The Doctor

Welcome to the blog of Dr. Matthew Richards. What you see is what you get. Any questions will have to be directed to my inbox.

[thematthewrichards-blog]

Text Message [Bliss]

Bliss: You shouldn't have to deal with it! She's being selfish and it's insane that she would even think this.

Bliss: I'll try my best to come during visiting hours tomorrow. If that's okay with you.

Bliss: Yes suck it up buttercup. Amelia needs you. Anything with Olivia can wait. Focus on the girl in your care.

Matt: You're right, Amelia is really all that matters right now, especially while she's in recovery. If I'm going to do this right, it means forgetting the naysayers and really dedicating myself.

Matt: I hope you come to see her. She could use more company than just me.

[thematthewrichards-blog]

Text Message [Izzy]

Izzy: Matt you can't just take kids home like that. It's a conflict of interest.

Izzy: I mean it's really sweet of you and really admirable but you could get into a lot of trouble for it. You know that right?

Matt: Jesus, not you too. I didn't just kidnap her and put her in the back of my jeep. There were long conversations, mountains of paperwork, a CPS agent and social worker. It's all legal.

Matt: And totally necessary. She needs someone stable, who knows her and her needs. And it just... felt right. They removed me from her case, of course, but I'm not in any trouble at work.

[thematthewrichards-blog]

Text Message [Bliss]

Bliss: I could set her house on fire. No one would suspect the firefighter.

Bliss: I'm glad Amelia is sleeping. Rest helps her body heal better right? Plus you could probably use some sleep too.

Bliss: Do you need me? I could fake sick and be there in ten with real food and maybe a blanket if you don't want to leave Amelia's side...

Matt: I'm just so confused as to how she can even compare herself to Amelia. It's all so insane I just can't even deal with it today. Or ever.

Matt: Right, right. She needs as much sleep as she can get for sure. And she'll be here until Friday. So they are positive its holding up.

Matt: No, no, I'm fine. I think I just need to suck it up and get back to what's important.

[thematthewrichards-blog]

Text Message [Bliss]

Bliss: because you are a good man. Not willing to give up on something just Because you hit a few bumps.

Bliss:.... Just how bad was it?

Matt: Bad.

Matt: Crying in my car in the parking lot of the hospital bad.

Matt: Amelia's surgery went well, though. She's still asleep, has been for a few hours. That's why I went on a drive, kind of ran into Olivia.

Matt: Things were said and I...well it turns out she hates me for dedicating time to Amelia when I evidently never did for her.

[thematthewrichards-blog]

Text Message [Bliss]

Bliss: Don't you dare leave me

Bliss: Inwill kidnap both you and Amelia

Bliss: don't make me a felon...

Matt: I won't. Its tempting, but I won't.

Matt: When a woman tells me she doesn't want to be with me the first time, why don't I listen? Why do I drag myself through this pain over and over again when its clear Liv doesn't love me and never will?

Matt: We got into it tonight. Bad. I think its...its pretty much over now.

[thematthewrichards-blog]

Matt smiled softly back at her, feeling relief that there were people on his side and willing to offer him support - even strangers. “My ex had kind of… averse reaction. My family too. It’s been difficult, to say the least. I suppose part of me wants the reassurance that I did the right thing. But that shouldn’t even be why I did it, anyway. I don’t need to impress anyone.”

[violetannette]

“I guess that’s why they’re your ex.” Violet  told him before cringing slightly. “Sorry. I meant, it’s better surrounding yourself with people that support you. At least in positive things, if you wanted to murder someone then I would see why people wouldn’t support you.”

[thematthewrichards-blog]

"Don't apologize, because you're right. Olivia and I...we're through. We have to be through because all we do is hurt each other and fight. That isn't healthy and it certainly isn't love." He shook his head then. "Support is what I need right now, what Amelia needs right now."

[thematthewrichards-blog]

Text Message [Bliss]

Matt: When we talked about me moving, did we mean I have to stay in New York?

[butshedidntgoaway]

5.14 - Say Something feat. A Great Big World - Say Something

[thematthewrichards-blog]

@oliviaofeaston

[oliviaofeaston-deactivated20180]

In a twisted way she found it humorous at how surprised he looked now after she said what she had to say. “Yes, that’s exactly what I just said. You don’t notice me what so ever. In love with me, huh? So you say.” She scoffed with a sarcastic laugh, helping herself to another swig from the bottle in her hands. She kept a smug expression as she rolled her free hand in the air as he listed all the things that had once been topics of arguments in the past that still lingered into each other. Her eyes widened when he called her out for being jealous and twisted for the way she felt about a girl she didn’t even know. She capped the bottle in annoyance setting everything down onto the ground as he started to walk away from her and head over to his car. Her heart was racing as she rushed over to him, stepping in front of him  as she placed her hands firmly against his chest to stop him in place. “No! You don’t get to walk away from me like that. You are an asshole for hurting me the way you are. Forgive me for being a damn human. I love you but this hurts way too much. Loving you shouldn’t have to hurt, Matt. I don’t care if you think I’m acting like a brat, but you not hesitating to devote yourself to a complete stranger hurt me. But when I ask you to be it for me you hesitate. —You’re the twisted one not me.” She let out feeling a weight being lifted off her shoulders as she took a step back from him, swallowing roughly as she took in his anger stricken face. “Happy now?” She asked not really expecting him to answer as she waited a few seconds to stable herself before making a move towards her discarded belongings.

