceeded towards the door.
Ephram was still lying in his bed lost in a dream of darkness. Thoughts of his mother, his grief stricken father and Delia crept in to his dreams. His demons looked him in the eyes causing him to whimper and cry out.
Back from their friends, Delia and Sam played out in the garden. Playing tag they hid behind trees and chased eachother around the garden. Delia was none the wiser about her father's whereabouts and her brother's mental state, to her the world was still a small place.
Dr Abbot waited for the sound of a crunching and someone opening the door he picked up his case and greeted Nina. "How is he?" he asked when he walked into the entrance. Nina smiled "A lot better I checked on him every half an hour like you said, he seemed normal." Dr Abbott grinned, his face turned from happiness to that of awkwardness "Look I-" Nina cut him of. "Don't okay from my point of view you save Ephram today, your problem isn't with me or Ephram. This time it's with Andy." Dr Abbot thanked her, Nina saw him reach into a bottomless pit of a pocket and pull out a small white rectangular piece of card. "Here is a number of some counsellors, I remembered a patient I had a couple of years ago he suffered panic attacks. He wasn't the same situation as Ephram but he went to see a counsellor." He laughed "I can remember it like it was yesterday he came running in to my office ecstatic, and when I asked him what was wrong he said nothing he said that for once there were no panic attacks and it was all down to this man" Dr Abbot held the card and then turned it round "Dr Edwards" he read "He cured this man of panic attack, and when I called him to ask what he had done he said he cured him of all his demons." Nina took the card out of Dr Abbot's hands "And you think this Dr Edwards can do the same for Ephram?" Dr Abbot nodded "I do" Nina understood. "Okay well have a word with Ephram about it." Dr Abbot pointed towards his room "Is he through there?" Nina shook her head.
Dr Abbot walked through to Ephram's room. The young teenager was agitated in his dreams though but Dr Abbot pulled up Ephram's desk chair and proceeded to get his stethoscope out and listen to the teenager's chest. Listening to the sound of his heart Dr Abbot was relieved to hear the chest loose and working to its best ability. After taking his temperature Dr Abbot put everything back into his case, he left the inhaler on Ephram's bedroom table and left a note telling him how to use it and when. But before he could depart Ephram woke up abruptly and greeted Dr Abbot.
Dr Abbot paused and went to sit back down beside Ephram's bed. "How are you feeling?" Ephram let out a breath "Better thank you." "Good, good I left a note and inhaler on your table if the attacks happen again." Dr Abbot looked at Ephram curiously "You know earlier you said you had, had the attacks before?" Ephram thought hard "I don't really remember I was pretty spaced out." "Well you mentioned having these attacks before, does your dad know about them?" Ephram gave Dr Abbot a sighing look "They always happened when my dad was at work, usually I would just settle myself down by lying down, but they went away until Colin's death and dad being all weird. They came back but they seem worse this time. Dad had so much on his plate I just, I didn't want to worry him I-" Dr Abbot stopped him. "Babbling wreck is not a good look." Ephram inhaled some air and smiled. Dr Abbot pulled out the card, which he had recently shown Nina. "Have you thought about seeing someone?" Anxiety may be bringing on these attacks. I had a patient he was pretty much cured after getting some things of his chest, excuse the pun." Ephram rubbed his eyes "No way am I seeing a counsellor, I don't need to, I am fine." Dr Abbot huffed "You call fine having breathing attacks, you call fine having nightmares" Dr Abbot cut of Ephram before he tried to hide it "And don't deny it. Ephram you're a teenage boy, who is under a lot of pressure. You have taken on this dad figure for Delia, whilst yours is escaping for the weekend and then some. You only lost your mom a year ago, which must have been really hard on you I wouldn't blame you if you were wanted someone to talk to." Ephram looked away from him, a tear rolled down the side of his face "Just admit that you need help and you would of already taken the first step." A couple of minutes passed and Dr Abbot arose from the chair "Tell me your answer soon okay?" But there was no reply so Dr Abbot started out of the room but just as he got to the entrance he heard Ephram ask him to come back so he obliged and sat back down. Ephram wiped the tears from his eyes "Dr Abbot your right" he sniffed "I need your help." Dr Abbot smiled at Ephram "Then its help were going to get you."
The next day Nina had sat down Delia told her the story from beginning to end. She told her why her dad wasn't coming home on Sunday instead Tuesday would be the day her fresh dad was back and why Ephram was in his bed on Saturday night. What do you think her reaction was? Sad, scared, worried? Combine those things and you have a frightened eight-year-old girl who had to be comforted by her Big Brother and told everything was going to be all right. But the truth was Ephram had no idea anymore about his dad? His health? And Delia's sanity? Instead he took a gamble on the good path not the bad one. His dad had phoned on Sunday night, spoken to Nina, Ephram and Delia. They all agreed an uplifting beat was in his voice and their father was well on the way to recovery. That to Ephram was the best sign in ages, and that was the little piece of hope he had left.
Irv and Andy were sitting on the dock outside the log cabin they had been staying at with a glass of water each. "How was everyone?" Andy smiled "Fine, fine although I felt like they were hiding something from me, Ephram in particular was awkward speaking to me." Irv sighed "To be honest it was probably the relief of you sounding so well." Andy put his glass down next to the deck chair he was sitting on "I can't say that this trip hasn't helped me, because that would be lieing. I love it out here, its peaceful and stress free. But I know that when I get home it will back to a bunch of faces blaming me, that's why I needed a few extra days." Irv shook his head "I am sure it wont be, remember what I told you when we first came here and you were upset for leaving the children and not saying goodbye and I told you that you were such a wreck they just wanted you back to your old self and that it didn't matter you didn't say goodbye because it was getting you back that mattered more then anything?" Andy nodded "Yes." "Well when you go back there its not going to matter what anyone else thinks because your children will have their old dad back," Andy smiled "You know what Irv, your right, I am going to go back home on Tuesday, see my kids and be with my family for the first time in ages!" he grinned.