At Jade's house 45 minutes later
"hi Mittens" says Isabella in a high voice as Mittens runs right over to her and climbs her legs to get to her
"wow she really likes you, she never climbs anyone but Cat" says Jade as Isabella holds Mittens
"I wore these pants for a reason, that's why I'm late, the thing about Mittens is she's a runt, her previous owners as in her original owners were unsure if she was going to survive and they didn't have the money to nurse her to health so I convinced mom to buy her for Cat, the moment she saw Cat everything changed for both of them, Mittens started eating and Cat's anxiety issues near went away" says Isabella
"are these your girlfriends" asks Cat
"this is Bella and Francine and yes they're my girlfriends, they may look scary but once you get to know them they're quite the softies" says Isabella
"why keep the fact that you're Cat's older sister a secret from us" asks Jade
"I'm not the one keeping secrets Jade, I bet you didn't know her brother's name is Sam either, those she treasures most she keeps them secret" says Isabella
"I didn't want you guys to know she was my sister, I didn't want you to think I was getting a deal with this treatment because my sister pulled a favor, her boss is just really generous in helping people with rare conditions, I especially did not want you to know Jade because I know you get confrontational with people you think are using me for a promotion, the doctor that got me out of that safety room back when I went missing for a few days, the one where I talked about feet and chicken grease or whatever, Isabella was the doctor that got me out, in many ways I do deserve to be locked away, my brain doesn't work like other people's do, my train of thought takes many detours and it tends to make people think I'm nuts, there are secrets I just don't want to talk about" says Cat
"Alexis is dating Sam Cat, something is bothering him and it worries her, I need to know what you know because she wants him to get a medical weed card and the process for someone like him will make him possibly hurt nurses tasked with monitoring him, I need to know if there's something bothering him enough to wake her up screaming in the middle of the night" says Isabella as Cat sighs
"he wants kids Izzy, he knows that his mental health problems will make doctors do something to prevent it at all costs if they knew, he knows they'd be at risk of similar mental health problems as he or I have to deal with but he wants kids all the same, the pain in knowing Alexis wants kids too and that Doctors would stop their dreams from coming true, it tears at him, it makes him sad and gives him nightmares, I've never seen him this happy, meeting Alexis changed his life, weed would help him, he just thinks no doctor thinks he can be helped" says Cat
"would he attack doctors or nurses tasked in helping him get a card, it wouldn't be allowed to be me or Alexis, he doesn't get along with me anyway" says Isabella
"so long as it's a set list of doctors or nurses and he gets a list that he can reference, he won't attack them, no men though, not in direct contact with him, there are times he doesn't remember you're his twin sister, in those times he refers to you as Alexis's sex able friend, it's disturbing, he fights with you to try and reinforce in his brain his romantic disinterest in you and that you're his twin, you staying at the ranch house most of the time to spend time with Siena didn't help growing up" says Cat
"so some part of his brain wants to have sex with me, that's disturbing" asks Isabella
"it waivers, sometimes I could easily pull him back to reality with treats, others I have to lock him in his room, honestly more interaction with you is better than less, especially if he's going to be tested to see if he's eligible, someone he's familiar with will help keep him calm" says Cat taking Mittens from Isabella
"I'm slightly uncomfortable with that idea knowing some part of him wants to have sex with me" says Isabella
"the last time he smoked weed it wasn't a factor, it was the most stable I'd ever seen him, he even acknowledged that he had problems he needed help with, including mixed understanding about you, though my advice would be to test edibles on him if possible, smoking was hard on him, he enjoyed how normal he felt but he kept coughing, which is what set mom and dad off to the fact that he was smoking" says Cat
"did it have any particular smell to it, we'll want to test the right strain on him, otherwise my boss will be testing different ones for the first week and will extend his stay otherwise" says Isabella
"strawberries or lemons, I can't remember but I looked it up, both can help with his symptoms so it doesn't really matter which one is used" says Cat
"there is some research saying that blueberry scented strains can help with the condition you have Cat, Tori as well obviously" says Francine
"how would you know" asks Cat
