Disclaimer in first chapter
A Fragile Mind, Chapter Two
Two days later it seems as if Chris is no closer to waking up then he was when the found him. Piper spent all her free time at the hospital talking to Chris, reading to him. The doctors told her it was highly unusual for a first episode to last this long. It started to make her wonder if his was the first time.
Soon they began talking to psychologist, or they were wondering what happens when he does wake up. Is there anything specific they should do for him or say to him?
"Well, most patients go home immediately after they have been released. Though yes we would prefer to keep them for some psychological testing, we have found the unfamiliar surrounding have a tendency of giving them a relapse. So we send them straight home with orders for them to be checked up on regularly, just keep the person in a familiar environment, with friendly faces. About two weeks after he is discharged, if he has adapted to his environment well we would ask you to bring him in and we could give him some counseling or help so that he could deal with the problems that initially caused this break."
The doctor talked for a few more minutes about Chris's state of health and they decided on a few things, in case he really was in here for a longer period of time, Then they decided it was time to check on Chris.
"Actually, why don't you guy head to work, you've missed too much recently. I can go stay with Chris." Piper volunteered.
Both sisters protested greatly, but realized that there was no way that they could convince Piper otherwise. Leo was about to offer to stay with her, when he heard the familiar jingle of the elders calling him. He looked at her apologetically and started to say something when Piper held up her hand and said "It's alright, I understand, no go before you're late."
Piper resumed her walk towards Chris's room alone. "It's really sad," she thought to herself "That Chris finally gets the attention he seems to want, and he isn't even conscious enough to know he is getting it." She held back her tears, not wanting to cry.
She entered Chris's room, and sat down by his bedside, in her usual spot. She sat talking to him, and she ran her fingers through his hair. Then she could have sworn she heard him speak. No, it couldn't be, she was just imagining things. The she heard a voice quietly say "Mom?"
She looked down and saw Chris looking up at her confused. "Where am I?" he asked in a childlike voice.
"You're at the hospital." Piper said in a soothing voice, trying not to alarm Chris.
Chris began to sit up confused. "What happened?"
"Well, the other day we went to wake you up and you wouldn't get up."
Chris looks at her and then begins to remember the nightmares, which drove him to his former state. His breathing start to increase in speed. He starts to look around slightly panicked. "I wanna go home." He says sounding like a five year old. He knows he sounds childish, but he cannot help it. He has bad memories of hospitals.
"Okay, well I will get the doctor to come and check you out; we can sign the papers and be home for dinner." Piper says trying to keep him calm.
"No, I wanna go home now. I don't wanna stay here. I have to go home." Say Chris as he begins to walk around the room.
Piper isn't sure what to do; she doesn't want to push him over the edge again. Luckily the doctor chooses that moment to walk into the room. Chris walks up to him. "I wanna go home now." The doctor takes in his disheveled appearance and realizes that sending him home immediately would e the best course of action.
"Of course, now that you are awake you can leave immediately. Just sign these papers and you can go." The doctor said smiling and holding out the papers. Chris quickly signed them and they were on their way.
Chris had arrived at the parking lot a few steps in front of Piper and was looking round confused. "Where's the car?"
Piper smiled "We didn't take the car. We orbed here this morning, and I was planning on waiting on the others to pick me up, when they got off work."
Chris walks over and puts his hand on her shoulder. The next thing Piper sees is them in the manor. Chris starts to walk towards the door when Piper, desperate at this point, calls him back. "Chris," He stops and turns to look at her. "I was going to make dinner if you would like to stay."
Chris appears surprised and then a small smile slowly forms on his face. "Yeah, I'd like that." he says coming back towards her. "What are we having?" He asks.
Piper not really having planned on making anything is at a loss. "Well, I'm not sure. I was going to figure out what everyone wanted and then go out and pick up the groceries, but since their not here... Well what do you want?"
At this point Chris looks a little confused. "What do I want?"
"You know, for dinner? I mean you're the only other one here and besides you haven't eaten in two days, you have to want something."
"Soup" Chris answers
"Soup?" Piper say confused. She was expecting one of a million answers, but soup was not one of them.
"Tomato soup, It's my favorite. I used to eat it all the time when I was little. Mom used to make it." Chris answers still out of it from his two day trip to catatonia.
Piper gives him a strange look, for it was obvious that he was not connecting her with his mother. "Ok then, let's go buy some tomatoes." With that she picked up her coat and headed towards the door. A few seconds later she realized Chris was no longer beside her. He was just standing there looking confused. "Are you coming?" He must have realized what he had been doing so he quickly nodded his head and followed her out the door.
An hour and a half later Chris and Piper were sitting at the able eating tomato soup in silence. Three bowls later it appeared as if Chris was done eating. "You're finally done; I was beginning to wonder if you were going to save any for the others." Piper said in a teasing tone. When Chris didn't immediately reply Piper turned from her dish washing to see what was wrong.
She turned to see Chris sitting at the table, white as a ghost and his fingers clenched on the table top. He looked up his eyes wide. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to eat so much. I didn't realize that there wouldn't be enough for the others. I will go and buy some more tomatoes." Chris hurriedly gets up and begins towards the door.
