Picking up the Pieces
Chapter five
“Mr Way?” a woman announced as she came out of a doorway. I stood and she smiled, “in here please, the doctor will be with you shortly,” she pointed to the open door behind her which I went through with Ray right beside me. She followed us and closed the door softly before holding out her hand, “hello there, my name is Janine and I am one of the nurses here. Doctor Bright has asked me here as I believe you are being admitted today?” I nodded and she smiled, “do you have any questions at all Mr Way or Mr…?” she stretched out a hand towards Ray.
He took it and shook it, “I am Ray; Ray Toro. I am Gerard’s friend and am more nervous than he is about this whole thing.”
“Well, that’s understandable because you are not the one who has decided this,” Janine sat on the chair facing us. She had short blonde hair and was wearing the usual white tunic you expect to see nurses in. She smiled warmly at Ray, “feel free to ask anything, we want you both to be comfortable with this.”
“It won’t be like the last time he was here will it?” Ray asked and she frowned and reached for what were probably my notes, “I mean, will I be able to see him every day?”
“Of course you will,” she said as she read the page, “ah, here we go… Oh, I remember you now Gerard!” she looked at me, “I knew you were familiar but I never realised…,” she reached to pat my hand and flashed a smile at me, “nice to see you again, I only wish that it wasn’t here and I was admitting you,” she looked sad for a moment and then she turned her attention back to Ray, “last time he was here we didn’t know the problem because Gerard couldn’t tell us and so we restricted visits in case we made the problem worse. Now though he has told us the problem and as it isn’t you then you may come and go during visiting hours every day.”
Ray seemed to relax when she said this and I realised that this had been his greatest fear. “I don’t suppose you can tell me much about my treatments or how long I might be in here?” I asked her.
“Mainly one to one sessions and counselling I should think Gerard but the doctor can tell you more. As for how long well you are here as a volunteer so we can’t stop you leaving unless you pose a risk to yourself or other and we have no choice but to forcibly admit you. I can’t see that being the case though.”
The doctor came in then but I didn’t recognise him. I knew that Ray did from the scowl that painted his face. The doctor ignored him though and shook my hand, “hello Gerard, it is nice to meet you properly. I am Doctor Bright.”
“Hello,” I greeted him as I shook his hand, “I wish I could say that I remember you but I don’t.”
“I am glad in a way because this time will be very different and I will seem like less of an ogre.” his gaze flicked to Ray and I realised he had spoken for Ray’s benefit. “I wish we had known the problem back then but we couldn’t have helped you in that state of mind. I am sorry to learn that your brother is now in that state?”
“I wish that could have been avoided,” I said as I hung my head.
“Well, I have spoken to Frank and offered help but he is insistent that he doesn’t need it and is making headway,” I looked at him, pained slightly by the news that Mikey hadn’t recovered. I felt so responsible; so guilty. The doctor was watching my reactions closely, “now I just need you to sign some consent forms for your admittance and treatment here…”
“Can we read them?” Ray interrupted and I knew that deep down he didn’t trust this place.
The doctor shrugged, “of course,” he handed them to Ray and turned to me. “We will do nothing intrusive Gerard only intense therapy sessions during which we ask you to be open and honest about everything. Without your full co-operation this won’t be of any use to you.”
I nodded in agreement and looked at Ray who gave me the papers having found nothing sinister in them. I took the pen and signed them before passing them to the doctor, “Thank you for letting me do this doctor,” I said as I turned to follow Janine to my room and new home.
He took it and shook it, “I am Ray; Ray Toro. I am Gerard’s friend and am more nervous than he is about this whole thing.”
“Well, that’s understandable because you are not the one who has decided this,” Janine sat on the chair facing us. She had short blonde hair and was wearing the usual white tunic you expect to see nurses in. She smiled warmly at Ray, “feel free to ask anything, we want you both to be comfortable with this.”
“It won’t be like the last time he was here will it?” Ray asked and she frowned and reached for what were probably my notes, “I mean, will I be able to see him every day?”
“Of course you will,” she said as she read the page, “ah, here we go… Oh, I remember you now Gerard!” she looked at me, “I knew you were familiar but I never realised…,” she reached to pat my hand and flashed a smile at me, “nice to see you again, I only wish that it wasn’t here and I was admitting you,” she looked sad for a moment and then she turned her attention back to Ray, “last time he was here we didn’t know the problem because Gerard couldn’t tell us and so we restricted visits in case we made the problem worse. Now though he has told us the problem and as it isn’t you then you may come and go during visiting hours every day.”
Ray seemed to relax when she said this and I realised that this had been his greatest fear. “I don’t suppose you can tell me much about my treatments or how long I might be in here?” I asked her.
“Mainly one to one sessions and counselling I should think Gerard but the doctor can tell you more. As for how long well you are here as a volunteer so we can’t stop you leaving unless you pose a risk to yourself or other and we have no choice but to forcibly admit you. I can’t see that being the case though.”
The doctor came in then but I didn’t recognise him. I knew that Ray did from the scowl that painted his face. The doctor ignored him though and shook my hand, “hello Gerard, it is nice to meet you properly. I am Doctor Bright.”
“Hello,” I greeted him as I shook his hand, “I wish I could say that I remember you but I don’t.”
“I am glad in a way because this time will be very different and I will seem like less of an ogre.” his gaze flicked to Ray and I realised he had spoken for Ray’s benefit. “I wish we had known the problem back then but we couldn’t have helped you in that state of mind. I am sorry to learn that your brother is now in that state?”
“I wish that could have been avoided,” I said as I hung my head.
“Well, I have spoken to Frank and offered help but he is insistent that he doesn’t need it and is making headway,” I looked at him, pained slightly by the news that Mikey hadn’t recovered. I felt so responsible; so guilty. The doctor was watching my reactions closely, “now I just need you to sign some consent forms for your admittance and treatment here…”
“Can we read them?” Ray interrupted and I knew that deep down he didn’t trust this place.
The doctor shrugged, “of course,” he handed them to Ray and turned to me. “We will do nothing intrusive Gerard only intense therapy sessions during which we ask you to be open and honest about everything. Without your full co-operation this won’t be of any use to you.”
I nodded in agreement and looked at Ray who gave me the papers having found nothing sinister in them. I took the pen and signed them before passing them to the doctor, “Thank you for letting me do this doctor,” I said as I turned to follow Janine to my room and new home.