"Speak"
Rhea held her breath as she waited for Madeline to continue. She did not know how anxious she was at the moment making Claire look at her with worry.
"It's Madam" Madeline said in a small but audible voice.
"Mum? What's with her, tell me!" Rhea said hurriedly.
"She slumped"
"WHAT!" Rhea screamed making Claire jolt in shock.
"Calm down..." Madeline pacified.
"My mum, where is she now?" She asked immediately.
"We just took her to the hospital and–"
"Just text me the address, I'll be there!"
"You need to calm–"
"Text me the address already!" She yelled.
"..."
'Rhea, be calm, be calm, it's nothing okay...' She took deep breath counting one to ten just to calm her raging nerves. When it comes to her mother, she always get tensed and anxious.
"I'm sorry Aunt Madeline... it's just that–"
"I know that... you are only being worried and it's normal. I'll text you the address already. Daniel and I will wait for you. Take your time and be careful okay.."
"Alright, thank you" Rhea said.
"It's no problem, just know I'm here for you anytime"
"I know ... thank you" Rhea said and ended the call. Immediately, the address was sent to her. She jumped and headed to door.
"Hey sister, where do you think you are going just like that!" Claire said.
She stood in front of Rhea with her arms crossed over her chest, she intensionally blocked the door with her body.
"What are you doing" Rhea hissed trying to get past the unmovable Claire.
"This is what I am doing, trying to stop you from doing something silly as you can see!" Claire answered.
"But I'm not doing anything silly!"
"Really now, I couldn't tell" Claire said with her voice dripping in sacarsm.
"Please stop this Claire, for goodness sake, my mother is at the hospital right now and only heavens know what might happen and..... look, forget it just move and let me go else–"
"Else what? What?"
"CLAIRE!"
"..."
"Please let me go"
"Are you insane, if I let you go in this state you are in then the one to be hospitalized won't be your mum no more! You think I'm being cruel right now, you think I don't know what I am doing! Just look at you all rilled up. You don't even know if it is fatigue affecting your mother but you are already dwelling on the negative side!"
"You don't know my mother!" Rhea yelled.
"I don't" Claire agreed.
"..."
"But you know what I do know, I don't want my friend hurting herself. I can't just let you go to that hospital alone, I'm only just worried for you Rhea..."
"Claire.." Rhea started.
"I just care so much that I'm afraid you worry a lot more than I do... I'm sorry if I yelled at you okay, let go see your mum together this time" Claire said.
Deep down in her heart, she was more worried for her friend. Having lost her mother at a young age and was left with a shitty father, she knows what it feels like to be alone and all by oneself. She understood her friend's fear and all she could do was stand by her side this time.
"You don't really have to Claire" Rhea refused.
"No, but I want to" Claire argued.
"Claire..."
"Okay, I'll just drive you to the hospital, your car isn't here after all" Claire bargained earning an eye roll from Rhea who had no choice but to agree.
"Whatever"
Claire got her car keys and drove to the hospital. The car came to halt in front of the terrific white structure that housed the sick.
"Okay go ahead, my regards to Aunt Laura, tell her I'll see her....."
"Bam!" The door was shut with a loud bang cutting off the speaking Claire.
"..."
Claire could only stare at the departing figure of her friend speechlessly. She shook her head like a mother who was surprised at her little son's nonchalance before driving away from the hospital.
Rhea walked to the front desk and asked for her mother's room number. After getting it, she walked through the hallway. Her nose scrunch in disgust from the assaulting smell of drugs.
She got to the room and found her brother and Madeline standing j front of it. Looks like her mother was still being attended to. 'It is that bad?' She wondered albeit scared.
"Rhea, thank God you are here, you came just in time" Daniel said as soon as she got to them.
"What happened?" Rhea asked after clearing her suddenly clogged throat.
"Aunt Madeline" She acknowledged.
"We don't know for sure now, but there are doctors in there carrying out series of tests. We have been told it's nothing big yet so we should be calm" Madeline said immediately.
"oh...." Rhea nodded subconsciously. Her mind drifted off trying to figure out what exactly could be happening because last she checked, her mum didn't look sick to her. She just hoped that it was really nothing 'big'.
"Mum will be fine right?" Daniel said jolting her back to reality.
"Yes sure" Rhea said quickly. Hoping to convince herself more rather than her brother.
"I hope so, our mother is strong after all. She won't just lie in there when we need her the most" Daniel said calmly. Although it was mere words, it surprising soothe Rhea's raging and anxious nerves. Daniel just knew the right things to say.
"Exactly, that's the fighting spirit" Madeline who stood in the sideline watching the fully grown kids said with a wide smile. Knowing how much struggles it was for the family at first, she rejoiced they have come this far and grown so well.
No one would believe that they were once high class citizens with all they needed at their Beck and call even after it seems as they have lost it all then, they are standing right here still fighting hard and having a good time as one big family.
The door to the ward opened and three doctors with two nurses came out in a toll. Rhea, Daniel and Madeline were knocked back into reality and waited anxiously for a speech.