[thematthewrichards-blog]

Matthew stood there for what felt like hours, letting her words wash over him in incredibly painful ways. The way he felt played out plainly on his face, his features twisting as he looked down at the ground. He took a step back finally, not wanting her to touch him. “You don’t love me.” He said quietly, lifting his chin to look her in the eyes, his own clouded. “This isn’t love. Telling me that I am wrong for what I did isn’t love. Making this all about you and what you want isn’t love. And asking me to change who I am certainly isn’t love.” He lifted up his hands then in defeat, he shook his head, letting out a humorless laugh. “This is who I am, Olivia. This is who I’ve always been. And I will never be anyone different. I took Amelia in because she needed me and she reminded me of that kid who didn’t have parents to support him. The kid who used to come over to your house just to get away. I didn’t want that for her. She certainly isn’t your replacement. She has nothing to do with you.” He sighed out then, rubbing his hands over his face. “If Amelia is the reason you think I don’t love you then fine. You can feel that way, your friends can feel that way, but I for one am done. I am done letting you make me feel like shit.” His eyes hardened then into a look she had only seen once. “Now, kindly move so I may leave.”

[ivy-blake]

Ivy watched as he looked around the shop, ready to get defensive if he had something negative to say about her choice of coffee joint. Usually she wouldn’t care, but this was Asher’s place and well, she wasn’t about to let anyone say anything bad about her best friends, especially when Matt had already managed to rile her a little by asking for her advice and then getting pissy because he didn’t like what she had to say. Even if, in her mind, it was true. That she wouldn’t apologise for, Ivy was the calmest, friendliest person anyone could know, but she didn’t appreciate people wasting her time when it came to asking for advice. Why ask if you were just going to ignore whatever was said? That thought being fresh in her mind made the idea of this conversation cause her some level of anxiety, though she sat in her seat with a smile on her face, as she always did. Her brow cocked slightly as he spoke, take in a foster child. No wonder Olivia was hurt, he couldn’t commit to her but he’d just decided to take in a foster child? Like it was nothing? “I—” she paused briefly, attempting to find the correct words. “Thats very.. sudden.” She spoke, grasping her lower lip between her teeth. “I mean, it’s great to give a young person a second chance but its — are you sure thats something you want to do? You can’t just drop these kids.” She asked, her concern only for Amelia in this situation, Matt was single, a workaholic by nature and generally indecisive, needless to say he didn’t seem like the perfect candidate to take in a teenager.

[thematthewrichards-blog]

Matt took in a deep, calming breath as he tried to keep his anger in check. The last few days had taken a toll on him only to accumulate into the worst day he’d had in a very long time. He was quiet for a long time after her words, almost too quiet. “I had a feeling you might judge me with so little information. But regardless, I wanted you to know before you heard it through the grapevine.” He let out a long breath then, straightening up in his chair. “I have known Amelia Reens for about six weeks now. She came in as my patient with bronchitis, which her mother refused to treat. I worked with her and CPS to try and force the matter, so that she could get antibiotics. Unfortunately, the illness became pneumonia and the virus spread past her lungs.” He pinched his nose then, very insulted that she would assume he would drop her eventually. “On Friday, she collapsed in class and was rushed into the ER. The virus has spread to the valves of her heart and it’s failing. Actively. CPS finally took the situation seriously but said that she would not find a foster family within a month that would be stable enough for such a situation. So, I stepped in.”

[oliviaofeaston-deactivated20180]

She tuned him out reading the ingredients of different bags of candy out loud to drown out his voice from her head. A laugh leaving her mouth as he returned with a basket for her. “I’m not in need of your chivalry. I have plenty of money and I can afford Skittles and wine. So just stop.” She said under her breath as he slapped the money down on the counter, the cashier eyeing them awkwardly before tending to another customer. She tugged her arm out of his hold and took her bag of items not answering his question as she exited the store quietly. She had taken a few steps out before deciding that she didn’t want to bite her tongue right now. “So having a nervous breakdown is enough for you to notice me? This is rich.So rich.” She spat out, running a hand through her hair as she let out a heavy sigh. “Well I’m not going to give you one. So you should just go.”

[thematthewrichards-blog]

Matthew whispered an apology to the shopkeeper as they exited, tightening his coat against the wind that often came at night in New York. As she turned to him, he narrowed his eyes in confusion. “Notice you?” His eyes widened then and his concern and confusion turned to actual anger. “I’m sorry, did you just say I don’t notice you?” His voice was sharp, but quiet as he stood just two feet from her now. “Jesus, Olivia, I’m in LOVE with you! I have been head over heels and killing myself over you since I was fifteen years old and you doubt that now? Because I work too hard, or I don’t give you enough attention, or I don’t play the part of dedicated someday husband?” He shook his head, turning to look up at the sky now, one of his hands burying in his hair. “This is about Amelia. I knew it was. I knew you were some how jealous. Which is unbelievably twisted, you realize.” He looked disgusted with her then, all of his frustrations and fear from the day bubbling into an uncontrollable anger. “Fuck me for taking in a seventeen year old terminally ill child. God, I’m such an asshole to not think about your feelings in the matter.” He grabbed his keys then, heading off towards his car.