"I do that kind of research, I'm in alternative medicine, I'll be the one Izzy's boss refers to for Sam's treatment regardless of hospital regulation on family and friends of patients having a say in treatment, I'm the best in my field in the area, the next person they could call is in Seattle and he doesn't work with high up's in a hospital structure, he likes having as close access to patients for his research as possible, I on the other hand only care about getting updates on a patient's status, ironically I'm also the person for the greater LA area that the state goes to for my opinion on eligibility regardless of whether I'm party to a patients treatment program or not, me having first hand knowledge of how a person is reacting to treatment will actually help Sam get his medical card if the weed actually helps" says Francine
"it does if it's the right one" says Cat
"may I ask what concentration it was at if you know" says Francine
"I think it was like twenty six percent or something, I know it was more than twenty-five percent but an exact number above that I can't be certain I was having a hard enough time focusing on homework at the time, the awesome smell didn't exactly help me focus, it did calm me down though" says Cat grabbing a glass of juice
"is that strawberry wine I see" asks Bella
"Cat had Miley pick some up, something about it being your favorite" says Jade
"it's beyond my favorite, if i could marry that wine I would, I've always loved strawberry flavored things but THAT brand and flavor is mega expensive I'm talking over a hundred dollars and is rarely ever in stock, California gets shipments then stores sell out the week after and then it takes months to get more, in the last year I've only ever gotten to get one and even then I had to bargain with a woman, giving her triple its price just to get it, how'd you get some" says Bella
"it happens to be Cat's favorite too, when we buy wine it's the brand we get and we'd have a mini date night in my old apartment, it wasn't easy having the only job I could get besides a record deal, Andre went viral and got a record deal and despite me helping out with ninety percent of his songs he didn't pull a favor to get me a deal, I had to work at a music store that sells his music and plays it basically non-stop, Cat may miss talking to the boys but I don't, I don't care how miserable he's making Sadie, she married him, honestly I had an on and off again crush on him back at Hollywood arts but he's turned into such an entitled jerk, Robbie might be redeemable but Andre absolutely is not, Beck is maybe redeemable but that's hard to figure out, his German girlfriend keeps a pretty tight leash on him" says Tori
"sounds familiar" says Jade chuckling at the memories
"no, worse than you were Jade, when they go to parties where women might be present she puts a literal leash on him so he can't get away, he's pretty miserable, to redeem him in my mind he'd have to make an effort to leave her" says Tori as she cuts cake and sets plates out
"why do I feel like I know her" asks Jade trying not to get angry
"you know who I'm talking about Jade" says Tori
"oh awesome, she's wanted by the German government for hacking into their banking system and stealing millions of dollars as well as kidnapping a few young girls, I can make a call, don't let my absence ruin the mood girls, enjoy the cake and wine" says Jade heading to her office
"is there something about Jade we don't know, she paid back my boss in full and then some without a word as to why she paid extra, my boss is worried about losing his job because the hospital considers anything over what the bill says as a top and they don't like that" says Isabella
"all I can say is she's internationally connected, the girls Beck's girlfriend kidnapped two years ago are in that psych ward of yours after being rescued from a sex trafficking ring that the LAPD forced out of LA, let's just say Jade being at the hospital today was more than coincidence because of Cat and I getting treatment, it was an excuse to visit them to make sure they're safe, they can't be returned home until the ring leader from Europe is caught, they knew it was a woman with an LA connection but not who" says Tori
"the only person allowed to meet or talk with them is Agent Gank, so far they'd only contacted them by mail or call, they haven't visited the girls" says Isabella as Jade returns
"my identity was to remain secret, had the hospital known Agent Gank was me, I'd have been swarmed, as much as I enjoy the attention, this was never about attention or credit for saving lives, it was about using my money and influence to save lives anonymously, luckily Emmeline will now be arrested and Beck will be given the opportunity to be free, the crimes are her and her dad's crimes not Beck's, he's not of any interest to Interpol, though he may have been leaking information about when drops were being made and where it can't be certain if it was him, if he chooses freedom he'll need therapy" says Jade
