Nathaniel

IV

"Finally!" I shout, two hours and forty minutes later I came across a woman named Jordyn Blackwood, she's ten years older than Nathaniel....and JACKPOT! At the very bottom was a sibling picture that said "My brother Nathaniel :)" Looking at the picture was almost heart wrenching, this Nathaniel showed carefree and silliness, while I received a dead version of him. Versions...they told me he had different emotions, Bipolar disorder, now which version of him do I have?

Grabbing my phone I made a quick call to the hospital's office.

"Hello? This is Amanda."

"Hi, my name is Bridget. One of your patients is my client."

"Oh, I know who you are darling. How may I help you?"

"May I have recorded taps or footage of previous discussions between Nathaniel Blackwood's therapists and himself?" I ask with sweaty palms.

"Why of course, just give me a minute. I'm going to be giving you a number to the tech department if that's okay?" Amanda says, hearing her quickly type on her keyboard.

"That is totally fine, thank you."

"You know, there's been many therapists for Mr. Blackwood yet a young pretty girl like you is dedicated to this man to the point of getting resources."

"I'm here so he can live life more freely."

"You've got a heart as pure as gold."

"Thank you ma'am."

"Ah, alright, I've just got his number. Are you by some paper?"

"Yup, I'm ready when you are." I say ripping to a new page in my notepad.

"716-884-992, anything else?"

"Ahhhhh there, thank you. Hmm oh do you have any of the past therapists contacts?"

"I believe I do, let me email them to you."

After our little exchange in emails and some small talk, I went ahead to email all of the therapists to see what I can get, then I went ahead and called the tech department to gain access to valuable recordings and footages. 

"Alright, two out of three calls done. One more to go." I inhale and exhale than inhale again as my finger was hovering over the call button. 

It's ringing, oh my gosh, what do I say? Stop worrying.

"Hello?," Silence, "Hello?"

"Oh, hi there! My name is Bridget Westbrook. I am-"

"I know who your are, is something wrong? What's going on?" An alert voice rang through the phone.

"Oh, no. It's all good. I just have some questions about your brother that may help to his recovery." I rushed out.

"Oh, ok."

"Do you have time now?"

"Erm, yeah. What do you need to know?"

"It's personal and if you feel uncomfortable let me know. May I ask about the accident in 2001?"

Silence.

Then a breath, "I don't exactly remember what had happened that night. I was already in bed and my room was on the main floor while everyone else was upstairs. It was late at night and my parents were fighting like they always did. They never divorced because it costed too much so it was a constant war. Nathaniel always protected mom as dad would occasionally hit her or break things over her head. Nathaniel, my poor brother had the biggest glow to him until the age of five when the abuse started from our father. He never hurt us unless we protected our mom or when he was drunk. Nathaniel had a mind-set of protecting and caring for mom and I. I-" She choked up.

"It's alright, we can end it here." I say, holding my own breath.

"No, no, I need to help Nathaniel and if this helps then I want to tell you everything. It has been so long since I saw my Nate, you've been the only person that has contacted me, the only person that cared to see him recover." Her voice shook and sniffles emerged.

"I'll be there for him every step of the way."

"Thank you."

"It's not a problem."

"Alright," she cleared her throat, "The night mom stabbed dad we were just getting tucked in because our babysitter just left and she didn't care when we went to bed," she laughed a bit, "not even an hour later with all the lights turned off I heard footsteps that led to the kitchen and the walls weren't thick so I could hear it, considering my room was two rooms away. Then the steps went up leading to a scream that awakened both neighbors and our neighbors neighbors. I ran upstairs to find my brother holding the doorknob to our parents bedroom and when I looked to see why he was crying and pure horror in his eyes. I saw my mother holding a bloody knife over my father's dead body. I'm sorry-" She choked up again and her ragged breaths continued.

"Take your time, there is no rush." I gently say, my door creaked open, looking up I see Matthew with his bag in hand and him pointing at his watch. Making me jump up to see that it was 5:00 PM on my computer. I pointed at my phone and mouthed 'twenty minutes' in which he nodded and closed my door.

"Ok, I'm ready. Once the police came I went into a state of shock, there were bright lights everywhere and somehow I ended up in a back of the car with Nate. Eventually we were brought into trial where I explained what I remembered while Nate refused to talk. Then we were placed into a foster home. It was a nice family, but Nate began having anger management issues, weird hallucinations where he would scream and yell bloody murder, a lot of trauma hit him throughout the years. One time while I was walking past his room his shirt was off with his back facing the door and the marks on his back shattered me. I was older, I was supposed to protect my younger brother. Yet, he was my hero as he protected me from our father's abuse." Jordyn began sobbing.

"None of it was your fault Jordyn, your brother chose to do that for you. If helping him means putting him in the hospital and having a therapist talk to him and help him cope. Than this is the best way to help him heal." 

"It's been hard."

"I could only imagine, but I just know you'll see your Nate again in a matter of time. Why don't you come down-or up to see him?"

"I would love to, but I have twin newborns and three toddlers while my husband is stationed in Japan, we're moving there soon too."

"I'll hire a babysitter and before you move come visit."

"You would do that?" Hope filled her voice.

Hope.

"Yes."

"I'm going to save your number if that's alright so we can keep in touch."

"That would be wonderful." I beamed.

"Is that all for now?" She asks.

"For now, but do you need anything? A friend perhaps?"

"That would be lovely. I need to put the kids to bed right now, can I call you back in an hour?"

"Sounds good, I have to get home anyways."

"Oh goodness! I totally forgot, it's already five Bridget, please get home."

I giggled a little, "On my way."

Ending the call, I packed up however a feeling arose and the slightest chill behind my neck once again freaked me out. I turned around only to see the security camera beaming at me with the red light going on and off.

Come on Bridge you're scaring yourself!