little love

56

"Bambina? is she out?" Carina asked. Maya nodded as she continued to stroke Maddie's hair as the girl slept.

"Because of how she came in, we need to have her do a psych eval before she goes home." Carina said.

"that's not the worst thing i suppose... can they do it today? so we can take her home?" Maya asked.

"Si bambina, Dr. Simon is a lovely psychiatrist, she helped diagnose and have make a treatment plan for Andrea. She can see Maddie in about an hour." Carina said. Maya nodded. Maya was so grateful for her wife all of the time, but having her with so many connections in the hospital was so helpful when it came to Maddie.

after a few minutes, Maddie started to wake up. "Hi sleepyhead" Maya said ruffling her sister's short hair.

Maddie smiled and snuggled closer to Maya. "Little love?" maya asked.

"hmm?" maddie responded, still relaxed in Maya's arms

"We are going to have someone come in and speak with you in a few minutes." Maya started to say, but Maddie pulled away from her.

"But i already see Diane?" Maddie asked

"i know baby, but this is someone who can work with us about possibly adding in medication to help with your panic attacks" Maya said calmly

"medication? do i really need that?" Maddie asked, getting self conscious

"It's just a discussion little love, nothing to be worried about." Maya responded.

"Si cuore mio, there's nothing to be ashamed about, even if Dr. simon determines that medication would help, its just like when you take antibiotics when you are sick. it helps you feel better" Carina said

"So, im sick?" Maddie said, her heart rate picking up she was starting to get nervous. she began reaching to scratch at her arm, but it was bandaged.

"Shhh no baby, no." maya said taking Maddie's hands after she saw what she was trying to do. "it's just a conversation, okay sweetie?"

Maddie nodded at her sister's reassurances, and leaned back into Maya. There was a knock on the door, and a tall woman with dark hair walked in. She had a lab coat on, but unlike the other doctor's Maddie had seen, wasn't wearing scrubs. She had on nice dress pants and a blouse. Maddie tensed skeptically.

Maya rubbed her back soothingly upon feeling her reaction. "you're okay mads, i promise" she whispered.

"Hi, I am Dr. Simon, but you may call me Lena if you prefer. You must be Maddie?"

Maddie nodded.

"Thank you for seeing us on such short notice Lena, I really appreciate it." Carina said

"Don't mention it, you delivered my son in a power outage, you can call in favors with me forever." The tall woman said with a smile "Now, can I have a few moments with Maddie?"

Maddie's eyes went wide and she held Maya's hand tightly. "You're not staying?" she said anxiously. She remembered what happened in her first session with Diane.

"I will be right outside little love, i promise. if you need me i will bust this door down to get to you sweetheart. i promise" Maya said looking her sister in the eyes. Maddie bit her lip but nodded.

Maya and Carina each kissed Maddie on the top of her head before leaving and closing the door softly behind them.

---

"Maya, bambina, she will be okay" Carina pulled her nervous wife into her embrace.

"I know. i know. i just want to help her." Maya said

"and you are. you are the best big sister ever my love." She kissed her wife briefly. "Do you think it would help if Andrea talked to her about medication? so she knows it is not a bad thing to need medication?"

"Do you think he would be willing?" Maya asked surprised. She knew if Maddie learned that someone she knew and looked up to took medication for their mental health, it would make her far more likely to be open to the idea.

"Si bambina, i can go talk to him now. you okay by yourself out here?" Carina asked. Maya nodded, they snuck one more kiss before the italian turned and went to find her brother.

Before long, the door to maddie's hospital room opened, and Dr. Simon stuck her head out. "Maya, do you want to join us? Maddie is asking for you." Maya immediately followed back into the room where she was surprised to see Maddie sitting up calmly in bed.

"Hi little love." she said crossing the room to sit next to her sister.

"So. after my initial evaluation, I do believe Maddie would benefit from adding medication to supplement the therapy she is doing." Dr Simon said.

Maddie looked down at the Dr.'s words, so Maya grabbed her hand and began to rub soothing circles on the back of her hand with her thumb.

"I am going to send you home with 100 mg of Sertraline. i want you to take that daily." Maddie nodded without meeting the doctor's eyes. "I am also going to give you a script for Xanax. That is to take as needed if you feel a panic attack coming on, okay?"

"Okay" Maddie responded quietly.

"Someone will be in shortly to drop off the meds, then Dr. Robbins can get you discharged. I want to see you back here in a month so we can discuss how you are feeling on the meds." Dr. Simon handed Maya her card "It was good to meet you Maya. Maddie, thank you for being open to this process and sharing with me." Dr. Simon turned and left the room.

"where's Carina?" Maddie asked "was this too much for her? im sorry maya, i dont want to be a stressor in your relationship"

"whoa, whoa, mads baby back up... she just went to speak with Andrew hun. She loves you Maddie, you are not a stressor in our relationship. i promise little love, nothing is wrong. she will be back so soon" Maya said, she watched her sister relax at her reassurances. "How do you feel about starting medications?"

"I'm nervous" Maddie confessed. Maya was so proud of how well her baby sister was expressing her concerns and feelings these days. it was a sign of how far they had come and how much Maddie trusted her big sister. "I dont want it to change me"

"oh honey, we will work to find the right balance. okay?" Maya said, cupping her sister's face in her hands and forcing the hazel eyes to meet her blue ones. Maddie nodded.

Carina walked in with Andrew in tow.

"Hey Kiddo!" Andrew said, moving to hug Maddie

"Hi Zio! I hope I'm not pulling you away from any important work" Maddie said

"No worries at all mads. I'm where i need to be." He said with a warm smile. "I was wondering, would it be okay if you and I had a private chat?"

Maddie looked between the 3 adults with confusion before nodding slowly. Carina gave Maddie another kiss on her forehead and Maya squeezed her hand before the 2 women left.

"what do you want to talk about Zio?"

"I heard that Dr. Simon wants to prescribe something to help with your anxiety." He said. Maddie nodded and avoided his gaze "Hey kiddo, look at me. Did you know that i also see Dr. Simon, and that i take medication for my mental health?"

Maddie's eyes went wide with shock.

"It's really nothing to be ashamed of, and it is totally okay to take medication to help manage things. Carina said you were worried, so her and Maya thought it may help to know that i take medication too. It's more common than you would think, you aren't alone Maddie" he said.

Maddie's eyes welled with tears as she dove into Andrew's arms and he held her "Grazie Zio. Ti Amo"

"Ti Amo Maddie, Ti amo" He said rubbing her back. they stayed like that for a moment until he pager went off. "I have to run, but you know you can always call me if there's something you don't want to talk to Maya or Carina about."

"Thank you Zio. I will. go save lives!" Maddie called as he left the room and Carina and Maya came back in. "Thank you, for asking him to do that. it made me feel a lot better."

"Of course cuore mio. we are all here for you and we love you so much" Carina said, pulling maddie into a hug.