Talking is good for the soul

Therapy one shot

IMPORTANT: I did some research on treatments when dealing with PTSD, but I am in no way an expert. If you have someone in your life suffering from mental illness or are struggling with it yourself, always consult a professional. Any reference in this story about specific treatments are purely for entertainment purposes.

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I walked into the guardian headquarters at Court. Some of the regular Guardians that were stationed here at desk jobs recognized me and gave me a small nod in greeting. Those that did not know me looked at me funny, and the others that were familiar with my brand of expertise made it clear they wanted nothing to do with me.

I sighed. My job would have been so much easier if they did. But I was used to it by now. The taboe of my profession was practically institutionalized in Guardian ranks. But that didn't deter Head Guardian Croft to occasionally elicit my services.

I had expected his call. The large raid and the subsequent rescue of the Dragomir Princess had reached me too. Such a large raid ment tensions were running high and I just hoped people would come to me for help.

I walked into Hans' office and took a seat opposite him at his desk. He was still buried in some paperwork. I knew he had noticed me coming in. He would be a poor Guardian if he hadn't but it was testimony to our long lasting relationship that he allowed me to enter and could finish what he was working on. I was a patient woman. I could wait.

After about three minutes he closed the file he was holding and acknowledged my arrival.

"Helen. Thank you for coming."

"Always Hans, you know that."

He smiled. I did always come running because I knew Hans wouldn't call me unless I was needed. Hans and I were long past proper titles. The things we have done together, the things we have seen together made it so we relinquished proper titles long ago.

Most of my clients were Moroi and although they deserved my services just as much, I always had a soft spot for Guardians. And cumulatively I had seen a lot of Guardians. Although almost never by their own accord. I was often a stop to reintegration if Hans deemed it necessary.

He went through his desk trying to locate something. The third file he picked up was apparently the one he wanted. It was pure luck I think. Although Hans was usually pretty organized, I believe the raid had caused a lot of paperwork.

He handed me the file. The file was a medium size. So not a new Guardian then. It was simple statistics. The longer you were a Guardian, the more time you had to accumulate your file. And I did love statistics.

I opened it and was immediately drawn to the picture in that file. Now I suspect most women would be. He was certainly handsome, but I was drawn to it, because I had seen it before.

"Guardian Dimitri Belikov. Didn't I look at this file last year? I believe his charge was killed while he was off duty."

Hans had asked me to reach out to him to see if he wanted to talk. He had declined like most Guardians did when they were given an option. I remember him because he was a blood master seven at the age of twenty three. You remember a guy like that.

"Keep reading." Hans instructed.

So I did. Assigned to Princess Vasilisa Dragomir. Oh that was right. He had been assigned to an Academy after he had retrieved the Princess. My brows furrowed in confusion as I remembered the file on the raid on that Academy a couple of months ago.

"Wasn't he listed as one of the casualties of the Academy breach?"

Hans grunted and I could see a look come across his face that I don't see often. He was tired. Something had made him extremely tired.