CHAPTER 71:
Nikki, Brie and Bryan arrived at the hospital a short time later. The two were prancing around the waiting room when a doctor came out. "This is absurd" said Brie. "We've been waiting for nearly 3 hours". "I'm sure someone will be out soon" said Bryan. A few seconds after that a woman approached them. "Hello I am Dr. Elaina Stewart" said Dr. Stewart. "Hi doctor is my sister going to be ok?" asked Brie. "Yes" said Dr. Stewart". "Your sister's hand is going to be just fine. It's fractured and we had to give her 9 stitches but she should heal wonderfully, as well as her baby but the thing I'm worried most about is her mental health".
"Baby? What baby?" Brie asked. "My sister's not pregnant". "Well according to her test results here on my chart she is" said Dr. Stewart. "She's already 6 weeks along". "Oh my God!" said Brie. "That's the thing she wouldn't tell me". "You mentioned something about her…mental health" said Bryan. "Yes Mr. Danielson, I am concerned for her wellbeing and I'm asking for your permission to place her in a 51/50 hold" said Dr. Stewart.
"Wait my sister's not suicidal" said Brie. "Mrs. Danielson your sister Stephanie N. Garcia has been complaining of hallucinations and hearing things for the past several months not to mention she just drove her hand through your bathroom mirror on the notion of just finding out that her fiancé cheated on her and that there is a pregnancy now involved in her life as well and she isn't so sure of who the father is, it's a pretty safe determination and in my professional medical opinion that she should be held for the next 72 hours under observation just to be on the safe side" said Dr. Stewart.
"Oh my God" said Brie. "I can't….believe that she's going through this". "Is she going to be alright?" asked Bryan. "Well what is it that she has?" asked Brie. "Ms. Garcia has what's called Delusional Disorder-a variation of the mental disorder Psychosis" said Dr. Stewart. "How in the world was that even caused?" asked Brie. "Well it can be genetic, or occur via physical injury" said Dr. Stewart. "You mean a brain injury?" Brie asked sadly. "Yes" said Dr. Stewart. "And according to our MRI results of Ms. Garcia that seems to be the case".
"But like I said earlier, is she going to be alright?" Bryan asked. "That we will be able to tell in time" said Dr. Stewart. "Now I'll be needing your signature". "She isn't restrained or anything?" asked Brie. "No she's completely cooperating with us" said Dr. Stewart. "When can we see her?" asked Brie. "She's up on the 7th floor in the psych ward" said Dr. Stewart. "In room 742B". "This…can't be happening" said Brie. "I'm sorry Mrs. Danielson" said Dr. Stewart. "But I really need your signatures in order to continue treatment on your sister.
Brie and Bryan both quickly signed the consent forms, still in a daze about what was happening.
"You may see her, but only one person at a time" said Dr. Stewart. "I guess that'll be me" said Brie. "I'm sorry" said Dr. Stewart. "But given that you and your sister are identical twins, I'm afraid that I'll have to ask one of my staff members to assist you". "You think that she'll flee or something?" asked Brie. "It's just an extra safety precaution" said Dr. Stewart. "Very well" said Brie as the doctor lead the two upstairs. Bryan sat in the nearby waiting room as a nurse entered in with Brie into Nikki's room.
Nikki sat emotionless on her bed hooked up to a nasal cannula and I.V line when her sister walked up to her. "Oh my God Nicole" she said tearfully. "You nearly scared us half to death". Nikki remained silent. "Nicole, damn it you better say something to me right now!" said Brie. "Please just tell me why did you do this to yourself?" Nikki of course remained silent, causing Brie to let out a huge sigh. "Look Nikki everything is going to be alright". Nikki looked up at her sister.
"Do you know what it's like to be seeing things for all these months and no one pay any attention to it?" she said. "Nikki I had no idea that it was this bad" said Brie. "John and I just thought that you weren't getting any sleep. I had no idea". "I know" said Nikki. "And now I'm crazy". "You are not crazy Nikki you are sick!" said Brie. "And you have got to get yourself better and woman up to John and Joe and tell them the truth". "Truth? Why would I ever go and tell them the truth?" asked Nikki. "So what I can be called a hypocrite for dogging on John and AJ?"
"So that your soul can finally be able to heal" said Brie. "I don't need any healing Brie" said Nikki. "Look Nicole be as it may you're still pregnant with somebody's child and now you owe it to yourself and their father-whoever that may be and just tell them the truth" said Brie. "You don't understand" said Nikki. "There isn't going to be a baby". Brie was left taken aback as she gave a horrified look at Nikki. She then quickly looked up at the nurse and then back down to her sister.
"What…do you mean there isn't going to be a baby?" she asked. Tears began to roll down Nikki's face. "I'm not going to have it" she said. "Nicole…you can't be serious c-can you?" Brie asked. "You can't be seriously thinking about terminating your pregnancy". "It's my choice!" shouted Nikki prompting the nurse to get up. "Ok I think that calls for the end of your visiting period" she said. "No I'm not going anywhere" said Brie. "Very well" said the nurse. "You have 5 more minutes". "Just please Brie hear me out?" said Nikki. "What you're asking me to do is bring a baby into this world where I don't even know who its father is and not to mention I am so close to being able to go back to work".
"Nicole…that's being so selfish" said Brie. "There's paternity testing that can be done". "No…the therapist told me that it was risky" said Nikki. "But what if it's John's?" asked Brie. "What if you're having John's baby and you don't even know it?" "And what if the baby isn't?" said Nikki. "What if the baby is Joe's?" "Well now at least you know how AJ feels" said Brie. Nikki sighed. "Besides John never wanted to really have kids with me anyway" she said. "Well Nicole then I really guess that it's a good thing that you legally can't make that decision for the next 72 hours" said Brie as she stood up. "What are you talking about?" asked Nikki. Brie got closer to her sister.
"You're in what's called a 51/50 hold in which you are legally bound to this hospital for the next 3 days so hopefully in that time you'll be able to get some sense into you" she said. Brie got up to leave when Dr. Stewart entered in. "Please help her" Brie whispered. "Please help my sister". "I'll do my very best" said Dr. Stewart. With that Brie continued out of the hospital room with the tears running down her face.