Who: Ehren & Daryn What: Reunions and a check up When: Afternoon, June 7th, 2019 Where: The Facility - Medical Wing Rating: Low Status: Complete
Ehren dreaded going to the hospital ever since Daryn had been gone and found himself rescheduling his appointments when he could. That having been said, he needed to go back and make sure his body was doing alright. His visions weren’t particularly intense recently but it still felt like he was constantly sleep-deprived, even when he wasn’t. When he finally made his appointment over the phone a sense of relief washed over him.
“Would you like to go back to your regular doctor, Dr. O’Conner, for this visit?” The meek voice on the other end of the line asked.
He’d heard she was back but he didn’t realize she’d be back at the hospital. “Yes, thank you.” He replied.
As he waited patiently in the waiting room a million thoughts raced through his head. What had happened to her while she was gone? Would she return to the faction? Would she even be the same? His thoughts didn’t get to go past that as they called his name to escort him into the examination room.
—
Daryn was only allowed in the medical wing for a few hours a day. When her time was up, she was abruptly escorted from the building. She hated that, being taken out like some sort of criminal when she was just trying to get back to some semblance of her old life. She was just trying to pretend that everything was okay. But everything was not okay.
Thankfully, her friends from the Faction had been trying to look out for her. Initially after her release they did everything they could to help her back on to her feet without arousing suspicion. But now she was on her own and the time spent alone was when it all fell apart. Which is what made working so important to her. She knew what to do, how to act, what to say here in this role. Nothing else fit or made sense any more.
Taking the file from the slot on the door, Daryn knocked first and waited for approval before stepping into the exam room. She was much thinner and paler than she ever had been before, but otherwise she looked the same. Long dark hair was pulled back tightly from her face, brilliant blue eyes reviewing the paperwork in her hand carefully. Her gaze lifted to look to the man, greeting him with a faint smile as if it had only been a few days since they’d last seen each other. She ‘spoke’ to him telepathically, as she often had in the past. ”Good afternoon, Mr. Clemens. How are you feeling today?”
--
The calm professionalism she exuded was more than Ehren could muster himself. The look he gave her was that of shock, she looked like a skeleton of her former self although her eyes showed that she still had fight left in her. His eyes narrowed back down to the floor. “Good, I mean..” he shook his head and returned his gaze to her. “...not good. Not terrible but not good either.” He gave a sigh as he attempted to think about his symptoms. “I’ve been really tired every day no matter how much I sleep. I wake up sometimes and find things in places where I know I didn’t put them.”
He had a feeling that his sleepwalking was coming back again. When he was younger he’d find all sorts of things in weird places. Bacon in a glass of water next to his bed, pillows in the refrigerator, etc.
Ehren wanted to ask her so many questions but even thinking too much about them right now was not a smart idea. He had no idea what sort of control they had over her, so he kept those thoughts buried as much as he could. “I don’t know what to do, nothing seems to be helping.” He said dejectedly.
—
Daryn looked back down to the paper, scribbling notes as he spoke. She heard the thoughts, every one of them, even the ones he tried to hide. But she did not respond to them, or even appear to acknowledge them. From the outside, she was the same quiet, hard working doctor she’d always been.
Moving to sit on the nearby stool, she flipped through the chart, doing a quick scan of what she’d missed of his treatment in the last year and a half. ”Are you able to sleep during the day? Or just at night?” While the symptoms fit into his history, she wanted to assess if there was anything else going on before she jumped to conclusions.
--
He leaned back a bit to straighten his posture and allowed himself a bit of a stretch, feeling the muscles there object. “I haven’t tried to sleep during the day. I do sleep through the whole night but I’m still so tired when I wake up, regardless of however much sleep I get.” His eyes followed her to the stool she sat on. It’s been happening after my visions. he thought to her, since he’d still remained unregistered.
The truth was a lot of his nights had become restless as his anxiety was peaking again but when he did eventually fall asleep, he usually slept for a full sleep cycle. He wouldn’t go back on the meds, even if his body was desperate for them.
—
Daryn just nodded, glancing to him briefly to show she heard his thoughts. ”Have you been trying meditation or other relaxation techniques to help with the anxiety? Exercise may be helpful as well, it can definitely address issues with the sleep cycle.”
--
“I exercise every day.” He said immediately because that was one thing he knew he was doing right. His face scrunched a bit when she mentioned meditation. “I try to meditate, really I do, but I can’t stop my brain from going a hundred miles an hour, how can I stop it completely?” He asked her, folding his arms over his chest. This was a defense mechanism, trying to close himself off physically.
—
Setting the documentation aside, she turned to face him, her eyes drifting over him slowly. Her eyes glanced briefly to the door before she sighed, taking her phone out of her pocket. She opened up the speech app she used to talk aloud to him. Typing deftly, she played the monotone message, looking to him again. I would be happy to prescribe something to help. That was for the benefit of anyone listening in; it was likely someone was keeping a close eye on how she was with patients since her return. Too much silence would throw up red flags.
However, her telepathic message to him was a different one. ”Try some herbal teas from the marketplace, the ones that are caffeine free. Reduce your intake of coffee or soda and sugar at least three hours before bedtime. Try some simple mindfulness techniques, going for walks, paying attention to the sensation of the air on your skin and the feel of simple familiar things. Or you could try some progressive muscle relaxation exercises.”
--
He listened to the voice on her phone as he thought about what would be the appropriate response to both the telepathic statement and the one said through the app. “If you think it’s best.” He replied simply, letting himself smile for the first time since he’d been there though it was clear that it was only a ruse.
I’ll try whatever I need to, Doctor, thank you. He replied in his mind. He could understand why she needed to keep things normal but he desperately wished he could ask her more questions. Maybe in time she’d eventually answer them.
—
Daryn nodded with the same faint smile and stood, moving for the door as she played another rote response aloud on her phone. I’ll send the script now, it should be ready to pick up on your way out. Is there anything else I can help with today?
She heard his musings but didn’t respond to them. Maybe that is how everyone felt. Maybe that explained why no one had asked what happened to her, how she was doing now. Then again, it was her job to care for others, not the other way around.
--
“No, thank you.” He replied politely, watching her walk away. He hoped the next time he needed to come in that she’d see him again. Before she had a chance to exit the room Ehren spoke up. “It’s good to see you again, Doctor O’Conner.” And it was, he'd never felt as comfortable around any of the other doctors in the facility.
—
Daryn moved to open the door and looked back to Ehren with a nod. After a moment of hesitation, she spoke, using her actual voice this time, a voice she’d never had the ability to use prior to being taken away. “It’s good to see you as well.” Turning, she moved out the door and on to her next patient, not giving him the opportunity to remark on her newfound ability to speak.
— Ehren’s eyes went wide when a voice came from her lips and began to speak as she walked out. “Wha..” but it was too late, she’d already left him in shock, wondering when the hell it was that Daryn began to speak.
He’d try the exercises she suggested at home but he’d probably spend the rest of the night thinking about when he could see her again outside of the hospital, to tell her that he’d tried to warn her.