"Your next patient is ready to see you now."
I leaned back in my plush green chair and took a long sip of coffee. I mentally ran through my schedule. "I don't have a two o'clock appointment on Thursdays." This is usually when I take a walk to go see the ducks down the road.
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8f8hixMKct
"You do now," the secretary said, dropping a heavy pile of paperwork on my desk.
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE8v61h0cr0
I picked up one of the documents and scanned it. These documents are the opposite of official. They looked as if they'd been forged by a toddler. It's probably illegal for me to see a patient with obviously fake papers, but my curiosity always gets the best of me. "Send them in."
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKwJ92F5AXG
...
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGGQb4eFc4f
A bedraggled-looking woman with long, frizzy gray hair and an eye patch covering her left eye stepped into my office. Not a toddler, as previously suspected. She looked to be somewhere in her late fifties. She had deep scars crawling up her arms and chest, covered by tattoos. She wore a tight black tank top and dark leather pants. She looked like a badass grandma. She slumped down in the chair adjacent to mine and crossed her legs. "Hey kid, how's it going?"
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJnn431RhXl
I cleared my throat. "I'm doing well."
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1jiWSzqU6a
"Liar," She muttered under her breath.
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqjBRRp2TH
"Excuse me?"
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOjr4GCS15M
"Why don't you tell me how you're really feeling?"
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUohmCPTUrN
I folded my arms across my chest. "Because I'm the therapist, and you're the patient. It's my job to talk about your problems, not mine."
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTivnKc0jxK
"Do you ever get tired of bottling everything up all the time?"
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzoXaNXl2SL
I ignored that question. "There's something in your hair."
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIDyIlomd5b
She laughed and pulled out a feather and laughed. "Would you look at that?" She twirled the feather between her thumb and index finger. "I just got back from visiting the ducks. Did you know the ducklings hatched this morning?"
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRfPl6ucNcK
I shook my head. I didn't know that. I haven't gotten a chance to see them yet today.
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Fj25dEhUc
She let out a wistful sigh. "Angry Steve is finally a father. It's really a beautiful thing."
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu0mZIk7MF1
I dropped my pen. "Come again?" I'd never told
anyone about the name I'd given the fat green mallard that constantly stole my lunch.
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdLXQIin4Uj
She ignored my question and kept talking. "I brought him a garden salad with extra peas to celebrate. That's his favorite food, you know?"
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡijT6CUwbNd
I did know, but no one else did. "What did you say your name was?"
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3EDWtw3ZC9
She smirked. "I didn't."
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjnK0TiHbR4
I frowned and flipped through her file. I skimmed the name at the top of the page. Raven Darkblade.
I rolled my eyes so hard; I think I saw my brain. Yeah, right! That's the fakest name I've ever heard. I'd know. That's the fake name I used online as an edgy teen. "Who the hell are you?"
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNrW9barOe4
I think you already know.
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1yVO9IL7AF
I shook my head. "This isn't possible. I don't believe it."
She swiped my coffee mug off the table and slurped up the last of my latte. "Believe it, sister."
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWp05w87Ob6
"How did you get here?"
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDqWUucjq4X
"Time machine," she said without any elaboration.
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbzw0j4vYWF
"What the hell happened to us?" I said, gesturing towards her disheveled appearance.
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmOV5Xiklpo
"What can I say? The cyborg apocalypse really did a number on me, but it's not all bad, though."
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvUl21b7cjZ
I raised a skeptical eyebrow. "It's not? One would assume the literal end of the world would be the definition of terrible."
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb44kc0hTRf
She shrugged. "I'm less lonely now. I made a lot of friends while I was hiding for my life."
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJHp5w1GE4x
I scoffed. "I'm not lonely. I love being alone."
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCePHko2g90
She shot me an incredulous look. "You know you can't lie to me, right?"
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRtUceQyuK7
"It's not a lie. People are the worst, and they suck. I'm better off without them."
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcd34HfMZrA
"It feels like that sometimes, but I promise, not all people are bad."
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1u6X0T6Vi3
I slammed down my notebook and pencil on the coffee table. "Why are you here? What do you want from me!"
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcayuBm1xA1
"I'm here to let you know, no matter how bad the world gets, you're going to be okay."
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHY31v2noc6
I refused to meet her gaze. "I don't believe you. I'm not okay, and I never will be!"
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8cORDpsrea
"I promise you; you won't always hurt this much." She reached out to comfort me, but I jerked away.
"Shut up! I don't want to hear it! Just go away!"
"Stay strong, kid," she whispered. "You're gonna make it."
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdbrQGRr24w
I squeezed my eyes shut to combat the oncoming flood of tears. When I opened them, she was gone.
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡImV3vJXgRl
....
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYoqxZTGqI3
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwG3NpgatoC
I stepped outside my office. I closed my eyes and let out a long, deep sigh, trying to process what had just happened. I trudged past the secretary's desk as I walked towards the exit. I needed fresh air.
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡigy7VFKZs0
The secretary smiled and waved at me. "Hello, doctor. Are you going to see the ducks?"
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWMHONqd6zS
"Yeah." My hand froze as I reached for the door handle. "Do you want to come with me?"
228Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaIYKLNE404
The End.
ns216.73.216.192da2
