BOOK 4 of the ORPHIC Series
DISENTHRALL
/ˌdisənˈTHrôl/
set free.
~~~~~
When Lucille 'Lucy' Opal Baker starts adjusting to a world without Captain America and more government therapy sessions...
T H E F A L C O N A N D T H E W I N T E R S O L D I E R
2
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"The memory of you."
Brooklyn, New York June, 2024
"ARE YOU STILL HAVING nightmares, Ms. Baker?"
Lucy crossed one leg over the other, looking at her through observant eyes. She tapped her finger against her hand in a one, two, one, two, three pattern. Her eyes darted towards the window, gazing at the broad expanse of New York. For an office that was rather boring, it had a beautiful view.
"Ms. Baker." Dr. Raynor repeated. "I asked you a question."
She supposed the therapist did do such a thing.
It was a dumb question to ask, and Lucy wondered when the woman would give up. She didn't think she needed to be here, especially with the history she had with Agent Hill. Maria had been amazing at her work, careful and deliberate with her words. She was good at taking care of her, and Lucy missed the agent.
"Ms. Baker," Dr. Raynor sighed, "you are usually more cooperative than this. Compliance is important if you want these sessions to succeed."
Lucy winced.
It was the words Dr. Raynor used that made it hard for Lucy to like her. It was so clinical, so impersonal, so military-like. And that all made sense, really, especially with her military background. But that type of structure—that type of language—sent Lucy into a place she did not like, a place she could not escape on her own. It made her heart thrum, her anxiety flow.
But Dr. Raynor didn't seem to care.
"I asked you to refrain from using such language, Dr. Raynor." Lucy reiterated for the tenth time. "You have my file. You should know this."
Dr. Raynor paused, gazing at her for a long time.
Lucy wondered if she finally understood what she wanted.
The therapist sighed.
"Changing the subject never works, Lucy." She said.
Lucy shifted in her seat.
She clasped her hands together. She started to tap them together, following the same pattern. There was agitation in her movements now, not yet annoyance but not calm. She was getting sick of being with the therapist when she didn't clearly respect the boundaries she had.
"That's not something I can do." Lucy started.
"We've gone over this before, Lucy." Dr. Raynor interrupted, grasping her notebook and pointedly smacking it onto her lap.