"my ranch is open to his therapy needs if he needs it or wants it" says Miley
"it's unlikely that he'll want it and I'm not sure he wants to be around horses, though how unlike Tori believes that Andre is unredeemable, I know he is, it's a simple solution actually" says Jade
"and you're suggesting I sleep with him right, back to the old Jade schemes" asks Tori
"God no, even if it was he'd never accept the offer, back at Hollywood arts sure but not now, as tense as things are between him and Sadie he married her for a reason" says Jade
"but he's different now, he's gone mad, he expects everyone to bow to him as a lyrical genius even though his best work is from high school, his music hasn't been good for years" says Tori
"do you really think his music is bad by accident Tori, as a singer you know you won't release music below your usual standard unless you have a good reason, as a singer Andre knows this too, I guarantee you it's not a coincidence his music has been terrible lately" says Miley
"do you know something I don't" asks Tori
"label owners tend to speak to one another, they're not pleased that I won't abide by the blacklist and keep Cat off the label but they still talk to me, they're accusing Andre of tanking his career for you" says Miley
"he thinks Cat stole me from him, he refuses to understand that Cat got to me first, had he had the nerve to ask me out I'd be with him instead of Cat, Cat didn't steal me from anyone, she just got to me first, I can't trust him so long as he hates Cat" says Tori
"I have a meeting with Robbie tomorrow, I can set up a meeting with Andre as well, I can't have an anxiety ruining cuddle time" says Jade
"what's cuddle time" asks Isabella, unaware if it's a code word or not
"it's what Cat calls sexy time, especially in public, despite acting her age especially in public, her height makes people think she's a teenager still, people always think she's younger than she is, she's grown tired of proving person after person wrong so she uses phrases like 'I'm in a cuddly mood' or 'I'm feeling cuddly' if were in public and dilly dallying its her way of getting us out of the public space when she's in the mood" says Tori
"ok that's fair but why cuddling as the code word in particular and not snuggling" asks Bella
"because that's how it started when it was just her and I, first it was cuddling, then cuddling naked, then cuddles and make outs naked, cuddling has always been a part of our relationship in bed, whether we're in the mood or not, cuddling is the core of our relationship, being in a polyamorous relationship doesn't change that, sure the number of people involved has changed but that just means she has more people to direct the cuddle mood towards, she spends one night focused on one of us, last night Lilly was her focus, the night before she was the focus because she really needed it, tonight is Jade's night, Miley helped Cat plan everything" says Tori
"so there's a time limit for this party and us mingling" asks Francine
"two and a half hours, Izzy has to stay for the full three required by her boss but you guys can always chill in the backyard over night, Jade legally owns the strip of beach the width of her property to the water thanks to an agreement she made with the city about keeping it and a specific stretch of the beach clean" says Tori
"that would be amazing actually, it's quicker to get to work from here, especially for Izzy, we live in Malibu, Francine can work anywhere and I work at the pier on the Roller coaster and Ferris Wheel, does the backyard have a fence, I didn't see one, I'm kind of paranoid about people spying on us" says Bella
"it has a pop up fence, Lexie and her girlfriend like to use my pool after work, it pops up and locks into place after about six at night, it's scared Cat twice, it also has a door, I just need to put your names in the system so it will let you out if you chose to lay on the beach, otherwise you have to go the long way back through the house" says Jade adding Bella, Isabella and Francine to the security system 'allowed guests' list as the fence pops up with bang and Cat jumps
"that was loud, was that the fence, because I'd want a quieter design if that's the fence" says Isabella worried about Cat's anxiety levels
"it's the relay that makes the noise, the fence itself is silent when it comes up and locks in place, admittedly it is loud but it's what locks the fence in place and connects it to my security system, if you can find one that's quieter go ahead and get an electrician in here and replace it, I've been looking for one ever since I got it installed, they're all multi thousands of dollars, I may be rich but I'm not spending thousands of dollars for a single part, I have charities that depend on my donations every month, I can't just say no one month because I need a part replaced on my super custom ordered night security fence, I got this house in a bankruptcy sale as it is and I've spent a ton of money fixing it up as it is" says Jade
