Wake of the Living-Not-So-Dead

[Jason Campbell]

Jason had a morbid habit. No, it was not the fact he forgot to sleep and eat when focusing on a task, although this might be another one of his. This one also had to do with sleep though. Whenever he would fall asleep on his back, he had a tendency of bringing his hands to his chest, much like what a body looks like in a coffin. It did not happened all the time but when you sleep on a small hospital bed, you don't really have room for any other position.

He was not all that tired when he came to Bellefonte, but then he had to heal a student who suffered from some burns after a training session or some accident, he didn't really hear the details as healing the student was the priority here. Once he did however, he felt very dizzy and his heart started to beat at a slow pace. He knew he couldn’t head back to town in this state. He needed to lie down and recuperate, preferably eat something also. But first, he would sleep.

The bed was just there, waiting for him in the nurse's office. He meant just to have a quick nap. Not even a nap, just rest his eyes for a little bit. But shortly after he lied down, and placed his hands on his chest so he wouldn't feel too cramped in there, he found himself sleeping. In deep slumber, he didn't care what he might look like to anyone coming in for some medical care but had he been awake, he might have agreed this could be disturbing. Just like it might be surprising when he let out a brief groan as he woke up.

[Ashley Benson]

This was the part of the strict routine Ashley forced herself into that was bittersweet. She hated the idea of taking medication for her condition, it sometimes made her feel subdued and almost numb to the outside world but also understood it kept her episodes at bay and was the cornerstone of her treatment. All the talking to a therapist in the world still wouldn't be effective without the stabilizing affect of the cocktail of pills she had to ingest. Naturally, given the volatility of her disorders and the medications they required, regular physicals were necessary to ensure side-effects were kept to a minimum.

Ashley nodded politely to the nurse as she was led to one of the exam rooms. She hadn't said a word, she rarely did unless spoken to, and merely went through the motions as always. Clutching her medical file, or at least the small portion of it relevant to her appointment, Ashley slipped quietly into the room, allowing the nurse to close the door behind her. She sighed softly before movement from behind her caught her attention. She turned, focusing her eyes upon the doctor, who was just beginning to stir from his nap.

With a yelp of surprise, Ashley dropped the document stuffed folder and jumped back, bumping into the counter while papers scattered across the floor. "Oh, God I'm sorry!" She breathed, a hand coming up to her chest. "I, uh, didn't think anyone was here." She took a long, slow intake of breath to help ease her rattled nerves before kneeling to hurriedly gather her medical documents before they could be seen.

[Jason Campbell]

With what happened, anything else he might have had for the day left Jason’s mind. He just felt like resting and going back home. Anyway, he had been too drained to be of any help, at least for a while. Besides, unless there was a real emergency, the school had all the proper staff and equipment to face whatever might happen. If not... well someone could still wake him up.

It sure was not the best way to meet with a doctor. It didn’t give the feeling he was really professional or that he was in any shape to take care of you. But Jason was forced to realise that he was not alone in the room. It was easy to notice when he caused the girl to cry out of surprise as he got up. It made him freeze and look at her, just as surprised. He obviously didn’t mean to startle anybody.

“No, I’m sorry,” he told her as he watched the sheets falling to the floor. He got out of the bed, tested his balance on his feet. He still felt vaguely tired but this girl didn’t seem in any major physical pain so obviously, she was not here because of that. He wouldn’t have to use his power then and Jason could easily listen to her in this state. “You came for the school nurse? Or perhaps you wanted to see a doctor?” He really wished he didn’t make an appointment with her that he forgot about. It would be embarrassing.

[Ashley Benson]

Ashley's hands reached out, desperately groping for the papers like they may fly away at any second. Her medical files represented the window into her very being. There was no avoiding the information they contained. No amount of lying or glossing over the truth could cover up the lists of medical conditions or the medications she took in order to combat them. She hadn't even given any thought to the manic way she was acting in front of a stranger and how embarrassed she should be. At least not until he spoke.

