Crazy Not Zany

Chapter 1: Tame

"I understand you recently went through a change of therapists. Is that correct?"

A man dressed in a white doctor coat sat at a small metal table, holding firmly onto his clipboard with one hand and a pen in the other. A single light poured down on the man, not allowing him to see his patient. But according to the security guards, this was a common procedure. The patient wouldn't comply with the therapist's visit otherwise. This was very peculiar for Dr. Anderson, but he was willing to go with it. Besides, the glass wall sitting between them was just as an inconvenience as the light. So he would make do.

As the patient remained silent, minor for the sound of shackles clicking against the floor. A restless leg perhaps? Anxiety showing perhaps?

"Is this correct?" he repeats.

There's silence. Dr. Anderson frowns. It's not uncommon for a patient to be nervous or unresponsive, but the silence left him uneasy. It was too quiet.

Finally, a snicker was heard.

Odd. He didn't understand what was funny. It followed a heartbeat of silence and a breath of air. The clicking of metal stopped. Dr. Anderson hears a chair creak forward.

"Yes." A high male voice says. "That's correct, Dr..."

Realizing the silence following that was an indication to fill in the blank, the doctor cleared his throat. "Anderson. Dr. Anderson."

"Anderson." The patient repeats, as if testing the words on his tongue. "Dr. Anderson. "

Again, the silence was deafening. Dr. Anderson decides words would make the air more comfortable. He puts on a smile. "Yes, that's me. I'll be your new therapist for the next few months-"

"Dr. Anderson." The patient says, sounding to have completed his testing of saying the name aloud. He's silent a moment more. "...do you have a first name?"

"Yes, but I prefer to be called Dr. Anderson." The doctor says. "I believe it would be more professional."

"Can I call ya John?"

"Dr. Anderson will be just fine." The doctor continues. "Tell me a little about yourself."

There's that silence again. The doctor stares into the darkness across from his table, which was cut off by the glass dividing him and his patient. He would feel more at ease if he could at least see his patient. But of course he's still following that odd procedure. His eyes travel over the glass, trying to see anything of his patient. Out of habit, the doctor squints his eyes.

His patient is staring right at him.

"May I add you have such lovely eyes?"

"Pardon?" The doctor says, but it is cut off by a startle of laughter coming from his patient. The doctor opens his mouth to speak, but the patient has not stopped laughing. It almost sounded maniac, the way his patient's laughter continued on and on. Now the doctor was begging for silence.

Still laughing, the patient spoke, putting a feminine tone in his voice. "Your eyes, darling! They sparkle like diamonds in the sun, but gosh I haven't seen that old flame in forever ya know." A girlish giggle follows.

A soft thud attracts the doctor's attention and his eyes catch a speck of blue. There was enough light to spot the remainder of the table that went into the patient's side of the glass. Two gloved hands lay on top of each other. The gloves were blue.

The doctor tries to put on a smile. "Well, thank you for the compliment."

"So John," The patient continues, "I understand you'll be joining me today. I suggest you ask how much a day's paycheck gets you."

Dr. Anderson's smile falters. "Excuse me?"

A light flips on from the patient's side. Adjusting his eyes to the light, the doctor dares to look at his patient.

Bright coal eyes stare at him. It takes the doctor another moment to realize a young toon in an orange jumpsuit sat directly across from him. An odd toon in fact. The doctor could not make out what sort of animal he was, maybe some mash of cat and dog straight out of a black and white film. But with rabbit-like ears. What popped out most on this toon was a few things. The cherry red nose sitting in the middle of his patient's face, a scar running down his left eye, and the chains.

The toon was heavily chained. A chain at his neck. Chains at his legs and arms. They all lead to a portion of the wall behind him. The patient lets the lamp switch go and folds his hands in front of him. The movement brought the doctor's eyes back to the toon. He noticed right away his desk was cluttered with crayons and paper airplanes. Every plane was colored on to look like an actual miniature model of its real life sized counterpart.

"Quite the craftsman, aren't we?" The doctor said, putting on a smile.

"I dabble." The patient says, never losing his smile. That menacing silence has returned, but this time the doctor finally had a face to go with it. His patient was only smiling, staring at him. It was quite off putting.

"So, let us begin shall we?" The doctor says, putting pen to paper and writing a few notes down. "How have-"

"You didn't hear me, did you?"

Dr. Anderson stops writing. He looks up at his patient. "I'm sorry?"

The toon leans forward, hands firmly on the table. "If you're only getting a day's worth of pay, I suggest you see how much you're getting out of it." He clicks his tongue at the end of his sentence.

The doctor pauses, taking in the smiling toon before him. He clicks his pen closed. "I don't understand."

The patient's smile broadens. "Well, John-"

"Dr. Anderson." The doctor clarifies.

The toon tilts his head. "...John."

"That's not even my name-"

"John, you see today will be your only visit." The patient says. "So I don't see any more reason to continue this conversation. You can be on your way."

The doctor felt stunned. Was his patient kicking him out?

The patient's eyelids lower, looking annoyed. Yet he's still grinning. "Are you deaf? You can leave."

"I don't believe you understand how exactly this works-"

"And I don't believe you understand my lips." The patient's voice had gone to a threatening tone. His smile never faltered. "Leave."

"You're required by the prison for these sessions." Dr. Anderson said, swallowing. He didn't like that tone. "I understand if you don't like these sessions, but young man, I suggest at least trying them out?"

The patient giggles, running a hand down his face, making his shackles clink. "My dear John, I forget you're new. You know the last therapist I had took me two weeks to get rid of."

"Sorry, did you say 'get rid of'?" A shiver runs down the doctor's back. This conversation was getting out of hand. His patient wasn't making it any easier.

The patient nods. He stops bobbing his head to squint at the doctor. "You know what, I'll make you a deal."

"Deal?"

"I'll try these sessions." He says, not sounding convinced. The doctor decides to smile. Progress is progress.

"I'm glad."

"Only if," The patient continues. "You promise to quit your job by the end of this session."

Dr. Anderson frowns. "Young man, that is quite ridiculous. Why would I quit?"

"Cause I asked?" The toon bats his eyes at the doctor, winking. "Believe me, better for the both of us, John."

"It's Dr. Anderson." The doctor says firmly. He clicks his pen and writes down on his clipboard. "And I will not be quitting."

"Then I'll be forced to do something I don't like."

The doctor slowly meets his patient's eyes. The toon's smile was gone. Sweat began to form at the front of the doctor's head. He swallows thickly.

"And believe me the paycheck isn't worth it."