"then maybe a set of sound deadening headphones for Cat would be a good idea when she's this close to it, the noise scares her and spikes her heartbeat, the dose itself may be over but it takes a few days to fully work, her heartrate will flutter quite easily to loud noises like that, especially if she's not expecting it to be so loud" says Isabella
"so you only commented on it because it affects her and you're acting in the position of her doctor on this" asks Jade curious as to the true intentions of Isabella on this matter
"on that specific condition I have ALWAYS been her doctor, even if I wasn't the doctor treating her, all but her current doctor have consulted with me about her health, which is why she's gotten this far without locking herself in her room for eternity, I may be her sister but I'm her doctor first" says Isabella
"wait is it just loud noise or will sex be a problem, she's not exactly quiet" asks Miley
"loud noises like the rely cause heart rate spikes, arousal and sex do not, not in the same way, sex would result in a steady and consistent heartrate even if elevated, its sudden spikes that are the problem, essentially the Arcade will be fine but avoid most of the pier rides, the Ferris Wheel is fine though" says Isabella
"how long till she can do more things, I'd hate to keep her in this house or either our bedroom here or our bedroom at Miley's, not for an extended period of time" says Jade
"a few days, she should be fine by Friday, the pool is also fine as is the beach so it's not like there's nothing to do around here, though if you go on the Ferris Wheel get Cat wearing noise muffling headphones, it doesn't really matter what kind, so long as most of the sound is cut out, if she can barely hear your blender she'll be fine to go on any of the calm rides" says Isabella
"is this a recurring treatment or a one off" asks Miley
"once a year, possibly twice a year depending on how well Cat takes to it but it will only be quick booster doses and a quick physical exam, and a few days of low activity then she'll be back to normal" says Isabella
"is a mall trip out of the question, I'm talking to Robbie, I assume you know the situation, I'm hoping to fix things, he works next to two stuffed animal stores and the build a moose or bear" says Jade
"I've actually spoken to Gabriella about it, she may not trust Cat around Robbie because she's quite insecure in that marriage and feels Robbie would leave her for Cat if they started talking again but she's been against the restraining order from the beginning, she said after Tori asked Cat out because of the admirer letter he got the restraining order, telling Gabriella that Cat couldn't be trusted, something about not telling him she's bisexual and feeling like if she could omit that from him then he couldn't say what else he doesn't know about her" says Isabella
"you don't think I can convince him otherwise do you, the way you worded that was like a warning to back off, something I'm quite well versed in" says Jade
"I'm saying be careful around him, he's not the pushover you knew, he's the manager of that tech store now and he has power he's never been trusted before, Gabriella's almost left him twice because he was power tripping because of it" says Isabella
"I can deal with Robbie, he already knows the topic of discussion, he wasn't happy about it but he's willing to talk if it helps lower the temperature between all of us, I feel like he could lose Gabriella real soon, he's been really good for her despite the power trips, I'd certainly prefer they stay together, Robbie's definitely a better option than Sinjin or Burf, given they're both in jail for the next decade, Burf only for being an accomplice to Sinjin's crimes but still, honestly it's our fault for making him feel powerless, same for me making Cat feel powerless, his current situation is our fault, we fed the bear now we have to fix the mess we made" says Jade as everyone begins eating and drinking beverages
"are you sure you can handle Robbie" asks Cat
"the worst outcome is he ends up in the hospital with a broken hand, otherwise I have no intention of hurting him or making things worse, you know I'm not the evil person I looked like back then and I'm fully capable of working things out, besides like I said it sounded like Robbie was getting tired if all this anger and stress he's feeling so I doubt the conversation will be confrontational" says Jade
"ok, everyone wish Mittens a happy birthday so she can eat her special dinner" says Cat as everyone sings happy birthday to Mittens
3 minutes later
"ahh you made her that meal, I wasn't sure you remembered the recipe I taught you, she seems to love it more now than ever" says Isabella
