Chapter 18 - Don't You Want to Help your Brother?

The second day after the holidays Mrs. Black drove Regulus to his psychiatrist appointment. Sirius had taken him he last two times because she had been out of town.

"Ah, Regulus," said Doctor Pfeiffer when the sulking teenager came into his office and demonstratively moved a chair a yard farther away from the psychiatrist before sitting down with crossed arms. "So good to see you," smiled Doctor Pfeiffer and flipped to another piece of paper on his clipboard. "So, how have you been?"

"Fine. How have you been?" mocked Regulus.

"I've been well, thank you," smiled the psychiatrist as if he hadn't caught Regulus' sarcasm. "So… have you practiced like I told you? Letting people get closer and even touch you?"

"How many times have I told you I don't have a problem with people touching me? I just don't like everybody pawing all over me all the bloody time. I'm not some whore at a brothel, and I'm certainly not going to start acting like one just because you want me to."

"Is that the image you have of yourself?" The doctor leaned forward and looked closely at Regulus. "Regulus… Did someone hurt you as a child?"

"W-what?" said Regulus, taken aback. Then he got angry. "No, I bloody well haven't been hurt as a child! How dare you insinuate such a thing?"

"You seem to believe that touching you is always meant as a sexual gesture. Victims of sexual abuse often develop a strained relationship to touch. So I had to ask."

"Well, I've never been abused!" Regulus nearly shouted. "And I don't have a problem with touch! My mother has been lying to you! Why do you listen to her and not me?"

"Well, you just said yourself that you were not a prostitute people could feel up. If that is how you see an innocent touch such as a handshake or a hug, that is plenty proof to me that you do have a problem with touch."

"I'm not afraid of touch! I have a boyfriend and everything." Regulus leaned back and waved a hand. "There you go."

"A boyfriend?" Doctor Pfeiffer looked very surprised. "I see. And does your mother know of this boyfriend? She has not mentioned to me that you were homosexual. Not that there's anything wrong with that."

"No, I haven't told her, because she's a bigot."

The doctor took a few notes. "So do you and your boyfriend touch?"

"You would like to hear such details, would you?" said Regulus with contempt in his voice. "Well, it's none of your business what we do in private!"

"Of course it isn't. I'm not asking for details. I was just wondering if he is allowed to touch you without you seeing it as an assault." When Regulus just gave him a deadpan look, clearly signalling that the subject was closed, the doctor sighed and pulled out a prescription block. "Regulus, I would like for you to try some medication. Even though you say you have no problems, your behaviour tells me otherwise, and I think a bit of medication might help you."

"Medication? No! I'm not taking poison just because you lot don't like my personality!"

"I really think it would be a good idea to try."

"Well, I don't! Are we done now?" said Regulus, getting to his feet.

Doctor Pfeiffer sighed. "Yes, but I would like to have a word with your mother."

"Why?" Regulus suddenly got nervous. "You can't tell her about my boyfriend - she doesn't know I'm gay and she would just hate me even more."

"No, no. I won't tell her about your boyfriend," the doctor assured him. "No, there are a few things I'd like to discuss with her about your treatment."

Regulus pressed his lips together in a thin line. Then he marched out and told his mother that the witch doctor wanted to see her. Probably about joining his order.

"So?" said Mrs. Black as she sat down in front of the psychiatrist. "Is there anything to be done? I must tell you, he has shown no sign of improvement. In fact, he has been acting horribly towards our guests during the holidays. Such an embarrassment."

Doctor Pfeiffer sighed. "Well, he is still unwilling to cooperate with me. He became very angry when I asked if he had experienced sexual abuse in his childhood."

Mrs. Black looked shocked for a second. "Well, I can't see how that could have happened," she said stiffly. "No one has ever been able to get close to him, so I don't see him ever letting anyone get away with such a thing without making a drama."

"What about kindergarten? Pre-school? Is it not possible something could have happened to him there? It could have happened when he was very young. He might not even remember it clearly."

"Well, everything is theoretically possible, I suppose," said Mrs. Black, not seeming very affected. "Although I highly doubt it. But let's say just for the sake of argument that something did happen, then what would there be to do about it?"

"If something did happen, it is very important that he gets proper help and understanding. It is very traumatising for a child to experience sexual abuse."

"Well, it's your job to figure out what's wrong with the boy, and how he can be fixed," she said, folding her hands in her lap.

Doctor Pfeiffer fixed her with a grave expression. "You don't seem very worried. Most parents would get very upset at the mere suspicion of their children having been exposed to abuse."

"What would you have me do?" scoffed Mrs. Black. "Track down his old teachers and question them? And as I said: I seriously doubt he has been exposed to something. "

The doctor took a deep breath, composing himself. "Your son needs some affection and understanding. Demanding that he get better will not help his condition. Whatever the cause is."

