Life After You - Evan Buckley [9-1-1]

Chapter One

Harper

Mike Smith sighed as he watched Harper Nolan walk through the doors of Mustard Seed Counseling Services that morning. Their office was all windows. Even from his upstairs office, he could see the sadness in Harper's eyes. His green eyes trailed over her fire red hair, sad blue eyes, and small frame. He brought his coffee cup up to his lips for a sip. She was wearing the same purple blouse she was wearing yesterday and black slacks. The sad part was Mike knew she did not even remember wearing it yesterday.

Mike watched as Harper made her way up the stairs and to her own office. She shut the door. However, he knew what she was doing behind that closed door. His therapist typically left their curtains open unless they had a patient in session. However, Harper always left hers closed these days. Even though she is not seeing a client.

Harper used to be the best trauma therapist Mike had on his team. She had such a way with empathy and connecting to her clients. She was also Appalachian, and clients loved her accent. It was unlike anything Mike had ever seen. However, that all changed a year ago. Mike remembered the night she called him.

"Mike," She had sobbed through the phone. He could hear the sadness in her voice.

His eyes looked at the digital clock on the nightstand behind his bed. It was 3 in the morning.

"Harper?" he had asked, sitting up in bed. His own wife was snoring beside him. He glanced at her. Her blonde hair was all over her pillow and chest rising up and down.

"It's Jack, something terrible has happened."

Mike had to close his eyes to keep from crying as Harper told him what happened. Her fiance, Jack Campbell, had been shot and killed. He was an investigator for the Seattle Police Department. He felt tears in his eyes reminiscing on this memory.

Mike had let this go on too long. He knew that. He knew it had been over six months since Harper had seen an actual patient. He knew the first six months after Jack died, all of Harper's clients had requested a new therapist. However, he kept hoping and praying she would get better. It had been a year, and she still had not.

He got the call that morning from his own boss. She had less sympathy for Harper. However, Joanna still cared for her. Neither Milke nor Joanna wanted to fire Harper. However, they both agreed she needed to be sidelined. Mike sighed, sitting his mug on his messy desk. Then he made his way to Harper's office.

Somehow Harper knew it was Mike when she heard the soft knock on her office door. She glanced up from her desk. Her blue eyes stared a hole through the wooden door. She wiped the tears from her eyes, locking her phone.

"Come in." She chocked out, smoothing her red hair.

Mike popped in through the door, a soft smile on his face. Mike was a dominating presence. He was well over six feet tall. However, there was always a softness to Mike that Harper always loved. The light reflected off his bald head as he took a seat in front of Harper's desk.

Harper knew what was coming. She was surprised it had taken so long. She knew Mike was about to fire her.

"Harper," Mike spoke her name.

Harper met his gaze. She could see the regret in his eyes.

"Just do it Mike." She said, feeling a single tear fall from her eye.

"Do what?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Fire me." Harper breathed.

"You think I came to fire you?"

Harper nodded, dropping her eyes to her empty desk. "I know you came to fire me."

"I am not firing you." Mike spoke in a reassuring voice.