"it involves baking, I rarely forget a recipe, especially not one you taught me, I always cherished those moments" says Cat
The next day at the mall with Jade and Robbie
"how's Cat doing" asks Robbie as he approaches Jade
"admittedly she's been better, you should know you had a real chance at her being your girlfriend back at Hollywood arts, unfortunately your caring personality threw her off" says Jade
"what I'm not allowed to care about her" asks Robbie defensively
"you cared almost too much, she's always been jumpy, you know that, now you care almost too little, the restraining order stops her from getting new stuffed animals and she does miss talking to you and Andre, Beck not so much" says Jade
"wait why would she need new stuffed animals, she had a ton last I checked" asks Robbie
"a year after graduating the roof of her parents house sprung a bad leak during that bad storm while she was visiting Tori at her apartment over that first weekend, she lost most of them, including the purple giraffe that talked, you know, the one she said 'said' inappropriate things, she lost her favorite blanket, her favorite pillows, even her favorite rug for under her bed, thousands of dollars in lost items, all unable to be replaced because of two things, one her parents insurance wouldn't pay for it and another, some of the stuffies she lost were limited editions, one was a run of ten, her parents bid five grand to get it for her, the only store that sells her rug is the one close to your store, the only store that sells the stuffed animals she likes is next to the store you work at, she hasn't been to the mall since graduation because she doesn't know when you work and would be in violation of the restraining order if she entered any of the stores around where you work, it's been miserable for her, you need to cancel the restraining order" says Jade
"I'll call my lawyer tonight and have him start the work to cancel it, Gabriella's divorcing me, I assume you're happy I'm about to lose my wife and daughters" says Robbie
"you really should have seen that coming though, you're acting like the old you, the 'get dirt on anyone you that we hated back then, Gabriella rented a hotel room with her siblings to keep away from that version of you, also she's pregnant with your second daughter and you're treating her like a maid, making her do everything for you, she's four months pregnant, pregnant women have to do less to conserve energy and they need to essentially eat for two people, Gabriella can't do anything her doctor tells her to do with you ordering her around, you have a wife, one kid and one on the way, you have responsibilities to keep them safe and happy, you turned away from evil once Robbie, you can do it again" says Jade
"evil" asks Robbie
"you posted images of Tori's armpits to the slap newspaper and website, you made fun of Cat, you made me look conceited, you turned tons of people against you, all for fame and power, you're alienating Gabriella because you got a promotion to lead manager at the tech store you work at, you have power over people again and you've let it get to your head instead of treating your wife and daughter like human beings, you CAN be a good father, you CAN be a good husband, you've been choosing not to" says Jade
"even if I do become a good husband and father again, I don't think it will make any difference now, I've already been given the divorce papers" says Robbie
"this morning I told her to give you one more chance if I could get through to you, I'm the one paying for her lawyer to begin with, so long as I withhold that finalization payment to her lawyer he won't sign off on the divorce, she's skeptical that I could get through to you but she's willing to give you one more chance" says Jade
"she's worried I'd leave her for Cat if we start talking again, it's one of the reasons in the paperwork that she wants the divorce" says Robbie
"trust me it's not Cat she has a problem with, she talks to Cat frequently, your desire for power over others and the corner of the bedroom you share with Gabriella room you have dedicated to Cat is what has Gabriella worried, she's worried that you've lost love for her and are perusing Cat, you need to prove to her that you still very much love Gabriella and won't make a move on Cat" says Jade
"I don't know how, I proposed to her with a candy ring, the wedding completely drained our bank accounts, we still haven't recovered, Cassie needs medication, she's autistic and can't focus to save her life though I'm not entirely certain the two are linked, I think it's a memory problem but it doesn't matter what it is because we can't afford a diagnostic appointment let alone the medication she'll need, we can barely afford food and gas as it is, the only reason we're letting this pregnancy go through is because Gabriella's always wanted two kids and the only thing Cassie gets excited about and can remember in good detail is that she's going to be a big sister" says Robbie
