Chapter 15
After breakfast, Tony, Pepper and Morgan were sitting on the couch watching cartoons when Friday announced they had a visitor. “Who is it?” Tony asked puzzled. He wasn’t expecting anyone and was hoping it wasn’t Ned dropping by unannounced.
“Dr. Wheeler is in the lobby. He has a 10:00am appointment this morning that you made yesterday for Peter.” Friday announced.
“Shit! I forgot to cancel him with everything else going on! I arranged for him to come for an emergency visit before all hell broke loose yesterday,” Tony said getting frustrated running a hand down his face.
Pepper looked confused. “He doesn’t know Peter’s there? He’s his therapist, why isn’t he at the hospital with him?”
Tony shook his head. “No, this is Peter’s outpatient therapist, the one he sees all the time. They have doctors at the center that are only for inpatients that don’t have their own practice and just work at the hospital. Friday, send him up so we can tell him,” he said sighing and getting off the couch with a grunt.
Pepper stood up and walked over to him leaving Morgan on the couch watching tv keeping her voice low. “Tony, this is perfect! He’s a child psychiatrist, right? And we’ve had Friday search all morning and now we have one! Since he already has an appointment with us, might as well take advantage of it. We can ask him to talk to Morgan,” she said quietly.
“Perfect, good thinking hon. Friday, hold that thought. Tell him I’m on my way down,” and then he said quietly to Pepper, “I don’t want to talk to him about Peter in front of her. I’ll give him the highlight reel and ask to talk to Morgan about it. Hopefully he’ll be onboard.”
“Ok,” she said and he left to go down there to meet him.
Tony met him down at the lobby and brought him to a conference room for privacy since there were some employees still milling about and didn’t want anyone to overhear. He told him what had happened to Peter even though he didn’t want to go into that much detail but felt he had to since it’s Peter’s therapist and he needed to know. Dr. Wheeler sat quietly but listened intensely.
“So, doc, would you be able to talk to Morgan for us?”
Dr. Wheeler sat back and thought about it clasping his hands on his lap. “Well, I usually treat adolescents and young adults but I do have training for all age groups so I can talk to her if you’d like. I think it’s responsible that you thought of asking someone with experience because lord knows how wrong this can go sometimes.”
“This is all Pepper’s idea. If it were up to me, I would still be making up some story but she brought up some good points about Morgan being old enough not to be lied to anymore. I mean, obviously not telling her every sordid detail but enough so she understands what’s going on.”
“Well, there is no perfect time or age when this conversation should occur. It all depends on the family dynamics and the situation at hand. I do have an odd question though. I’m thinking about using an old theory we were taught to help talk to young children. Has Morgan seen any Winnie the Pooh cartoons?” Dr. Wheeler asked and Tony thought it sure was an odd question.
“Uh, yes, actually she loves Pooh bear and watches the cartoons all the time. It’s also one of her favorite books I read to her. Can I ask where you’re going with this?”
Dr. Wheeler smiled and stood up. “No, you’ll have to wait and see. I have a method to my madness, Mr. Stark. Do you trust me?”
“It’s Tony and of course, I trust you with Peter’s life, I’m going to trust you can talk to Morgan. I’m just a bit confused how Winnie the Pooh is involved,” he said smiling.
They got in the elevator and made their way to the penthouse. Morgan was a little shy at first meeting Dr. Wheeler but he told her he’s Peter’s doctor and that seemed to make her feel better. He asked her if she minded if he talked to her and she said okay. He had Morgan sitting on the couch between her two parents to make her feel more secure and comfortable.
“Can I ask one of you to get a Pooh book for me?” he asked looking between Tony and Pepper. Tony left to go get one but ended up bringing the entire collection and handed them to the doctor. “Wow, ok, these are perfect, thanks.”
Dr. Wheeler sat in a chair that was next to the couch. He held up a book and flipped through it. “So, Morgan, I hear you like Winnie the Pooh, is that right?”
Morgan’s eyes widen. “Yea, I love him! My daddy reads them to me all the time!”
“Terrific! Who’s your favorite?” Dr. Wheeler asked.
“Tigger!” Morgan shouted.
“Yea, he’s a popular one. What makes you like him the best?”
“Because he’s fun! He bounces around all the time and he seems happy,” she answered with a smile.
“He does seem fun, doesn’t he? What do you think about Piglet?” he asked pointing to him in the book.
Morgan shrugged. “He’s ok. He seems nervous and scared all the time though,” Morgan said and her smile faded.
