Dr. Cashby [✔]

Chapter Nine: Quid Pro Quid

POV from Austin

I wasn't that excited about going in to work today. Alan would be there, smirking like the asshole he was, laughing and joking about the kiss, distracting me from the real problem. I have to figure out if he was abused or not in the past. I could lie to Tino and tell him that Alan did actually tell me, but then I would have to explain it more and then…I don't know. It would just get super shitty from there on. 

I swallowed hard and felt my palms grown sweaty. It was about time for Alan's appointment. Since Jaron was…gone…I had a break in between Josh's and Alan's sessions, so I could be more prepared for each one. Josh was doing fine now that Alan was feeling more upbeat and perky, while I was feeling the exact opposite. I frowned and buried my head in my hands. Shit. This isn't what I signed up for. I have to go talk to Alex. But there isn't enough time! 

I growled deep in my throat and was about the throw something across the room when the door opened. In flounced Alan Ashby, a stupid grin on his face. 

"Oh, hello!" He said happily, plopping on the chair in front of me. "How was your night?" 

"Oh, so now you're just going to pretend that nothing happened?" I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest. "You can't just do that! Going around kissing people-" 

"I kissed you, not anyone else." Alan smirked. "And anyway, Hayley kissed me." 

"Hayley is a patient in here because of personal reasons, and because of that, she reacts in different ways, like kissing people as a defense mechanism." I snapped. "You on the other hand, you do not have a personality like that, and I think you know exactly what you're doing." 

Alan pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes at me. "It's not a big deal. Everyone's fucking in this hospital." Alan said this so casually that it caused me to flinch back from him. He snickered. "Oh come on! Jack and Dr. Gaskarth, it's obvious. You can hear them fucking screaming in the halls. Kellin and Vic, they kiss in the halls. Gerard and Frank, they make out in the halls. And I'm sure that Dr. McDougall has a thing for Aaron-" 

"You couldn't be more wrong." I lied, feeling my cheeks heat up. Alan leaned back, smirking, knowing that he was right. "You're wrong. Everyone here is respectable to each other, knowing that there are people with actual problems here who don't need sexual relationships-" 

"Oh, like that stupid guy in my room who likes to talk about getting head from Josh?" Alan snapped his fingers. "Oli?" 

"Oliver?" I breathed, my eyes widening. Nothing really made me think of Oli ever getting a blow job from Josh. I didn't even think Josh knew what a blow job meant-"No, he wouldn't do something like that." 

Alan chuckled. "Yeah, you're right. I just wanted to see how gullible you were." 

"Shut up." I snapped. "Anyway, this isn't about me! This is about you." 

"So, did you like the kiss?" Alan asked focusing on his nails. 

"Why did you get the tattoos that you have?" I replied. Alan's eyes lit up. 

"Do you like them?" 

I narrowed my eyes. "Stop it, and answer the question." 

"How about some quid pro quid?" Alan offered, causing me to sit back with confusion. "Ya know, something for something. I ask you something, you answer, you ask me something, I answer. Got it?" 

I felt a little annoyed that he was trying to run this session, but whatever got an answer out of him. I sighed and nodded. "Yeah, sure, whatever. But you have to answer them honestly."