This is a spin-off of several works I have completed or are currently underway.
This series of short stories will follow a few of my characters through the rehabilitation process until they have their moment of clarity.
Some issues dealt with in thi...
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Preparing to see my family whilst being too bloated to fit into any of my clothing was a feat in itself.
Settling for my usual Vanderbilt Wrestling sweats and an oversized t-shirt from a Billy Idol concert taken from my dad's closet, I slipped on my Vans and headed downstairs to meet Dr. Rivera.
This would be my first time in her actual office, outside of the rehab house. She was waiting downstairs, keys in hand while she chatted with Ms. Wiley.
"Good morning, Joel," she said, with an easygoing smile. "Ready to go those electrodes off?"
Honestly, I hadn't thought twice about them since standing in her office three days prior. "Sure."
The ride to her office was less than ten minutes. Dr. Rivera surprisingly preferred the 90's hip-hop radio station, and she would periodically rap along with Snoop Dogg under her breath.
Once we were in her office, door closed behind us, she immediately switched into professional therapist mode.
"Your family therapy session is scheduled to take place in an hour," she said. "But before we get started on that front, I wanted us to sit down and chat."
"Fun."
"First let's get that heart monitor off of you."
Lifting up my shirt, I kept my gaze focused on the ceiling as she removed the electrodes from my chest. "I'm going to have this sent to a cardiologist for a reading. I'll follow up with you once we have some answers."
"Because you think something is wrong with my heart?"
She gestured for me to take a seat. "Let's chat about why."
My eyes flickered over the seating options in her office. A standard therapy couch, a bean bag chair, and an oversized egg chair.
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I'd definitely break that egg chair.
As I took a seat on the edge of the couch, she pulled her desk chair out from behind her IKEA desk, spinning it around the front as she took a seat. "I've been reviewing your medical records. I talked a little bit to your team back at your previous rehab facility, from two years ago, right?"