"I can help you if you quit your job, I'm looking to buy a new beachfront house but in Malibu but I need a tech support guy, I'm willing to pay well" says Jade
"how well is that exactly" asks Robbie
"well enough to live rather comfortably, you'll be able to buy a home and pay the mortgage on time, Cat will also be needing technical support, Hannah records signed her and Tori as a duo this morning and they're releasing an album next week, they're going to be doing live stream concerts and will need someone to moderate the live streams, you won't have to be on site physically, so long as the website has controls on Cat and Tori's end to end the stream or start it, you could be a stay at home dad and live comfortably, Gabriella would also get work, mostly gardening or food prep as that's what Cat says her dream jobs would be, I would also partially cover all of your kids medical bills however your own medical bills are up to you to pay" says Jade
"how soon can I start" asks Robbie
"put your two weeks in first, you can start after that but there will be conditions for your employment, the big one is that you respect Cat's polyamorous relationship, one that I'm a part of" says Jade
"is she happy, I don't agree with polyamory but all that matters to me is that she's happy" says Robbie
"Cat's hypersexual, Tori was getting exhausted in bed with Cat because it takes awhile to finish the whole sex thing with her, had they continued as a monogamous relationship, Tori would be in and out of the hospital both dehydrated and exhausted, her current situation requires more than one person, currently including Cat there are five of us but it's not guaranteed to stay that was, it could end up just being Tori and Cat and I living at my houses and yes she's happy, I've already hired Gabriella as of an hour ago, she's currently at the hospital getting a much needed checkup, Cassie is also getting a checkup by Doctor Valentine in the psych ward for an examination and pre-diagnostic tests" says Jade
"wait Doctor Valentine as in Isabella Valentine, Cat's sister" asks Robbie
"yeah, she's one of the best in her field, she gets paid top dollar, in Cassie's case she's only asking for a quarter of her normal charge for the initial tests, though the tests she's considering get fairly expensive, is Cassie's doctor being Cat's big sister a problem" says Jade
"I have no problem with Isabella, Cat hasn't mentioned her in a long time, I was under the assumption that they had beef with one another, for the same reason she never says her brother's name, Isabella is an amazing doctor and is actually the doctor Gabriella was hoping to get Cassie in to see when we had enough money, Isabella might be expensive to see but she's worth the money" says Robbie as Jade gets a call from Isabella
"please tell me you're still talking to Robbie right now" says Isabella
"is it good news or bad news, he's here beside me eating lunch, if it's bad news I don't want to tell him" says Jade
"it is good news but it's a mix if bad news too, Cassie needs an expensive treatment, the issue isn't life threatening but it is hurting her mental development" says Isabella
"how expensive" asks Jade as Robbie braces for bad news
"more than they can afford, though Cassie is actually quite smart, especially for a four year old" says Isabella
"ask her if whatever this is, is affecting her ability to focus" says Robbie
"is the issue related to Cassie's focus issues" says Jade
"yes and no, she can't focus because of false pain signals being sent to her brain from her ankles and wrists, the false pain is caused by brain inflammation, luckily we caught it early, though her wrists have damage, not dissimilar to Cat's wrists, I need to do some DNA tests, Gabriella isn't in a position to consent at the moment, a nurse nicked a nerve when placing the iv for fluids to get her weight back up so she's sleeping, I need Robbie's permission to do these tests" says Isabella
"you thinking hypersexual, that's a little early for it to manifest no" says Jade
"it's uncommon but not entirely impossible, the other possibility is she has what Cat has, that's why I need the DNA tests, if she has what Cat and Tori have we can cure it for Cassie, the issue is age, Cat and Tori have had it for too long so no cure is possible but in tests on kids Cassie's age where it was found, the kids could be cured with the same medication, one of the kids is now twenty five with no symptoms, I need Robbie here to sign consent forms, also Cassie is worried that her parents are blaming her for all the problems they've had" says Isabella
"ok one minute, Robbie, do you work today, Isabella needs you to sign consent forms for mediation and a DNA test" says Jade
"I don't work today no, if I'm needed at the hospital to sign anything then let's go, let's show Gabriella she can depend on me" says Robbie quickly finishing his lunch
