Arrangements

7

"What's wrong with her? She almost killed me. Did something happen to her?" I ask Chairman Winter and his son, Michael. "Why did you have to hurt her?!" I say to the unfamiliar man who gave Anna an injection. "And who's Arwyn? Why is she accusing me of killing that Arwyn guy?" I am shocked. Anna has really gone crazy!

"Shut up, Dave! Leave or I'll turn you into a pulp," Michael threatens, but I am not going anywhere until they explain to me what just happened. I went here only to protest to Anna to not marry Leonard. But she suddenly freaked out and accused me of killing somebody whom I've never heard of.

"Hush, Michael. Watch your words," Chairman Winter warns.

"I want to see her," I say and walk towards their stairs but kuya Miko holds me away and pushes me to a couch.

"Then tell me what's happening here!" I demand.

Chairman Winter gives a go signal to the unfamiliar man, turns out that he is a doctor.

"Ms Anna is delusional caused by her denial of reality." The doctor explains.

"Denial? Of what? Why? What happened?" I interrupt. Why would Anna be in such state?

"She rejects the sudden death of Arwyn. She denies it that she recreates her old memories."

"And who's this Arwyn?" Chairman Winter fakes a cough and no one answers. I can sense it, they must be hiding something more.

"Just go, Dave," Michael commands.

"No. Who's that Arwyn? Was he Anna's boyfriend after our annulment?"

"Oh, shut up! And don't even mention about that annulment."

"You shut up! Whatever has happened to us, I still have been a bigger part of Anna's life than you, so don't tell me to shut up!"

"Yeah, so big that you brought her into this. God damn it!"

"Hush, you two!" Chairman Winter angers. "Dave, Arwyn died of car accident two years ago," Chairman Winter starts, finally giving in.

"So how did I kill this Arwyn? Was I the one who caused the accident?" I say and try to recall if I was involved in any hit and run accident.

"No. No. She blames the death of my... I mean Arwyn to anybody, even to herself. There was even a time, actually three, that she harmed herself that could've killed her."

"She shouldn't be stressed because it triggers her to reality. And you're her biggest stress so just go and leave her alone!" Michael protested.

"Whatever." I dismiss Michael.

"Who's this Arwyn? Why does she affect Anna this much?"

"You don't have to know about that," Chairman Winter says.

"Okay. But how can we cure her? How can she return to her usual self?" I ask them, and then I look at the doctor.

"It'd take a long time, depends on the patient. The patient has brief psychotic disorder. I suggest she should be slowly introduced again to the reality until she accepts it, learns to manage her emotions, and cope up with the big loss or change in her life."

"How can we do that?"

"We? You're out of this. We are already doing our best here. If you're still concerned for my sister, you better not show yourself to her again. Ever!" Michael is getting more mad. And I am losing my words.

Why did this happen to her? Just why?!

"Last question," I say. "Does Leo know about this?"

"No," Chairman Winter quickly answers. "And if you don't want to anger me again, Dave, you won't tell about this to anyone. Leo shouldn't know about this yet. Not yet."

"Oh." I agree on that too. He doesn't have to because he's in no way gonna marry Anna.

"You may now leave. Let's give Anna some rest," Chairman Winter suggests.

"Okay. But I'll come back."

"Oh come on!" Michael protests.

"I'll come back to check on her."

"You won't, Dave. You're no longer my daughter's husband. You don't have the right to come back here again. Plus, your father won't like this."

"No. I'll come back here. If you don't want to stress her, then you'll let me visit her. I'm part of her reality."

"What? Are you kidding us? Don't you get it? You're her stress." Michael laughs.

"I'll pretend to how she remembers me. If she wants me to leave, then I'll leave. But you can't make me."

"Dave-"

"As the patient's doctor, I approve to that." the doctor supports. "But we have to keep her away from everything that could trigger her again." He adds.

"I promise! I will act on how she remembers me! You can't keep me away from her forever!"

They exchange glances while Michael is shaking his head.

"Fine," Chairman Winter permits. "But inform us before you visit her."

Michael shakes his head and walks his way upstairs. I smirk at his exit.

"Thanks!"

"The patient hadn't shown symptoms of worse phase of psychosis. If what happened today happens again, we'll resort to another therapy, plus medication. And of course, Mr Dave should-"

I cut off the doctor's advising, "this won't happen again." I assure.

"We all hope so."