You Would Never Know

XXIII | Tangled Truths

Before she could meet the ground, I caught her, making sure her head didn't take a painful hit. I carefully brought her to her bed, laying her down.

To not waste time, I immediately dialed the family doctor's number and urged him to come. It didn't take long before he did, and we skipped the pleasantries to reach Dali as soon as possible.

What felt like hours was actually just one agonizing hour until he finally said something. "That was a panic attack, Mr. Barone; the pills you asked me about are medication for it. They could only be prescribed by a psychiatrist, and they're not easily attained. The dosage Mrs. Bernardi takes is quite high, and she had a mild overdose because she took multiple, but I've given her medication to reverse the effects, so hopefully she'll gradually get better."

I diligently listened to what he had to say while I sat beside Dali's bed. She had a frown on her face that I softly smoothed with my thumb before checking her temperature with the back of my hand. I was able to tell that her temperature finally started dropping back to normal, especially after taking off the layers of clothes she had on.

"Why was she feeling so cold, Dr. Victor?" There was no will in me to hide the concern that laced my voice, face, and probably every fiber of my body.

He kept nodding as he attentively listened to what I was saying. He fixed his glasses before answering, "Well, at times, when some people get panic attacks, they experience cold rushes. During panic attacks or anxiety attacks, the body releases the hormone adrenaline, which causes chills.

Mrs. Bernardi tried her best to stay warm, which raised her body temperature. All of what happened was due to the panic attack, and I recommend that Mrs. Bernardi continue using her medication in the prescribed manner and visit a therapist."

No one could convince her to visit a therapist. It was surprising when she put effort in and went and sought help, but it wasn't long before she gave up and cut off ties with her.

"Anything else, Mr. Barone?" I shook my head, deep in thought, and reluctantly left Dali behind to show Doctor Victor out.

"Thank you." I shook hands with him. "Anytime. It's my duty after all." I closed the door behind him and immediately went back up, with Kuma and Sky following me to Dali's room.

I sat back down near her and continued to rub soothing circles on her hand while watching the rise and fall of her chest. It was reassuring to look at; it showed that she was safe and sound.

Her panic attacks were always severe, from what I heard. This was my first time witnessing one. Back then, whenever I saw her start spiraling, I was able to help ease her mind, but this time it fully took over her, and there wasn't anyone there to be with her.

I only ever knew about their intensity and how far they could go when she was receiving treatments, but eventually the updates stopped once Dali stopped going to her sessions.

Dali only went through these treatments for two months, and when she suddenly stopped, I was on high alert. I was sure she wasn't healed, so that wasn't a reason as to why she'd stop, nor were the specialists lacking in their job for her to stop, so there was only one thing that came to mind, and that was that she was giving up.

After that, I doubled the number of men who kept their eyes on her and warned them of what she might attempt, and a year after she stopped receiving her treatments, we noticed that she was on the path of ending her life.

It started off with her not visiting every city she could in Morocco, no longer grocery shopping or trying new foods like she used to, and keeping herself locked in her hotel room, but from time to time she would actually go out to converse with the ladies outside and paint the landscapes.