Foster Kids

Chapter 8 : Doctor's

Chapter 8

Later...   

Riker POV

We got to the doctor's and were waiting in the waiting room now. I had my knees pulled to my chest again and I was trying not to have a panic attack. Mark was rubbing slow circles into my back, trying to calm me down, but it wasn't working. My heart was racing.

"Riker Lynch?"

It felt like my heart dropped into my stomach. Mark stood up, took my hand, and followed the nurse.

I had to sit up on a table with paper.

"Ok, Riker. I'm just going to take your vitals and then the doctor will be in," the nurse said.

She put something on my finger that was taking my heart rate. And then took my blood pressure.

"Riker, your heart rate is 141 and your blood pressure is a little high. Are you nervous?" The nurse asked.

I nodded.

"Ok. Try to calm down and take some deep breaths. And then I want to retake your heart rate and blood pressure, ok?"

I nodded again. I tried to calm myself down.

She retook my vitals, said they were better, and left. My heart started racing again. What if the doctor won't believe me? What if he thinks I'm faking?

"Riker, calm down. You're shaking," Mark said.

After a few minutes, the doctor came in.

"Riker, what brings you in today?" The doctor asked.

"Anxiety," I said, quietly.

"Ok, can you tell me about that?" He asked.

"Um..."

I felt like I couldn't talk. I was too panicky.

"He's in the foster system. He's had some really bad experiences from his parents and foster parents. And now he's just really anxious every day," Mark said.

"Ok. Well, I can prescribe you something for your anxiety. You can try it and see if you like it. But if you don't, you can try a different med, ok? There's lots of different things you can take for anxiety, and usually it takes a few tries to find the right one. I do want to do bloodwork though. I just want to make sure your results are ok."

He asked Mark about where he should send the prescription and all of that stuff. And then said we could go down to the lab to get my blood drawn, which I was not happy about.

Mark took my hand and led me down to the lab. I had to sit down in a chair and then a nurse tied something around my arm really tight.

Mark took my other hand and I squeezed it really tight.

"Riker, close your eyes and try not to pay attention," Mark said.

I shut my eyes. And then I felt pain in my arm. I squeezed Mark's hand even tighter. After about a minute, the nurse finished and it was over. She gave me an apple juice and told me to stay in my seat until I felt better.

I drank some of my apple juice. As I started calming down, I started feeling a little light headed. So I just kept drinking my apple juice.

"How are you feeling?" Mark asked.

"Kind of dizzy."

"You look really pale. Drink the rest of your juice."

I drank the rest of it. I didn't really feel any better, but I got up and we left.

"We're going to go pick up your prescription at the pharmacy and then we can go home and you can rest, ok?" Mark asked.

I nodded. He drove us to the pharmacy. He said I could stay in the car while he went in and got it for me.

I feel so overwhelmed with everything. Can anxiety meds help with feeling overwhelmed?

Mark came back and handed me a bottle of pills. I looked at the label. I'm supposed to take 1 pill a day. That's not so hard, I guess.

We drove back home. I went upstairs and flopped on my bed. I'm really tired and my back still hurts.

I put the pill bottle on my nightstand.

I heard Mark get a phone call. I couldn't really hear what he was saying though because he was downstairs. I was wondering if it was about me going to school.

I closed my eyes and sighed. Today has been a lot.

I heard Mark's footsteps coming up the stairs, and I got nervous that he was going to tell me something about school.

"Riker, I need to tell you something."

I opened my eyes and sat up. Mark did not look happy.

He came over and sat down on the end of my bed.

"That was the foster center. I guess your dad took an anger management course, and now they're considering giving your parents custody of you and Ross again."

"No. They can't."

"They can. And your parents are probably going to win."

"Why!?"

"Because courts don't want to split up families and take away parental rights. They want to find a way to safely have the foster kids live back at home again. That's just how the system works."

"They can't! I can't go back! It doesn't matter that he took a stupid course! He's just going to hurt us again! I know he is!"

I started crying again for like the millionth time since I got here. Mark pulled me into his arms and held me tight.

"He's going to hurt us!" I cried.

"Take some deep breaths, Riker. Don't let this turn into a panic attack. Let's talk about this, ok?"

"I don't want to go home!"

"Riker, breathe."

"I can't!"

I was hyperventilating. How is it that I feel like I'm suffocating when I'm breathing so fast? I don't get that.

I heard the front door open and close downstairs. I got scared it was someone from the foster center, here to take me away. But it wasn't.

"What's going on?" Ross asked.

"Ross, come sit down," Mark said.

Ross took my hand and held it tight.

"Riker, calm down. You're ok," Ross said.

"You don't understand!" I cried.

"Why? What's going on?"

"Riker, I need you to take deep breaths," Mark said.

I held onto him and Ross even tighter.

"Riker, I'll call the foster center and talk to them about this, ok? I'll try to do something."

"What's going on?" Ross asked, again.

"Your parents are trying to get custody of you again."