The Fallen One

Chapter Twenty-Six

Within the next few months, I would graduate college, Sherry, Cleo and the Carters in the crowd. Blake was still backpacking through Europe so he didn't attend his graduation in Washington. The Carters didn't watch Ned graduate either.

Dad had spent months trying to convince Blake to come home to Sam Francisco so we can help him get better. When he finally agreed, he cut his trip short and is now on his way back here.

"What do you think?" I ask Cleo as she sits on my shoulders.

"I love it!" She cries in excitement as I pick her up and place her onto the bed. "I love the new house!"

She begins jumping up and down on her new bed. After living it's the Carters for years, it's about time we got ourselves our own place. Moving day was a complete success.

Suddenly I hear my phone ringing from my pocket.

"Chris, I'm picking him up from the airport now" dad announces, "we'll be at your place in an hour"

I nod "Sherry is taking Cleo for ice cream so we'll have the house to ourselves"

"Good" he responds, "see you then"

Within the hour, they were at the door. Blake doesn't say much. He enters the house slowly and takes a seat around the kitchen table. Dad starts his monologue about how worried we all are about Blake's Mental health, to which Blake remains completely silent throughout.

"I can take you a really good doctor friend of mine who will thoroughly diagnose you" Dad finishes his speech.

"Say something, Blake" I beg.

"Bipolar?" His face is in his hands, "you think I'm bipolar?"

"Bipolar is hereditary and you boys have a strong family history with your mum and all" Dad continues.

Blake stands up quickly from the table.

"I'm not bipolar, there's nothing wrong with me! I'm not sick" he cries. "I get depressed sometimes, okay, that's normal—"

"Blake, self-harm, suicide attempts and manic episodes are not normal" Dad explains calmly.

I follow Blake's actions, now standing beside him.

"Blake, please sit down we're saying this because we care and are worried about you" I look into his wild eyes.

"There's nothing wrong with me!" He screams, shoving me.

That's when dad stands up. "Blake," he says calmly, as I stumble a few steps back.

Then Blake swings at my face quickly, making me fall against the wall, my lip gushing blood. Blake's eyes widen.

"I'm sorry, Chris!" He weeps then begins slamming his head against the brick wall, over and over.

Dad grabs his shoulders as an attempt to pull him from the wall, but Blake pushes him too. My walls are covered in blood while Blake continues to slam his forehead. That's when dad pulls out his phone and calls the ambulance. After a couple of minutes, Blake passes out. He lays in a pool of his own blood when the ambulance shows up, pulling him onto a stretcher.

We didn't see him for hours later, not until one of the hospital psychologists finished examining him.

"Well?" Dad asks the psychologist when he leaves Blake's room.

"Your suspicions were correct, Rafferty," he says simply, "the kid is bipolar type 2"

My heart drops.

"Can I see him?" Dad asks.

"One visitor at a time," the psychologist tells him, making dad look over to me.

"You go first" I offer.

Dad responds with a nod as entering Blake's room. I stand in the waiting room stunned for a few minutes before I pull out my phone and make a call.

"Hello?" the familiar voice greets.

I haven't heard her speak in years. I didn't realise how much I've missed her till now. Now I'm struggling to remember why we stopped talking?

"Its Chris, don't hang up!" I beg.

"I haven't heard from you in four years and now you want to talk?" Casey cries.

"It's about Blake" I sigh.

There's a short pause while my cousin thinks. I haven't spoken to my cousin Casey since 2017 when I left her at my aunt and uncles house to return to the Carters. A couple of days later, Casey packed her bags and ran away — moving to god knows where, not even finishing high school. She and Blake remained close throughout the years, which is why I'm calling her now.

"You have twenty seconds" she orders.

"Blake's sick, Casey" I announced slowly, my voice breaking. "He's bipolar...he had an episode and he's at the hospital now, where they just diagnosed him"

A long pause followed, making me rethink calling her.

"What and you thought that your little bipolar cousin would be able to to help with that?" She asks.

Blake told me that Casey was diagnosed with bipolar type 2, not long after she ran away from home. She's been taking lithium for it ever since.

"Look, I know you hate my guts but Blake needs someone right now...someone who understands"

"Okay" she responds slowly, "and not because it was you asking or anything to do with this phone call...I'll come to the hospital because I love Blake"

"Thank you" I exhale after ending the call.

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A/N

Hi all,

You guys haven't seen Casey since Chapter 12, so I'm glad to finally bring her back and answer the big question - where has she been all these years? Why was she never mentioned in the other books?

Please VOTE if you're enjoying this book :)

Happy reading!

- Rose xx