"Chris wait!" Piper tells him quickly. When he pauses a moment she takes the opportunity and runs towards him. "It's alright, I was just teasing." He looks down, avoiding her eyes.
All she could think of was how horrible a future he must have had that eating too much soup was such a crime. She realizes he is still looking towards his shoes, and she takes his chin in her hand and makes it so he is looking at her face. "It's alright, I promise. They don't even eat tomato soup; I have a pot of Chicken on the stove."
She seems to have gotten through to him because he relaxes a little and no longer tries to look away. He gives her a small embarrassed smile. "That's better." She says smiling. She loops his arm with hers and says "Now let's go watch TV."
They find an old movie on TV, and sit together in silence as they pretend like they care what is happening to James Bond this time. Piper turns to break the silence when she notices s tear running down Chris's face. For a second she isn't going to say something. But then her mothering instincts take over.
She shifts in her seat and moves closer to him until they are sitting side by side. She moves to put her arm around him, and he flinches. This time she tries again slower, and though he tenses up her makes no attempt to flee. She reaches up her other hand and wipes the tear from his face. For a moment their eyes meet and all she can see in their depths is an intense pain and suffering. Not be able to stand seeing her son this way she pulls him tightly into her embrace. He slowly begins to un-tense his body and she hears him hold back a sob.
"It's alright," She tells him soothingly, "Let it out, just let it all out." As she finishes her sentence he begins to sob in earnest. She continues to hold him, rubbing his back and whispering soothingly into his ear as he sobs into her shoulder. About twenty minutes later the sobs reduce to sniffles and Chris stops crying all together. He looks up at Piper his eyes red and puffy from crying and gives her a small smile.
"Well now," she says. "You must be tired, why don't we go on up to bed?"
For a second Chris looks scared, thinking about the nightmares, but seeing the re-assuring look on Pipers face he nods and gets up.
He goes into his room and when he is just sitting down on his bed he hears a knock on the door. "Come in." He says, wondering what Piper is up to now. She walks into the room and says she just came to say good night. They exchange goodnights and he lies down in bed only to have Piper come over and tuck him in and then leave. As he begins to drift of he hears his mother come back in. She leans over and kisses him on the forehead. "I love you Chris." She tells him softly before leaving the room and closing the door behind him
Se loves me he thought to himself. Maybe things aren't so bad after all.
TBC...
AN: I am not quite sure where to go from here. I never quite planned past this. I have a few ideas, but am open to suggestions. Also reviews though not mandatory for continuance of the story, are greatly appreciated.
A Fragile Mind, Chapter Two
Two days later it seems as if Chris is no closer to waking up then he was when the found him. Piper spent all her free time at the hospital talking to Chris, reading to him. The doctors told her it was highly unusual for a first episode to last this long. It started to make her wonder if his was the first time.
Soon they began talking to psychologist, or they were wondering what happens when he does wake up. Is there anything specific they should do for him or say to him?
"Well, most patients go home immediately after they have been released. Though yes we would prefer to keep them for some psychological testing, we have found the unfamiliar surrounding have a tendency of giving them a relapse. So we send them straight home with orders for them to be checked up on regularly, just keep the person in a familiar environment, with friendly faces. About two weeks after he is discharged, if he has adapted to his environment well we would ask you to bring him in and we could give him some counseling or help so that he could deal with the problems that initially caused this break."
The doctor talked for a few more minutes about Chris's state of health and they decided on a few things, in case he really was in here for a longer period of time, Then they decided it was time to check on Chris.
"Actually, why don't you guy head to work, you've missed too much recently. I can go stay with Chris." Piper volunteered.
Both sisters protested greatly, but realized that there was no way that they could convince Piper otherwise. Leo was about to offer to stay with her, when he heard the familiar jingle of the elders calling him. He looked at her apologetically and started to say something when Piper held up her hand and said "It's alright, I understand, no go before you're late."
Piper resumed her walk towards Chris's room alone. "It's really sad," she thought to herself "That Chris finally gets the attention he seems to want, and he isn't even conscious enough to know he is getting it." She held back her tears, not wanting to cry.
She entered Chris's room, and sat down by his bedside, in her usual spot. She sat talking to him, and she ran her fingers through his hair. Then she could have sworn she heard him speak. No, it couldn't be, she was just imagining things. The she heard a voice quietly say "Mom?"
She looked down and saw Chris looking up at her confused. "Where am I?" he asked in a childlike voice.
"You're at the hospital." Piper said in a soothing voice, trying not to alarm Chris.
Chris began to sit up confused. "What happened?"
"Well, the other day we went to wake you up and you wouldn't get up."
Chris looks at her and then begins to remember the nightmares, which drove him to his former state. His breathing start to increase in speed. He starts to look around slightly panicked. "I wanna go home." He says sounding like a five year old. He knows he sounds childish, but he cannot help it. He has bad memories of hospitals.
"Okay, well I will get the doctor to come and check you out; we can sign the papers and be home for dinner." Piper says trying to keep him calm.
