The Loving Kind- Chim

Chapter Forty Three

Nicola's POV:

"The doctor wants to speak with you Cheryl." Without a knock on the door or a greeting, Rebecca walks in, makes awkward but stern eye contact with Cheryl and leaves within seconds.

"Come on, we'll come down with you."

----

"How are you feeling after yesterday? Is your head okay?"

"It was nothing, just a scratch."

"But how are you feeling?"

"...I don't know anymore."

"I did say to separate yourself-"

"IT'S NOT MY FAULT." She screams, gripping her hair in her hands.

"Your argument with Kimberley isn't your fault? Does she know that?"

"N-No, she can't."

"I'm not really understanding this Ch-"

"Nobody understands, nobody will understand."

"Why?"

"Because- Because- you won't."

"Alright, ok. Where are we going to go from here then?" She doesn't say anything, keeping her eyes firmly in her lap.

"Do you think you can carry on progressing for the better?"

"I don't know."

"Come on Cheryl, you was doing well." She doesn't answer, i don't think she has an answer.

"Do you want help?"

"I don't care."

"You don't care?"

"No."

"Why?"

"There's no point anymore."

"There's every point."

"No, there's nothing."

"But we all want you to get better, the girls do, Lily does, Kimberley does-" She cringes slightly at Kimberley's name but carries on staring at the wall, shaking her head.

"Come on, you gotta fight Cheryl. Remember i told you how i was like you? I fought for my wife and my child."

"I have nothing to fight for, i have nothing left."

That hit me like a tonne of bricks. She'd said that same sentence to us girls when going through her divorce, it hit her hard and she was getting worse except this time, it's so bad, she's in a mental health care home.

"Can i ask you a question? Those months ago when you started going through this phase, why did it happen?"

"I- i don't know. I-" Her eyes fill with tears and she shakes her head.

"Something must have happened? Can you tell me?"

"Nothing- No- I- No."

"Ok, calm down, ok. How about you go sleep on it tonight? You'll have your tea soon then you can sleep and we can talk tomorrow? Yeah?" She doesn't reply but she gets up and walks away, passing us without one glance.

"Girls? Can i speak to you?" We hear the Doctor shout and open his office door for us. Kimberley seems hesitant to ignore the doctor and go after Cheryl but her mind seems to kick back in and realise after previous events, the better option would be going to speak to the doctor.

"Well that wasn't so successful."

"No... i don't know what to say." Nadine sighs, biting her nails, only something she does when she's anxious just like Cheryl does.

"I think we've found the route of the problem. It seems if something drastic gets suddenly dropped on her, she seems to have this meltdown."

"What? I don't get what you're saying?" Sarah comments, trying to work it out.

"Well i hear she was depressed after her divorce with Ashley, right? That got thrown on to her? One minute she's happily married, the next she's been teld her husband has cheated on her. It's messing with her mind and i think this time, it made her angrier aswell as depressed."

"But what could have started it all those months ago?"

"I'm not so sure, i don't know what went off around that time but something happened, maybe you could get in touch with Tre? But i think because the depression wasn't solved or seen too that it got dragged out. Something must have happened to set it off again? She seemed to get better but something was offloaded on to her and suddenly she's bad again, i don't know about that either. Something to do with the argument, Kimberley?"

"Maybe, i-i don't know."

"Ok well we'll keep an eye on her but maybe she won't get out of her as quick as she was told."

----

Lily came up earlier and we explained the situation so while she speaks to her, we go and get in touch with Tre.

"Hello, Tre speaking?"

"Hey Tre, It's Nicola?"

"Oh hi!"

"Is it a bad time or can we talk?"

"No, go ahead."

"Are you alone?"

"Yeah."

"Good, you're on speaker with the girls."

"Oh ok, is everyone alright?"

"Not really, Cheryl recently started getting better but suddenly she's going back down hill. The doctor said these episodes are caused by a sudden shock, like a sudden tragedy that's dropped on her unexpectedly? He recommend speaking to you and finding out what happened all those months to make her like this?"

"Oh, i see. I can't think of anything." He says, somewhat unconvincingly.

"Please Tre, we don't know if she'll ever fight again."

"There's one thing, she told me numerous times that it wasn't the cause of the problem. I believed her and promised not to tell a soul. Maybe you should ask her, i couldn't possibly say, it's bad-"

"No Tre, please? She doesn't have to know you told us."

"Nicola, i can't."

"Please?!"

"Could you at least speak to her first? If she doesn't tell you then call back within the next 20 minutes and i'll explain."

"Ok, fine. Bye for now."

As soon as i hang up, we all rush upstairs and approach Cheryl's room quietly where she's sat crying hysterically on Lily. Lily's eyes are also watering and her cheeks are marked with tears, she shakes her head at us and i understand immediately and leave. I NEED to ring Tre.

"Hey Nic, she not say?"

"No, she's hysterical though. What happened Tre? What happened all those months ago?!"

There's a long pause then he sighs as we wait patiently, nobody anticipating what came next.

"She had a miscarriage, Nicola, she lost our baby."