Guilt is a powerful drug. Final.

I didn't realize it at the time (and I should have) but all this stress was getting to my Uncle. He just lost his wife. His apartment is trying to get him relocated, and now his niece is coming in to take all his stuff, and his pay porn.

I think I was fully in shock half the time I was there. I too lost my Aunt and all these new bombs are being dropped on me. I heard through the family grapevine that he was starting to act weirder. Once I found out he'd started a fire in the oven I said - I better go out there.

Independently all of this - the apartment stuff was happening. When I landed on the ground, the complex told me that he'd set four fires this year. Then to immediately be drug into a meeting with banks, Adult Protective Services, and who I thought was the complex warden - was just intense. On the very first day I was there!

So anyway. A day before I left I got a call from my Uncle saying he was having a concert in the back of his complex. Mr S. and I should come if we can. And he'd started talking about people living in the trees. This was in the evening after I left that day. I was too exhausted to deal with it.

The next day was fine. He was talking about the people living in the trees a lot. I was scheduled to leave that night. I had a meeting with the complex warden, (she really was the nicest woman) and asked her how she thought she was going to get him out. Kidnap? Bum rush? How? I mean, he's going to a very nice place that takes care of everything for him. It costs as much as one of my mortgages. But obviously I can't control him. How are they going to get him out?

I tried saying - Uncle, this apartment is big enough for a family with babies. Don't you want babies to be in here? He was like - no.

It was the final night. I was just leaving a restaurant on my way back to the airbnb to pack, and I got a text. Hey - Ms. Snarkoleopsy. Could you give me a call - it's sort of urgent.

I'm like -fuuuuuck. He's going to drag me the whole time. It was the warden and a social worker who told me my Uncle was outside trying to save people in the trees. They were afraid he would walk into traffic or harm himself. So.... over there I drive. Fire, Ambulance and an undercover cop were on their way in case things got weird.

This is the state  found him in. Some real Blair Witch shit. He refused to leave this tree until the people in the trees were saved. Apparently they were women hanging spread eagle upside down. They had to call in the maintenance man and everything to convince him they would save the women. They had to pretend he was getting a ladder, until we could convince him to get into the ambulance.

They were clearly doing a low level 5150 on him. When the ambulance got there they asked him all those questions to see if you are cognizant, and he answered them perfectly! They were like if he refuses to go, we can't take him because he answered these questions correctly.

Thankfully he did voluntarily get inside. I don't know what kind of crazy that would have been if he didn't. And off to the hospital I drive.

At the hospital I'm pulled into a "stabilization unit". Which is the closest I've been to a rubber room, and I've been on a psych ward before. Notice I say on, and not in.

The bed is made from that plastic you make Fisher Price childrens' slides from. It's all one unit. There is a chair, and a security camera in the top of the ceiling. TV is behind plexi.  I walk in with a cell phone and a bottle of water, but they make me put that in a locker. Wand me, and give me said key to locker. Which now that I think about it doesn't make a lot of sense. Keys are sharp. Water bottles are not. But whatever. I was there till super late.

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Now, was the trip worth it? Well, mostly no. But I can say I did everything I possibly could. And I hate that I had to learn some things the very hard way. Sometimes that's what you need to help you not start packing those suitcases full of guilt. I'm sure I probably still will - it's human nature. At least I will be able to look back on all of this for a helpful reminder from time to time.

That's why I immortalized it all here. So I can never forget. Distance gives you amnesia.