"Well, he doesn't want affection."

"Have you tried giving him any?"

Mrs. Black glared at him. "Of course I have! I'm a good mother! I have given him everything and never got anything in return but trouble. And you should remember who's paying your bills!"

Doctor Pfeiffer sighed. Then he pulled out his prescription pad. "I will give you a prescription for some anti-depressants, and hopefully you will be able to talk him into taking them."

"Anti-depressants? But he is not depressed."

"They work on anxiety disorders too."

Mrs. Black stared at him in disbelief. "If there's a pill that can fix him, then why in the name of Jesus have you not just put him on that from the start?"

Doctor Pfeiffer took off his glasses. "Medication does not 'fix' him alone. He needs therapy as well, but anti-depressants can help reduce his anxiety and obsessions."

o0o0o

Mrs. Black did not speak to her son until they were well on their way home. "The doctor gave me a prescription for some pills for you. I know you're going to refuse, but believe me, you're going to take them."

"I already told him no! What's he giving you the pills for? I'm not going to take them! Ever!"

"You will take them even if it means I have to stuff them down your throat!" hissed Mrs. Black, shooting him a stern look. "I have had it with your behaviour!"

"Well, you might as well forget it. I'm not taking the pills, and that's that," said Regulus, folding his arms across his chest. "I will bite off your fingers if you try to force them down my throat."

Mrs. Black looked like she had bit into a lemon. "You will and that is final!" She stopped for a red light and tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. "He should have given us those pills from the start instead of being so judgemental. He even had the nerve to suggest that you had been abused. No, you haven't. You're just a spoiled brat."

"I HAVEN'T!" yelled Regulus, feeling very uncomfortable that the doctor had shared that theory with his mother. "And even if I had, you wouldn't care about it, other than worrying about the embarrassment if anyone should find out!"

"Are you saying it did happen?" said Mrs. Black and turned her head to look at him. "Because if it did, then you need to tell me!"

"NO! I'm saying that if it did, why should I tell you? You wouldn't care, anyway!"

"That's not true! I would sue that kindergarten or pre-school."

"And you think suing them would make me feel any better? It would make you feel better and that's all you care about! You never cared about me or Sirius. You and Father both."

"Shut your mouth!" spat Mrs. Black. "We would care a whole lot more about you two if you behaved instead of acting like spoiled brats! Sirius, at least, is useful when it comes to the company, but you're completely useless!"

"Suits me fine!" said Regulus sticking out his jaw and looked out the window, trying to convince himself that her last comment didn't hurt as much as it did, even though he already knew this was how they felt about him.

o0o0o

Regulus passed Sirius on his hasty ascent up the stairs. "You okay there, Reggie?" Sirius asked, a little concerned, noticing how upset his brother looked.

"Fine!" said Regulus, not stopping to talk but storming into his room and locking the door.

Sirius decided to go downstairs and talk to his mother. "What did you say to Regulus?" he asked, strongly suspecting that she was the reason for Regulus' bad mood.

"Nothing. He's just offended as usual about being taken to Doctor Pfeiffer. By the way - he gave me a prescription for your brother. Hopefully it will fix that head of his."

"There's nothing wrong with his head. And you know he won't take medication. He believes it poisons his body. What are you going to do? Make him take it?"

Mrs. Black laughed dryly. "Nothing wrong with his head? Poisons his body!" She snorted. "What a load of nonsense. Medicine is not poison - it cures illness. He is not right in the head and you know it, Sirius. Stop defending him every time I say something about him. He has to take this medicine, and I'm counting on you to convince him to take it."

"Me?" said Sirius, looking surprised. "Why do I have to do it? I like being on his good side."

"He needs to take that medicine because Doctor Pfeiffer thinks so, and he's the expert. Now, don't you want to help your brother?"

Sirius looked at his mother and bit his lip. He did want to help Regulus, and if medication could lessen his anxiety, then Sirius was all for it. There was just the small matter that he knew Regulus would never willingly take the medication. "Alright... I'll ask him, but that's all I'm going to do. I won't pressure him."

o0o0o

Regulus came down to the dinner table that evening to find a pill lying on his empty plate. He sat down and looked at it. "Am I to interpret this as I'm going to take that before I get any food?"

"You're an intelligent boy," said Mrs. Black, pouring herself a glass of merlot.

"Looks like I'm going to bed hungry, then."

Sirius looked at his brother and sighed. "Why don't you just eat the stupid pill and get it over with?"

"No," said Regulus blankly. "I am not polluting my body with chemicals just because you think I'm crazy."

"It's against anxiety, not against crazy," said Sirius. "It will help you relax more and not be so scared of everything."

