Customer Satisfaction [COMPLETE]

Trusting Enemies

"Twice in a row. Twice!" Kate emphasized, leaning over the desk to look in the therapist's eyes, before continuing to pace, ignoring the seat he had offered her, "I barely get a night or two of rest in a week, and that too punctuated with nightmares and misery. And for the past two days, I've been sleeping like a baby! I've had nightmares, but apparently I don't remember them! It's a travesty, Mr. James. A travesty!"

She heaved down into the chair, staring at him. He slowly took off his glasses, wiping them clean. Kate suspected he did it just to give himself more time to ponder her words--his glasses were always spotless.

"I admit I find myself confused." he donned them again, "This is the first time I've had a patient complain for sleeping too well."

"You don't understand!" Kate leaned forward, opening her mouth to explain, but he beat her to it.

"Oh, I understand, Miss O'Hare." he looked down at his notes, shuffling them smartly, "The first of the ten times you explained today was quite enough. Let's see...you've suffered from these debilitating nightmares since your adoption. There are periods of remission followed by resurgence when you're feeling particularly stressed, for example during mundane events like exams or particular holidays, to, ah, your mother's final days. You have had a similarly distressed sleeping pattern for which you have been prescribed medications for in the past by your previous doctor."

"They worked." Kate nodded, "But I couldn't keep taking them. They made me feel woozy the next day."

Mr. James nodded, "I would prefer a long term solution to your problem, without the use of medications as well." he looked down at the notes.

"My previous therapist proposed I keep someone with me when I sleep, someone I trust." Kate said hesitantly, "He believed it might help me hand over control to the other person...to feel safe."

"It does make sense." Mr. James agreed.

"I let Doreen stay with me a few times." Kate admitted, "I didn't want to. I don't think I trust anyone enough to see me like that, really, but she insisted. It went find the first few days...but then one day I woke up to find out that I had given her a black eye." Kate took a shuddering breath, "I could never dare to fall asleep around anyone after that."

"Is it the fear of hurting them, or the fear that they would see you in that state?"

She considered that. "Both."

"Did you experience nightmares when you slept with your mother?"

"A few times." she remembered.

"And what about Mr. Marshal?"

She flushed, embarrassed. Mr. James waited patiently.

"Not that I remember." she muttered, "But he says I did."

A few moments passed. "I see."

Kate perked up, "What do you see? I hope you don't read what isn't there into the situation!"

"Alright. Then let's backtrack and you tell me if I'm misinterpreting. You said you never fall asleep around people after the incident with your mother. Would I be correct to assume that at this point you can't sleep around other people?"

Kate sat back, "Correct." she said carefully.

"However, you fell asleep with your childhood friend, not once, but twice in a row?"

She straightened. "First of fall, I fell asleep around, not with."

He nodded, "Fair enough."

"And he might be my childhood friend, but he's a stranger now."

Mr. James just watched her, making her feel instantly stupid.

"Does he evoke any emotions in you when you're around him?" he finally asked.

"Yes. But negative ones, mostly." she said defensively.

"And do strangers do the same?" he watched her mutinous face, nodding in confirmation, "Then he isn't a stranger, Miss O'Hare. Classify him as an old friend, acquaintance or enemy all you want, but don't lie to yourself."

She took a deep breath, then sighed in defeat. "Alright. Acquaintance it is."

"You felt comfortable enough, around this acquaintance, to fall asleep twice? And quite restful sleep, I take it?"

She nodded grimly. "That is correct."

"Well."

"Well what?" she frowned.

"The only conclusion I can draw is, no matter how much you despise the idea of it, you trust this man."

"Trust him?" she gaped at him, "Trust him?" She jumped up, overcome with the injustice, "I could never sleep around John--my father! And Mark, or Jess. Do you know how many time's Jess has begged for a girl's night where we could paint each others toenails and wax each other and what not? But I can't do it. And you're saying I trust this man over my lifelong friends? This man who has, in all effects and purposes, been part of the worst betrayal of my life? My worst memories! He's part of most of my nightmares, Mr. James. I want to hate his guts out--I don't want anything to do with him--so that he can never hurt me again! And you're saying I trust him?"

Mr. James opened his arms as if it was self explanatory. "You tell me."

She breathed harshly staring at him, incensed, and then let out a harsh snort, covering her eyes, laughing helplessly. "Stupid, stupid Kate." she said through her laughter. She rubbed her chest with a fist, "Stupid little Kate inside me with her stupid little crush on him, thinking he hung the moon."

"Your childhood is still a part of you, Kate." Mr. James said quietly, "Outgrowing and overcoming is not leaving it behind."

"I don't want it! I don't want her." she said fiercely.

He sat back, watching her, his gaze filled with curiosity, "I thought you had made a fine progress. I see we still have a long way to go."

She sat in front of him, shaking her head, "I have come far. And I'm ready to go further. Tell me what we are going to do. Do you suggest I take medications again? I would prefer not to, but I don't think I can sleep in my room with how things are nowadays, and Luke is going to find me outside-- and what if I fall asleep around him again?" she asked in horror.

"Would that be so bad?"

She stared at him, "Of course it would be bad! Haven't you been listening?"

Mr. James looked down at his notes, "You trust this man. If he's willing to help you..."

Her mouth dropped open, "Are you suggesting I start sleeping with this stranger--oh, okay, acquaintance--just because I trust him, supposedly?"

He glanced at his watch--her time was running out--and patiently closed her file,  saying with calm finality. "My aim is to give you options, Miss O'Hare. What you do with them is entirely up to you."