My Number One Fan

“We won’t let that happen Jeff,” Dr. Grace tried to assure me. “That was nearly 25, 26 years ago. Medicine has come a long way since then. We can get her diagnosed and put on prescriptions to keep her stabilized.”
“There’s no curing it is there?” I asked, feeling defeated, a feeling I hated in any part of my life.
“No, there’s not, but we can control it, and prevent her from harming herself or anyone else.”
“There’s has to be a catch with that medicine,” I said, looking up at her.
“Let’s just work on getting your wife help.” Dr. Grace said. “We’ll worry about that stuff later.” I nodded as Riley started to stir awake.
“Jeff?” she said softly, lifting her head and looking around.
“Hey, you feeling okay?” I asked gently, grabbing her hand.
“Tired,” she said, sitting up. “But I’m to restless to sleep.”
“Riley, we’re going to have an emergency session,” Dr. Grace said. “We’re going to take you for some tests.”
“What kind of tests?” Riley asked, looking confused and scared at the same time.
“Just to check something out sweetheart, nothing to really worry about.” I assured her, though she didn’t look to convinced. “Can I talk to you in the hallway for a minute?” I asked the therapist. She nodded and followed me from the room. “Can’t you do the tests here? Wouldn’t it be better for her to be in her natural environment?”
“She’s not an animal…” Dr. Grace started saying.
“My point exactly,” I interrupted her. “She won’t just adjust to wires or whatever you’ll have her hooked up to, especially in a hospital room or doctor’s office, meaning it’s possible that she’ll respond better at home than in some sterile room where’s she’s going to be in bed all day. She needs to be active, it’s who she is.” Dr. Grace didn’t say anything for a long moment.
“You’re right,” she said finally. “We’ll do the tests here, but you have to agree to be completely supportive of my methods.”
“Whatever helps her.” I said, nodding. “I just want my wife healthy, mentally and physically.”
“I understand,” she said. “That’s why I’m not going to push her as hard at first. I need her to have an episode of anger before I can determine anything else.”
“That won’t be to hard,” I muttered. “Even without the disorder her temper was like a firecracker. One short fuse and bam! Shit hit’s the fan for us all.”
“We don’t know how long she’s been showing symptoms though,” the therapist reminded me.
“I have no idea,” I admitted. “I never thought it was possible for her to be depressed or schizophrenic, let alone Bi-Polar!”
“I’m Bi-Polar?” Riley asked from behind us. I cursed under my breath, turning just in time to see her collapse to the floor, sobbing.
“Riley, we don’t know, but there’s a possibility you can be,” I said, kneeling in front of her.
“How? It didn’t run in my family, as far as I know of,” she said. “I mean, I know I could get it without inheritance, but that’s the most likely cause.”
“Your mother had it,” I said, breathing heavily. I didn’t look at her as I told her, but I knew she was staring at me with disbelief. “That woman really was your grandmother, Mark inadvertently confirmed it. I got her number through information and called her. She told me she had it.”
“There’s more,” she said, sensing my hesitation.
“That’s the reason she’s not here,” I said finally. “Riley believe me when I tell you I don’t want to be the one to tell you this, but your mother was so worried about keeping you safe and with her, that she didn’t get officially tested. She just knew she had it. Her going untreated for so long c-caused her to go into a rampage one night. They found her the two of you the next morning, you were getting ready for school, dress on backwards and shoes on the wrong feet. Y-Riley your mother ended up committing suicide that night.” I finally looked up into her eyes, seeing the disbelief, hurt, anger and confusion mixed in the soft green orbs.
“N-no, no she didn’t!” she screamed, tears falling from her eyes. Her grief suddenly turned to rage, and I knew it was what Dr. Grace was waiting for. “You’re lying! My mother would never do anything like that, she just wouldn’t! She wouldn’t put me through that.” She stood to try to run, but I knew it was coming so I grabbed her and held on, even as she fought to get free.
“Riley, I’m sorry.” I said. “I didn’t want to tell you, but you had to know.”
“I don’t care, I still don’t believe it!” she screamed at me, still trying to fight her way out of my grip. When she started to collapse, I lowered her to the floor, letting her lay her head on my chest. I looked up at the therapist, who was staring in disbelief.
“There’s no more doubt in my mind,” she said. “She’s definitely Bi-Polar. We need to get that girl on meds and fast.”
“I’m sorry honey,” I whispered in Riley’s ear as she sobbed into my chest. “I love you, I just want you healthy.”
“I know,” she said, sniffling slightly. “I’m sorry.”
“I know it’s not your fault,” I said, rubbing her back. Footsteps came up the stairs. I looked up to see it was Matt.
“Everything okay? I haven’t heard from anything since you came up here.” he said, leaning against the wall.
“We need everyone else here before we can explain,” I said, stroking Riley’s hair. “I mean Mark, Marylyn, Paul and Dad, along with them downstairs.”
“They weren’t going to leave either way,” Matt said. “We’ll call them over.” he ran down the stairs.

~POV: Mark~
“Mark, please calm down. He’ll call when he knows something..” Sara was trying to convince me. I was about to say something when my phone rang.
“Jeff?” I answered.
“Close, it’s Matt. He wanted me to call you though. He wants everyone over here, I don’t know why, but I know it has to do with Riley.”
