“Sam, I need to tell you something. It might come as a shock but you deserve to know the truth.”
She tensed in her seat and looked at me intently.
“Has Gareth mentioned anything to you about his medical condition?”
She tilted her head to the side. “Well, yeah, he suffers from horrible migraines, poor bugger. I can’t stand a mild headache let alone a severe migraine.” She relaxed a little.
“Has he told you why he gets the migraines?” I probed further, causing her relaxed position to tense up again.
“No, and I didn’t want to pry.”
“Hmmm,” I mumbled.
“Alexis, what is it? Look, I know you are not a fan of Gareth, and clearly he was not a fan of yours, but he has been trying to make amends for that.”
“Sam, Gareth has Dissociate Identity Disorder with positive symptoms of Schizophrenia.”
Her mouth dropped and she blinked.
“I’m not sure if you are aware, but Bryce’s parents and brother were killed in a car accident when he was nineteen. Gareth had been in the car and was the sole survivor. He suffered severe head injuries and as a result developed DID.”
She looked at her hands which were entwined with each other. “I...um...I had no idea.”
“I didn’t think so. I’m sorry, I just thought you had a right to know. It’s my understanding Gareth has many altering personalities. Scott, is the personality that does not get along with me.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
It was clear Samantha had no idea as to the complexity of Gareth’s condition.
“Sam, his personality changes and with that so does his person. One minute he is Gareth, the next he can be Scott, or Deirdre—”
“Who the fuck is Deirdre?” she blurted out.
“Deirdre is one of his alters, Sam. I have not yet met her. I’ve only met Scott.”
She dropped her head in her hands. “I don’t know if I can...I mean...what do I say or do with this?” She lifted her head, displaying a look of complete stupefaction.
“I don’t know, Hun. It might help to research the condition before you do anything brash, though. I can tell you that he sees the family psychologist for therapy weekly and takes medication daily to supress the alters from dominating him.”
“Why didn’t he tell me?” she asked in an angry tone.
“I don’t know. Maybe he was scared, or maybe it’s because as part of his treatment he is encouraged to live his life normally, and telling everyone he comes in contact with about the DID would hinder that.”
“Right,” she answered, still looking completely lost.
“I’m sorry, Sam. I just thought you should know the whole truth.”
She smiled mildly at me. “No, that’s okay. Thank you for telling me, I appreciate it. I just have a lot to consider now.”
“I know you do. But make sure you consider everything, okay?”
She stood up and helped me up with her. “So, how long are you in that stylish thing?” she pointed to my moon boot.
“Five to seven weeks,” I answered with a pout.
“Well, it could be worse...” she froze and her eyes widened. “Oh, shit! Sorry, I didn’t...see what I mean? I’m hopeless, absolutely hopeless.”
“Sam, seriously...” I placed my hand on her shoulder as I picked up my crutches. “I’m sure you are not the only one who mouth-farts at the wrong time. We are all capable of it.”
After Sam left the office, I felt only mildly better. Better, because she was now aware of Gareth’s situation and could make her own informed decision about what to do in regards to their relationship. But I also felt terrible, because I could see Sam’s heart break as she realised her partner was not who she thought he was.
***
Later that evening, Derek stayed for dinner after knuckling down and giving me some more lessons.
“How’s she coming along?” Lucy asked him as we each ate our meals ordered from the hotel’s kitchen. I missed my smirky chef and his culinary wizardry.
“She’s a natural, or I am the bomb when it comes to teaching.” He shot a smile at me. “Yeah, I’m thinking I’m just that good.”
I rolled my eyes, so did Lucy.
“So, Alexis, how do you plan on springing your new found guitar talent on my brother?”
“I don’t know. I was just going to sit him down and play something I guess, when the time was right,” I explained as I popped my fork in my mouth.
“That’s boring, and plain and just...boring. You need to do it in a way that says ‘Look the fuck at what I have learned for you’.”
I laughed, “And how do I do that exactly?”