The doc looked at Chelsea when she asked, but Theo was the one with the concerns. Taking the sheet of paper he’d printed out this morning, he nodded.
“This has nothing to do with the accident. I don’t think, anyway. But Chelsea was given some pills that she took daily. I had a friend at Paxton Labs do an analysis of them. I wanted your opinion.”
Taking the sheet he handed over, Dr. Pasdar asked, “What are they for?”
“Mental health issues,” Chelsea answered softly.
One eyebrow of the doc’s rose. “What specific issue?”
Chelsea looked over at him as if for an answer. “I don’t know exactly. My father never said. I guess anxiety and depression, but he made it sound like it was far more than that.”
“What did the doctor say who wrote the prescription for this?” Dr. Pasdar asked indicating the sheet of paper.
“My father said he had his lab make them specifically for me. He owned MedLab Pharmaceuticals.”
“Oh, my. That’s a leader in the industry. Nonetheless, I can’t imagine any reputable pharmacologist making and giving a drug out without the proper approvals and doctor recommendation.”
“You’ll see from that analysis that this drug doesn’t match any that is currently on the market or FDA approved. Chelsea’s father was extremely controlling, and I have a feeling he used it to keep her from leaving him.”
Theo explained briefly what had happened with Chelsea’s father keeping them apart and then lying to his daughter about her baby.
As Dr. Pasdar listened and scanned the sheet in her hands, her face grew tense.
“Have you been taking these recently?”
“I stopped a few months ago, when I returned to Mt. Desert Island.”
“This has the makings of a heavy anti-depressant. The compounds in this drug would make the person taking them quite lethargic and pliant, for sure. They wouldn’t have much of a desire to do anything, even eat, let alone have a normal life. The thing that scares me most is there are ingredients on here that, if taken long enough, could make the user forget whole parts of their life. How long were you on this?”
“Since Jordan was born, but he made me take some other medicine since I was fourteen. I don’t think it was as strong. I was able to do my schoolwork, and I ate much better back then.”
The doctor’s brows knit together. “I’d like to do some blood work to make sure this it out of your system and see if it had any adverse effects on anything else. How are you eating now?”
The joy on Chelsea’s face was like fresh air and sunshine. “Excellent. Theo’s been cooking for me every day, and he’s amazing. I never learned to cook.”
“She’s been here almost two months, doc, and she’s put on some weight since then. When she first got here, she was frail, almost gaunt. It’s good to see the color in her cheeks now.”
Her cheeks bloomed, showing off that color he’d mentioned.
“Good to know. I’ll send the nurse in to take some blood, and when I get the results, I’d like to have you back for a complete check-up. You can make an appointment with the receptionist.”
As the doctor opened the door to leave, he squeezed Chelsea’s hand and said, “I want to ask the doc something while you get your blood taken.” He followed Dr. Pasdar out.
“Hey, doc,” he interrupted as she leaned against the counter outside the room, making notes in a chart. “Thanks for taking the time with us today.”
“Of course, Theo. I always wondered what happened to Jordan’s mom but never wanted to ask. The wedding ring on your finger said it most likely wasn’t a divorce. The poor woman. I can’t even imagine going through what she did.”
“I wanted to ask about her supposed mental illness. She’s so paranoid about it coming back, especially after what happened with her mother. What do you think?”
“I’d have to do more testing and speak with her about specific symptoms before I could say anything for sure. However, even if she didn’t have any biological factors causing it, the environmental factors alone would have been more than enough to cause problems. Maybe now that she’s with family that loves her, she won’t have as many issues. But we’ll keep on top of it and only give her medication if she truly needs it.”
The nurse had gone in and now exited the room with a phial of blood in her hands, so Theo thanked the doctor again and entered the exam room. Chelsea looked lost standing near the table.
“Let’s go and get Jordan early today. Maybe we can take the animals and have a picnic lunch somewhere.”
Her face brightened, and he loved that he’d made that happen. After settling the bill and making a new appointment, they nipped outside to the car.
“Did the conversation in there make you feel any better?”
