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English
Series:
Part 1 of the past is the past
Stats:
Published:
2024-11-16
Completed:
2026-07-27
Words:
1,395
Chapters:
6/6
Comments:
11
Kudos:
43
Bookmarks:
6
Hits:
497

footnotes

Chapter 6: 16;3

Notes:

i should really stop saying “next chapter soon.” sorry!!!! this chapter took me so long to post, not because it wasn't written, but because of how emotionally charged this fic was/is for me. every time i tried to finish writing the end notes, i had to step back lol. but i am determined. thank you all for waiting ♡

thank you all for your comments and kind words. knowing the story resonated means so much. i hope this +1 does, too. <3

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

+1

 



To the city of Columbia of South Carolina District Attorney's Office, 

 

I have reviewed the provided documents of Andrew's case history, as well as family testimonials, and have taken them into consideration.

Based on my evaluation of Andrew's mental state, he experiences symptoms of both Major Depressive Disorder and Persistent Depressive Disorder. Though Andrew presents with antisocial tendencies, sociopathy is not the root cause of Andrew's extreme actions in this case. Rather, Andrew exhibits a lack of care for his own well-being, which may incite dangerous and risky behaviors.

Andrew has undergone severe stress within the foster care system, as well as the past 2 years, such as the death of his mother shortly after reuniting with her and his twin brother Aaron. I ascertain this trauma has increased his protectiveness over his new guardian, Nicholas E. Hemmick, which led to Andrew's disproportionate reaction when his cousin's life was threatened.

It is my professional recommendation that Andrew receive treatment for the imbalance caused by severe depression, which will enable him to feel a full range of emotions again. Medication and psychotherapy will provide Andrew methods to regulate his emotions and decision-making, and thus reduce self-destructive behaviors that may bring harm to others. An evaluation by a psychiatrist is recommended to determine which medication best fits Andrew's needs. 

Mandatory monthly check-ins with a psychologist and psychiatrist are recommended to ensure optimal recovery and compliance with the treatment plan from all parties. 

 

~ Regina D’Angelo, PsyD, LPC

Intake Program Director

Therapist

Heart of Columbia Community Health Counseling Center

 

 

Notes:

... happy ending, right? :')

clinical dx notes are so hard because there are only so many ways you can say 'please do this thing im begging you to do this thing' professionally. in an actual diagnostic report (in my field) it's much less personal than how this note is written, but this therapist was very careful when writing to the court, toeing the line between professional and trying to appeal to empathy and secure the best outcome for andrew 🥹 she tried her best with the knowledge she had... but, just like everything else... what difference did it make?

andrew's diagnosis based on these posts (1) (2) (and others i've read thru the years but can't recall) which theorize andrew's mystery medication was actually antidepressants, which can cause mania when you are bipolar. some posts they mention andrew was diagnosed as psychotic? which, i think the foxes just assumed andrew was psychotic and his diagnosis is never told to us 🧐 either way

dr. d'angelo (bc she can't prescribe anti-depressants it's outside of her scope of practice): send him to the psychiatrist. I GUESS...

psychiatrist (bc they dont clock andrew is bipolar and are going off the therapist's report): i'll give him anti-depressants. I GUESS.....

andrew (he is manic 24/7 due to well-meaning misdiagnosis but no one will care about his mental health until bee): just another day

Notes:

all ages guesstimated based on deadliestpieceontheboard's aftg timeline post!

i wrote the majority of this note in aug 2025. has it almost been a year already? edited recently but i left a lot untouched. here we go:

every time i try to write this ending note i cry. this story means a lot to me. this is why i love aftg and stories like it, because they make the impacts of abuse visible, unignorable, which creates space to talk about it.

question: if a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, did it really make a sound?

sound has four requirements to exist: a source, a force, a medium, and a receiver. just because we may not be in the forest to witness or hear the tree fall, does not mean others don't - birds, squirrels, foxes, bugs, etc. it leaves echoes throughout the forest that we will likely not perceive, but exist nonetheless.

but does it matter?

does it matter if someone tries to help, but nothing comes of it? does it matter if there is action, but the person never got to receive it?

i want to say yes. every attempt, every instance of documentation, no matter if it's ignored at the time or not, creates proof. paper trail. echoes. it makes it real to others. it legitimizes and validates that something wasn't right. the love was there even though it changed nothing. yknow? but if enough people act..

this story is shaped by helplessness.

when i first thought of footnotes, i was really struggling with the thought of "it doesn't matter what i do, nothing will change." because there's only so much therapy can do for you when your environment is shit lmfao. and there's where i got the idea to explore times when someone did speak up, in subtle ways, but didn't lead to any material change in andrew's life.

until this last chapter, where the court appointed psychologist reviews these files (among others), sees a pattern, and tries their best to advocate for andrew and set him up for a better situation. in this fic, the therapist genuinely intended to help andrew. however, due to medical neglect, more systemic failures, and lack of advocacy from his own family, this trapped andrew in another situation where he had no control.

none of these people made a material difference for andrew. nothing changed. he still was abused, he still got put on the medication that worsened his life and mental state for 2 years when it was (in this fic) genuinely intended to help.

and that was the point from the start. these chapters are just footnotes on his file, passed over, weren't given a second thought. sometimes when people try to help, nothing happens. sometimes, they make things worse

so, i wanted to write about that reality through andrew's past too. some people still had his best interests at heart, did the most they could in the roles they were in in his life (or they feel they did). even if it wasn't those who held the most power over him. even people with the best intentions are limited by the systems they work in. you can document as much as u are able, and at the end of the day, it's the parents/guardians who have all the legal and social power over children, and their hegemony perpetuates the conditions that allow abuse to occur. even with that, there's people out there who care. and i do believe that means something. but it's also not enough. and we live with it

i hope this fic gives you a space to feel; helpless, angry, or whatever else you need from it, safely, like it did for me. i hope it's comforting too, knowing you're not alone in this feeling. you are seen

it means a lot to me seeing the responses i've gotten on this fic, i'm very grateful and honored and thank you thank you thank you for reading. thank you for caring about the footnotes.

love, luni <3

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