Open Heart: MC X Sienna

Crying, But You Shouldn't

As usual, Aurora left me because the case was not interesting enough for her. Though, she did look a bit pissed today. Like more than she normally is. Only if I had time and will to wonder why was that.

I make my way to my current patient's room. He was caught in an accident when he was driving home from work.

"Mr. Knoblauch. Good afternoon, how are you feeling today?"

The man raises his eyes and shoots a death glare towards me.
"When the fish am I gonna get outta here?" he barks.

I calmly pick up the clipboard with the results of the tests I suggested him this morning.

"Answer me man!" he is growing restless.

I calmly take my time and view all the test results.

"Mike, we are trying to figure out the reason for your migraines. Please cooperate with us" I say.

"I just wanna leave, I ain't got time for this non sense. I'll get laid off like my pals if I skip job for too long" he protests and begins to get out of the bed.

I quickly grasp his arm and try to put him back in bed. His young son watches us with a bewildered expression.

"Mike, I understand that you have work but you've got to rest. You hit your head on the steering during the accident and that is not a thing to be taken lightly"

"So what? I'm breathing right?"

"You are Sir but think about your son. Who will take care of him if you fall terribly sick?" I try to reason with him.

Mike Knoblauch is affected upon hearing about his son and he lays back on the bed.

Thank God! The man scared the hell out of me.

"What will I do?" he murmurs to himself while covering his eyes with his hand.

I pat his back reassuringly.

"My wife... She died two years ago. Matthew has nobody except me in this world. I'm trying to fill in for his mother but... I feel like I fail all the time" he sighs.

I listen quietly. It's best that he let's out all this pain.

"His ADHD is quite a tense thing for us. I worry too much about him..." and he looks wearily towards his son, who is busy playing with some Lego blocks.

So Mathew has ADHD...

Mathew has ADHD!

Mike had Migraines!

Mike's fellow workers were being laid off.

I gulp "Mike, were you taking Matthew's ADHD medicines?"

His face whitens.

"I..."

"Mike..." I look at him sympathetically.

"Please be honest. You were taking Matthew's medicines to focus on work, right? So you won't get laid off" I wait for his reply.

"I... I was. For the exact reason but I realized that it was wrong so I left it. Then the migraines started. For a few weeks it kept on and then stopped. I was relieved but then..." he stops.

"I understand. The migraines were an after effect of abruptly leaving the medicine for ADHD. Your accident was also caused by a sudden migraine attack." and he nods after hearing this.

"No worries Mike! I'll give you a medicine and two days of rest. You'll be fine then and don't even think of leaving Edenbrook before two days" I smile and wink.