Rifiuto: Non Miriena
"What was so important that you had to interrupt our wedding reception?" Jo demanded, storming down the hall towards Zane. Jack, Grace, Holly, Henry, and Fargo followed, all dressed in their finest. Jo still wore her champagne- colored wedding dress and veil, looking every bit the blushing bride, despite the desire to kill flashing in her eyes.
As soon as she got close enough, she reached out to grab ahold of his neck, when Jack grabbed her from around the waist and held her close, talking to her. Eventually, he managed to calm her down and she stayed by his side, her arms crossed, a glare on her pretty face.
"Ah, good, you're all here."
Everyone looked up to see the psychiatrist slip out of the door and into the hall. She looked from Jo to Jack and the other guests and back, suddenly putting two and two together.
"Mr. Carter and Ms... Lupo?" She asked, looking up at the couple. Jo leaned into Jack's arms.
"Actually, it's Mr. and Mrs. Carter, as of... three hours ago." Jo said, wrapping her arms around her husband's waist. The psychiatrist nodded.
"My apologies for the confusion. And congratulations."
"Thank you." Jack whispered.
"Um, I hate to interrupt, but, what exactly are we doing here?" Holly asked, stepping forward. Her light green halter dress brought out the red in her hair.
"It's about Dr. Allison Blake." The psychiatrist said. Jo rolled her eyes.
"What about her?" Jo asked.
"Is she okay?" Fargo asked, concerned.
"Did something happen to her?" Holly asked softly.
"She's not hurt, is she?" Henry asked.
The doctor held up her hand, silencing the questions. "Dr. Blake is... suffering from the effects of the mission to Titan. She has... become emotionally worn and mentally unbalanced, in regards to certain people in her life." She glanced at Zane before continuing. "She's... Dr. Blake's suffered ENPTSD- Emotionally Nuerological Post Traumatic Stress Disorder."
"Which is...?" Jack asked slowly, raising his eyebrows. The psychiatrist glanced to him.
"Coming back after four years away, and seeing all the changes that have gone on in those four years- particularly with you two-" She said, motioning to Jo and Jack. "Has caused Allison to have a... mental breakdown of sorts."
"'Of sorts'? How do you have a mental breakdown 'of sorts'?" Jo demanded, crossing her arms. She didn't believe a word the woman was saying, and was starting to think that Allison had planned the whole thing to get at Jack.
"Dr. Blake sees you being with Jo as the life she should have, Mr. Carter. The life she would have, had she not been caught on the mission. Jo, essentially, is the one who took away all of Allison's hopes for a happy future with you and Jenna."
Jack grabbed Jo's arm as she stepped forward to slap the woman. He whispered to her softly, calming her.
"Go on." Grace said. Zane glanced at Jo, who reached down and laid a hand on her stomach. The doctor nodded, continuing.
"She appears to be living in some sort of fantasy; in her mind, you and Jo aren't together, and the two of you- you and Allison, Mr. Carter- are... living the life she should have had; a marriage, a family. She's starting to cross reality with fantasy, and is unable to distinguish from the two."
"So it's a form of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder that only targets the brain." Jo said, putting the pieces into place.
"Yes." The new bride nodded.
"What about her relationship with Zane?" She asked softly. She cradled her stomach, an attempt to protect the child growing within from the psyhiatrist's words. Zane watched her closely, taking note of her body language and facial expressions, noticing the way her hands almost seemed to cradle her middle. He shook his head. It couldn't be...
His head snapped up when the psychiatrist mentioned him.
"Right now, it appears that Allison is happy with Mr. Donovan. If they are happy, let them be and maybe he will be able to help her get through this. ENPTSD can be managed if the person has someone around them that keeps them calm. As long as she stays away from you and has no contact with any of you- Kevin, Jenna, both of you-, she should be able to get this under control."
"And the reality? The fantasy?" Jack asked.
"It will always be with her, because the mission will always be with her. But as long as she remains calm and relaxed, she won't have any problems with it acting up again, and she'll be able to see reality for what it really is. It will take time, but eventually, she will get better."
Jack pulled his wife into his arms, holding her close.
"I'm going to keep her overnight for seventy-two hours observation. I'm sorry I had to call you all out here. And congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Carter."
They thanked her before leaving. Zane hung back, watching the happy couple. Stopping in the doorway, Jack leaned close and kissed Jo sweetly on the lips, as the sun lit them from behind. He clenched his fists, wanting so much to strangle them both, but if he did, he knew he'd be where Allison was now. And that was the last thing the two of them needed.