"we'll be right there Isabella" says Jade as she hangs up
"Gabriella has the car, do you mind driving me, the only words I heard were Gabriella, Cassie and Cat, is there some link besides hyper sexuality that I'm missing here" says Robbie as Jade nods and they head to her car
"Isabella just wants to rule things out, I assume you know about Cat's disorder, the protein thing, well there's evidence stating that Cassie might have it but it's not impossible that Cassie is just hypersexual, Isabella wanted you to know that Cassie is actually quite smart, I don't mind driving you so long as you don't spill your drink in my car, it's fairly new, the only new car I've ever owned, apparently its not good for a well known playwright to drive a beat up car, ironically I got that car because it got me the most miles to the gallon, I'm getting half with this new car than I did that one, even fully loaded, the mileage was amazing" says Jade
"you're not one to budge on that kind of thing, what made you budge, I'll finish my drink now then" says Robbie working on finishing his pop
"a car company offered me an electric car, I told them I'd accept so long as they could source the material for the battery ethically, they provided the proof and I got a new car, though I also have a hybrid that I bought with my own money, which is what we're getting into now, the gas engine part is terrible, no need to gulp down your drink, I don't want to stop at a restaurant to get you to a bathroom before we get to the hospital and I'm not Beck, I don't take pee samples in my car going anywhere, it always bothered me that he thought doing that the way he did was a good idea, anyway here's my car" says Jade as they stop in front of the new ZA ONE Hybrid car
"I'm sorry you got a ZA One, it's a great car but it has faults, bad break systems being the biggest one, issues keeping a charge is another" says Robbie as they get in
"ya I know about the brake issues, I had a mechanic work it over and over for three days after I skidded out of the parking lot of the in and out burger near me right into heavy traffic, I also had the battery system fixed, it wasn't cheap but it was at least recommended work the seller told me about when I bought it, they said only cars built before a certain date were faulty, mine was built six months after the last faulty one and it's still recommended work, luckily little was wrong with mine" says Jade as she starts the car up in electric mode
"may I ask what was wrong with it, I'm genuinely curious" asks Robbie
"the battery was undersized as was the fuel tank, something about the spark plugs being low quality but he said it was a good vehicle otherwise" says Jade
"were the brakes ok" asks Robbie
"low brake fluid also, sorry it's so quiet I need to focus a little more than normal" says Jade
20 minutes later in the psych ward as Jade and Robbie arrive at the room Isabella has Cassie in
"daddy" squeals Cassie running over and hugging Robbie
"she seems better, I haven't signed any consent forms yet" says Robbie suspicious
"I'm not allowed to test random medication on patients but once I narrow it down to one or two conditions I'm allowed to give them medications, the medication she's on right now is a pain medication, ultimately she'll need the pressure relived from her skull, hopefully in the next few weeks but dulling the pain signals helps her focus on the moment better, her focus issues don't imped her ability to form memories or remember faces" says Isabella
"so this DNA test thing, is it to see if Cassie has what Cat has" asks Robbie
"how often I forget you were there Robbie, yes I'm trying to rule it out, however if she has it, the same medication that Tori and Cat will be taking yearly will cure Cassie, if she's just hypersexual though, that will require some tough parenting, teaching her when and where is ok and where is not, it's rare but is possible in someone her age, it will take some strict parenting but it is possible to manage it" says Isabella
"and if it's neither" asks Robbie
"if it's neither then I'm quitting because I failed to diagnose Cassie properly or it's some yet unknown genetic mutation that will frustrate me for years" says Isabella handing Robbie the consent forms
"how long till we know" asks Robbie signing and returning the consent forms
"a few hours, I have all blood and DNA tests for Cassie on high priority, I have enough blood for the tests I just needed the consent forms signed" says Isabella calling the blood technician to start the tests
"she doesn't usually like getting blood drawn, she always makes such a fuss, how'd you get the blood" says Robbie confused
"I held her hand and explained to her why we needed it, once she knew we were working to help her she was quite cooperative, she's afraid of doctors and needles, I'm allowed to test for basic information but genetic tests like this need express parental consent or I'd have done them already, by the way she's definitely autistic" says Isabella
