The Parent Trap {Septiplier}

Chapter 22: Medical

Jack

I felt a tap on my shoulder, and my last name being called. I was very confused until I opened my eyes. I saw the doctor in front of me.

"I'm sorry.. But you're Runa's actual father correct?" He asked me.

"Adoptive father." I rubbed my eyes, "Do ye have anything in about her?"

He nods, "Yes," I stand up and we take a couple of steps away from the two sleeping on the floor.

"So, after we ran many tests, the most logical illness that fits her is cerebral palsy. And you probably can help support the idea we have."

"Wait.. What's cerebral palsy?" I ask the doctor.

"Well, it's caused by some type of defect when a child is younger. Usually when the child is still in their mother. We think there was some type of addiction that the mother of Runa and her sister had that affected that."

"Oh.." That's pretty much all I could say. I was just thinking of the mother, and how they could put children at risk.

"If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to ask you some questions about her to see if some things we don't know fit her." I nod and let him continue. "How is her posture?"

"Not very good. We've spoken about it before."

"Walking?"

"It's okay. It's not great but not bad either."

"Muscular problems?"

"No not-.. Wait, yeah when she was younger and now, she started getting muscle spasms." I tell the doctor, he makes a note but continues.

"Speech?"

"She has a lisp and stutters sometimes."

"Hearing?"

"Her hearing's normal."

"Past seizures?"

"Not that I know of."

"Anything unusual with liquids? Like leaking urine or drooling more than normal?"

"She sometimes drools, she'll either create a pool or her mouth will be dry, causing her to get up and get water in the middle of the night."

"Okay.. I think I've got enough." He flips some papers and look at me. "I'll have to run this by the other doctors, but I will say it is most likely cerebral palsy, but it's not too severe luckily. Seizures are common, and she also grinds her teeth down. She also had some involuntary movements when we were running tests." He says. "She should be awake soon. Once she wakes up and we talk to her, we'll let you in." He pats my back, and walks off.

I don't know how doctors do it. He also just completely ignored the fact that someone could've been an alcoholic, or drug addict while pregnant with them. That was bothering me.

"Daddy?" The voice sounded so familiar that I turned around to Elise. I was going to go back to thinking, but I realized she was really talking to me.

"Yes Elise?" I asked her, she motioned for me to come closer to her. I did and she brought her hand up to wipe tears off my face. I didn't even know I was crying.

Mark started moving and I backed up. He stretched and opened his eyes.

"Oh, any word on her yet?" He yawned. I nodded and sat back. He rubbed his eyes and saw me crying. "Is she alright?"

"Cerebral Palsy." I say with no emotion. "Whoever yer mother was, was an addict when ya two were in her stomach." I motion to Elise. She looked very nervous at that news.

"What does that mean?" She messed around with her dress, trying to fix it from sleep. She wasn't comfortable in it at all.

"Well I'm not quite sure actually. I'm not sure if it's curable but.. I know if something doesn't happen, she'll continue to have bad posture, more speech problems, and seizures too probably." I sigh, but then a thought pops into my head.

"Wait, Mark.." I say, "Are ye sure ye don't know why she had that seizure?"

"Yeah.. I'm pretty sure. I mean we walked up to the ice cream place and walked in, then-" His voice cut off and he realized something.

"Your mom was a drug addict." He snapped his fingers.

"Excuse me?" Elise said.

"Marijuana. There was a guy outside of the ice cream place who had marijuana." He looked like he had just solved a huge mystery for a grand prize.

"Well, she could still have a seizure anytime."

"So I'm confused. I've smelt the scent of marijuana but never passed out." Elise sighs, knowing she won't get a reply.

I watch the doctor walk out and look at Elise for a second before shaking his head, "I always forget she has a twin.." He walks towards me.

"Okay, so she's awake but she isn't very audible. I take take you all to her now if you'd like." He says, which makes me get up very quickly.

"Yes, please." Mark and Elise get up as well. The doctor leads us to her room.

When I push past the door, I see her laying on the bed and it almost makes my heart crack. It was so upsetting to see my giddy and carefree daughter look so pained and immobile. She had IV's, an oxygen tube, something for her heart rate, and some other wires hooked to her. I walk over to her side and grab her hand.

"Hey.. Rune, baby girl.. It's dad." I felt her squeeze my hand back lightly in response. It made more tears spill down my face. "There's a couple people here to see you as well."

I felt her give my hand another light squeeze and I watched her open her eyes a little bit. Then she tried to keep them open, and she saw Mark and Elise.

"..Oh.." She breathes out. She took another breath, and spoke again, "Go change... I'd hate that dress too."

I chuckled and saw her eyes close again. "So.. He knows." I could barely hear her speak. It was very hard to make out what she said.

"Yeah. I mean I couldn't have ye be yer sister." I say. I felt her give my hand a larger squeeze, for some reason I could tell she wanted a request. And I think I knew what she wanted.

I whisper I her ear to make sure I know what she's talking about. She slowly nods and I get up. I walk towards Elise and push us both out. I heard Mark follow behind us.

"No," I turned around to Mark, who stopped abruptly. "She wants you to stay."

He looked a little shocked that she wanted him to stay instead of her father. I let him be and closed the door on my way out.