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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on May 11, 2009 20:58:46 GMT -5
Dare's jaw tightened as he bit back the obvious retort; if it was physical, and Michael was sick, then a Healer would be able to help. It was perfectly obvious to him. He looked sullenly down at the edge of one of his sleeves, where he was working a small thumbhole he'd made in a seam into a bigger thumbhole.
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Post by Kane Garrett on May 11, 2009 21:06:06 GMT -5
"No one here has said that you're doing anything, Michael," Kane pointed out, keeping his tone calm and light. "Unintentional weight loss is exactly that. If it's because of something physical, like Hyperthyroidism or Diabetes, both of which can affect wizards, then a Healer would be able to set things right. But we haven't ruled out the psychological causes, and since that's what I know, why don't we start there?"
Kane only paused a moment before going on. "Anxiety, stress and depression can affect your weight. Does any of that sound familiar?" Knowing the difficulties that Michael had before, both with coming out and with his relationship, knowing how close Michael was to graduation, Kane wouldn't doubt any or all of the three.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on May 11, 2009 21:10:39 GMT -5
"Of course I'm stressed," Michael said shaking his head, "But I've been stressed all year." He couldn't think that was it. If it was because of stress, then wouldn't it have hit him earlier? The previous term had held almost as much stress as the current one had. Ah, interjected a little voice in his head, but there is more this time, isn't there? You're constantly worried about a relapse to the beginning of the year, aren't you? His eyebrows came together.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on May 11, 2009 21:15:07 GMT -5
Dare's gaze shot up to Kane at the question, then over to Michael. His breathing quickened slightly, and when he couldn't control it, he licked his lips and talked through it. "We've both been losing weight. For a while now. Just... he lost it a lot faster, and I stopped." He'd noticed his own weight loss when he was feeling all right. It was hard for him not to. "Stress can really do that?" he asked.
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Post by Kane Garrett on May 11, 2009 21:21:45 GMT -5
"Yes, it can," Kane answered, "and the best solution is to deal with the stress. I know, there's nothing you can do to get rid of the causes of stress when it's things like exams, work, or everyday life, but every little bit you can do will help. You can learn more effective ways to deal with the stress, and sometimes even talking about it can do a lot." Kane looked to Michael for a response.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on May 11, 2009 21:25:25 GMT -5
Michael's eyes dropped to the wood pattern. "But...there's so much to do," he argued softly. And he didn't want to bring up anything that didn't need to be, he didn't want to bring up something negative. He couldn't help but be afraid that bringing things up would end in a fight, even though the last few times they had talked about something serious it hadn't ended in a fight.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on May 11, 2009 21:28:56 GMT -5
"So we'll keep doing it on the weekend if we have to," Dare said. He wasn't sure he should be with Michael, since he'd only come to drag Michael this time, but he'd give up some of their time if he had to. "I'd rather have you happy and healthy..." He looked back down at his hands.
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Post by Kane Garrett on May 11, 2009 21:35:08 GMT -5
"Stress can do a lot to a person," Kane said. "It's better for everyone involved if you take a step back or pause to rest than if you let it build up. Burning out will only put you back even farther, and if you've got a support system," he said, pausing just a moment to glance at Dare, "they can go a long way to helping out."
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on May 11, 2009 21:40:14 GMT -5
Michael had only shook his head at what Dare said. The weekend was the only time they had more than an hour or two for each other! He had been through not having that contact, and he absolutely refused to give up their weekends, even if they both still worked on Saturdays, to do more work. "The weekends are the pause to rest."
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on May 11, 2009 21:45:10 GMT -5
Dare glanced up at Michael, then dropped his gaze again. He couldn't argue with that. It was the only time they really had any time together beyond asking about each other's day, eating dinner, and anything that did or didn't happen in bed later. He wasn't sure how to feel about Michael refusing to give up even a fraction of it. It warmed Dare to hear it, but when else would Michael be able to get the help he obviously needed?
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Post by Kane Garrett on May 11, 2009 21:49:08 GMT -5
"If you want, I can help you find an hour once or twice a week. A lot of the professors are willing to make allowances for scheduled early leaving or tardies, and if we did that, you wouldn't miss any classes and it wouldn't cut into your free time. Do you have any classes that you could miss part of? Your professors wouldn't need to know why you were being excused, it's all confidential."
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on May 11, 2009 21:54:43 GMT -5
Michael took a deep breath and continued his examination of the pattern he had memorized months ago. "Defense Against the Dark Arts," he said, shaking his head slightly. "Maybe potions." He was decent in most of his classes, but he didn't want to take any chances. He did not want to spend another year in school when he should have been out long before, anyway. He tucked his arms close to his stomach.
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Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on May 11, 2009 21:59:58 GMT -5
Muscles that Dare hadn't even realized were tense eased slightly at what sounded like a solution. Thank God Michael wasn't arguing anymore, and it sounded like maybe he wasn't sick after all. Just so stressed from everything that had happened that his health was draining away. If he was being melodramatic, it was only because he worried.
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Post by Kane Garrett on May 11, 2009 22:02:45 GMT -5
Kane nodded and picked up a quill to scrawl a quick note on one corner of his blotter. Then he set the quill back down and turned his attention to Michael again. "We can get started right now if there's anything that's on your mind. Or I could send you an owl later when everything's worked out." And he knew he'd get this worked out.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on May 11, 2009 22:07:34 GMT -5
There was a lot on Michael's mind, current things, things that had never truly been worked over from before... Things that he didn't want to talk about with both Kane and Dare there. His eyes darted up to Kane, then over to Dare, before settling on his knees. He shook his head yet again, "I'm okay, you can just send an owl."
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