Fragments of a Broken Mind
Chapter 1
*TIME ELAPSE*
“You can think of no reason for this?” the doctor was asking me.
I shook my head and gripped my boyfriend’s hand. Frank squeezed it reassuringly and I looked at the doctor, “I didn’t know anything was on his mind, not even when he went out that night,” it had been a month since my brother had been found in his current state. A reaction not unlike post traumatic stress disorder the psychologist's had said. Ever since then we had been trying to work out what trauma he had gone through to trigger the regression. We had drawn a total blank. I shrugged, “we have been through this before though. I am here because you said that we could take him home?” I said it as a question because we had been asking ever since it happened but the doctors had been reluctant.
True to the stereotype I had in my head the doctor sucked in a breath over his teeth, “I am still not sure this is such a good idea. I mean, he needs a lot of care and I just don’t think...”
“We can help him better at home,” I cut him off, “me and Frank can be there twenty-four seven if needs be,” I glanced at Frank who nodded, “He needs to be around familiar things and people and he is never going to get it in this unit is he?”
“What Mikey is saying is that we know what we are doing,” Frank said his green eyes flicking from mine to the doctors, “we know it won’t be easy but it’s Gee so we have to.”
The doctor sighed, “well, I can’t stop you because physically he is fine and he isn’t dangerous in any way. Look, you can bring him back any time this might get too much. OK?”
Frank and I nodded, “can we go and get him now?” I asked impatiently, wanting to see my brother. I had hardly seen him over the last month and it broke my heart every time I had been forced to leave him here. Of course seeing him like he was broke my heart too but whatever state he was in I needed him by my side.
The doctor nodded and led us from the office to the room which had become Gerard’s. Gerard was sitting on the floor, drawing with his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth. He looked up as the door opened and clapped, “Mikes!”
I rushed over and hugged him, “Gee-Gee, how are you doing?”
“I am drawing,” he announced as he proudly handed me the paper. He had drawn three stick men by a house. I smiled, wishing he would draw like I knew he could. He always called it therapeutic. I ruffled his hair and he pointed to the page, “That’s you, me and Frankie,” he informed me.
“How would you feel if I told you that this picture can come true?” I said and he just looked blank, “I mean, if you came to live with me and Frank?”
His eyes shone, “can I? For real?”
I laughed, “right now if you like,” he hugged me and then glanced about him, “what have you lost?”
“Frankie,” he answered.
“I am right here Gee,” Frank said as he walked over to us. He smiled, “I am not lost, see?”
“You only called me half my name Fra!”
Frank gave a mock grimace, “Gee-Gee; sorry I keep doing that.”
Gerard lifted his arms and looked at Frank, “up!”
Frank laughed, “you’re a little big for that, you will break me!” Gerard pouted but got up and took Franks hand and then mine, ready to go.
I pulled the case he had been living out of and then took my big brother out to get into our car.
“You can think of no reason for this?” the doctor was asking me.
I shook my head and gripped my boyfriend’s hand. Frank squeezed it reassuringly and I looked at the doctor, “I didn’t know anything was on his mind, not even when he went out that night,” it had been a month since my brother had been found in his current state. A reaction not unlike post traumatic stress disorder the psychologist's had said. Ever since then we had been trying to work out what trauma he had gone through to trigger the regression. We had drawn a total blank. I shrugged, “we have been through this before though. I am here because you said that we could take him home?” I said it as a question because we had been asking ever since it happened but the doctors had been reluctant.
True to the stereotype I had in my head the doctor sucked in a breath over his teeth, “I am still not sure this is such a good idea. I mean, he needs a lot of care and I just don’t think...”
“We can help him better at home,” I cut him off, “me and Frank can be there twenty-four seven if needs be,” I glanced at Frank who nodded, “He needs to be around familiar things and people and he is never going to get it in this unit is he?”
“What Mikey is saying is that we know what we are doing,” Frank said his green eyes flicking from mine to the doctors, “we know it won’t be easy but it’s Gee so we have to.”
The doctor sighed, “well, I can’t stop you because physically he is fine and he isn’t dangerous in any way. Look, you can bring him back any time this might get too much. OK?”
Frank and I nodded, “can we go and get him now?” I asked impatiently, wanting to see my brother. I had hardly seen him over the last month and it broke my heart every time I had been forced to leave him here. Of course seeing him like he was broke my heart too but whatever state he was in I needed him by my side.
The doctor nodded and led us from the office to the room which had become Gerard’s. Gerard was sitting on the floor, drawing with his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth. He looked up as the door opened and clapped, “Mikes!”
I rushed over and hugged him, “Gee-Gee, how are you doing?”
“I am drawing,” he announced as he proudly handed me the paper. He had drawn three stick men by a house. I smiled, wishing he would draw like I knew he could. He always called it therapeutic. I ruffled his hair and he pointed to the page, “That’s you, me and Frankie,” he informed me.
“How would you feel if I told you that this picture can come true?” I said and he just looked blank, “I mean, if you came to live with me and Frank?”
His eyes shone, “can I? For real?”
I laughed, “right now if you like,” he hugged me and then glanced about him, “what have you lost?”
“Frankie,” he answered.
“I am right here Gee,” Frank said as he walked over to us. He smiled, “I am not lost, see?”
“You only called me half my name Fra!”
Frank gave a mock grimace, “Gee-Gee; sorry I keep doing that.”
Gerard lifted his arms and looked at Frank, “up!”
Frank laughed, “you’re a little big for that, you will break me!” Gerard pouted but got up and took Franks hand and then mine, ready to go.
I pulled the case he had been living out of and then took my big brother out to get into our car.