[FULL STORY] What’s the worst part about being the “responsible” sibling?

 Two orderlies requested transfers after Mikey tried to organize an Alice birthday party in the common room.

He’d convinced other patients to help decorate, telling them about his sister who couldn’t celebrate with them.

When staff intervened, Mikey had broken down, accusing them of ruining Alice’s special day. The scene disturbed everyone who witnessed it.

Sarah discovered that Mikey had been researching staff members’ social media profiles from the hospital computer during recreation time.

He’d compiled notes about their losses, their vulnerabilities, and their schedules. The level of planning showed his delusions hadn’t diminished; they’d simply gone underground.

Professional Consensus

I connected with Travis to build a fuller picture of Mikey’s history. We spent hours on video calls piecing together patterns from college.

Travis remembered other incidents: Mikey becoming overly attached to friends and creating elaborate fantasies about relationships that didn’t exist.

The death of their friend had triggered something deeper, but the seeds had always been there.

When confronted with the mounting evidence during a treatment team meeting, Mikey finally admitted something chilling.

He claimed Alice talked to him, that she visited him at night, and that only he could hear her.

The admission confirmed what the psychiatrists suspected; this went beyond grief into something requiring intensive intervention.

Dr. Woods formally apologized for her initial dismissal of my concerns. She acknowledged that her own grief had clouded her professional judgment.

She recommended a specialized facility that dealt specifically with delusional disorders and complicated grief. Her support carried weight with the insurance company.

Mikey’s treatment options narrowed to two facilities capable of handling his specific needs. Both required family consent and significant financial commitment.

The deadline loomed as insurance coverage ticked down. I spent sleepless nights researching both facilities, reading reviews, and calling references.

The Specialized Path

Travis revealed the full extent of Mikey’s previous fixations in college.

He’d shown possessive behavior toward several friends, though never to this extreme. He’d keep their borrowed items, show up uninvited to their family events, and create elaborate stories about their friendships.

Alice’s death had weaponized these existing patterns into something far more dangerous.

I worked with the treatment team to ensure Sarah Peen’s daughter’s school implemented additional security measures.

The principal took the threat seriously after reviewing the documentation. They flagged Mikey’s name and photo in their system and added security questions for anyone calling about students.

The precautions felt necessary given his previous attempt.

The hospital social worker joined forces with Dr. Brennan and three nurses to advocate for Mikey’s placement in specialized care.

Their united front helped push insurance toward approval. Having medical professionals validate my concerns after months of being dismissed felt like a crucial turning point.

Mikey’s attempts to contact Emma’s sister failed when her family blocked all unknown numbers and set their social media to private.

He’d been trying to build a network of Alice’s friends—people who might help him rescue her. Each blocked attempt frustrated him more, leading to increased agitation in the facility.

Spiritual Delusions

Father Rodriguez, the facility chaplain, saw through Mikey’s performance during what was supposed to be confession.

Instead of seeking forgiveness, Mikey had talked about resurrection, about bringing Alice back, and about punishing those who kept them apart.

The chaplain’s report added religious delusion to Mikey’s diagnostic picture.

My supervisor called to apologize after it was confirmed the harassment emails came from the facility’s IP address. The digital trail was clear; Mikey had been accessing computers during recreation time, sending messages designed to discredit me.

My workplace agreed to support me through the situation, granting extended leave to handle Mikey’s care.

Sarah Peen learned from night shift staff that Mikey paced the halls every night, stopping at each window to look for Alice.

He’d whisper to the darkness, having full conversations with someone who wasn’t there. The behavior had been documented for weeks but dismissed as harmless until the escape.

The insurance deadline forced an urgent decision: a state facility with basic care or a private facility with specialized treatment and partial coverage.

The financial burden would be significant, but Mikey needed more than warehouse-style institutionalization. I chose the specialized program, knowing it meant depleting my savings.

The Tower and the Traitor

During group therapy, Mikey’s elaborate fantasy about Princess Alice disturbed other patients enough that several requested transfers to different groups.

He described in detail how Alice was being held in a tower, how only he could save her, and how everyone else was under an evil spell.

The fairy tale delusion revealed how deeply he’d retreated from reality. I faced a painful realization while touring facilities: accepting Mikey’s illness meant accepting that I’d lost both siblings the night of Alice’s accident.

The brother I knew had disappeared into his delusions, replaced by someone who saw me as an enemy.

Grief hit me in waves as I filled out admission paperwork. Mikey discovered I was touring facilities and began texting me repeatedly from smuggled phones.

The messages called me a traitor, accused me of abandoning Alice, and threatened to never forgive me. I blocked each number without responding, but they kept coming from new ones.

The harassment showed his desperation as treatment became inevitable. Support group members began distancing themselves from Mikey after he gave a speech about Alice’s resurrection.

He described in detail how she would return, how those who truly loved her would be rewarded, and how doubters would be punished.

The religious overtones disturbed even those dealing with their own grief. Group facilitators finally realized they’d been enabling his delusions.

Riverside Psychiatric Institute

The treatment team unanimously recommended specialized placement after reviewing Mikey’s complete history.

The pattern was undeniable: escalating delusions, sophisticated manipulation, and potential for violence. Their professional consensus helped secure insurance approval for six months of intensive treatment.

Relief washed over me when Riverside Psychiatric Institute accepted Mikey’s case.

The facility specialized in delusional disorders and had experience with complicated grief. Their program included medication management, intensive therapy, and gradual reality orientation.

For the first time in months, I felt hope. Mikey’s transport to Riverside revealed his desperation.

He tried convincing the transport team that I was impersonating a doctor, that this was an elaborate kidnapping.

The team had been thoroughly briefed and maintained professional boundaries despite his increasingly frantic claims. They’d seen this behavior before.

The transport team’s notes described Mikey’s attempts to manipulate them during the drive. He’d cycled through different approaches: tears, anger, bargaining, and even trying to convince them that Alice was waiting at the hospital.

Their professional detachment frustrated him into eventual silence.

An Unsettling Calm

As Mikey’s evaluation at Riverside began, he displayed an unsettling calm.

It was too calm. Staff noted he was cooperating fully, taking medication without complaint, and participating in activities.

But I recognized this pattern. He was studying them, learning their routines, and planning his next move.

The calm felt like a storm gathering strength. I began rebuilding relationships with extended family members who finally understood the situation.

My aunt apologized for doubting me, admitting she’d been fooled by Mikey’s convincing performance. Other relatives shared similar stories of manipulation.

The family started to grasp the depth of Mikey’s illness. Mrs. T organized neighborhood support after learning the full story.

She shared her security footage with other neighbors, warning them about potential manipulation.

The community that had once viewed me with suspicion now offered help and understanding. Their support meant more than they knew.

I presented Mikey’s complete history to the Riverside treatment team, with Travis joining by video call. Together we painted a picture of long-standing patterns that predated Alice’s death.

The team appreciated the context, adjusting their treatment approach based on this deeper understanding.