Never let her go

Chapter 55

I rolled my eyes at my friend and motioned for him to sit down.

“Is she okay?” Ezra asked worriedly.

“She is.” Nate smiled. “I checked her ribs and she should be okay to go to school, but I will monitor her for the next two weeks and if anything changes she will be on bed rest. I’ve explained everything to her.”

I nodded. I wanted her to stay home for a little while longer, but I saw how badly she wanted to go to school. If Nate says she can, I will let her. The anxiety and the fear will probably eat me alive, but I will let her go. I know that she will be safe with Theo and Noah, but I can’t help it. I freak out if I don’t hear or see her for more than an hour.

“What about her nightmares?” I asked him.

“I’ve decided to give her flurazepam.” Nate said. “It’s what we have been giving her at the hospital. If you notice that she is drowsy in the morning, or that she is having trouble staying awake, call me immediately and I will decrease the dosage.”

“Okay.” I nodded. “Are there any side effects we should be concerned about?”

“There shouldn’t be any.” Nate shook his head. “She has already been taking it and there weren’t any issues. But if you notice anything, call me immediately. I’ve explained it to her as well.”

“My baby shouldn’t deal with this.” Dylan sighed, burying his head in his hands.

“We can’t change what happened.” uncle Dan sighed. “But we can and will be here for her through it all. She isn’t alone.”

“Your dad is right, Dylan.” Ezra said softly. “She has all of us and, most importantly, she knows that she isn’t alone anymore. She came to Liam and me for help. She didn’t try to hide it from us or deal with it on her own. She knows that she can trust us, and she does.”

“You are right.” Dylan sighed. “But my heart hurts just thinking about it.”

We all felt the same. She shouldn’t have gone through it all. She should have been here with her family. She would have been protected, safe, and happy. But uncle Dan is right. It did happen. We can’t change that, no matter how hard we wish for it. But what we can do is make sure something like that never happens again. We can make sure she knows how much we love her and how much she means to all of us.

“What about therapy?” I asked Nate, breaking the silence. “We’ve talked about it with her, but she said she still isn’t ready.”

“I know.” Nate nodded. “I would definitely recommend therapy. Nightmares are one of the symptoms of PTSD. I’ve talked to her about it. When she is ready, there is an amazing young psychiatrist at our hospital. He is an expert in his field, and I think he would help her a lot. I’ve told her that if she isn’t comfortable talking to a man about what happened, we could search for a female psychiatrist. She said that she would think about it.”

The lump in my throat made it hard for me to breathe. She could have PTSD?

“PTSD?” Ezra asked quietly.

“It is a possibility.” Nate nodded. “But it is too early to diagnose her with that. We should be on the lookout for any other symptoms, and they should last at least a month before we can diagnose PTSD.”

“Will you send me some literature on it?” I asked, clenching my fists and trying to stop my voice from shaking. “I want to know what symptoms to look for.”

“Of course.” Nate nodded.

“Also, we need a file on that psychiatrist.” Ezra added. “She can’t start therapy with him until we look into him.”

“You will have everything by tomorrow.” Nate said.

I nodded, taking a deep breath.

“There is something else I would like to suggest.” Nate said after a moment of silence.

“What?” I asked, worried.

“It might not be a bad idea to talk to Theo and Noah about starting therapy as well.” Nate said slowly. “What happened was really hard on them, and I think they would benefit from talking to someone about it.”

“I agree.” grandpa said immediately. “Theo is way too overprotective. It’s not healthy.”

“That is just who he is.” Ezra defended him immediately. “He was always protective and possessive. From his food, to his toys, to his siblings. That’s who he is.”

“Ezra...” grandpa started speaking, but I interrupted him.

“Theo is my child.” I said sternly. “I will decide what’s best for him.”

Grandpa frowned, but I ignored him. I knew he meant well, but I’ve been taking care of Theo and Noah for 10 years. They are my children, and I will always put their wants and needs before anyone else.

“Nate?” I called my friend. “Do you think it is a necessity?”

“No.” Nate shook his head. “I think it should be an option. You should talk to them and see how they feel about it. This was stressful for them too, and maybe they would benefit from it. But you shouldn’t force anything.”

“I would never do that.” I said. “I will talk to Theo and Noah and see what they want to do.”

I will never force them to do anything that they don’t want to do. Not unless they were putting themselves or any of us in danger. They are my children and I will always do what is best for them.