Chapter 105: The Side Effects Of The Unintending Kind

Hadrian's Room, West Wing, Cedar Pine Mental Care Facility...

Slowly, the hazel brown eyes of one Hadrian Sheridan Rawsone opened to reveal the inside of a cold room where he'd been strapped onto a metal bed. Hadrian stared up at the ceiling not much for saying a word as his weary mind attempted to make sense of the scrambled images that had possibly been his life as he lied in darkness. He could not tell how much time had passed nor where he'd been exactly, but he had been contented to lounge on his back and stare into the vast nothing that had been before him. The distant jingling of keys had gotten his attention somewhat, but he found he lacked the will to care about the sound as he continued to lie in bed staring into the darkness. One of the orderlies brought a tray of food in for him assuming correctly that he'd finally awoken and could eat it. Hadrian continued to lie in bed, not even the least interested in the food or the orderly whom had come into his room.

"I see you're finally awake Doctor Rawsone." said the large bald man whom had been dressed in white and carrying a tray of food which consisted of tomato soup and a carton of milk.

Hadrian had not been interested in the food despite his stomach growling for it when the bald man entered his room and sat him up in bed. The good doctor remained silent not even showing the slightest hint of recognition about his own name and profession. The orderly had been rather nervous around him, but Hadrian proved to be as docile as baby deer when lifted off his bed and sat up so that he could eat the soup, which was to be spoon fed to him via the orderly himself.

"You're looking a bit better today, Doctor Rawsone." said the bald man in an attempt to make conversation.

Hadrian had not been much of a talker it seemed as he slowly allowed the orderly to shovel the warm soup down his throat as he sat with his interest on the nearby wall. He had imagined that he looked to be quite a sight, his facial hair had already been long and his unkempt dark hair even longer as it had yet to be trimmed.

"You know out of all the patients I've had to deal with, you are the one that gives me far less trouble." continued the bald man as he continued to feed the silent doctor.

The talkative orderly seemed to go on forever as Hadrian stared at the wall until the soup had been gone and the large man moved on to the milk. He had the good doctor sip via a straw and once it was gone he set to work getting him back into bed. Hadrian knew all too well that he'd be back for the restroom break and as a result had not been looking forward to it as he lied back and looked up at the ceiling.

"See you in a few hours, Doctor Rawsone." said the bald man before collecting the tray and taking his leave of the silent man.

Hadrian continued to lie amid the darkness of his room in relative silence as he once more drifted off to sleep with time passing him by and the world around him.

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The Front Lobby, Cedar Pine Mental Care Facility....

Unbeknownst to him, his wife Julia had been there and she was inquiring after his condition as it had been a grand total of five weeks since she'd last seen him and the doctors had warned her to allow him to rest. Being a month in the care facility and five weeks removed from his initial treatment, Julia began to wonder what the doctors were keeping from her. She had taken it upon herself to show up and demand to see her husband, or rather if he had truly been her husband after such a long wait and the risk she'd taken just to chance getting him to return to her.

"I demand to see my husband!" growled Julia at the front desk for daring to get her to make an appointment.

"Mrs. Rawsone!" said Doctor Reed annoyed at the surprise visit. "I can assure you your husband is getting the best possible care."

"That's not what I came for." replied Julia narrowing her eyes at Doctor Reed. "I want to see Hadrian now, it's been a five weeks and I'm sure he's gotten plenty of rest by now."

Doctor Reed sighed, as he had hoped that Hadrian would have at least showed some more signs of improvement before he was shown to his wife.

"Very well Mrs. Rawsone." he said conceding. "But I must warn you, the treatment might have been a bit too effective as Dr. Rawsone appears to have regressed a bit as a result of it."

Julia had not liked the sound of that.

"What do you mean regressed?" she asked both terrified and outraged.

Dr. Reed did his best to answer her truthfully.

"The procedure had gone well as there is no trace of the delusion of being another person but, the effectiveness has certainly come at a cost, your husband is suffering from memory lapses, a loss of drive, a lack of clear emotional responses, and sadly he hasn't spoken a word since the treatment."

"WHAT!?" shouted Julia upset to say the least.

"Mrs. Rawsone, need I remind you about your desperation to treat your husband effectively, and how you signed several wavers baring your ability to sue this establishment and me respectively." said Dr. Reed covering his bases. "Your husband's condition is treatable and there is indication that the side effects are only temporary the difficulty is in knowing what time frame to measure in terms of his recovery."

"I want to see him." demanded Julia no longer interested in what the doctor had to say for himself. "I want to see my husband now!"

Dr. Reed sighed before escorting her toward the room where Hadrian was being kept.

"As you wish." he replied. "But, let me remind you that it is as I've explained, he is not himself at the moment so do not expect him to be."

Julia followed the doctor toward her husband's room fearing the outcome of her brash decision to have the shock treatment done.

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Hadrian's Room, West Wing, Cedar Pine Mental Care Facility....

The jingling of keys had once more disturbed Hadrian Rawsone's slumber, but he had cared less while he stared into the darkness at the ceiling above him. He knew it was much too soon for the bald orderly to return to take him to the bathroom so he continued to stare at the ceiling in silence. It wasn't until he heard the door open completely and the sharp gasp that came from the lips of his wife Julia did he bother to even look in their direction.

"As you can see Mrs. Rawsone, Doctor Rawsone is still resting." said Doctor Reed as if he'd had everything well in hand.

Julia had not heard a word he said as she stepped forward and rushed over toward her ailing husband's side. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she looked upon the man she'd spent the better part of twenty years married to as his eyes looked back up into hers. She would know him anywhere even if he had gone silent.

"Hadrian." she said as she burst into more tears and clung to the silent man.

Doctor Hadrian Sheridan Rawsone had indeed returned but the at what cost, Julia had continued to cling to him as Hadrian lied there returning his attention back to the ceiling of his padded room with Doctor Reed nervously watching the couple from the hall.