Just when aunt Elsie was to open her mouth to speak, the door creaked opened, beating her to it. It was the doctor in charge of Ciara's health, and she was wearing a soft smile on her face.
"I see you are here already, Mrs. Kent?" The doctor stated simply, walking towards the scene, and Aunt Elsie nodded slowly. "I must say; this isn't the perfect time to visit, ma'am, that was why the receptionist had denied your passage earlier."
Aunt Elsie felt a surge of anger rise within her. She had been turned down by the receptionist and might have waited outside for a long and now; the doctorwas telling her that she should not have visited at all. She felt a mixture of frustration and guilt, knowing that her visit may have upset Ciara.
"She's visibly scared by our presence, I'm afraid doctor, you are yet to do your job on her." Aunt Elsie blurted out, feigning distress and concern. "Why is she yet to recover -after spending more than two weeks here?"
"Since we are trying our best, she'll soon." The doctor's voice was laced with assurance. "There are some few changes in herthat I can point out, unlike when she was admitted new. Complicated PTSD like hers isn't something to quickly -it's a gradual process."
Aunt Elsie was displeased by the doctor's assurance, being told that some minor changes were occurring in Ciara's health was a huge blow to her face. She knew that recovery from PTSD was a long and difficult process, and it wasn't something that could be rushed.
That was why she wasn't bothered about anything, since there was no magic solution. It will take a very long time for her to regain her mental stability back -and of course, if it stays too long, it'll have a huge effect on her.
Now that the doctor was saying otherwise, Aunt Elsie knew it's time for her to strike again; she can't afford to lose all she had come a long way for-not even a bit of it!
"Auntie, will my mom be okay?" Herzl butted into their conversation, holding Aunt Elsie's hand tightly as tears threatening to fall from his big eyes. "I can see she needs help, will my mom be able to recover her health in time? I can't stand to see her this way, auntie."
The two grown-ups sighed, emotionally touched by the little boy's show of concern for his mother. The doctor in return smiled warmly at him and ruffled his hair lightly as if trying to console him emotionally without saying a word.
"What is your advice, doctor? How can we help her?" Aunt Elsie asked, trying to keep her voice calm and respectful -even if she meant the opposite of her words; she still had to act like a caring aunt. "Is there anything we can do to make her feel more comfortable?"
The doctor looked thoughtful for a moment, considering her answer carefully. "Well, there are a few things you can do." The doctor began, speaking slowly and clearly. "But the most easier way to help is by providing emotional support and by being there for herwhen she needs it."
Aunt Elsie nodded, pretending to be taking in the doctor's words. "But for now, we can just leave as advised and find another suitable time to visit, right?" She asked, already getting tired ofthe environment; she felt like she's slowly suffocating.
"I wouldn't agree less, ma'am." The doctor nodded slowly in reply. "Even ifthis isn't the best way to help -that's the only thing left to do at the moment."
"We will come back to visit later." Aunt Elsie said to Herzl, who was looking up at her with big, sad eyes. "We just need to give your mom some time to get better. And meanwhile, we can do other things together, okay?"
Herzl nodded, but he still looked disappointed. He was clearly upset that he couldn't spend time with his mother, and Aunt Elsie felt a wave of sympathy for him.
"We can go for ice cream, how does that sound?" Aunt Elsie asked on their way out of the ICU. "This should cheeryou up and make you feel better."
But Herzl shook his head negatively in reply. "No, let's just go home, auntie." He muttered. He was in no mood to have fun -not after seeing his mother in such a distressing state.
And besides, he has lost his only chance of visiting his mother without getting to see her properly; Herzl was forced to realize the reason aunt Elsie had denied him the chance to visit his mother-he's still young to witness such sight.
Aunt Elsie knew that Herzl was too young to understand everything that was happening, but she also knew that he was hurting. He loved his mother so much, and it was clear that he was struggling to cope with her illness. Aunt Elsie felt a deep sense of sadness and protectiveness towards him. She wanted to do everything she could to help him through this difficult time.
"Okay..."Aunt Elsie replied, hervoice soft and gentle. "Let's go home then.
************
Ryan unconsciously stared at the video on his phone, his heart getting heavily every minute. He felt like this was happening to her because he wasn't there when she needed him the most; because he failed in his duty to protect her.
It's been almost four years since she left him and his whole world had turned out to be nothing but a ruin, he had hoped he'll find hersoon and set things straight, but not like this -he wondered how embarrassed she'll be when she realized the truth, but Ryan did not care, he just wants things to get back to normal between them.
Ryan could feel the guilt and regret welling up inside him as he watched the video. He knew that he should have been there for her, and he wished he could turn back time and make things right. But he also knew that he had to let go of the past and focus on the present. He had to find a way to help Ciara and make things right with her, regardless of what it took.
As he sat there, lost in his thoughts, the abrupt stop of the car snapped him out of his trance. He quickly turned off his phone and stared outside the car, realizing he had gotten to his destination.
"Thanks..."He muttered under his breath as he hopped out, closing the door behind him. The psychiatric center was just as it was being described.
Even with reality hitting him hard, he still found it hard to believe Ciara would end up in such a place as this -he wondered how brutal it must have been on her, spending every day in such a state.
Ryan walked through the front doors of the psychiatric center, feeling overwhelmed by the sights and sounds around him. The place was filled with people who were struggling with their mental health, and it was clearthat they were all in a state of crisis. The air was heavy with the weight of their collective despair, and it felt like it was pressing down on Ryan's chest.
He walked up to the front desk and spoke to the receptionist, explaining why he was there to her.
"I'm sorry, sir, but you can't see her at the moment." She stated in a calm and professional demeanor. "No one is allowed to see her currently -except her close relations."
Ryan was frustrated, how was he supposed to explain his relationship with Ciara to this lady? He will only sound like a madman telling her he was her ex-husband since no one knew about their marriage -not even her family^