Veins and Wires // Peter Parker

Therapy and Thinking

"This is ridiculous."

"Why?"

"Why?!" I exclaimed in disbelief at the calm woman in front of me, Dr. Reese. "Because I don't have a brain!" I hissed in disbelief before wincing at another use of a contraction in my sentence.

"But you do feel emotions?"

"Well yes, obviously!"

"And pain?"

"Obviously," I gritted my teeth.

"Then having proper mental support and help is not 'ridiculous,'" She reasoned calmly making me sigh, leaning onto the cushioned sofa underneath me as I narrowed my eyes at her. "Do you know why you're here?"

"I know everything," I stated coldly, knowing full well Pepper insisted I visit fathers old therapist before...well...

"So you do know?"

"Yes," I hissed stiffly.

"What is your relation with Pepper Potts?"

"She's- she is my step-mom...or I guess adoptive mother. Depends how you decide to look at it."

"How do you look at it?"

"Mother, I guess."

"You guess?"

"My mother! She is my mother," I snapped back. She stared at me before writing something down in her notes. "Seriously?"

"You seem to be reluctant on using contractions in your sentences," she noted, ignoring my comment. "Why is that?"

"It- It is weird."

"Why?"

"Because it is new."

"New things are weird to you?"

"No. I just...am not used to it."

"But why are you so aggravated by it? It shows you've experienced emotion and physical growth."

"I'm not-!" I started but stopped when I glitched and exploded a nearby light bulb from a lamp. "I will pay for that," I said quickly.

"Don't worry about it," she replied calmly as she wrote another thing in her notes. "You seem to be experiencing your glitches again."

"Thanks. You're worst than my system," I glared at her as she raised her head curiously at me.

"Your system?"

"It is a system in my microprocessor that analyzes my body and tells me what is wrong or what is happening in or around me. Usually things that are completely obvious." She nods nonchalantly and writes something else in her notes.

"When was the last time you glitched before the war?"

"...A few weeks."

"And how much have you glitched since?"

"...A bit more," I answered stiffly making her glance at me for a second before nodding, not pushing it.

"Do you know why you've been glitching more?"

"No."

"I thought you said you knew everything?"

"I lie. It is a thing people do, you'v- you have heard of it?"

"Dodging the question isn't helping either of us, Hailey. Do you know why you've been glitching?"

"Don't you?" I answered with a question rather than an answer as it was obvious.