Local Time: 1:05 PM | Earth Year 3252 | Planet: Queen’s Gate | City: New Greenfield | Greenfield Rehabilitation and Healing Center

Rory got out of the transport and gaped at the mansion in front of him. It was the largest, nicest home Rory had ever seen. The GalNet material said that the place was on ten acres of land that was incredibly well-cared for. The building looked pristine to him.

He had noticed as they had approached, that the entire “estate” was under a force barrier dome, which was fascinating to him. He wondered if they expected to be attacked by beasts which made him question if it was the right place for his mum.

But once he passed through it, he realized it was not for protection. It was for weather management and atmospheric control. Well, he figured likely also emotional support since it projected the familiar blue sky and yellow sun of the Empire’s homeworld – a place he hadn’t been in… well, a while.

Looking around as he walked towards the large central building, Rory noticed numerous normals in white caregiver garb were walking around with others who were each in various levels of health. Some looked like skeletons, reminding him of his mother back home. Others looked physically healthier but haunted with vacant eyes and little motion. Only a very few looked healthy and hardy. Many were in grave chairs that moved above the ground, either pushed or self-guided. But what really interested him was that not a single patient that he could see was alone. Every one of them was in at least a pairing if not more. One group over to the right looked like an assembly of ten in a circle talking about something.

Rory took a breath and walked down the long white stone path, past a peaceful fountain shaped like a fish shooting water gently up and gurgling as it dropped down. So far, all of this explained to Rory the cost of the facility.

He finally walked through the double doors which slit aside for him and he passed two individuals with inscriptions on their hands, but armorless beyond the same white nurse-like scrubs all the staff wore. They nodded at him and then continued to scan the area and the patients. Once inside he looked around and once again was shown a stunning building of people chatting quietly in pairs or groups. The floors were some sort of polished stone, the walls were all low-key colors like sky blue or mint green that didn’t distract or draw attention.

Taking a breath, Rory went up to the desk and was welcomed with a wide-smiling middle-aged normal man with blond hair. “Hello. How can I help you?”

“Rory Sheehan,” he answered. “I have a 1:30 appointment.”

The man smiled and checked his tablet. “Of course, Mr. Sheehan. Please follow me.”

The man got up and moved from behind to desk to guide him further back. Rory followed him down more pristine hallways until he entered a room with a shiny wooden table and four plush chairs. “Please take any seat. Dr. Connor will be with you shortly. There is water over there if you would like it.”

Rory looked around. The room was what he was coming to associate with a normal office or meeting room, if far nicer than what was in the western district. Of course, he didn’t take any water and just waited silently.

A woman in her thirties, pretty with blond hair up in a bun, a professional smile, and a nice tan suit under a while doctor’s coat stepped into the room. Rory stood and shook her hand, which he noticed had an inscription with many overlapping polygons, as she introduced herself. Rory did the same and they sat.

“Mr. Sheehan,” she said while looking at a tablet that appeared in her hand. “Your application states you are here to inquire about perhaps housing your mother with us. Is that correct?” He nodded. He knew his nervousness showing through his face, but he couldn’t help it. “What can you tell me about the situation?” she asked him.

Rory had prepared his speech and practiced on the way. It allowed him to get a grip on his emotions and the lies he had to tell.

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He cleared his throat. “Umm. My mum has been drinking herself into unconsciousness for almost six years. Nothing I do helps.”

Dr. Connor smiled sympathetically. “I understand. Can you tell me what you’ve tried and what she’s done?”

“Basically I can’t keep anything of value around cause she’ll sell or trade it away for more moonshine. Or any alcohol really, it just that moonshine is all we could afford. And I can’t stop giving it to her because she’ll hurt herself or someone else to get it. Anything to put her to sleep. And she won’t let me help her because she blames me.”

“Can you tell me about that?” the doctor asks. “Your mother blames you how?”

Rory exhaled. “My da and his friends and guild died eight years ago by a creature attack. She blames me for it – I think because I was the only one who lived through it. She keeps saying it should have been me.”