"No, I wanna go home now. I don't wanna stay here. I have to go home." Say Chris as he begins to walk around the room.
Piper isn't sure what to do; she doesn't want to push him over the edge again. Luckily the doctor chooses that moment to walk into the room. Chris walks up to him. "I wanna go home now." The doctor takes in his disheveled appearance and realizes that sending him home immediately would e the best course of action.
"Of course, now that you are awake you can leave immediately. Just sign these papers and you can go." The doctor said smiling and holding out the papers. Chris quickly signed them and they were on their way.
Chris had arrived at the parking lot a few steps in front of Piper and was looking round confused. "Where's the car?"
Piper smiled "We didn't take the car. We orbed here this morning, and I was planning on waiting on the others to pick me up, when they got off work."
Chris walks over and puts his hand on her shoulder. The next thing Piper sees is them in the manor. Chris starts to walk towards the door when Piper, desperate at this point, calls him back. "Chris," He stops and turns to look at her. "I was going to make dinner if you would like to stay."
Chris appears surprised and then a small smile slowly forms on his face. "Yeah, I'd like that." he says coming back towards her. "What are we having?" He asks.
Piper not really having planned on making anything is at a loss. "Well, I'm not sure. I was going to figure out what everyone wanted and then go out and pick up the groceries, but since their not here... Well what do you want?"
At this point Chris looks a little confused. "What do I want?"
"You know, for dinner? I mean you're the only other one here and besides you haven't eaten in two days, you have to want something."
"Soup" Chris answers
"Soup?" Piper say confused. She was expecting one of a million answers, but soup was not one of them.
"Tomato soup, It's my favorite. I used to eat it all the time when I was little. Mom used to make it." Chris answers still out of it from his two day trip to catatonia.
Piper gives him a strange look, for it was obvious that he was not connecting her with his mother. "Ok then, let's go buy some tomatoes." With that she picked up her coat and headed towards the door. A few seconds later she realized Chris was no longer beside her. He was just standing there looking confused. "Are you coming?" He must have realized what he had been doing so he quickly nodded his head and followed her out the door.
An hour and a half later Chris and Piper were sitting at the able eating tomato soup in silence. Three bowls later it appeared as if Chris was done eating. "You're finally done; I was beginning to wonder if you were going to save any for the others." Piper said in a teasing tone. When Chris didn't immediately reply Piper turned from her dish washing to see what was wrong.
She turned to see Chris sitting at the table, white as a ghost and his fingers clenched on the table top. He looked up his eyes wide. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to eat so much. I didn't realize that there wouldn't be enough for the others. I will go and buy some more tomatoes." Chris hurriedly gets up and begins towards the door.
"Chris wait!" Piper tells him quickly. When he pauses a moment she takes the opportunity and runs towards him. "It's alright, I was just teasing." He looks down, avoiding her eyes.
All she could think of was how horrible a future he must have had that eating too much soup was such a crime. She realizes he is still looking towards his shoes, and she takes his chin in her hand and makes it so he is looking at her face. "It's alright, I promise. They don't even eat tomato soup; I have a pot of Chicken on the stove."
She seems to have gotten through to him because he relaxes a little and no longer tries to look away. He gives her a small embarrassed smile. "That's better." She says smiling. She loops his arm with hers and says "Now let's go watch TV."
They find an old movie on TV, and sit together in silence as they pretend like they care what is happening to James Bond this time. Piper turns to break the silence when she notices s tear running down Chris's face. For a second she isn't going to say something. But then her mothering instincts take over.
She shifts in her seat and moves closer to him until they are sitting side by side. She moves to put her arm around him, and he flinches. This time she tries again slower, and though he tenses up her makes no attempt to flee. She reaches up her other hand and wipes the tear from his face. For a moment their eyes meet and all she can see in their depths is an intense pain and suffering. Not be able to stand seeing her son this way she pulls him tightly into her embrace. He slowly begins to un-tense his body and she hears him hold back a sob.
"It's alright," She tells him soothingly, "Let it out, just let it all out." As she finishes her sentence he begins to sob in earnest. She continues to hold him, rubbing his back and whispering soothingly into his ear as he sobs into her shoulder. About twenty minutes later the sobs reduce to sniffles and Chris stops crying all together. He looks up at Piper his eyes red and puffy from crying and gives her a small smile.
"Well now," she says. "You must be tired, why don't we go on up to bed?"
For a second Chris looks scared, thinking about the nightmares, but seeing the re-assuring look on Pipers face he nods and gets up.
He goes into his room and when he is just sitting down on his bed he hears a knock on the door. "Come in." He says, wondering what Piper is up to now. She walks into the room and says she just came to say good night. They exchange goodnights and he lies down in bed only to have Piper come over and tuck him in and then leave. As he begins to drift of he hears his mother come back in. She leans over and kisses him on the forehead. "I love you Chris." She tells him softly before leaving the room and closing the door behind him
Se loves me he thought to himself. Maybe things aren't so bad after all.
TBC...
AN: I am not quite sure where to go from here. I never quite planned past this. I have a few ideas, but am open to suggestions. Also reviews though not mandatory for continuance of the story, are greatly appreciated.