A Crack in the Mask

Health Care Companions

Notes:

Hey Descendants,

We just wanted to thank you for your understanding last week. We're back though, celebrating a birthday to kick this week off. (Whoop Whoop Happy Birthday to my husband!) Anyway… on to what you're all really waiting for...

Remember that conversation Doug and Roy had?

… yeah, enjoy!

-Dark-

(See the end of the chapter for questions.)

Monday...

"So..." Evie blinks prettily, unable to help the feeling that curled tight in her stomach whenever Doug turned to look at her. As if she were the only thing in the world that mattered. "What exactly is mental health, anyway?" She asks curiously, tapping her envelope announcement against the picnic table. She and Doug were using their free period to study for the upcoming chemistry test, but she was still struggling to understand everyone's reaction to the morning announcements.

So as much as she hated to waste such a beautiful brisk morning outside...

"Mental health is," Doug tilts his head to the side in contemplation, his brow furrowing before he continues "well, it's kind of like physical health. But rather than muscles and bones, you have chemicals in your brain that can raise and lower, and that can change your mood. Or let's say you suffered something awful as a kid, the trauma could be carried into adolescence and adulthood. It's a much broader subject that has a lot more skepticism involved due to the fact that most mental illnesses are 'invisible', meaning you can't see it like one could see proof of a broken leg..." He explains slowly, as if carefully choosing each word.

"Oh." Evie studies Doug for a moment. He was so smart. But something about his explanation bothered her. Suffering something awful as a kid pretty much describes 'vk'. She chews her lip nervously. "So, are there like inoculations like they gave us when we first came over, or some other type of cure for them?"

"Oh… well, I'm not sure there's a cure for most of them." Doug frowns thoughtfully, "The ones that involve the chemical imbalances involve taking the right pills to correct the issue. And as for the illnesses that stem from… external stimulus, well, there's no instant cure for those either. Just counseling really."

External stimulus? Evie furrows her brow. Oh. Her lips twitch into a frown. Like the horrible things Cruella used to do their sweet, innocent Carlos. She wasn't sure she hated any original villain on the isle with the same passion she hated Cruella. She had tormented her son for years and treated him like an animal. "What's counseling?"

"Counseling is all about having someone safe to talk to about things that… you might not feel safe talking about otherwise. Or rather, counseling is usually a session with someone who has been trained in the field of psychology. Psychology is the study of the mind and emotions. It's a pretty fascinating subject, if I do say so myself. "

"Huh." Evie brings up the eraser end of her pencil to her lips and taps them. Psychology? Mental health? Invisible diseases. These were such foreign concepts, not that it was a surprise. Why would they learn about such things on the isle? How would that have been useful when plotting revenge?

But then her eyes narrow at the thought of T.

T was always so reactive to situations. Was that what set people on edge around T? Or why T chose to do half the things he did. Because he might have an invisible disease? "So, okay… I think I'm starting to understand." She tilts her head to the side, "But so I know I get it, let's say someone," She weakly chuckles, "oh, for instance, let's just say someone was to race to push someone else that was on fire down a well, or jumped down the well with them? Probably not a normal thing to do?"