A Bad Year In Romantics

PROLOGUE.

Dedication:

This one is for everyone who's overcome their toughest fights.Fight on.

I'm currently sat in the mental health wing of my local hospital.I'm not alone. There are three other people here waiting to see their respective therapists.How on earth did my life take so many sharp turns that ended me up in this stupid multicolor hospital chair?

It was my life that led the hospital staff to decide that it would be best for me to seek behavioral therapy 3 times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. If I hadn't complained so much they would have given me 5 days a week.I asked them if it was okay for me to bring emotional support.They said it was fine. "Whatever It takes  for me to feel comfortable",they said. Well my emotional support was running late,and I was growing uneasy.

  A nurse in a yellow pencil skirt instead of nurse scrubs stepped into the waiting room:

"Andrea Morgan?"

The owner of the name stood up. Both women chatted as the door closed behind them. My leg shook harder with each sound I heard outside,and each sound sounded ten times louder than it normally would.

Right when I was about to loose it and run out of the building ,my emotional support FINALLY arrived.It was my longtime best friend Parker.

"Hi,"He greeted whilst taking a seat in the chair next to mine,"I'm sorry I'm late. There was an accident on the freeway.A truck tipped over,there was milk everywhere it was a big hassle but I'm finally here. So," he looked at me,"Anything good?"

"I think I'm next,"I said,"Dude i can't do this! I'm losing my mind in this chair.I blame this chair okay the chair is crap and I wanna fling it across the room and hit the lady behind the counter."

"Gabriel dude-"He grabbed hold of my flailing arms tightly,"Hey.."

"Yeah."I continued my babbling in a whisper shout,"Hey maybe then they can call the doctors or someone to wheel me into the vaccination wing so they can sedate me.It be nice to be unconscious for a few hours.Days,weeks,months.."

"Hey nobody is going to do that,okay.You are not flinging a chair at the lady behind the counter.We just need to find a way to maintain you for the time being."

  He grabbed me by the wrist and hauled me up to the counter.A brown haired girl with glasses typed away at her laptop. She saw us and smiled:

"Yes how may I help you."

"Yes hi,"Parker spoke,"How long till Gabriel Ballinger gets called?"

"Let me check okay? Just give me one minute."She winked and got up to check.

I began counting the seconds to myself whilst staring blankly at the floor.."1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..."

She came back when I had reached 22

"He'll be in after the next two patients."

Parker nodded,"Okay.Well  were just gonna step outside for a second.Out here in the hallway."

"Okay.If I don't see you here I'll call for you."

"Sounds great.Thanks a lot."

"Don't mention it."

I sank to the floor outside the office and wrapped my arms around my knees.I had been here so many times last year that the staff should consider constructing a wing and naming it "Gabriel".The emergency visits had stopped.Now I was visiting to recover from what Mina had done to me

Parker sat down next to me.He put his arm around my back.

"Remember to tell Mr.Daniels about the nightmares.About-"

I interrupted him,"About how I haven't slept in days because I'm afraid of closing my eyes and reliving it all in my head."

"Yes.That exactly buddy."

It's almost as if right on cue Dr.Andre Daniels poked his head out of the door. He was a tall man with blue and light brown hair. He had a warm friendly smile. He wore khaki jeans,a blue button up shirt,and he had a clean shaved face.

"Gabriel?"He asked

"Yes your honor?"

He chuckled,"Come on in.Let's talk. Would you like some coffee and cookies?"

"That sounds nice.C-can Parker come too?"

He looked over at my friend and nodded,"Of course he can."

We were led into a spacious room with the walls covered in bookshelves. Instead of a desk there was two chairs next to each other and a couch for patients to lay down on.

I sat down instead and crossed my legs together.Parker pulled a chair next to me.The doctor sat across from us with a notepad and pen next to him.

He set down a nice spread of assorted cookies and three cups of coffee. He went to a cabinet and came back with cream,sugar,and a carton of milk"Alrighty so,"He began after we were all settled in,"Gabriel I was told you were checked in with multiple wounds,some self inflicted others done upon impact.What was going on through your head,may I ask?

"What was going on through my head was how badly wanted the whole situation to end.How much I felt cornered and how badly I wanted to die."

"Start from where it all began..Don't leave any details out. This physiological exam will go with other papers that will be handed to your lawyer. He will use these exams against Mina ."

"Okay.."I swallowed hard,"These are the events that led me to jump off a freeway overpass."