Helpful

“Where’ve you been? In the waking world again?”
“Yeah, again, unfortunately”
“I know. Tell me about your day”
“I’d rather not”
“Come on come here, come, it’s okay, lay down”
“I’m not tired. Nor do I want to talk”
“Fine by me, I’ll just do the talking then”
“Fine by me. Talk away. I’ll lay here and listen”

Ben knew Rooney was going to fall asleep. At some point. Like she’d always do. He knew how tired she was. He’d seen just how exhausted she’d been. It was fatigue she’d so often experienced. The disease she had began ravaging her body. He’d been the one person that’d helped her through everything. Even though he’d once been a Demon within her mind willing her sick mind to cave into itself. He’d befriended her the day he revealed himself as something within her that wanted her to succeed. Much like the rest of the “Demons” roaming about her mind. He’d wanted nothing more than to see her comfortably sleeping knowing what kind of sleep she’d actually get


Rooney's condition was the same that had already taken her mother and sister. Their deaths happened sixteen years apart. Both breaking her in ways most didn’t understand or would ever begin to. A genetic disorder that ravages the body. No bodily function or body part was spared. A disease that ravaged her entire body. A disease, much like her mom and sister, something she was born with. A disease that would take her life in time as well. 

It was already taking its toll on her body. The pieces of her life added up. Most of it being medically in some way. All of it made sense. Her ability to work meant she wasn’t “eligible” in the government's eyes to be on Disability. Despite the fact she wasn’t functionally able to work most days. That her boss often accommodated her. That her Disability Lawyer proved a point while presenting her case. That her disease had progressed enough to where she could no longer work. That the few hours every week she was able to work were the only times she worked. That she’d call out every few weeks out of her inability to get out of bed. Her motion to get Disability was approved shortly after. 

Ben had long since become a staple within her dreams. He’d often make sure she’d sleep. Even though it likely wouldn’t be through the night. He knew just how important it was for her to sleep. That it made for a longer day if she slept less than six hours every night. Not like she’d sleep much at all anyway. Her insomnia was something she was known for. The pain being one of the reasons she’d rarely sleep. Pain she couldn’t accurately describe aside from an entire body ache that often left her bedridden some days.

“Are you feeling okay today?” Adam worryingly inquired
“Not really. Somethin’s off. I just don’t know what yet”
“You are lookin a little pale”
“I’m not feelin so great”
“Come on, we’re getting-”

He’d not been able to finish his thought much less his sentence before watching, in slow motion, as she collapsed.  Adam knew all about her history of seizures. He’d seen her have a few. He also knew it may likely be leading to a Stroke as well. Her sister had a seizure prior to her second stroke. Rooney had a few of the same incidents where she’d have a seizure prior to a stroke. Time seemed to stop while she was being treated. Both of them knew how important that day was in her case. He knew she likely needed medical attention within the first ten minutes of being with her that morning. He also knew she likely already dealt with it. 

He’d known just how unpredictable her condition was. That her having everything under control didn’t always prevent a seizure. Or stroke. Or both one after the other. That, like anything else in her life, it could happen anywhere, at any time, whilst she was going about her life. He’d known her long enough that he’d see how much slower her recovery time was after each one. He’d also seen her fathers inability to care for her. He’d not called 911 more than once after she’d had a seizure. She’d be having a Stroke Like Episode an hour after having a seizure. He’d done nothing to help other than scroll through Social Media on his phone. He seemed more worried about whatever he was doing on his phone than about his daughter. He’d proved how little her life seemed to mean to him by this action. 

He’d been deemed unfit to care for her after his Onset Dementia diagnosis. An investigation, begun by Adam, deemed him an unfit parent. Despite the fact Rooney being an Adult. Her father had been her Caregiver, for the most part, since her diagnosis. Adams' investigation proved how unfit he was to care for her after he showed signs of having Dementia. He, as usual, denied it. As usual, he lied about more than just a few other things. 

Her father was placed in an Assisted Living Facility after several disagreements with Adam. He didn’t have much of a choice by that point. His lies had caught up to him. Some of his behaviors made sense on top of that. Nobody wanted to be around him. Or help. Everyone helped her instead. His seemingly good health had been exposed as not being entirely healthy. Adam then proved his point when Rooneyhad gone into Status Epilepticus where she’d stopped breathing while her dad did nothing but stand there asking her if he should call 911. Adam had already called 911. His next call was to people that talked to Shane about going into an ALF.

“Ben, I need to get back-”
“Not right now you’re not. You need to let your body rest. It did just go through something major”
“I know that. I’ll be okay. I’ve had to-”
“I’m well aware of what you’ve had to do before. This time is different though”
“Really? How?”
“Jack. He’s taking you in. Your dads been deemed unfit to parent or be your Caregiver”
“Seriously?”
“Very much so yeah”
“But Jack has-”
“Trust me will ya. Adam is way ahead of you on everything. It’s naptime for you though”
“I’ll always trust you. I’d rather not sleep. I-”
“Have no options. Lay down”

Ben knew how much her body had just been through. That she needed to let her body heal itself in whatever way possible. He also knew how hard it was going to be for her to sleep even though she’d just gone through a traumatic event. The button for her brain to shut off had broken years ago. It hadn’t properly worked to begin with. He’d managed to somehow shut off her mind to let her sleep. It’d been her longtime friend, Jack, that’d made it known he was taking her in. He wasn’t about to let her go into some ALF. He didn’t want her care falling into the hands of someone else with no intention of properly caring for her. 

