"Sure, can do -" Speakerphone. "You're on speaker!"

"Hi mom."

"Hi, honey.  Hanging in there?"

"I have both been and might shortly be worse."

"I don't think there is any acute imminent problem on the horizon, he has what seems like probably paranoia as a backlash presentation, but it does make sense to be careful."

"Yeah, I could have died of dehydration because I went like, a day and a half with barely any water and no food because I thought it was all poisoned, but now I'm with someone who knows to force me if I get delusional again.  - You will force me, right?  Please?"

"I will not let you die of dehydration and my plan A is to accomplish this here rather than by returning you to the hospital whence you came, but either way you will not be permitted to dehydrate yourself to death."

"It probably won't happen that way again, anyway, I decided guiding was already drugs and stopped caring.  And before that I - drank water with the paramedics anyway."

"That's good then."

"Do you want me to come by?"

Julien looks to Haru.

"I'm not averse if you two would like to see each other but I don't think it's medically necessary or anything."

"Yeah, maybe for a bit.  Don't skip work about it, though."

"Well, if that's what you want I'll have to go and get ready soon.  Tonight?"

"Fine by me."

"Should we expect you for dinner? I think my mother's planning something with tofu but I don't know exactly what."

"If you'd like!  That sounds lovely."

"Okay, I'll let her know. Allergies or anything?"

"Not a one!"

"Great, dinner usually hits the table at around six-thirty."

"I'll be there!  Now, Julien, you be as well as you can, you hear?"

"I'll do my best.  Love you."

"Love you more, always."  And she hangs up.

"She seems nice!" Haru says when there has been too much silence for his hovering backlashed self.

"She's really great."  Probably she hates him for not telling her about stuff.  Maybe she's going to stop helping pay for his college expenses about it.