"They bribed you to be on their side, I see. What did they promise you? A Rolex? Another car?"

Sirius was a little hurt by Regulus' words. "Nothing. I just want you to get better and not be so bloody afraid all the time."

"Well, I'm afraid of poisoning my body with pills, so how is that helping me be less anxious?"

"You're eating that pill and that's final!" said Mr. Black, hammering a hand in the table. "You're not anxious - you're just being difficult because you enjoy giving your mother and me grief."

In an instant Mrs. Black had left her seat and rushed over beside Regulus. She grabbed him by the jaw and forced his mouth open. "Eat it!"

"Mother!" exclaimed Sirius and jumped to his feet.

"NO!" screamed Regulus and jerked away from his mother's grip, at the same time knocking the pill out of her hand.

She gripped him by the shoulders and pushed him down in his seat. She was a surprisingly strong woman. "Orion! Help me hold him down!"

Mr. Black got up from his seat and went to help his wife but Sirius reached her first and pushed her away from Regulus. "Leave him the hell alone! You're the ones who are mental! This is abuse!"

"Stay out of this!" roared Orion. "This is OUR son and it's not your business how we treat him!"

"He is MY brother!" shouted Sirius, stepping in front of Regulus to shield him. "Now leave him alone!"

"Don't you dare give me orders!" shouted Orion, his face going crimson.

Regulus used the opportunity to escape and bolted out of door. Then he was up the stairs and ran for his room where he locked his door and put the chain on he had installed himself.

Sirius backed away from his parents and tried to calm himself. It would do Regulus no good to escalate the situation any further, although it was hard not to begin a fight with them after what he had just witnessed.

Mrs. Black sat back down. "Well, then he will go to bed hungry. Maybe that'll teach him," she said. "And YOU!" She pointed at Sirius. "Stop defending him or he will never get better!"

"He won't get better with you abusing him, either!" said Sirius and sat down as well.

"You lay your hands on your mother again and you will be sorry," said Orion, his gaze piercing Sirius.

"You try to force another pill down Regulus' throat and you'll be sorry!" spat Sirius, returning the gaze.

Orion stood up slowly. "You just remember that you live here on our hospitality. You are of age and we can kick you out the moment we see fit."

"And what would happen to your precious company if you kicked me out?" asked Sirius but got slightly nervous. He didn't want to leave Regulus behind, or he had left ages ago.

"If you keep acting up like this you're not fit to take over the company anyway. So the choice is yours: Stay here and behave, or you're on your own."

o0o0o

Mrs. Black came into the kitchen early the next morning to find Mrs. Harris.

"Regulus got these pills from his psychiatrist, but he's being impossible as usual, refusing to even consider taking them. So I would like you to sneak them into his breakfast. Crush them or whatever, but make sure he gets them," she said and held out the package of pills for Mrs. Harris. "One each morning."

Mrs. Harris looked at the package and then at Mrs. Black. "He would never trust me again if he found out I did this. This is your battle, not mine. I suggest you sit down and talk to him like the mother you're supposed to be, instead of making me sneak drugs into the poor lad."

"Excuse me? Are you accusing me of being a bad mother?"

"I personally wouldn't hide pills in my children's food. I just thought it would be better to get him to take them willingly."

"Don't you think we have tried that? Even Sirius. But Regulus refuses, the blasted boy. And he's not a "poor lad" – he's a spoiled brat who's being difficult in order to get attention!"

Mrs. Harris clenched her teeth for a minute to prevent herself from giving Mrs. Black a piece of her mind so candidly that her job would be in danger. She couldn't risk that happening. The boys needed her – especially Regulus.

"So we agree?" asked Mrs. Black, holding out the pills again.

Mrs. Harris took the small package. "I'll ask him to take them but I won't put them in his food."

o0o0o

Regulus went downstairs for breakfast as soon as his parents left the house. He pinned Mrs. Harris' with his gaze as he sat down at the kitchen table. "Can I eat your food and drink the tea, or have they corrupted you?"

"You can eat it, luv," said Mrs. Harris. "I would never abuse your trust, although they did ask me to do so. But I'm going to say this -" She looked at him. "I think you should consider trying the pills. See if they might actually help you. But I won't trick you into taking them so you need not worry about eating my food."

He looked her in the eye for a long moment, testing her honesty. "Okay. But I am not taking them, and if I suspect something I would rather starve.

She placed a plate of eggs, beans and toast across from Regulus. "Where is your brother? He will be late if he doesn't get his bum down for breakfast."

"It wouldn't be a first," mumbled Regulus. "But I heard the water running so he's probably in the shower."

A/N: To see Zayhad's illustration to the chapter go to deviantart dot com and look up Zayhad. She has a folder in her gallery with the story's name on it.