Adam had placed Rooney under Hospice care whilst he began procedures to put him in a home and someone to care for Rooney. He’d been willing to become her Caregiver if needed. He knew most ALFs in the area weren’t equipped to care for her. They didn’t have the tools to care for her. Jack had taken her in. He was the only person that stepped up to take her in. He’d become a recent bachelor after breaking up with his girlfriend of three years. He wanted nothing more than for her to be okay. For her to know someone was going to care for her one the days when she was unable to care for herself. 

His heart was hurting. The break up had been amicable. Their lives were going in different directions. She wanted to settle down. She wanted to have a family. He wasn’t ready for that big of a commitment. She’d led him through his pain by letting him talk. She didn’t know Celia from Eve. It was her kind hearted nature that she knew about Celia. Rooney saw his hurting heart. She met him where he was in his pain. She’d often leave encouraging words around the house. 

“Jack, you don’t have to-”
“I know I don’t. I want to though”
“I kinda figured that. Not like I mind”
“It's getting worse isn’t it? The fatigue”
“A little. No more than usual”
“As long as you’re okay that’s all I want”
“Agreed”

He’d implemented the same routine every night. He’d read Goodnight Moon to her. They’d pop into the restaurant he owned long enough to make sure everything was being run smoothly. It wasn’t like he was needed all the time there. He’d put his brother in charge of operations whilst he took care of Rooney almost entirely full time. The progression had slowed. Her SLEs as well as seizures had lessened with a new routine Jack implemented. He’d, somehow, been able to communicate with Ben. They’d spoken, in depth, about how to better help Rooney sleep. How to better manage a disease that was ravaging her body at a faster rate than anticipated. 

The daily routines he implemented meant there was less of a chance for her to have seizures or an SLE. He knew either one could happen out of nowhere. They’d lessened in the time since he’d become her Caregiver. Her life had already consisted of routines. An alteration in those routines meant there would be more than just a few changes in her life. She didn’t quite understand why she basically lived with Jack. Even though he’d the same conversation with her every time. She’d understood when she remembered her last SLE and seizure. That her point was proven by him reacting the way he had. 

Jack had listened to her and added more salad options to the menu. He’d noticed when she didn’t eat much while they were there. She’d often get the same thing when she did eat something there. He figured let her get creative and add things she’d eat. Her creativity meant there were five additional salads to the menu with variations of each. It gave people with Digestive issues, like Rooney, healthier options. It was another option for those wanting to try something different as well. He knew it would bring more business into the restaurant. 

Jack knew her love for writing. He also knew she might be on borrowed time with how much her disease had progressed in the short time since her Disability was approved. It’d been her blurbs about the restaurant that he kept encouraging her to do. He’d seen an influx of business since he shared her blurbs. He’d often put her blurbs all over social media after she wrote them. She’d write blurbs for events happening at the restaurant knowing it’d make a difference. She’d seen the influx of business in the short time since she’d started writing blurbs for the restaurant.

The restaurant had seen an influx after he began posting her blurbs. Word of mouth along with Social Media left the restaurant busy most days. It no longer mattered if it was lunch or dinner. It was her writing that brought more people in. People wanted more salad options. She happily obliged. Despite the fact she’d grown weaker. She insisted on going into the restaurant for a few hours every day. To get out of the house for a little. To also have some inspiration for new salad ideas. While she was able to. She’d written a few down she knew would do well.

“Rooney, you okay?”
“Not really, something’s wrong”
“You’re pale, we have to-”
“I’ll be fine. I think it’s-”
“No, you’re not fine, we’re going to the hospital, now”
“Probably a good id-”

She hadn’t been able to finish her sentence before she collapsed. He’d caught her as she brushed the side of the counter as she collapsed. An off duty EMT was by her side calling 911 as Jack rolled her onto her side. It had been six months since her last seizure. Jack hoped another SLE wasn’t inbound on top of the seizure. He’d known her most of their lives. He knew all about her seizures. He knew how severe they sometimes were. The next ten days of her life were spent in the ICU. It’d been obvious over the last few weeks that she’d grown weaker.

Her recovery was a slow one. It’d left her bedridden. She spent most of it sleeping. It’d been the worst seizure she had. The SLE they’d thought she’d had was a minor Stroke. It’d affected her far more than anyone, herself included, thought. Jack often let her lay on the couch in the living room watching movies all day. She’d not been able to do much else. Her writing included. She’d written enough blurbs that he didn’t have to worry about it for a while. There’d been people dropping by making sure she was doing okay whilst also knowing she wasn’t at all. 
Jack and Ben talked. Often. He’d guided her throughout her life. He’d taken her to the same place every night. To talk about her day. To help her heal from whatever happened that day. To also help her sleep. His main goal was helping her sleep. Jack understood this. He’d made sure she slept too. He also knew she was on borrowed time. He knew Ben was going to be the one that’d take her. As if it were any other walk to their spot. Her condition had worsened enough that both figured her time with Jack was coming to an end. 

Jack knew how much to her that he’d taken her in. That he didn’t have to with everything he’d been dealing with when he took her in.That he’d been as helpful as he’d been. She’d let him know in her own little way. Her voice had been taken with the last SLE. She began speaking in a way anyone would understand after that. Her actions often spoke for her anyway. So she let that happen every day. Her life was plagued by tragedy. She’d never let it stop her helpful nature or from smiling.