Part 16- Coping with Tragedy

Jake's POV

After the events in the alley, I decided to stay in Suma's world for a while, I didn't feel right leaving her alone after that. I was worried about her, and in truth, I didn't want to be alone either. I couldn't stay at Suma's house, she lived halfway up a mountain, but there was lodging in town that was useable. It was meant for familiars, but the staff was helpful and used magic to make it semi livable so I could stay in it for a few days. Suma was having a tough time with everything, she blamed herself for the noble's death; even though I was the one who did it. I was holding together, honestly I didn't know how to feel. I broke down a few times, but never in front of her. After a few days, and after getting word from the guards that the other two nobles that had been in the alley had been arrested and stripped of their noble ranks, I went home for a while.

I reappeared back in my apartment, my groceries still on my couch waiting to be put away. I just stood there for a moment, in the silence, waiting for something to happen, for some unknown pin to drop and signal some terrible event, but despite my feelings I knew that wasn't going to happen. I put my groceries away and sat on my couch. I had been through a lot, I was attacked, I killed a man, even if it was self-defense, and I had been interrogated by police. I'm not a genius, but even I know I was messed up; I needed someone to talk to about this. It couldn't be Suma, she is already dealing with enough; I decided to talk to a therapist.

Obviously, I can't tell her everything or I'll be institutionalized for insanity and delusions. However, if I keep this all bottled up inside I might actually go insane… assuming I'm not already… fantasy bird lands and all. I searched the internet for nearby therapists and psychiatrists that deal with this type of issue, then prayed that I wasn't put on a watch list for my searches. Finally, I found one, and luckily she had an opening for tomorrow. I called my office and took a few days off, then scheduled an appointment.

I didn't sleep much that night; I tossed and turned thinking about what happened. I did fall asleep but woke up every few hours. After about four attempts, I decided to stay awake. I looked over at the clock and it said 6:00 AM; my appointment was for 10:45 AM. Eventually, I left for the appointment, forty-five minutes early even though it was a fifteen-minute drive at most; I simply couldn't take waiting in my apartment any longer.

"Hello, and welcome to Maxwell Private Therapy, do you have an appointment?" The secretary asked as I walked through the double doors of the building.

"Yes, I have an appointment for Jake Vandel." I said. She turned to her computer and typed something in.

"Ah yes, 10:45 for Dr. Maxwell. You will like her, she is very popular. She is with another patient right now, but she will be done soon. Please take a seat." She said and motioned to a waiting area with seats and a table filled with magazines. I waited for a while, but was eventually called back to see Dr. Maxwell. I was escorted down the hall to a door with a plaque that had her name on it.

"Right inside," the secretary said and went back to her desk. I knocked on her door and hear her call me in.

"Hi, Dr. Maxwell? I'm Jake Vandel, your 10:45." I said and walked into the room. It was nice, blue walls, a couch with a few chairs, one of which she was sitting in, and a small cabinet in the corner of the room.

"Ah yes, Mr. Vander, please take a seat." She said. I sat on the couch but decided to stay sitting up rather than lay back like I always see in the movies. "So, Mr. Vander, have you ever been to therapy before?"

"Um no, this is my first time." I answered.

"So normally a first session starts with what's known as an Initial evaluation. So why don't we start off with a few questions so I can get a better Idea of who you are and why you're here?" She suggested.

"That sounds good." I agreed.

"So, Mr. Vander, why don't you tell me a bit about what brought you in today?" She asked.

I took a deep breath and gathered my thoughts, I had come up with a convincing lie before I came. I left most of the details unchanged, but I had to obviously leave out a few parts. "A couple of days ago, my friend Suma and I were attacked…"