Dr. Wheeler nodded. “Yes, you’re right. He does seem nervous and he stutters to show it, too. He seems unsure of himself. Do you know another word for that?”
Morgan shook her head no while Tony and Pepper gave each other weird looks because they have no idea where this is going. It took a lot for Tony not to start asking questions himself so he bit his tongue.
Dr. Wheeler continued, “What Piglet has is called anxiety. Have you heard that word before Morgan?”
“Yes! Mommy and Daddy say that word a lot but I don’t know what it means,” she said looking up at her parents.
“Well…anxiety is….” And so, Dr. Wheeler described how anxiety felt so she understood what it meant for her age. He explained the physical and emotional aspects of it to help her understand how it effects the mind and body. He also told her that everybody experiences anxious feelings sometimes and it’s normal. From having an example with Piglet, it seemed like it clicked for her.
Tony was paying close attention to Morgan because he has anxiety himself. He didn’t know if she’s ever seen him experience it before but he was sure she’s seen some form of it from him or Peter. He was wondering if he was going to bring up panic attacks but he didn’t, thinking that would be too much for her. However, the doctor explained how anxiety can get overwhelming and what it can do to you so he sort of covered it in a safe way. He was thankful he didn’t go into a detailed explanation of a full-blown panic attack because this wasn’t to scare her.
“So out of all the characters in the book,” Dr. Wheeler said flipping through the pages having the book facing her, “who do you think is the saddest?” he asked with a frown on his face.
“The donkey! He’s always sad and it makes me feel sad too sometimes,” she said with a matching frown.
“Yes, you’re correct Morgan. Eeyore is the saddest of the bunch. Why do you think that is?” he asked but she just shrugged. “Does he remind you of anyone you know?”
Tony finally understood where this was going and he thought the whole idea was brilliant with identifying each character with a certain issue. So far, it’s been right on the nose since Dr. Wheeler treats Peter and knows what he struggles with. He put his arm around his daughter and gave her a side hug because she was staring at him like she was afraid to tell him. “It’s ok, honey. You can answer his question. Anything you say won’t get you in trouble. He’s here to help all of us,” he told her giving her a reassuring smile.
She nodded and looked back Dr. Wheeler and hesitantly said, “He reminds me of Petey, my brother because he’s sad a lot, too.”
Dr. Wheeler gave Tony and Pepper a knowing look and nodded. Then brought his attention back to Morgan and gave her a smile. “I know Peter, too and yes, Morgan, Peter gets sad a lot. Do you know another name for sadness?” he asked and she shook her head no.
“See, when sadness effects someone it can sometimes not go away for a very long time and that person would need help to get better. A form of a severe sadness is depression. Have you heard that word before?” He asked.
She looked up at her parents one at a time and seemed a bit nervous to answer. “I’ve heard that word before but not sure what it means. I know they say it a lot when they talk about Petey, especially, um when they think I’m not listening,” she said tugging at her lip.
Tony and Pepper gave each other worried looks. Shit. How much does she overhear? Then it occurred to him how little they spoke of Peter’s issues with Morgan and was so glad the doctor was here to help explain everything so she could understand. He felt guilty for keeping his daughter in the dark and not including her in any conversations regarding mental health but they didn’t want to frighten her with things way beyond her comprehension. But Dr. Wheeler’s approach was remarkable. To have each well-known character being identified with a mental illness so that children could understand their meaning knowing how the characters act and interact with one another. He was blown away that he’s never heard of this before.
Dr. Wheeler continued to explain depression in a way that she would understand. Tony was again thankful he didn’t go into too much detail or depth because she was still young and didn’t want to scar her for life. He also explained how you can be sad sometimes but not depressed and he sighed with relief when he brought that subject up. Pepper even said she doesn’t want Morgan to think just because she’s feeling sad she’ll end up at the hospital. Then they’d have a kid hiding her feelings all the time which can be worse! Look what it does to Peter!
Dr. Wheeler went on to Winnie the Pooh and his issue was with food. He liked honey too much and thought about it all the time and always wanted to eat it. So obviously he got identified with having an eating disorder. Tony could tell this was a bit trickier to explain but Morgan knew Peter doesn’t eat sometimes and gets yelled at for it so she knows Peter has food issues in some way.
Tony was sure that every single character had their own mental illness and would bet money that Tigger had ADHD. Fortunately, the doctor only stuck to just those three that pertained to Peter. He looked at his watch and they’ve been talking for an hour and half already but was so pleased with the results.
