Depths of the Mind [MalexMale] (ON HOLD)

Prologue: A New Case

''A psychiatrist?''

I felt my mind drifting away, my boss's presence fading in front of my eyes and the next second I knew I was smirking. I remembered a distant memory, hidden at the back of my mind. At that time, I was seventeen..

''You want to become a psychiatrist.'' My best friend, Jason Reed repeated in disbelief. Even now I remember his facial expression of utter surprise, but close to a disapproving one. Still, I wasn't unfazed by this. I didn't have any logical reason be. I had made up my mind weeks before I decided to tell him.

''Yes.''

He didn't reply at first.

I waited patiently, hands folded on my chest.

''But you.. you..! Mike, first, you have no sense of patience!'' he snapped at last, throwing his hands in the air. I almost smiled at that, but I managed to keep my expression composed.

''And why would you say that? It isn't true.'' I scoffed.

''Ha, yeah.'' he mocked me, eyeing me from head to toe. ''And I can twerk upside down.'' He started laughing at me and I could feel my previous urge to smile fading immediately. My mood suddenly changed and I felt myself becoming angrier in a matter of seconds.  I didn't have a problem with him stating his opinions, but now he was laughing at my life goal.

''Don't even say twerk man,'' I said, but when he saw my expression, he started laughing even louder. ''And seriously, if I knew you'd be laughing at me, I would've never told you.'' I clenched my teeth.

My parents and even my friends had been pressuring me because I didn't decide yet about my career of choice. When I was seventeen years old, I had to be sure what you wanted or my parents would've decided for me. If I think about it now.. that was so idiotic of them.

He took a deep breath, but when he met my eyes I remembered the talk becoming serious in a short time as he apologized for laughing at me. I was thankful for the fact that he instantly knew when he crossed the line, because he knew me better than anyone, even better than my parents.

''You know, being a psychiatrist.. You'd have to deal with nutjobs everyday dude. Is this what you want for the rest of your life?'' I resisted the urge to tell him that calling someone a nutjob was insulting.

I answered him with a question. ''Don't you find it fascinating what exactly triggered their madness? What made them go mad? And what exactly happened in their brain in order for them to become like this?''

''Not exactly, no.'' he replied right away, looking at me like I was out in my mind. I only shrugged carelessly, making him sigh.

''But, I feel like you'd have to give those lunatics a part of yourself by talking to them, listening to them and I am not entirely sure you can take it back.. you know?''

I couldn't remember what I had replied back then, but I didn't even have time to think about the memory some more because my boss slammed her hands on her desk, making me flinch in my seat. My God she could legitimately scare me when she did that.

''Michael Hart are you listening to me?!'' She yelled, her features twisted in anger and I cursed myself for daydreaming in front of her.

She was the Dean of Medicine and hospital administrator, Lisa Parker. A fifty year old woman with.. quite a temper. There were two ways one could benefit of her kindness. The first was that she had to like you. One had to be very good at what you do or.. I don't really know really, because this is a rather complicated way. Or.. one had to be someone from the outside. She was lovely towards everyone who wasn't hospital staff. If you were hospital staff..