Ian to have tomorrow morning. She knocked on his office door and he immediately said, “Come in.”
Annie stuck her head into the room, expecting Ian to be at his desk trying to catch up on his work. But the chair was empty. She stepped farther in and spied him at the French doors to the patio, staring out at the night.
“I need a key to Jasmine’s room. She’s locked the door.”
Ian turned, shaking his head. “How bad was it this morning?”
“She was an hour late because for forty-five minutes she refused to let me help her get the tangles out. When I took her to school, she said nothing the whole way. Tomorrow morning I’ll wake her up early. If I have to, I have a bullhorn I can use.”
Ian chuckled. “Thanks for the warning.” He went to his desk and opened the top drawer. “I have a key that opens all their doors.” When he pressed it into her palm, he added, “Keep it. It’s a copy. This isn’t the first time she’s locked her door. It also comes in handy with Jeremy.”
“How did it go with the doctor? Jeremy wouldn’t talk about it. He just stalked off and slammed his bedroom door.”
“He’s not happy with what the doctor told him.”
“Epilepsy?”
“There are a couple of more tests, but it looks like it, especially when Jeremy mentioned he’s blanked out for a few seconds several times.”
“Like what you told me when he got so angry at you in his room?”
Ian nodded, his forehead furrowing. “The doctor started him on antiseizure medicine today. I tried talking to him before bringing him home, but I got the silent treatment, too. I’m not sure what to do.” He leaned back against his desk, gripping its edge.
“The only experience I have is with my friend, but there was a time Becca went through an angry stage. She was so scared she would have seizures at school. She didn’t sleep at night, which wasn’t good for a person with epilepsy.” When Annie was eleven and this had happened to Becca, she’d been scared, too. She hadn’t known what to do at Becca’s first seizure. She’d hated feeling helpless.
“Yeah, I’ve been reading up on it. Stress and lack of sleep can lead to seizures. Did she get better?”
“Yes. When she did have a seizure at school, our teacher was great. Because she handled it matter-of-factly, the rest of us didn’t flip out. She sent me to get the teacher next door and asked the class to step out in the hall. I got to stay because she knew we were friends.”
Ian rubbed his chin. “I’m going to school tomorrow with you all, and I’ll suggest that to Jeremy’s teacher. If he knows there’s a plan in place, it might help him feel better. They need to know what is going on, what’s causing the seizures.”
“My twin’s husband, Ben, has a service dog. Ben came back from the war with post-traumatic stress disorder, although now he’s doing much better. Ben’s sister, Emma, trains service dogs. Emma’s first husband had epilepsy, and she regretted that he didn’t have the use of one.”
“A service dog for epilepsy?”
“Yes, I wish my friend had had one in school. Emma is part owner of Caring Canines right outside Cimarron City. If you’re interested, I could set up a meeting with her. That might be something that’ll help Jeremy adjust better.”
“We used to have a dog, but Aunt Louise was allergic to him so we had to give him away. A neighbor down the street took him. My children visit him from time to time and have asked me for another pet.”
“A service dog is devoted to one person, although everyone will interact with him.”
“So I should look into one for Jeremy and another dog for the rest of us?” Ian pushed himself away from the desk.
“It’s a thought. But first you need to convince Jeremy this will help him. We’ll meet with Emma Tanner, the trainer, and she’ll explain what the dog can do for him. Otherwise it won’t work well if he doesn’t agree to the dog.”
“There’s a lot to consider.
Annie stuck her head into the room, expecting Ian to be at his desk trying to catch up on his work. But the chair was empty. She stepped farther in and spied him at the French doors to the patio, staring out at the night.
“I need a key to Jasmine’s room. She’s locked the door.”
Ian turned, shaking his head. “How bad was it this morning?”
“She was an hour late because for forty-five minutes she refused to let me help her get the tangles out. When I took her to school, she said nothing the whole way. Tomorrow morning I’ll wake her up early. If I have to, I have a bullhorn I can use.”
Ian chuckled. “Thanks for the warning.” He went to his desk and opened the top drawer. “I have a key that opens all their doors.” When he pressed it into her palm, he added, “Keep it. It’s a copy. This isn’t the first time she’s locked her door. It also comes in handy with Jeremy.”
“How did it go with the doctor? Jeremy wouldn’t talk about it. He just stalked off and slammed his bedroom door.”
“He’s not happy with what the doctor told him.”
“Epilepsy?”
“There are a couple of more tests, but it looks like it, especially when Jeremy mentioned he’s blanked out for a few seconds several times.”
“Like what you told me when he got so angry at you in his room?”
Ian nodded, his forehead furrowing. “The doctor started him on antiseizure medicine today. I tried talking to him before bringing him home, but I got the silent treatment, too. I’m not sure what to do.” He leaned back against his desk, gripping its edge.
“The only experience I have is with my friend, but there was a time Becca went through an angry stage. She was so scared she would have seizures at school. She didn’t sleep at night, which wasn’t good for a person with epilepsy.” When Annie was eleven and this had happened to Becca, she’d been scared, too. She hadn’t known what to do at Becca’s first seizure. She’d hated feeling helpless.
“Yeah, I’ve been reading up on it. Stress and lack of sleep can lead to seizures. Did she get better?”
“Yes. When she did have a seizure at school, our teacher was great. Because she handled it matter-of-factly, the rest of us didn’t flip out. She sent me to get the teacher next door and asked the class to step out in the hall. I got to stay because she knew we were friends.”
Ian rubbed his chin. “I’m going to school tomorrow with you all, and I’ll suggest that to Jeremy’s teacher. If he knows there’s a plan in place, it might help him feel better. They need to know what is going on, what’s causing the seizures.”
“My twin’s husband, Ben, has a service dog. Ben came back from the war with post-traumatic stress disorder, although now he’s doing much better. Ben’s sister, Emma, trains service dogs. Emma’s first husband had epilepsy, and she regretted that he didn’t have the use of one.”
“A service dog for epilepsy?”
“Yes, I wish my friend had had one in school. Emma is part owner of Caring Canines right outside Cimarron City. If you’re interested, I could set up a meeting with her. That might be something that’ll help Jeremy adjust better.”
“We used to have a dog, but Aunt Louise was allergic to him so we had to give him away. A neighbor down the street took him. My children visit him from time to time and have asked me for another pet.”
“A service dog is devoted to one person, although everyone will interact with him.”
“So I should look into one for Jeremy and another dog for the rest of us?” Ian pushed himself away from the desk.
“It’s a thought. But first you need to convince Jeremy this will help him. We’ll meet with Emma Tanner, the trainer, and she’ll explain what the dog can do for him. Otherwise it won’t work well if he doesn’t agree to the dog.”
“There’s a lot to consider.
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