"Doctor." Her eyes turned upward to look at him. She looked much like a deer caught in headlights. Ashley wasn't fond of surprises and she, as expected, handled any surge of adrenaline or emotion poorly. She could feel her hands shaking as she brushed a stray strand of hair from her face. "I- I'm here to see my doctor."

With her attention now focused upon the stranger, Ashley carefully got to her feet, the gathered papers held protectively to her chest. It occurred to her she'd been staring and dropped her gaze for a brief moment before busying herself with trying to straighten the documents out and stuff them back into the folder. If only she could remember the right order. "Are you, uh, also waiting?" She asked, unable to hide the wavering in her voice. In her muddled state of mind she hadn't noticed one of the papers had drifted further away and now sat at the man's feet.

[Jason Campbell]

Jason meant to help her but he noticed how frantically she was picking the sheets of paper and it made him stop before he could even get on his knees and pick some up to give them to her. If she had a file in her hand, in such a place, it had to be her medical file and he knew how personal this was. She didn’t seem to know who he was and even if she did, he would be peeking at a part of her life that was confidential. Still, he couldn’t help looking at her as she gathered them into a pile and replace them inside the file.

It made sense that she was here to see a doctor. Were they doctors here, or just nurses? Bellefonte required a little more attention than what a regular nurse might provide. It was no ordinary school after all. A power could so easily go out of control or react badly in front of another power, causing all sorts of accidents. And then there were all those side-effects. The school definitely needed more than what a normal one would need in terms of medical help. Jason was called only during emergencies, when his power was required more than his ability as a doctor. It was enough though, for he also tended the members of their community outside of the school.

He was slightly surprised at her question. “No. Actually, I am a doctor,” he told her. Obviously not his doctor however, unless he skipped her. That could happen. If he was able to forget to eat or sleep, he didn’t see why he could not forget an appointment. Normally, his were taken by a secretary and the patients were coming to the clinic, so he didn’t have to remember exactly who he was supposed to meet. But he sometimes agreed to come to the school when his patients were students or worked here and it was easier for them.

Jason bent down to pick a piece of paper she forgot and handed it to her, trying his best not to look at a word written on it. He still managed to read a few key words though. “I am sorry if I startled you. I was not expecting anyone to get in while I was resting. They told me it was fine.”

[Ashley Benson]

"Oh. Um." Ashley's brows knitted together tightly as she mulled over what the revelation of the man being a doctor truly meant. There had been something in the tone of his voice, perhaps real or imagined, that made her wonder if he was actually her doctor and it caused her mind to race. She didn't recognize him, or did she? Sometimes it was so hard to remember even the most basic things. Her brain seemed to only work when it wanted to and moments of panic like this set in when she began to question it. Her eyes closed and she took a long, slow breath. She was fine, she only needed to tell herself that over and over while remembering to breathe. "It's just routine." She said finally, even going so far as to try on a forced smile, which failed miserably under the weight of her anxiety. "I think, maybe one of the nurses forgot you were here."

When her head lifted up from the papers she was hurriedly trying to stuff into the folder she felt a spike of dread course through her chest. The doctor was plucking one of the pieces of her medical file from the floor and offering it to him. Ashley was instantly flooded by the fear of him reading what was disclosed on the page. He was a doctor meaning he'd be able to decipher the cryptic writings and foreign terms printed across the paper. If he caught sight of the medical history record he would see key words such as Olanzapine, Norepinephrine and Lithium. And if he did that, he wouldn't just suspect, he would know she was crazy and look at her like all the rest.

Swallowing hard Ashley reached out to pluck the paper from Dr. Campbell's grasp with a shaking thumb and forefinger. Her eyes shifted down to the page and her heart sank before she turned her gaze back up to him. She looked as though she wanted nothing more than to turn and run away, which wasn't far from the truth.

[Jason Campbell]

This girl didn’t seem to find too weird for an adult to be resting in the infirmary. Then again, she looked like she had far greater matters in her head that had to do with the file she had in her hands. He did read a few words on the piece of paper he gave her. There was a list of medications. Jason didn’t deal with a lot of mental illnesses in his career. When you worked in an emergency room, you more often tended broken bones and pneumonia than a psychotic break. Still, he knew what those were for. He tried not to let it show however. He didn’t think she was crazy, merely that she needed help. You do not prescribe those unless you tried other options first.