He looked down. She wasn’t wrong about that one thing at least. But he was working hard to make it better. And this was a huge step.

He lifted his head up, his eyes stinging. “I can’t help her. I tried, but I can’t. Can you?”

Then one tear fell. Damnit. He had practiced so that wouldn’t happen.

The woman’s face changed to one of sympathetic pain. Rory wondered if she had had a similar experience. “I know it’s hard, but I need to ask some difficult questions. Okay?” she asked.

Rory nodded, wiping the tear with the back of his gloved hand.

“If left alone, do you think your mother would harm herself?”

He nodded again. “Without something to dull the pain, probably. She just can’t face it. Or me.”

“That also answers my second question,” she said, her face full of sympathy. “Are you able to get her here or will you need a pickup?”

Rory hadn’t thought about that yet. Considering, he said, “I don’t have my own transport. So I’d either have to bring her in a rented transport or get a pickup. Given… everything, a pickup is probably better than putting her in someone else’s. But she doesn’t live in the nicest place. I could bring her out to a transbus platform. It’s not busy there so it shouldn’t be a problem.”

“I see,” she said softly. Then she sighed. “Mr. Sheehan, there are two considerations when attempting to heal and rehabilitate someone who has serious addiction and other mental health challenges. The first is the physical. The body must recover, which is easy with modern myst-based pharmacologicals. We would determine if there are biological reasons for the condition. Is there a chemical imbalance, for example.”

Rory nodded. That made sense and gave him hope.

Could mum just be sick? Maybe that means she can be normal again soon!

“The second,” she continued, “and far more challenging are the underlying emotional causes. What is behind her depression and blame? Why is it your fault in her mind? Does she actually blame herself or your father? Are you the only person there so she takes it out on you? What is the root cause?”

Rory thought about that, angry at himself for what he was about to say. With fists clenched so hard, his knuckles hurt, he told her, “She seems to have delusions too. Something about selling me to someone rich and famous. I don’t know where those come from. It might be the drink or something else.”

Rory felt terrible, but what would happen if his mum talked about the Walshes? He had had to come up with something.

“I see,” the doctor said. “That makes me believe there may in fact be some sort of medical cause to at least part of it. Delusions of that nature are common in those with particular brain chemistries. They can all be evaluated and treated with the right balance of medications. The self-harm is a concern though. It means we need to take particular care when she is alone, which will be quite often at first.”

Rory nodded through a few more tears. He absolutely believed she would hurt herself.

“I recommend a six-month stay for now. We can reevaluate every two. It would be 22,500 pounds for the first month and 21,500 for every month thereafter.” Rory nodded, looking at his hands. The woman asked kindly, “You’re wondering if you are betraying her, aren’t you? Or maybe your father?”

His head jerked up, showing his red eyes and the tear streaks on his shocked face. She nodded showing sadness.

“Mr. Sheehan. Please believe me. I understand. I truly do. Guilt is natural. But you are getting her the help she needs at the foremost healing facility on the planet, system, or within on thousand light-years if we’re being honest. What you are doing is not abandonment. It is trying to save her.”

Rory let out a breath, his shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be, young man,” she told him with a genuinely warm smile. “You are literally doing everything you can to help.” Then she patted his shoulder gently. “Let’s arrange a pickup and get healing for your mother as soon as we can.”

He nodded and struggled to stay strong as he worked through the agreement. Clearly, she noticed his difficulties and continued to comfort him and remind him it was helping.

At the end, after everything was signed and they both had stood, he had lost himself a bit and hugged her. He didn’t even realize he was doing it until a bit of time passed and he noticed she was rubbing his back. He jumped back. “I’m so sorry. I can’t believe I did that.”

He saw nothing on her face but a gentle smile and genuine sympathy as she said, “It’s okay, young man. That it’s this hard for you shows how much you love her. Sadly, that is not always the case.”