Slow Changes (Whizzvin)

Part XXV. Family Pet/New Shrink

It's October of 1980. The elections are approaching. Whizzer adopts a cat, to Jason's request after the dog ran away. Marvin finally finds a new psychiatrist who isn't an asshole or who didn't marry his ex wife.

No trigger warnings! Also, the shrink is a man but I'm calling him Janet because if you've read my archive of our own fanfic, you know how much I love the name Janet. And if you haven't, https://archiveofourown.org/works/32173177/chapters/79718464

Marvin's Point of View: 1:59pm, July 14th, 1980.

"So, Marvin. Have you been having panic attacks recently? Do you think you're improving in your anxiety?" The man had black hair. His name was Dr. Janet Aaronovich. I would've gotten pissed if he was my old psychiatrist or something, but he was beautiful. Brown, styled hair. He had glasses and she was tall for a person. Taller than me, that is.

"I have. Weekly. They're seemingly getting worse, Mr. Aaronovich. I'm healing from a breakup. The one that was in my notes. My ex was... Special, but I'm over him. I shouldn't be talking about him right now! I should be talking about my anxiety. But really I've been more nervous than anxious. Nervous that I'll never get him back and I know I should tell my therapist this shit but this has done an impact on my mental health."

The doctor seemed confused. "Him? You're gay too?" The doctor was gay. Thank God. I didn't want to be told I couldn't be there because I was homosexual again. Sure, I'm homosexual but I'm also really awesome so I don't deserve to be kicked out of a therapy place (or-in last time's case-get pissed and leave).

Janet wrote a few things down. "I've examined your file and some talks with your therapist 2 weeks ago and I'm going to prescribe you with imipramine for melancholia due to relationship issues." And now I'm on more pills. Great. "Now, I have to make sure, did these issues start after the breakup? Who broke up with who? What was the breakup like?"

I started crying. I didn't make noises. I silently cried. "They started when we broke up. I broke up with him after... Constant fighting. We'd been together for 10 months. We were in love. At first it was just for sex, but I fell for him. When we broke up, I was so... Bitchy. I threw a suitcase at him and called him a horrible word and he left the house and moved in with my ex wife." God. I'm fucking crying.

"Melancholia from relationship issues and most likely abuse and arguments. Horrible breakup. God, Marvin." He wrote me a prescription for the medication with a really fucking long name. "Well, it looks like our time's up, Marvin. I'll see you next month, Mr. Fraser." I left the room. My local pharmacy was nextdoor, almost. I waved a bye at him through the window on the door.

Whizzer's Point of View: 3:07pm, July 14th, 1980.

Cats. Jason wanted a cat. Trina wanted a cat. Mendel was allergic to dogs so they had to send their dog outside. Permanently. I don't condone that and they should've gotten a cat. Black cats were adorable. Tabbys were basic, but adorable. Orange tabbys... Were beautiful. Calicos were splotchy. Style helps you pick out cats. You can match your cats with your wardrobe.

For Trina, orange and pink would make a creamsicle blend. For Mendel, orange and blue would create striking contrast. For Jason, dinosaur shirts look good with every cat. That's fashion advice. If you own a dinosaur shirt, get a cat. Cats just match with dinosaurs. It's a fact of life that we all must accept at some point in our lives. Because cats match dinosaurs and you can't misprove it.

I'm at the pet store. "This is Sky and if you don't get her soon, she'll go to the pound, Mr. Brown." Sky wasn't orange. "Is she the only one like that?" The lady sighed. "For now, yes." I sighed. She was a Siamese, but she didn't seem mean. She seemed relaxed. "She's spayed." I smiled at Sky. "I'm renaming her Phoebe and I'll take her. How much do you want for her?" She got Phoebe out of her kennel.

"She's free." A free pet? Holy shit. "Because she's a rescue and in danger of going to the pound, I've made her free. To increase interest in her. She's a lazy, sweet cat." Siamese cats apparently form strong emotional bonds with their owners. I read that somewhere. "Have a nice day! My son will absolutely love her." I walk off with her in my hand. I go to the store to get her treats and cat toys and too many cat treats. And a litterbox. Cat owning is hard.

Phoebe was asleep in the backseat. Marvin used to fall asleep drunk in that seat all the time. Phoebe Lee Brown. That was going to be her name. When I got home, I picked her up. She had no problem with it. She was very compliant. I knocked on the door and Jason ran to the door. I sat Phoebe down in the doorway and she walked to Trina. Trina was obviously her favorite.

"What's her name, Whizzer?" Jason asks. "It's Phoebe. She looks like a Phoebe so her name's Phoebe. She was a rescue." I smiled at Phoebe and she nuzzled Trina. "Sweet cat. I love her already!" Trina said in the sweetest voice I've ever heard her speak in. And that's a lot because she does the housewife thing where she speaks in a high, sweet voice all the time.

"Well she's a great addition to the family! Cats have been shown to decrease anxiety in multiple studies." Mendel chimes in. Mendel's never included in conversations. "Thanks for the input, Mend." Trina smiles at Mendel, trying to be nice to him when everyone's ignoring him. "Love you, honey." Mendel says to Trina and Trina smiles at him and nods. "Love you too." She goes back to the cat.

Jason takes polaroids of the cat to show his best friends. I guess Phoebe really brought us together.

A/N: 1039 words! Also, Phoebe was based on my childhood pet who died 5 years ago. Miss you, Phoebe. I think I'm becoming a shitty filler chapter author, but I think this is more to show that Marvin's depressed and Whizzer's happy even though Marvin broke it off. 4 chapters until 1981, guys. Then 10 chapters of pre-baseball game, baseball game, and an epilogue!