He couldn’t thank Pepper enough for thinking of doing this in the first place so their daughter could understand everything that is going on with her brother. Yes, it would make her worry more but at least everything isn’t a big question mark to her anymore. As Dr. Wheeler put it earlier on the way up to the penthouse, ‘By sharing details of mental health conditions, you give them clarity, which can help ease unnecessary worry of the unknown.’
When the session was done, he shook Dr. Wheeler’s hand and walked him to the lobby. He had to ask one more question before he left. He asked if he thought it was okay for them to bring Morgan with them when they visit Peter and he noticed the doctor’s apprehension in answering and then sighed.
“That’s a tough call. I would say play it by ear and see how Peter responds to treatment this time and make sure you visit first. You shouldn’t bring her the very first time so you can gauge the situation. This way, you can see for yourself what frame of mind Peter is in. If he seems stable enough, then you can ask him if it’s okay and he says yes, then I leave it up to you and Mrs.”
The doctor told him how sorry he was to hear what happened to Peter but knowing him, he has faith he’ll make a complete recovery this time around. Tony thanked him profusely again and shook his hand one more time before the doctor left the building.
On his way back up to the penthouse, he thought the only negative impact this session might have on everyone was now they wouldn’t look at Winnie the Pooh the same. He was hoping it didn’t ruin it for his daughter since it was one of her favorites.
~~~~~~~~~~~~xXx~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was late Monday night and Tony was pacing his bedroom while Pepper was giving him worried looks. He dropped Peter off on Saturday night so it’s been two whole days without any word from the treatment center. Not an email, not a phone call or even a text. Nothing and it was driving him crazy not knowing how Peter was. Usually, they would have contacted him by now so he was thinking the worst.
“Honey, come sit down and relax before you wear a hole in the carpet,” Pepper said putting her book down and patting the bed next to her.
Tony stopped pacing long enough to put his hands on his hips and shake his head. “Nope, no can do. You know I how I get. I have so much anxiety I can’t sit still,” he said as he started pacing again. “How could you be so calm?”
“I’m just as worried as you are but I’m sure we’ll hear from them soon. The only thing giving me comfort is knowing he’s being well taken care of. We know he’s on that 72 hour hold so maybe they’re not supposed to contact us for three days until he’s out and in his own room. They didn’t tell us either way and we didn’t ask. I’m surprised you haven’t called them yet.”
“Well, actually I was going to call them tomorrow morning,” he admitted running a hand through his hair.
“How about if we don’t hear from them by tomorrow night then you can call them first thing on Wednesday, ok? They don’t need you breathing down their necks.”
“Wait until Wednesday? Are you nuts?” he shouted which he regretted because he got the arched eyebrow from her. “Sorry, hon, but I can’t wait until Wednesday. It’s Monday night and I’m already going insane! I need to know how he is. What if he’s hurt himself again or what if he’s even worse than when we dropped him off? What if –”
“Tony,” Pepper said interrupting him. “We can’t live on what ifs. Just know that he’s being watched around the clock and being taken care of like I told you ten times already. You put your trust in them to help Peter so just do that and trust them. I’m sure we’ll hear from them soon.”
Tony gave her a sour look. “I do trust them, honey, with his life but that doesn’t mean he’s ok! I just want to know if he’s ok!” He shouted pacing again. “You know what, I can’t do this right now. I’m going down to the lab,” he said and didn’t even wait for Pepper to answer before he was out the door but he was sure he heard her sigh.
~~~~~~~~~~~~xXx~~~~~~~~~~~~
Even though it was killing him to wait these past few days he had indeed waited until Wednesday morning to call them. He couldn’t understand why he hasn’t heard a peep from the treatment center at all because it wasn’t like them. He usually gets Peter’s progress reports on a daily basis so to not hear from them was very unusual which got his mind thinking something was wrong. But then, if something was wrong, they would have contacted them immediately, right?
Pepper knew he was going to call this morning so she canceled their morning meeting so they could both be on the phone at the same time. He knew she was just as worried even though she didn’t admit it, probably for his sake. He always worried enough for the both of them.
They went to their home office and took a seat. As soon 9:00am struck, they called the center and put them on speaker. It took a few rings before someone answered the phone and Tony was rambling as soon as someone picked up and didn’t even give them a chance to greet them.
“This is Tony Stark and I’m calling about Peter Parker Stark. I admitted him Saturday evening and haven’t heard back since and I need to know how my son is,” he said in an annoyed voice. He had no patience for pleasantries.
They could tell the receptionist was a little taken aback by his bluntness from the hesitation and slight stutter. “G-good morning Mr. Stark. Please give me a moment and I’ll transfer your call to his case manager. Hold please.”