She maintained it was only routine. It could be. Even those who needed a refill of lithium needed a regular checkup. The look on her face however... Obviously, she too noticed what was written on this paper. She must be wishing it had been another one that fell at his feet instead. “It’s quite possible, I’ve been here longer than I have expected,” he admitted, purposefully ignoring what he read to focus on what she said before. Jason only meant to have a quick nap to rest his eyes. Instead, he fell asleep. It was a good thing he woke up at this time, even if that meant he scared the girl.

“If you came for a physical checkup, I can do it, to save you the wait. My name is Jason Campbell,” he told her, extending a hand for her to shake. Anything else however, he wouldn’t dare to do. He couldn’t write her a prescription for her medication, not knowing her medical history and even if he was to read her files. And if the man could heal any physical ailment with a simple touch, he was sadly useless for any problems of the mind.

[Ashley Benson]

He saw. Panic and fear gripped the girl's features as it was obvious the doctor's eyes had skimmed over the file. He had to have been able to pick out at least a few words printed out over the page. She visibly tensed, preparing herself for the wary, skeptical eye that was sure to follow as the realization of what the girl standing before him truly was would sink in. It was going to happen any second now. The stoic, analytical gaze would shift and he would silently judge her. Just like all the rest.

When the change didn't come, Ashley looked almost surprised. She peered up to the doctor as if he'd told her some profound life secret that had been hitherto unknown. Her mouth opened and worked to speak but no words came out causing her to clamp it shut in frustration. She could do little more than study him for a long moment. Slowly she began to grow acutely aware that he had spoken to her and she'd responded only by looking confused and lost. If he didn't think her crazy before, he would most assuredly think so now.

And still there was no judgement to be found in the man's gaze. Ashley couldn't tear her eyes from him. It was so strange to be in the presence of someone who hadn't instantly labelled her, or wanted to cast her aside, or looked at her like a pet project. He only knew what he'd read on the damning medication history document and he still didn't seem to see herlike everyone else. There was a softness to his demeanor that disarmed many of her doubts and fears. She hoped her judgement of his character wasn't wrong, but she'd been told she needed to take a chance and trust someone. Slowly she felt her nerves begin to settle and control return to her body. "Yes, please." She murmured softly before cautiously lifting the folder with the papers still jutting out of it haphazardly to the doctor. "I'm Ashley." She said, the name leaving a bitter taste on her tongue.

[Jason Campbell]

Jason might not have dealt with a lot of mental illnesses in his career but he knew what those medications could be used for. People would be surprised the amount of people who relied in this kind of medication these days. Olanzapine was actually common whenever someone needed an antipsychotic. Jason refused to judge though. She got the proper treatment and if that could not heal her, it could keep whatever ailed her under control.

He noticed however how scared she was that he might read about it. It explained why he did as if he had not. He would not tell anyone. The people in the school who had to know knew for sure, the others didn’t need to. It was a little awkward though, being looked at this way, in silence. That too, he tried not to think about. She seemed surprised by his attitude and slightly confused but she could also simply have zoned out, it wouldn’t be the first time Jason’s first impression proved to be wrong.

She couldn’t keep her gaze off him and Jason tried it not to affect him. Asking her if she needed his services helped, as it would not only make him do something but would require for her to speak to him in return. He nodded as she agreed to his suggestion. His hand was already holding the file when she introduced herself and he smiled. “You can sit on the bed,” he told her, pointing at the one he used previously. “You came for just a regular checkup or for something in particular?” he asked. Already, he opened her file and worked on replacing the various sheets in the right order.

[Ashley Benson]

Ashley slowly moved to comply, climbing onto the bed and sitting. She let her feet swing idly, head lowered as Dr. Campbell started sorting through the paperwork. She didn't know how much he had caught from the single page his eyes had slid over but if there was any doubt as to how much she would know of the extent and nature of her conditions, it was long gone now. This would be the ultimate test. As nervous and uncertain as she was, Ashley had a method to her madness. She had been under heavy medication, on therapy, and isolated from the rest of her peers for the last four years. It was about time she took some semblance of control over her life.