"her doctor wouldn't put her on the list for an autism diagnosis because of her age" says Robbie glad Isabella is taking care of his list of concerns
"some doctors think giving girls as young as Cassie a label like autism can lead to bullying problems, I spoke quite harshly to her doctor about that, Cat suffered more not knowing she's autistic than if she had known all along, she hated herself for being different even if it didn't show visually she was almost constantly hurting herself in hopes one of the injuries would make her normal, she grew out of the harm eventually but she's always hated herself…. Huh Cassie looks like Tori, sorry if that was offensive, I just noticed that Cassie looks like Tori" says Isabella
"Gabriella is in some way related to Tori, at least that's what she's told me" says Robbie
"she has Tori's cheekbones, otherwise she looks just like her mother, I have Tori's DNA on file, we could literally find out just how closely they're related" says Isabella
"I didn't know you spoke fluent Spanish Robbie, Gabriella doesn't like speaking in English" says Jade
"she speaks a little English, she's hoping that Cassie will be bilingual by the time she enters first grade admittedly it's broken English but Gabriella does speak English, though she believes people will judge her if she speaks English in public" says Robbie
"two sisrs" says Cassie
"what's she talking about, as far as I know Gabriella isn't pregnant with twins" asks Robbie spinning around with Cassie
"it is possible, before you arrived I went to the break room while Cassie had a nap and my coworker told me there was something confusing happening during the ultrasound, the doctor that performed the ultrasound couldn't figure it out, I hadn't said a word about it to Cassie and the moment she woke up she said she was getting two sisters, Cassie's a lot more like Cat than you realize" says Isabella
"I don't appreciate you saying Cassie is like Cat, they're nothing alike" says Robbie
"at Cassie's age Cat was saying things the same way, acting the exact same, it's not a bad thing, it means Cassie will be as talented as Cat, maybe more" says Isabella as Cassie giggles
"I'm not dumb daddy, I know things" says Cassie as Alexis walks in
"any news on the blood work" asks Isabella
"she has the mutated protein but it's not present enough to cause the wrist injury, we should start treatment now, kill of what is present, the sooner we treat it the easier it will be to make sure it stays gone" says Alexis
"go get the iv" says Isabella
"even if you cure the protein thing, you're still going to diagnose Cassie as hypersexual aren't you, it's a pretty good way of making Cassie a target, she starts school in September and they asked to be kept up to date on any new medical diagnosis's Cassie has so they can accommodate her" says Robbie
"it will only show on her medical record as 'likely trending hypersexual', it's up to you guys to make sure she knows what's safe and where is safe, I'm just a doctor making sure Cassie understands what makes her different, it's up to you guys to be her parents" says Isabella
"so you have advise on how to do that because Gabriella won't let her do anything adulty if she finds out without medical guidance" says Robbie
"she won't do anything adult, not like that, she's curious about her body, make sure she knows where is safe and set rules, let her sleep naked in her room first but keep it at that for a few weeks, if she tries to do more remove the privilege of sleeping naked in her room, preach moderation and patience" says Alexis
"any puberty markers affected" asks Isabella
"no, if she starts early or late then she was always going to, hormones will affect her more easily though, you can thank Robbie for that" says Alexis
"hey" says Robbie offended
"it's not necessarily a bad thing, it just means you have to keep an eye on her more once she gets her first period, oh and her 'imaginary friends' aren't imaginary, she has what Tori calls 'the curse gift', essentially she can see those who have passed on" says Alexis
"we've known about the gift for two years, Tori told us about it, so long as Cassie avoids my Nona Gabriella has no problem with it" says Robbie
"she have issues with Gabriella" asks Alexis returning with the iv
"let's just say the last time they spoke my Nona called Gabriella every racist slur she knew, it nearly caused Gabriella to break up with me mere days after accepting my candy ring proposal, it was a pretty tense week after that meeting, Gabriella and I didn't speak for a week, anyway start the treatment, I was planning to take Cassie for ice-cream in an hour" says Robbie as Isabella skillfully sets up the iv, Cassie only flinching a little
"she'll be done the treatment in twenty minutes, go grab something to eat, Alexis and I have to talk" says Isabella
"ok" says Robbie as he and Jade head to the cafeteria down the hall