[violetannette]

“She’s special to you, it makes sense why you did what you did. There’s not a lot for people who would do the same, some people wouldn’t even struggle that much for their own family.” She cleared her throat before smiling at him. “You don’t have to thank me. It’s always a judgement free zone with me.”

[thematthewrichards-blog]

Matt smiled softly back at her, feeling relief that there were people on his side and willing to offer him support - even strangers. “My ex had kind of... averse reaction. My family too. It’s been difficult, to say the least. I suppose part of me wants the reassurance that I did the right thing. But that shouldn’t even be why I did it, anyway. I don’t need to impress anyone.”

[oliviaofeaston-deactivated20180]

“Christ, watch where you are going! You’re going to make me waste perfectly good wine and…Oh, this is rich.” She trailed off, laughing obnoxiously as she took another swig of wine when she noticed who it was.Of all the places for him to be he had decided to wander into her neck of the woods. “Why do you care? Don’t you have somewhere important to be?” She questioned, walking around him picking up random bottles of herbs and spices as if she was going to purchase them.

[thematthewrichards-blog]

Matthew’s eyes widened at her words, and he backed up out of her way as she made a warpath around the store. Reaching over one of the counters, he grabbed her a small basket for her items before handing it over. “I’m not really sure how you twisted things into thinking I don’t care... but I can only assume you’re having some sort of nervous break down.” He slapped a couple of twenties in front of the cash register before gently taking his arm. “Before you cause a scene, can we take this meltdown somewhere else?”

[oliviaofeaston-deactivated20180]

“Relax, I plan on paying for this. I’m just tasting it for a friend, and you’re not my mother. So just stop.” The blonde murmured as she walked down the convenience store aisle strutting past the woman in her way that questioned her for opening the unpaid bottle of wine in her hands. She took a rather large swig and continued browsing around the aisle agitated. “People seriously need to mind their business.” She carried on ranting to herself mostly.

[thematthewrichards-blog]

Matthew didn’t usually find himself in North End, and tried to avoid it at most costs. But after leaving the hospital, he had taken a drive and one turn too many had lead him in the middle of North End. As he stopped for gas at a local convenient store, he happened to notice Olivia’s car in the parking lot and hesitated only for a moment before going in. He heard Liv before he saw her and couldn’t help the amused feeling that bubbled up. Grabbing some magazines for Amelia, he turned a corner and nearly ran right into her. “Are you taking to drinking in drug stores now?” He asked, raising his eyebrows at her.

[ivy-blake]

Of course Ivy had spent the first of her few days free from school restraints at The Beanery. For one, it sold coffee, and two, her best friend owned the place so she got to bug him as long as she was there. Now though, she sat herself in the corner, eyes carefully scanning the pages of her latest read. She hadn’t even realised how quickly time must have gone until her attention was dragged from the page to the male stood before her. Glancing up, she offered him a smile before reaching for her bookmark. Placing it lightly between the pages of her book, Ivy placed it down on the table beside her own mug of coffee. “Hi.” She spoke softly, shuffling her seat forwards a little so she could prop her elbows on the table. “Thats alright,” she answered, it wasn’t alright but Ivy was the sort of person to let stuff like that slide. “What’s happening?” She asked, picking up her coffee to take a drink.

[thematthewrichards-blog]

Matthew inspected the place as he sipped the coffee, wondering why he had never really come in here before. He was more of a Starbucks man because it was faster and stronger, but this had it’s appeals. “Hi.” He said quietly, looking not only exhausted, but already very wary of the conversation. He also noticed she didn’t in turn apologize, but chose to ignore it. He’d gotten into enough arguments for one day. “I decided to take in a foster child.” He said quietly, deciding he was going to jump right into the mess of it. “Her name is Amelia and she’s seventeen years old.” He paused then to drink his coffee, waiting to see if he should bother continuing.

[lyunderwood-deactivated20171120]

“Wow. That’s so kind of you, to take her in.” Lyla answered, widening her eyes. Looking at him, she decided that he couldn’t have been much older than her- yet, there he was, already fully responsible for another human being. “I don’t think you could go wrong with Hawaii. I feel like the sandy beaches would easily be the perfect place to forget about drama and to focus on bonding.” Lyla had never traveled far before herself. Her family enjoyed frequent trips, but she always considered herself to be far too busy. “I’m Lyla, by the way.”

[thematthewrichards-blog]

“She was my patient and needed help. We kind of became friends over time and I realized she needed more than just a doctor.” He shrugged, smiling softly as he thought of Amelia. At thirty, he never thought he’d have a child - whether or not she was practically an adult was irrelevant. “I think that might be a good choice. I’m Matthew, by the way. Sorry, I didn’t introduce myself. My mind is everywhere these days.”

[dremerrrr-deactivated20210413]