"The medications I take have side-effects." She said after taking a long, slow breath to gather herself. She managed to lift her head and regard the doctor with a polite smile as she began to steadily list off her symptoms. "Low blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, increased chance of blood-sugar or hormonal imbalance." She sighed a little, her brow furrowing. The doctor probably would able to glean all this with a short look at her file but the more she spoke, regardless of the topic, the more at ease she became. "And then I'm taking medication to counter all that... and those have side effects..." She trailed off with another sigh.

It sounded terrible, the laundry list of adverse physical effects she endured because of her medication. In the end, Ashley wouldn't complain. She had a long way to go both mentally and physically, but she was improving. The worst, or so she had been told, was over. She still couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel but she was assured it was there. That, quite simply, was thanks in large part to the cocktail of medication they had found through trial and error. Slowly but surely, Ashley was getting better.

"I'm just here to..." She gave a brief pause before waving a hand toward herself. "... make sure everything still works the way it's supposed to."

[Jason Campbell]

No need to say that, while sorting her paperwork, he also took a quick peek. He didn't read in detail everything but enough to know of the frequent visits she paid to a therapist and also the road she took to the medication she now had but also information on examinations that had less to do with her mental state and more with what Jason did. As he read through it real quick, she also provided with some information, mainly the side-effects of her medication and the fact she took something to counter them. He had a little smile at the way she said it. “Yes, that’s the problem with medication. Are you also checking your diet for those side-effects? It can help reduce them and lower the amount of medication you’re taking.”

He had all this information in her file but he let her talk. Some people needed to talk, it just made the whole thing easier for them. Jason might not be some old doctor who had seen it all but he had dealt with his share of reactions from people. Talking a lot not being the worst of them. “At least you seemed to have found the right combination for you. This can be very long and difficult,” he told her. He just went to the part in her file detailing what seemed to work the best for her.

He raised his eyes from the file as she talked again. “We’ll make sure of it.” He began the checkup and since she seemed to have a need to talk, he would have her talk. “Are you doing any physical activity? A sport perhaps, or part of a club?”

[Ashley Benson]

Ashley nodded as she kept her eyes locked upon the doctor as he spoke. It had been a long, hard road out of the hell she'd been wading through the past few years and, she knew, the right balance of medication that had been found played a large part in her being able to function even at the level she currently at. A healthy diet and regular exercise, as it always seemed, was pat of the mental and physical plan laid out for her. She had followed it meticulously, rarely straying from her diet or passing up an opportunity for physical exertion. It wasn't as if she had much else going. She might as well dedicate as much energy and effort into herself as she could.

"Early on I had appointments with a nutritionist." The Academy's medical team had been nothing if not thorough in their care for the girl. Of that she would be eternally grateful. "She taught showed me everything I needed to know." A bit of pride crept into the weak smile she turned up toward the doctor. "I follow my diet plan to the letter." At the end of the day she had to be the one to push herself to get better. She wasn't like this for the pity or sympathy. She would get better. Her determination to do whatever it took to help her condition was evidence of that. "It took a couple years." At least she thought. Time was a nebulous concept to her. "And, um." She paused, brow furrowing as she fidgeted with her hands a bit. "It's helped. I'm getting better."

Ashley's head shook, though, at the second question. It struck her, however, that Dr. Campbell was the second medical professional to bring up being part of a club. She had only started experimenting with taking a couple normal classes a week to see how she responded to being around people. Joining a club where she was expected to participate in group activities and contribute to projects seemed daunting. "I run in the morning." She offered. Staying active was an important part of her road to managing her condition. "And they let me go to the gym a couple times a week." Her brow furrowed as she shifted uncomfortable on the bed. "No clubs." She said, her voice lowering. "I haven't been around people much." She admitted. "But they did say joining a club would be good for me." And, as nervous as just the mere idea made her, she would try. She had to.

