Chapter 4 Chapter 4

Nicole:

At a point, I had to accept that the war was far from over. I could still feel the tug of war that happened in my head every time I passed a dimly lit street and how my chest tightened up whenever someone brushed too close to me.

So I was not following the instructions of my boss when I wound up that Saturday morning at the recommended therapist's hospital. I was actually going on my own free will.

My legs buckled slightly as I pushed open the door, half expecting to see those white-washed walls that all mental clinics seemed to have and the chairs that creaked when you sat on them at an odd angle.

But none of those things greeted me.

Instead, I was greeted by beautiful, brightly coloured terracotta walls; the waves crashed in contrast with the blue lining the inner parts of the hospital; and a few fresh flowers sat on the desks and around the clinic while I stood there, trying to take in this magnificent sight.

" Hello ma!" A voice greeted me, snapping me out of the awe I had placed myself in.

I stared at the source of the voice: a bubbly girl whose smile spread as she bowed slightly.

" Hi...I'm here to see Doctor Waskoniv."

She hummed, nodding her head and typing a few inputs into the computer.

" You must be Nicole? You missed your first appointment last week but that's okay. Doctor Waskoniv has been waiting for you."

Oh.

I have a stiff smile, following her hand towards the door she pointed to, with a fixed expression on my face that remained unmoving.

Maybe it was not too late to make a run for it. I did not like the feeling of being known by a psychiatrist's assistant more or less.

But even though my head was screaming bloody murder at me to run, my feet had begun moving towards the room, pulling the door open and leading me into another bigger space, fresher, more attuned to reality than anywhere I had ever stepped in before.

I instantly felt myself begin to relax, my shoulders relaxing.

" Nicole?"

I knew that voice...why did I know that voice?!

I whipped my head towards where the man had just come out of the bathroom, a pleasant surprise playing on his face before I mirrored his own expression.

" Tobias? What are you doing here? This is such a pleasant surprise" I said as a small smile played on my face.

Was he a patient here too?

He shook his head with another scoff leaving his lips as he led me to a chair.

" Please sit. I knew I was expecting a Miss Nicole today but never in my life did I think that it would be you"

I paled.

" Wait...you are Doctor Waskoniv?"

Please let the answer be no. Please God...

" Yes, I am. Your boss asked me to take very good care of you and honestly, this is the most pleasant surprise I have had in a long time"

The rest of my hope shattered.

Of course the universe would choose to play a cruel joke on me by making the one man who I knew from childhood to be the one to see my mad side.

" Well let me just start by saying, I'm not mad," I said simply.

I clasped my hands together, my eyes darting to the door and wondering just how plausible it would be to make up a whole new excuse and just dash out instead.

His eyebrows furrowed and he sighed.

" You know, I have had a lot of patients come in here and say the same thing. Whenever people hear therapy, they seem to think they are psychiatric. But they are two very different things.

I just want to help you heal from your trauma, and definitely not call you mad for having them"

It could have been because it was Tobias and my body was just more receptive to someone I knew, or maybe it could have been the fact that he had this soothing voice that tickled my brain, but somehow, I felt myself calming down.

I reclined into the seat, stifling my chest to prevent me from feeling more terrible about myself.

" So do I just start talking about my problems or..."

He shrugged.

" I feel like if you start that now, you will bear through this meeting and never show up again. So we won't be doing that..let me start by asking how you are first off"

He was right. I knew I would never show up here again, at least not after finding out who would be treating me.

" I'm fine. I have a case I'm dealing with, that is all. You?"

He shrugged.

" I am happy to know that a woman who ran out on me at a wedding a few days back is now sitting in front of me as a patient"

I scoffed, a small smile playing on my face.

" I did not run out on you. Something happened and I had to investigate it"

He raised his hands in mock defeat.

" Oh no I'm not blaming you, you are the boss with whatever you choose to do really."

I was about to think of another smart-ass reply when my phone beeped.

" You can take it. This first session is to make you comfortable enough to speak about your problems."

I nodded, grabbing my phone and going through what I just got sent.

I felt my blood go cold.

On my phone screen was me. In that kidnapped state, in that scary room that I had to spend twenty-one days in. I was sprawled on the floor, running mad out of my senses as the voice overhead laughed.

But that was not what caught my attention. It was the name that the person mentioned as he ended the video.

" Mr Alister?”