Tobias: Book One of the Cantrell Brothers Series

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Jane listened inattentively as Dr. Froid described the characteristics and the definition of GAD, generalized anxiety disorder. The psychiatrist's words flew in one ear and out the other as an image of her parents both dead and blood-spattered invaded her mind, causing her to sob uncontrollably.

She couldn't be like her father. She just couldn't.

“According to your records, you are indeed on Lexapro for the nightmares. For treatment of your sort, I will be prescribing you Buspar. This medication will take a few weeks to build up within your system, and you may feel lightheaded right after taking the daily dose; but the good new is your symptoms should all but disappear,” Dr. Froid kept rambling off the appropriate doses and where to get the medicine while she thought back to that one tragic day in February.

“Jane." The psychiatrist snapped her back to reality. "Are you listening?”

All she could do was nod her head as her vision became blurry with the anxiousness and horror that threatened to overwhelm her.

“GAD is oftentimes passed down from parent to child, so it is not unusual that you are experiencing this certain disorder. However, your symptoms are a lot less persistent than his were. According to his records, he never went to go see a psychiatrist and would oftentimes team alcohol with his medication. There is a lesson to be learned from that, okay?”

“Okay." She nodded, the sobs having died down as she saw a light of hope at the end.

Scratching something unreadable onto a small yellow sheet of paper, Dr. Froid looked back and forth to her a couple of times before ripping that very same slip off the clipboard and handing it to her. He helped her out of the chair with cold hands and walked with her to the hallway where Tobias was waiting for her.

Every step of the difficult way, Tobias Cantrell was there with her, always the one to support and protect as she curled in on herself. She needed him more than she had previously realized, and that sudden realization didn't have her reeling like she would had thought in the past few months.

“The pharmacy is right around the corner.” Dr. Froid pointed to a small office with orange prescription bottles filling the shelves. "It should still be open. I sent them a quick phone call right before you arrived, so MacKenzie Sanders will have your prescription all filled up. Jane, it would be very beneficial for you to continuing seeing me." He directed that cold, emotionless gaze to the confident man who was holding her hand tightly. "Tobias, this is probably the last time I'll be seeing you in that room. I'm proud to be your psychiatrist.”

Jane watched as Tobias gave the psychiatrist a confused look before walking with her to the small pharmacy where they picked up the Buspar and then drove back to his house in a relieved silence.

A metal spoon rang out with a few soft clangs, bringing Jane back to the present. Glancing back to the source of the noise, Jane smiled lightly at the way Tobias was eating his bowl of multi-grain Cheerios. Like so many times before, a few of the stale circles were scattered around the table, Tobias paying too much attention to something work-related to notice Rex looking at the cereal longingly.

“Rex,” she cooed, reaching over Tobias to grab the few stray grains. "C'mere, boy.”

The large Siberian husky soon ate up all of the cereal from her hand, licking her hand appreciatively as she continued petting his massive head. Just as she was about to reach around and grab some more of the cereal scattered on the table, Tobias's familiar hand latched onto hers, and he swooped in to leisurely kiss her on the lips, most likely tasting the Frosted Flakes she had downed a few moments before.