[Jason Campbell]

Jason listened while also reading her file real quick. “That’s good. Do be careful with those symptoms though, especially if you start feeling dizzy. Low blood pressure is not always serious but if you start feeling light-headed, it’s important to rest and hydrate yourself. But I suppose they already told you all of this,” Jason told her, a small smile painting itself on his lips as he looked at her. She seemed serious about her diet and taking her medication, which was a good thing. It was not easy all the time. Jason was the best example of it, as he so often decided to ignore his diet, skipping meals to work or forgetting to take what his system needed to palliate with the side-effects of his power.

“That’s the most important. I know it might seem like it’s taking too long for you sometimes, but finding the right balance can take some time. Considering what’s at stake, it’s important not to rush anything.” Again, it was certainly something she heard many times before but important things needed to be repeated now and again.

He nodded as she told him any physical activity she was doing. He didn’t really care for her being part of a club or not, other that it might be important to warn the teacher in charge to watch for any symptoms indicating she needed to lie down. It was why he looked up at her when she said she had been told in the past she should join one. “I’m not telling you to do it. I only wanted to know your routine and how it could affect you in some way. I’m focusing on your physical health. Mental one is not my expertise.”

He looked to get a stethoscope, making sure to clean it before using it, same as the rest of the equipment he would use for her checkup. “It is a little low, but nothing too alarming. You’re feeling fine right now? No nausea or light-headedness?” he told her as he took her blood pressure.

[Ashley Benson]

Ashley nodded a bit, her eyes lifting back up to the doctor as he spoke. In spite of her overall discontentment with them, her doctors hadn't led her astray. They had, on numerous occasions explained in detail what she needed to do to help herself along the path to managing her condition. She'd read there were people in her situation that searched for years without finding the right balance to their medication and were forced to continue ravaging their body with the aggressive drugs. They hadn't rushed, it had felt like they had been experimenting forever. But they broke through and the medication was working. At least for the moment.

"Sorry." She said with a shy smile as she dropped her eyes to the band that was around her arm. Ashley was in no mind to throw her burdens upon a stranger, especially one who was hesitant to give advice on a subject his knowledge was limited in. Still, she nodded again in an almost hasty manner. She understood where he was coming from. It took a great many moving piece to keep Ashley up and functioning properly. "I... talk a lot sometimes." It was rare but she had, on occasion found herself capable of rambling on about nothing in particular.

"I feel fine." Ashley confirmed with yet another nod. She was quickly growing at ease in the presence of the doctor and he'd hardly said anything to her outside of his professional duty. There was a certain kindness she found in his demeanor. It was disarming and comforting. He didn't move about with the cold, frigid way that defined the other doctors she had. "It's always low and I fell asleep last night and forgot my pill." She frowned but quickly lifted her gaze to the doctor, an almost childlike expression flashing in her eyes as if she was hoping she wouldn't get in trouble. "I took it this morning like I was supposed to though."

[Jason Campbell]

Jason was likely not going to follow Ashley after this, he was aware of that. But working at the emergency of an hospital showed him that it really made no difference at all. He was not going to prescribe her anything. She obviously had her medication carefully looked over by a bunch of specialists and he did not intend to interfere. A regular checkup was not interfering though. It was good to know what she was taking however, even though the list of side-effects those could have just kept going every time he thought about it. That too was apparently under control but he would still watched for them, just in case.

“What for?” he asked as she apologized, genuinely puzzled as to what she could be sorry for. He was just doing his job and as far as patients went, she was amongst the most cooperative without being too much. Some were overenthusiastic and that didn’t always help. In fact, it tended to result in them already having a diagnosis, most of the time more alarming than it actually was.

“It happens,” he assured her as she claimed to be very talkative. This obviously didn’t seem to bother him. “Nervousness can do that. If it helps you calm down, I have no problem with it.” Most of what he had to do could be done with her talking and when she had to be quiet he only had to tell her not to talk then. He nodded at the information she gave him. “If you felt no symptoms, that’s the most important but do try to remember them next time.”