"I Will Always" » Zarry* ⚠ ✅

🃏 Barrel

Doctor Hammons sits with his legs crossed and hands clasped together. He eyes the painfully thin man across from him as he sits with his hands tucked in between his thighs. It's quite a surprise to see him in front of him today.

"Zayn, it's been a while since you've seen me."

"I know. Four years." He says softly.

Doctor Hammons nods. "Yes. I was surprised when I got your call and I'm glad I was available to see you on short notice. Are things okay?"

Zayn sighs and looks down in his lap. He looks much more than sad. He looks anguished.

"I called a Psychiatrist I haven't seen in four years out of the blue. Would you assume anyone who does that is okay?"

He hums. "That's fair. So would you like to talk about it then?"

He looks as if he wants to answer right away. But instead he just starts to silently cry to himself.

"There's tissue to your left."

Zayn reaches over and snatches one of the tissues from the box. Then he wipes his eyes and his nose. He's still crying but as soon as his tears clear up enough to speak, he does.

"My husband, Harry, is the one who did it."

"Did what?"

"He... He tried to kill me."

The doctor is concerned, but stoic.

"Recently?"

"No. Four years ago. When I came to see you after I was stabbed. It was him. He did it. And I've always known."

The doctor still isn't surprised. Although he never knew for sure, he had always suspected it was Harry who stabbed him that night in the parking lot. It was one of the reasons he was so concerned for Zayn when Zayn suddenly told him he wouldn't be seeing him anymore. The problem was he never knew for sure because Zayn never did tell him. Which meant he couldn't do anything about it either.

"Did you report him to the police?"

"No." Zayn says and he looks highly offended that he would even suggest such a thing to him. "I would never do that to him."

"I see. But do you think maybe you could help me understand why is it that you felt it was important to come here today and finally tell me?"

Zayn frowns and right away he starts to cry again.

"It's so hard, Doctor Hammons."

"Having to live with that secret?"

"No. Living without having to keep it."

Now he is very intrigued. Why wouldn't it be harder to live with being the only person to know his own husband tried to kill him more than sharing that scary burden with someone else? It seems kind of backwards.

"Will you explain what you mean?"

Zayn grabs more tissue from the box and this time he blows his nose with it.

"There's just so much to say. So much that makes me angry and sad. I could have done more. I could have been a better husband. I should have been better for Harry."

Doctor Hammons untwines his legs and puts both feet flat on the floor as he leans forward a little.

"It isn't your fault that your husband tried to kill you, Zayn. No matter what, murder is not the way out of a marriage or relationship. What he did to you was wrong. He was wrong."

"Don't talk about him like that, Doctor Hammons. Don't!" He says firmly and angrily. "Don't... Because you don't understand. You don't understand Harry's love for me. Nobody does. Nobody did."

He sits back again.

"Okay. You are right about that. After all, it's been four years since I last saw you. I don't have all the facts of your relationship. Only you and Harry do. So maybe we can use this entire hour to catch up. Why don't you tell me about the relationship you and Harry have and what brought you here today."

"It's a long story. I'd do better writing a book."

"Then let me be your pages. Convey your thoughts to me. Because whatever it is that compelled you to be here, it seems that it's been consuming you lately to the point that you've searched out someone to talk to."

"Well..."

"You can trust me. And I will do my best to help you. I promise."

Zayn faces the familiar one-way mirror that looks out to an indoor garden and manufactured waterfall. It has always been a beautiful scenery to him but today is the last day he will ever see it. No matter how much Doctor Hammons wants to help him, he won't be returning here ever again. So why not tell him everything that has been on his mind?

And so he begins...

*****

This story is my own. So please be kind and not steal anything from it. :)