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Kevin read the form that had been given to him from Dr. Freeman. It was a basic outline of things they should be doing for Nick. He handed the form over to Brian to read as well.

“Do you have any questions?”

“Not right now I don’t,” Kevin admitted.

Dr. Freeman studied Kevin. “Nick is a very complex person.”

Kevin smiled, “That he is.”

Folding his hands under his chin, the older man continued his thoughts. “We have had several sessions with Nick while he was admitted and we kept him longer than the overnight stay that I had originally planned. I felt it was necessary not to discharge him until he was comfortable with knowing what had happened to him and I feel he is coping as best as he can. After reviewing his medical records from when he was brought into the emergency room when this all had started with his accidental overdose and subsequent coma, it’s amazing that Nick survived.”

The silence that was left in the room made Brian uncomfortable. “So, what are we left with?”

“I’m sorry?” the doctor asked, not certain what Brian was asking.

“Nick, his personality I guess. Is he stable now or is there going to be more episodes? I can’t think of a better way to ask what I’m thinking,” Kevin clarified, knowing exactly what Brian was thinking.

Dr. Freeman leaned forward in his seat. “Nick is stable. He had a few episodes while he was being tested but after taking the prescribed medications and now has it in his system, he seems to be almost 100% better. The prescribed mediations are unfortunately a lifetime medication.”

Kevin’s eyes widened, not too happy at the thought of Nick having to take something type of medication for the rest of his life. “What did you put him on?”

“He is now taking Paxil 40 mg three times a day. He cannot skip a dose, he must take it three times a day. It has done wonders for him.”

Kevin frowned. “I honestly don’t like Nicky taking meds like that.”

“There really isn’t any other choice for him. He takes the meds he is fine, if he isn’t on the meds he has episodes. I have tried it both ways with him.”

“I have heard people that act numb when they take stuff like that,” Brian pointed out.

The doctor shook his head at the comment. “What Nick is taking is helping him, unfortunately this is something he needs to take for the rest of his life.”

Kevin sighed. The happy-go-lucky Nick now seemed even more complicated. “Getting back to my original question, how is Nick’s personality now?”

“He’s the twenty-four year old man he was at the time of his injury,” the doctor said.

”Emotionally and mentally?”

Dr. Freeman nodded. “Nick is Nick and he is stable as long as he is on the medication, if he goes off them he would most likely will have episodes.”

Recalling the breakdowns Nick had when confronted with reading, Kevin asked the psychiatrist his thoughts. “What about reading….that caused him to have this emotional crisis in the first place.”

“Nick has been told and he knows he has to relearn his basic skills such as math and reading. Those have been lost for some reason. The brain is very complex and unfortunately that area was effected.”

“So he won’t flip out when he is confronted with reading?” Brian questioned.

The old man smiled slightly. “He won’t flip out he may seem a little agitated but he won’t have a nervous breakdown like he did as long as he is on the medication. I am confident that Nick no longer needs to be in the hospital, so I can discharge him today.”

“To us?” Kevin asked hopefully.

“He can be discharged to his room at SunValley or to you but I would have to clear that with his guardians,” the doctor replied as he looked at Nick’s chart.

“But you just said that Nick is Nick, why on Earth would he go back to SunValley?” Kevin said with a shake of his head.

“I doubt if he could manage things on his own just yet. There will be more therapy needed for Nick.”

Kevin rolled his eyes at the doctor mentioning more therapy. He felt that maybe AJ pinned it correctly – that this guy was a quack.

Brian noticed his cousin’s eye rolling. “Just clear it with the Carters, we will take care of Nicky from here on out.”

“It will take more than a day then,” Dr. Freeman said as he started to flip through the thick chart.

“For one simple phone call?” Kevin grumbled. Pulling the cell out of his front pocket, he scanned through his contacts list. “I’ll call the Carter’s for you---”

“Not necessary,” Dr. Freeman interrupted. “I have their phone number, I just have to put everything in motion before I call them. You can go to Nick’s room downstairs while I gather the paperwork.”

Brian was one step ahead of the doctor. “Could we at least have the prescription that you want Nick to have? I think it would be a good idea to have it filled before he leaves the hospital.”

Not to be undermined, the doctor shook his head. “I’ll give Nick everything when he is released. Just go ahead and wait in his room. I’ll be down shortly.”

Reluctantly, Kevin and Brian left the psychiatrist’s office. Once on the elevator, Kevin stared down at his cousin. “What the hell were you doing? I had that man where I wanted him and you ask for the prescription?!”

“You didn’t have him anywhere. I thought we could get the script and then kidnap Nicky. We don’t need any discharge orders..”

“Kidnap Nick?” Kevin drawled.

“Yeah, just take him ourselves, we don’t need paperwork..”

Kevin shook his head. “I don’t think it’s that easy Bri. Think about this for a minute. Nick no longer has control over what he can legally do, therefore his parents are his guardians and if my thinking is correct, he will at some point go to court and have this removed…to just take him out of the hospital isn’t that simple anymore.”

Brian shook his head. “Why can’t this be more easy? Why didn’t you let AJ come along.”

The elevator stopped and the two exited, heading down the hall toward Nick’s room at SunValley. “Because I know what Bone would do and it wouldn’t be pretty.”

Brian smiled at the thought. “True, but it would be more effective.”

Upon entering the empty room, Kevin sat on the edge of Nick’s bed. “I guess we wait until Dr. Freeman brings Nicky back here,” he paused as he looked around the room adding, “ hopefully with papers saying he can pack up and go home.”