Just Off The Key || Lizrei

Chapter 13: No Curing Without Listening

The therapist's waiting room was like being under the sea. Seriously. Like the Little Mermaid. There was a massive fish tank along one wall, which Liz's eyes were fixed on, filled with tropical fish and hermit crabs. The other walls were light blue and decorated with pictures of ocean waves and marine animals. Rei could definitely tell it was a family waiting room, with the stack of toys in the corner and the mother and infant who had been in the restroom for the last twenty minutes.

Maybe she should get somebody to check on them.

"Ms. Naoi, Ms. Kim, Dr. Hong's ready for you now." The receptionists said with a smile and a gesture towards the hallway that led to the office.

Rei stood up and watched Liz tear her eyes away from the fish. She smiled because Liz's lips were green from the Ring Pop she'd had on the way over.

Rei took Liz's hand, though it was freezing, and a little clammy and twitchy, and they entered the office together. Rei was smiling brightly with a subtle eye on Liz. Liz looked like she was walking the plank. With colorful lips.

"Hello Ms. Naoi! Ms. Kim!" The doctor greeted with a grin. His blue eyes sparkled as he gestured for them to take a seat.

Well, at least he didn't look like a creeper. And he wasn't, like, four times their age or anything. God, or younger than them. Plus, his waiting room was pretty damn awesome. So far, Rei approved.

"I'm Dr. Hong, but you can call me Joshua. Is it alright if I call you Rei and Liz?" he asked.

Rei nodded. "Of course! It's wonderful to meet you." She glanced at Liz to see if she'd respond.

Liz's eyes were darting over all the stuff on the doctor's desk. Normal stuff, like a Swingline stapler and a massive cup of paperclips, plus other things, like a smiley face stress ball and an octopus Beanie Baby. Liz didn't respond, just absently reached out to touch the octopus.

Rei smiled at her fondly. Joshua tilted his head and folded his hands on his desk.

"Alrighty, well I'm not the kind of guy who likes to beat around the bush here," Joshua started," so let's go ahead and begin by just getting to know each other. Okay? And why you felt professional help was necessary."

Rei was listening intently and thinking about what to say. She was glad Dr. Hong hadn't pulled a notebook out of nowhere and started writing things down. That's what her therapist did in high school and it gave her a temporary paranoidal complex. She would leave those sessions crazier than she'd entered them, under the impression she was being taped, recorded, and judged without her knowledge and consent.

Joshua just sat there expectantly. Rei figured she'd have to be the one to speak, which was totally fine because she was Naoi Rei, and Liz sat silently with her hands in her lap, eyes focused on the octopus.

Rei took a deep breath and tried to formulate something to say that wouldn't send her off on a rambling tangent. It was difficult.

"Well...I-Liz and I felt that we needed somebody to talk to. A professional, because..."

God, how could she say anything without making Liz sound crazy?

Joshua just watched patiently.

"Liz's past is sort of..."

Mysterious? Locked in a vault that opens up when it's fed candy and Twinkies?

"Bumpy." Rei went with. She glanced at Liz as she spoke.

"And she's not really comfortable, or, um, entirely...functional with people." Jesus, this sounded terrible. Rei trailed off, frowning a little as she replayed her vague, understated statement in her head.