A Pretty Pill by Criss Copp Read Free Book Online Page B

must’ve been in the area!  I just have to hold on, but it’s only a matter of time before he doesn’t want to be nice to me, and forces his hand.  He’s way more skilled and far stronger than me, and when he decides I’m not his friend, he’ll tear me to pieces.
    “Please Silas... I love you!”
     
    ***
     
    “H i Gary!” I cheer to one of the mental health nurses I have become familiar with.  I’ve just knocked off of my morning shift, and I’ve gone in to the unit to see Silas.  The juvenile unit isn’t as stark as some hospital settings, but I’m not allowed in Silas’ room with him; so I have to wait in the dining room for him.  He’s been here for two weeks, and he’s almost completely come back down to his normal again.
    “Hello Jade... I’ll go and get him for you.” He smiles.
    “Thanks.” I reply; a massive smile plastered across my face.
    It’s official. .. Silas is bipolar.  His auditory hallucinations (Logan) and extreme manic episode, which was apparently on the cards, since he’s on an antidepressant only; and he was apparently acting a little strangely leading up to the psychosis, including not sleeping for three days straight. I didn’t notice because I had five days straight nightshift.  All this has sealed the deal, and now means that he’s on another pill.
    Risperidone is the order for the day , but I’m not convinced yet.  However, he’s responding slowly.  They’re still giving him Sertraline and Phenergan.
    I am using the whole drug thing to ‘guarantee’ him his job.  It’s taken some convincing, but his boss will take him back, as long as he stays on his meds.  But it’s a onetime deal only.  What happened can never happen again; safety is key in a workplace like that.
     
    “Hey there gorgeous!” I say as he walks in and comes to me to wrap me in a bone crushing hug.  He says the same thing he’s said to me all week when I visit.
    “I’m so sorry, Jade!” and he pulls me in so tight, so completely.  “I’m so sorry I did this to you!”
    “Okay... it’s okay... we’ll get through it Silas!” I promise.
    “I love you!” he says.
    “I love you too... look... I bought Scrabble with me, so we can play.” I enthuse.  He loves Scrabble ; he likes to make the swear words, but sometimes he comes up with genuine gold!  He’s smarter than he’ll have people believe.
    We settle in for an afternoon of Scrabble, and I assist him to get through his paranoia about his workmates.  He’s going back, but he’s worried they’ll be talking about him and saying bad things about him behind his back.  I comfort him and explain that they won’t; that his boss is worried about him and that everyone wants him to return.
    It’s fabricated... everything I say . I don’t know what is truly going to happen, but I know what I need to say to make things right again for him, and so I do!
     
    ...December…
    “I don’t like this feeling...” Silas states, as he settles on the couch beside me.   It’s 10pm, and since I have an afternoon shift tomorrow, because I’ve managed to argue myself out of pretty much ever having to do nightshift again; I am staying awake to watch a doco on cuttlefish.  At work, I now have morning or afternoons only. I love it!
    “What’s wrong?” I ask nervously.
    “I can’t sleep!  These fucking drugs make me have nightmares!”  He groans.   He’s 17 now and looking like a man; and he’s working fulltime. But he starts his holidays in three days.  I’m just hoping to get him there so he can go and see his doctor on Saturday morning and discuss his meds.  If anything bad happens during his break, at least he won’t lose his job, because there’s no way they’ll know about it.
    “Come here!” I request ; he shuffles his arse toward me. “Sit down there!” I point to the floor in front of me, so he moves to the floor and props himself up against my legs.
    I begin to rub his head, behind his ears and on his