“He called here asking about her family as I remember them.” I explained, placing my palm on my forehead. I knew something was going really wrong, and I had no idea what. “We’re on our way though.” I hung up the phone and looked up at Sara. She grabbed Gunner’s hand while I grabbed Chasey from her swing. We started walking as Paul’s car pulled up beside us. He stopped the car as he and Mary got out, walking with us. When we reached the house, Gilbert was already there. Jeff was sitting on a new couch, Matt, Mandy, Shannon, Julie, Shane and Christy was already there. They had been helping getting the house in order.
“Where is she?” I asked Jeff.
“Upstairs in bed,” he answered. His eyes were red and swollen, as though he was just crying. “Her therapist is here observing her.”
“For what?” Paul asked, obviously confused.
“Sit,” he said, folding his hands and leaning his chin on them, his elbows on his knees. Everyone sat down but me.
“What’s going on?” I asked, folding my arms across my torso. Jeff took in a deep breath and left it out in a loud sigh.
“I got a hold of Alexandria,” he said, staring into space. My heart skipped a beat.
“I had to get a hold of her,” he continued. “There was something wrong, and I had no idea what it could be, so we called in Dr. Grace. She got me thinking, so I had to get a hold of Alexandria.”
“What’s going on Jeff?” Marylyn asked.
“Riley’s mother was Bi-Polar,” he said. I froze.
“Wow,” Shannon said.
“That’s not it.” Jeff said, still staring into space. “It’s how she died. She got so depressed on night, she cracked. Riley was getting ready for school, her mother laying in the next room dead. She had committed suicide.”
“Wait, you’re talking about Samantha Mitchell, the Samantha who had my daughter Riley?” I asked, rubbing my head. Jeff nodded.
“It’s only getting better,” Jeff muttered, finally looking fully at someone. Me. “She has it.”
“What do you mean?” Shane asked, confused. “Who has what?”
“Riley’s Bi-Polar,” I cleared up, shocked. Jeff nodded, his eyes going out of focus again. I cursed under my breath, rubbing my eyebrows. There was a long silence following the statement.
“That explains the sudden mood swings,” Matt said suddenly.
“And the restlessness and tiredness as well.” I added.
“The dizziness, the paranoia.” Mandy said. “She’s definitely got the disorder.”
“Dr. Grace is observing her for better understanding of how much the disorder is effecting her, and then she’s going to prescribe a medicine for her to take to control it.” Jeff explained as a woman walked down the stairs.
“She’s sleeping,” the woman said. She looked up at me, examining me closely. “You must be Mark, Riley’s father.”
“I am,” I said.
“I’m Amelia Grace, Riley’s psychologist.” she said, holding out her hand. I shook it and indicated everyone else. “That’s her uncle Paul, her aunt Marylyn, her step-mother Sara and her half brother and half sister Gunner and Chasey.”
“Pleasure to meet all of you, although I would prefer it to be under different circumstances.” Dr. Grace said. I nodded, agreeing with her. She left the house, probably to go work on getting Riley’s prescription. I sighed and sat down finally, next to Sara.
“This girl can’t get a break!” I shouted, rubbing my eyes.
“Maybe that’s what’s been going on with her all along,” Matt said suddenly. “No, think about it. A lot of stuff that’s happened started because she suddenly went temperamental.”
“Ron touching her inappropriately?” Jeff pointed out.
“Orton attacking her with the chair?” I said.
“The abandonment she’s dealt with?” Mary added as well.
“Her mother dying?” Paul asked.
“Okay, I get the picture.” Matt said, holding up his hands. “Okay so maybe it wasn’t the Bi-Polar that gave her a hard life, but it was worth a shot.”
“We know,” Mandy said. “I remember the first day I met her, the way she acted when she had that memory.”
“Yeah I remember that,” Jeff said.
“What about it?” I asked, this being the first time I’ve heard of whatever they’re talking about.
“She knew about it, from what we told her,” Jeff started replying. “But we went into a pet store and she saw a cat that looked like the one she brought in, from the Ron era.”
“She had visual images and freaked out, screaming and crying.” Matt added. “I thought we’d have to take her to the hospital, on the top floor.”
“Very cute Matthew,” Mandy said, digging her elbow into his ribs. “Come on, we all know she’ll survive this. This is just another test that she’ll pass with flying colors.”
“You don’t get over being Bi-Polar Amanda,” Jeff said, rubbing his eyes.
“It does get controlled by the medications.” she said. “She’ll take the meds, and go on with her life as normally as possible.” We all knew she was right, but it still didn’t help with the sting and surprise, especially with what we heard Jeff say about Riley’s mother. I had always wondered who she died, but had no way of contacting her family to find out.
“My poor girl,” I said, pulling Sara to me. “She was in the house with her mother for who knows how long.”
“A full night and until 8 the next morning,” Riley’s voice said from the stairs. We turned to see her walking down.
“You’re looking better already,” Jeff commented, surprise on his face.
“I’m feeling good,” I said. “Can we please finish the house up? No offense to Matt and Mandy, but I can’t wait to get back in here.” She turned and went back upstairs before we could answer her.
“Let’s go while this lasts.” I said, standing up and following her. With the thirteen of us working, periodically stopping to check on Gunner and Chasey, we had the rest of everything finished in no time. I noticed Jeff keeping a very sharp eye on Riley, I was doing the same thing. She remained upbeat and having fun the entire time we were working. She even laughed at Matt and Shannon as they wrestled in a guest room. She wouldn’t be like her mother. I knew it deep down. When she went, she’ll be an old happy lady. I’ll be gone long before she will. There was way to much life in her for it to end soon, whether naturally or by her own hand or someone else’s hands. She would be around a long time.