Day 3: March 21 PM

I bring some books in with me, thinking our son might not want to talk further. He's not interested in the books, but he does eat a sandwich. I let him know he has gotten so thin he could be hospitalized just for that. He says he had decided that historically, people did not need to eat or drink to survive. The doctor has arrived and is ready to conduct all the assessments for that day. Our son says I may attend with him. On our way to meet the doctor, we pass a nurse on her way to the day room to rouse the other snoozing assessees, saying "it's time to wake some people up!" The doctor starts with some simple questions, does our son know what day it is, does he know where he is. Our son answers, but puts his knee up to his chest and asks forcefully "Am I sleeping now?". The doctor continues to read down his checklist of question and our son doesn't answer but asks "Why did that lady say it was time to wake up? Am I sleeping?" When he asks again, the doctor asks why that is a concern. The doctor discusses starting a drug treatment regimen and our son consents. The doctor recommends in patient treatment for further observation and our son consents. At the front desk I ask what happens next and they let me know they will start looking for an in patient treatment, it can take as little as two hours if we have insurance. I give them my insurance card. We go back to a visiting room for more conversation. He asks me if I know that autism used to be called childhood schizophrenia. I didn't know that, and ask him why that's interesting or important and he does not reply. He asks it several more times over the course of the afternoon. His mother had told me he thought he was part of a zombie apocalypse so I ask him about it. He seems angry and says that's not what happened. Later a nurse comes in with an anti-anxiety med. She says his heart rate is too high. Our son asks me if I think he should take it. I'm thinking of his BMI at 16, worry about how healthy his heart muscle is, I say yes. He looks at it for a long time, takes it out of the little paper cup and holds it for a long time. Takes it. It's early evening, his mother is back to visit, so it's time for me to head home.