"Who is Miss Rutherford?" The one who seemed to be the leader among the group asked looking at the three standing before him.
"That's me!" Rhea answered hurriedly.
"By the way, I am the assigned doctor to the patient, your mother I suppose. You can call me Doctor Brooke" he said stretching forth his hand for a shake.
Oh.. Doctor Brooke, nice meeting you" Rhea responded accepting the handshake. She really wished they could skip all formalities and go straight to the point about her mother.
"About your mother, she is in a stable condition and seems fine. She can also go home once she's rested well" Doctor Brooke said offering a small smile.
For a Doctor, he was quite cute but that's not the point here Rhea thought. Since her mother was fine, she was okay. Daniel who heard what the doctor said also gave Rhea's hand a little squeeze of reassurance.
"That said, I would like to see you in my office, there are certain things you need to know about your mother's present condition" Doctor Brooke said.
'But you said she was fine just now!' Rhea thought worriedly.
"Ah .. okay" Rhea nervously replied nodding her head. Doctor Brooke walked ahead while Rhea followed after him. Madeline and Daniel walked into the ward to stay with Laura who was already awake.
"Miss Rutherford..." Doctor Brooke said as soon as they settled in the office.
"Rhea, just call me Rhea"
"Ah, alright. Miss... Rhea, your mother although is in a very stable condition might still get into a big risk if care is not taken" Doctor Brooke said, he no longer had a smile on his face but seriousness.
"What do you mean Doctor?" Rhea asked anxiously.
"I discovered your mother has no husband right?" He asked.
"Yeah, my father left us a long time ago.." Rhea answered without hesitation.
"What do you think, how was your mother before he left and how have she been after he left?" He looked at Rhea with a raised brow.
"..."
"Well..." Rhea was speechless not because she was unable to answer the question thrown at her but it was like opening a gradually closing wound. She knew exactly how different her mum was from before.
"No need to answer that Rhea but from the cross examinations, I could detect that your mother is at the verge of becoming schizophrenic—"
"Sorry, what's that?" Confused Rhea asked.
"Schizophrenic– like schizophrenia"
'Okay?' she thought. The word was obviously not a familiar one.
Seeing her confusion, Doctor Brooke began explaining.
"Schizophrenia is a condition that affects a person's ability to think, feel or behave properly. During questioning, I noticed there have been some situations surrounding your mother from the past that makes her feel depressed now—"
"My mother is never depressed!" Rhea yelled unintentionally which Brooke didn't mind as he could relate.
"Well Rhea, it seems a though with everyone who eventually have this diagnose but slowly, it become evident when they decrease participation in daily activities due to lack of concentration which may eventually lead to memory loss" He explained calmly.
"Ah okay, so... will this lead to death?" she asked in a small voice.
"No" Brooke answered with a smile. Sensing her distress he added.
"Fortunately, your mother isn't diagnosed with it yet and I hope not, but if care is not taken, it is not exactly death sentence"
"Ah..." Rhea heaved a sigh.
"Rhea, I believe your mum is a strong woman, talk to her. Only she had the ability to help herself. I believe it is high time for her to let go. I may not know what she is still holding unto but I believe you understand quite alright"
"Yes, thank you Doc.."
"You can just call me Brooke" He offered a slight smile.
"..."
"Alright then, I'll go ahead"
"No problem". Rhea walked out of the office. Brooke watched her until she was out of sight. A certain picture formed in his mind and his lips tilted upward. No one could guess what he was thinking.
Rhea returned to her mother's ward. Seeing her mother already sitting up made her smile as she walked it.
"I see you are awake... could you please leave a note for me next time before doing something as silly as slumping again?" Rhea asked feigning anger.
"Ha ha ha... so funny" Laura scoffed. "Nice way to treat your mother well"
"Please you stranger, bring my strong mother back now" Rhea said walking closer to her mother's bed.
"Aww.. sweetheart, she is right here" Laura said holding her daughter's hand in her's.
"Did the Doctor say anything to you? Like bad stuff?" Laura asked and Rhea paused before answering.
"Nothing of much importance, you be happy, no nursing of old wound, leave the past and come to the present then you'll be all good"
"Rhea is right on that, I support her. It's time to let go" Madeline chipped in.
"Okay, I promise to go by those rules for us" Laura sighed.
"Good, but if you break your promise and do anything silly again mum, I'll break your fingers!" Daniel threatened and everyone except Laura laughed.
"I'm your mother!" she yelled.
"Grow up Mum" He rolled his eyes at her.
"Whatever"
"I hope I am not interrupting family time" Doctor Brooke who just walked in said and everyone turned to look at him. He wore his signature smile making him look more like a dashing model rather than a Doctor.
"Ah Doctor, why are you here by yourself?" Laura asked.
"To discharge you and yes, to let you know that whenever you need someone to talk to, run to me, I don't close my office doors" He winked at her and Laura blushed.
'Wait, what was that?' Rhea blinked her eyes and stared at the two flirty adults before her unbelievably. The whole discharge process passed and they left the hospital in a new light.