Defect

Peggy

Doctor Tipton calmly sipped her hot tea. She studied Evan as he sat on the couch, shaking his leg and tapping his fingers. She'd given him two large bottles of water, one of which was almost finished. She smiled, and he gave her a shy smile back. He still felt guilty about their last session. But, Doctor Tipton didn't hold grudges. She knew it wasn't his fault. She decided to break the silence and give them both some relief.

"You mentioned you had some good news." He nodded. "Let's hear it." She smiled again, trying to assure him there were no hard feelings.

"I got a job." He smiled the first genuine smile she'd seen since he started his sessions.

"That's great, Evan. Where?"

"D. Mack's Used Cars."

"You mean, 'Where the prices are so low, you'll think we're insane'." She said it in a mock-announcer's voice.

"Yeah. I figured it was appropriate." They shared a laugh, and Evan looked down at his hands.

"Are you still avoiding the dating scene?"

"I'm not avoiding it. I'm just waiting for you to confess your undying love to me." He quipped with a smirk. Dr. Tipton rolled her eyes.

"This again, Evan?"

"I like messing with you." He was smiling now, watching her squirm in her seat.

"Yes, I've noticed." She smiled, too, despite her best efforts. The man had charming down pat.

"To answer your question," his smile quickly fading, "No. I'm not dating anyone."

"You've got to try and get back out there. You can't hide from people forever."

"I have tried!" He realized his voice was sharper than he meant it to be, and he recomposed himself. "I'm not trying to avoid people. Jane won't talk to me, and I'm tired of one night stands." He looked away from her in shame. She took pity on him.

"Why don't we shift gears. How's the medication working for you?"

"It's working great, but the side effects are really hard to deal with."

"What side effects are you having?" She started to write on her legal pad.

"I've got unbelievable cotton mouth, and I keep getting headaches."

"Sometimes it takes a few weeks for your body to adjust to a new drug. They should start to diminish soon.

"That's easy for you to say." He rubbed his temples, and squeezed his eyes shut momentarily.

"Look, Evan, I know it's difficult, but it's keeping your psychosis at bay. That's what you have to keep your focus on."

"I know." He conceded. "I'm trying my best."

"That's all I'm asking"

Evan walked into the dealership determined to have a good day. He already felt the beginnings of a headache, but he took a couple ibuprofen before he left to try and head it off. He entered his cubicle, and dropped his stuff in his chair. A lanky, young salesman appeared at the entrance.

"Hey, Mr. Woods wants to see you in his office." Evan look up, and smiled briefly.

"Okay. Thank you." As the messenger departed, Evan groaned inwardly. 'What could this possibly be about?' He started rethinking every conversation he'd had for the last several weeks. As far as he could remember, he hadn't punched or choked anyone. He'd been the perfect example of customer service, even with the problem customers. He approached Mr. Woods' office door with dread. Evan raised his hand, but hesitated a moment. Then, he knocked.