CHAPTER One
Hannah Donaldson is nineteen, since she was a child her main passion was medicine and trauma. Her parents were worried and mentioned it to the doctor, but the doctor said it was completely okay and maybe one day Hannah would become a doctor. As Hannah grew up, she intensely studied Biology and Chemistry. In high school, she didn’t have any friends; her main love was Biology, and her main goal was medical school. Hannah didn’t attend football games or parties. She didn’t go on any dates and preferred to keep to herself. Things started to change for Hannah when she was nineteen, like a switch her mood changed. Hannah used to be normal and functioning. It was a Monday night, Hannah was bursting with energy, she couldn’t sit still and felt very chatty. She also couldn’t sleep, at 4 am Hannah burst into her parents room. She needed to tell them something particularly important.
“Mom, you need to wake up. I figured out how to cure cancer.” Claire jolted up.
“What are you talking about?”
Hannah was rambling on and not making any sense, her words going as fast as the speed of light. Claire checked the time. They need to wake up in two hours to get ready for school and work.
“Hannah go to bed.”
Hannah kept on talking, Paul her father got out of bed and touched her shoulders. Hannah wouldn’t stop talking. He led her to her room and told her to stay. Paul returned to bed.
“There’s something wrong with Hannah.”
“Claire, she’s fine she’s just stressed about finals.” Claire turned around and closed her eyes.
The next seven days Hannah only had about two to five hours sleep. Her head was racing, and she couldn’t stop writing about her medical theories. On the eight day, Hannah couldn’t contain her excitement and needed to release it. It was five am, she opened her window and climbed out. Hannah jumped to the ground, she didn’t feel a thing and got up and ran towards the street. Hannah didn’t know where she was going but she needed to run. Hannah was incredibly fast; she ran a few miles before she found the park. Hannah stopped and ran to the swings. She swung high into the air and she imagined herself soaring in the air like a bird.
“I can fly,” she screamed at the top of her lungs. Hannah leaped off the swing and climbed the bars. At the ledge of the slide, she stopped.
“I’m god, I created the universe.” Hannah screamed towards the sky. A police car happened to be patrolling the area. It was a cloudy grey day in Seattle and a young woman was on top of a jungle gym, Kent thought she must be as high as a kite. Kent parked the car, got out and walked towards Hannah.
“Mam, what’s your name?”
“God.” Kent’s suspicions are right, she’s high on something.
“Mam, step down.”
“Make me.” Kent climbed up and grabbed her, Hannah screamed and pulled free, she ran towards the street. Kent’s police training makes him run fast. He runs to her and grabs her; Kent has no choice but to cuff her. Kent places her at the back and heads to Seattle Hospital. Hannah continues to mumble and laugh manically.
At the hospital, Kent escorts her to the front desk.
“I found her at the park, she claims she’s god.”
“We got her from here.” The cop uncuffed Hannah, she tries to run away but the nurse and Kent stop her. A doctor runs with a needle in his hand, he jabs it into her arm, and she went numb.
“Get her to a bed right away, she’s manic.” The nurse and Kent place her on the bed. Before leaving, Kent turns around and shakes his head. He hopes the girl who claims she’s god will get better. Hannah opens her eyes and screams; the nurse ran to call the doctor. DR. Anderson walked into the room.
“What’s your name?”
“God.”
“Why do you think you are god?”
“I am God.” DR. Anderson studies her pupils, and her gray eyes are dilated. Her once neat strawberry blonde hair is tussled like a hairball.
“Where are you?”
“In the universe, do you know I solved the cure for cancer, I’m a bird.”
“Can you tell me how you feel?”
“Soaring happy.”
“Have you slept?” Hannah shakes her head.
“Haven’t for a while.” DR. Anderson is the head psychiatrist at the hospital. He turned to the nurse.
“Bipolar one disorder with psychotic features. Start 450 mg of Lithium right away.”
Claire and Paul were frantic as they couldn’t find Hannah, luckily the hospital was able to track them as Hannah had her phone. Claire and Paul ran inside the hospital and asked to see Hannah who was in a deep slumber because of the Lithium. DR. Anderson walked towards them.
“Hannah’s okay, she’s sleeping now but I need to talk to you in my office.” They follow him into his colorful office with the yellow walls and mahogany furniture. They sit down.
“How has Hannah been over the last week?”
“Not herself at all, she’s always moving and talking really fast. The other night she woke us up as she was adamant, she discovered a medical mystery.”
“Mr. and Mrs. Donaldson, Hannah has bipolar disorder type one with psychotic features.”
“What is that?”
“Bipolar is a mood disorder, Hannah experiences full blown mania, this is her first episode and she’ll likely experience depression, but I’ve prescribed her medication.”
“Will she lead a normal life?”
“She can but she’ll need to be on Lithium long term to stay stable.” Claire’s hands shake.
“Oh god, she wants to go to medical school.”
“Hannah still can, she can live a normal life if she takes her medication daily.”
“I want to see her.” They follow Anderson to Hannah’s room, she’s still sleeping. Claire sits down and strokes her hair while tears fall down her cheeks. Hannah is sick and no one saw it coming.
Hannah continued taking her Lithium and accepted the diagnosis. She didn’t remember a thing, but DR. Anderson was a great help. Hannah remembered the nurse and how she looked after her during her week stay at the hospital. It was the pivotal point which made Hannah change her mind. She got accepted at the University of Illinois in Chicago and her major is nursing. Hannah had to learn how to live with Bipolar, but she thought her bland life of no social life would remain the same but then he came and upturned her life ... in a good way!
