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My eyes drifted back to her, but as I thought of dropping her off, unease settled in my stomach. “What are they going to do?”
“Most likely put her on a psych hold.”
“For how long?”
“I think it’s like seventy-two hours. They need to assess her and make sure she’s not a threat to herself.”
“But she is,” I said quietly. “What happens after that?”
“I don’t know. That’s up to the doctors. Or Eva. Hell, I don’t know how this works. But she needs someone to intervene, and you know that or you wouldn’t have run back here.”
I knew that, but the thought of her in a hospital, detained and unable to leave, made my gut churn. She’d be trapped just like she was on that island. What would that do to her mental state? Had I just made things worse for her? Fuck, none of this felt right.
“We have to do it,” FNG said quietly. “I know you don’t want to, but she was hurting herself.”
I nodded and bent over, scooping her up in my arms. It took everything in me to walk out to the truck waiting outside, but I managed. The whole way to the hospital, I held her hand. And when they took her back, I vowed that I would be there for her when she got out. Not just because I made a promise to Knight, but because I had put her in this position, and would damn-well make sure she was okay.
* * *
I paced the waiting room, rubbing my hand over my jaw as the hours dragged on. I’d already talked to the psychiatrist and told him everything that happened. Since then, I’d gotten no information on Isabelle’s condition. FNG had gone back with the nurses initially, but even he had been kicked out. Now there was nothing for us to do but wait.
Glancing at the clock, I sighed heavily. It was after Carli’s bedtime. I knew Tahlia would take care of her, but that was beside the point. I was supposed to be taking care of my daughter. Things were so new to her, and I wasn’t there for her.
The doors opened and Eva walked out. The strain on her face said it all. I rushed over, eager for any information she could give me. “What happened?”
She ran her hand over her face. The hours had worn her out, and I led her over to a chair. “They put her on a seventy-two hour hold. After that, they said we’d discuss our options. Technically, I’m not her guardian, so I don’t have a lot of choice here. She’s an adult. The decision has to be hers.”
“You mean, she could walk out of here after her treatment,” I surmised.
“Exactly. And this could all happen again. They can’t force her to get help.”
“But you’re her family.”
“I’m not her legal guardian. She’s over eighteen. We just have to hope that after she speaks with the psychiatrist, she’ll see that she needs help, and she’ll go voluntarily.”
I stiffened at her words. “Go where?”
“Into a psychiatric hospital.”
“Do you really think that’s best for her?”
“Yeah, after what happened, I do.”
“Eva, I know this isn’t my place to say anything, but after what she went through, how could you send her to someplace where they’ll lock her up?”
“Because after what I saw, I’m more worried that she’ll kill herself the next time she’s alone,” she snapped.
“And you don’t think being locked up in yet another place will do a number on her psyche?” I argued. “She was trapped on an island for thirteen years. Her brain has already been fucked with. And now you want to trap her in another place? Hell, she’s probably strapped to a fucking table right now. How is that helping?”
“I don’t know!” she yelled. “I really don’t know.”
She took a deep breath, which only made me feel like shit. She had enough on her plate with Cash running off. Now she had to deal with his sister trying to maim herself.
“I’m sorry,” I sighed, pulling her in for a hug. “I didn’t mean to put more on your plate. I know you’re doing everything you think you can for her.”
Her hands wrapped around my back, tugging on my shirt. I could hear her sniffle against my chest, burying her face deeper to muffle the sound of her crying. I hated Cash right now for dumping all this shit on her.
“What can I do to help?” I asked.