The Invisible World

Chapter 14: Only The Lonely

Through the magic of classified ads, Jack was actually able to find me a therapist who was available to fit me in the next day. Not that I want him patronizing me by getting me this therapy appointment I didn't need. Talking wasn't going to make me feel better. Action would, and he made it abundantly clear he wasn't going to take any.

Wait a minute. Why was I fighting this? He actually did something for me. I should at least be grateful. I wanted to be grateful, but I couldn't make the emotion happen inside me. My hatred for him was too strong, or maybe the void ripped out any ability to feel joy or love or any of that other mushy stuff.

But if that was true, then how did I realize that the trip into the pharmacy wasn't so bad? It had to be because Brian was there to reassure me. Jack never did anything of the sort. All he's done since we met is treat me like a criminal.

Either way, I drove myself to the therapist's office, as much as I didn't want to. I parked in front of the building and went inside. There were gray walls and house plants placed in the corners of the waiting room. Must have been some feng shui thing.

The bespectacled receptionist sat behind the desk. She looked up at me at the sound of the bell ringing above the door. "Hello, ma'am. Do you have an appointment?"

"Yes." I approached the desk. "My name is Cat Tatulli."

The receptionist looked in the planner in front of her. "I have a Katie Tatulli here. Is that you?"

I sighed. I told him not to call me that. "Yes."

"Then you're right on time. Please have a seat. Dr. Walker will see you soon."

I sat down in one of the brown chairs with the red cushions lining the walls. No one else was there. How long could it possibly take for this therapist to be ready for me?

It didn't take long for the receptionist to receive a phone call. When she got off, she said, "Ms. Tatulli, Dr. Walker's ready for you."

I stood up. This guy couldn't greet me himself? I walked through the door to the smaller room in the back. There was another one of those houseplants in the corner. In the middle of the room was a small table bordered by two brown leather chairs. In one of them sat a man who definitely wasn't old, but he was old enough to have gray hair. He wore a black suit and matching loafers. I looked down at the pen sitting on the table, then at the notebook in the man's hands.

The man looked up at me. "Ah, you must be Ms. Tatulli."

I looked at him. "Call me Cat."

"Sure, Cat." He held out his hand. "I'm Dr. John Walker." I shook his hand, but I felt this strange urge to yank my hand away. Touching people wasn't something I had become accustomed to since returning. He points at the empty seat. "Have a seat."

I frowned at the seat. "Where's the couch?" I asked. "Isn't that how these things are supposed to go?"

Dr. Walker shook his head. "No. I try not to do anything Freud did."

Weird. I sat down warily.

"Now, when you scheduled this appointment, you said you were recommended by a friend," Dr. Walker said.

Who id this guy think he was fooling? Friend? Try mortal enemy. I'm surprised he sent me here and not an insane asylum."

"Isn't that a little harsh?"

"I see what's going on here," I said. "Everyone says to love thy neighbor, and you think I'm some sort of freak because I hate one guy."

"My opinions about you don't matter. What's important is that you actually listened to him."