“Wait! What do you mean case manager?” Pepper asked while giving Tony a puzzled look.
“Well, every patient has a case manager who is responsible for them and their treatment team. They oversee his care,” she said.
“I’ve never talked to a case manager before, can’t you just patch me through to one of his therapists or his social worker, um, Casey. That’s her name. Can I speak with Casey?” he asked because he didn’t want to talk to someone about Peter that he hasn’t even met yet or didn’t even know existed. He wanted to speak with someone who knew Peter.
“I’ll see what I can do but usually for patients like Peter, you would need to speak with their case manager. Please hold,” she said and put them on hold before either of them could speak up again.
Pepper crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, that was kind of rude.”
Tony agreed and scratched his beard. “She sounded kind of funny too, like she was nervous to talk to us or maybe she knows something and was afraid we’d ask too many questions. And why did she say ‘for patients like Peter?’”
It didn’t take long for the case manager to pick up. “Hello, this is Jamie. How can I help you this morning?” he said.
“Jamie, is it? This is Tony Stark and I’m here with my wife Pepper. I’m calling on behalf of Peter Parker Stark. Can you tell me how he is? I haven’t heard from you guys once since I dropped him off on Saturday and I think that’s unacceptable.” He knew he was being a bit rude but his patience has worn out and he was on edge.
“Hello Mr. and Mrs. Stark. My name is Jamie Brooks I am Peter’s case manager. Give me one moment while I grab his file,” he said and they heard papers shuffling around in the background. Tony thought it was odd that he didn’t use a computer but had maybe a chart on hand. Tony was strumming his fingers on the desk while they waited and Pepper was holding his other hand.
It took longer than they thought it would but finally he came back on the phone. “Ok, sorry about the wait. I have too much stuff on my desk and it took me a minute to find Peter’s file.”
“So how is he? How has he been? Is he in his own room yet? When can we visit?” Tony asked rambling.
“Unfortunately, Mr. and Mrs. Stark, I am unable to tell you at this time.”
Tony gasped out loud. “What? Excuse me? I don’t think I heard you right. You said you can’t tell me how my own son is?” He felt his heart pounding faster and faster.
“That’s correct. It states here in Peter’s file he explicitly does not give us consent to give out any information regarding his mental or physical well-being,” Jamie said mater of fact.
Pepper spoke up and sounded outraged. “That can’t be true. He’s a minor, we have the right to know what is going on with our son!”
“I’m sorry but there’s nothing I can do Mrs. Stark. Peter has the right to keep his information confidential. In the state of New York, when a minor consents to mental health care, information relating to such treatment may not be disclosed without the minor’s permission. These confidentiality provisions apply not only to providers licensed by the New York Office of Mental Health, but to any facility in which mental health services are provided, such as psychiatric centers and clinics. Even when a parent gives consent to mental health services for a minor, the parent is not guaranteed access to information relating to the treatment. When a parent requests access to a minor’s mental health records, minors 13 and older may be notified of the request. If the minor objects to disclosure, the provider may choose to deny the parent’s request.**”
Tony and Pepper were speechless and sat dumfounded. They couldn’t believe what he just told them. Finally, after it was quiet for a full minute Tony found his voice. “But I’ve always been kept up with his progress when he’s in treatment. Always. Nobody has ever denied me any information regarding my own god damn son!” he yelled. He was pissed! What right to they have to keep Peter’s mental well-being from them?
He heard Jamie sigh which bothered him even more. “I understand your frustration Mr. Stark. The reason you were given Peter’s records and updates previously was because Peter simply consented to it. When asked this time around, he said no, he doesn’t give us permission, therefore has every right and we must abide by the law.”
“So, you’re telling me this is all on Peter? He’s the one that doesn’t want us to know how he’s doing?” he asked shocked. This didn’t sound like Peter at all and it made him even more worried for him. What the hell was going on with him!
“Essentially yes. As soon as Peter gives us consent, you’ll be notified. Until then, there’s nothing I can do. Further, professional ethics generally dictate that mental health professionals maintain strict confidentiality in dealing with their patients, including their minor patients. The only exception is if there’s an accident or injury, then we must inform the parent or guardian.”
“That’s bullshit!” Pepper shouted slamming her fist on the desk. Then covered her mouth immediately realizing she swore out loud.
“I’m sorry, I know this isn’t what any parent wants to hear. My hands are tied.” Jamie said.
“Well, we’ll see about that.” Tony said and hung up and Pepper looked at him shocked.
She abruptly stood up and put her hand on her hip glaring at him. “Tony, I know that look, what are you going to do?”