falling for you [m.s.]

one hundred eighty

a few weeks earlier

"i am fine. i am happy to be here. truly, i have been through a lot, and lucky to be alive, and i'm lucky to be okay, and i get that. so, yes, i'm just happy to be here." gwen smiles looking at her therapist in front of her. she sat in a comfortable chair fiddling with her hands.

"you know, doctor, most surgeons, uh, get kind of rankled at hospital-mandated therapy." the therapist replies sitting on the other side of the desk.

"my husband's just looking out for me." gwen says just wanting to get out of here again. "i know the drill. so, this should be quick. you know, you chose the short straw, or the... is it the long straw? whatever the good straw is."

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"good morning." mark greets his wife earlier the morning as he walks into the bathroom where gwen was currently brushing her hair. "you look good."

gwen shyly smiles looking at her reflection. after what happened she decided to dye her hair a few tones darker. she really liked it but mark liked it even more.

"thank you." gwen nods putting the brush away turning around to lean against the sink. she watched mark with crossed arms as he took of his clothes to get in the shower.

"you don't have to just watch, you know." mark smirks holding himself up on the railing of the shower causing gwen to laugh.

"i know, but i can resist the urge better than you. and since i am not allowed to exert myself because of my doctors demand you will have to shower alone." gwen says to which mark let his head hung low.

"you're just mad because you have to go to therapy." mark corrects her.

"maybe." gwen shrugs letting the robe fall around her ankles. she wore red lingerie which she knew mark liked the most. "but whether or not, you will not get this."

mark clenched his jaw looking his wife up and down. there were some scars and bruises left but nothing harmful. it's been a few weeks since gwen got discharged and mark and bailey decided it would be the best for gwen to visit a therapist.

mark knew gwen had a lot on her mind. stuff she couldn't talk about with him. so he made her see an professional.

but this also caused gwen to be slightly irritated these last days. she couldn't go to work, so all she did was sitting at home, playing with the kids and visiting the therapist twice a week.

"i have to go. see my therapist." gwen says before leaving the room.

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"boom, i'll be in, i'll be out. these sessions shouldn't take all that long." gwen tells him.

"but before we start, doctor, i was assigned your case, and if you would prefer a female therapist, i would be totally comfortable with that." the therapist suggets to gwen.

"oh, because it was a man who attacked me?" gwen asks.

"yeah. and it's important that you feel that you're with the right person, that you feel comfortable, that you get what you need." the therapist says.

"i appreciate that. i'm fine. i just need a tape-and-glue guy." gwen smiles.

"tape and glue?" the therapist asks confused.

"yeah, just, you know, ask me a few questions and patch me up and send me on my way. i've been to therapy before." gwen explains. "i've dealt with the big stuff. this isn't the big stuff that we're dealing with."