Redemption of a Soul

Chapter 6

Thoughts of yesterday still swirl through Claire's mind; how intoxicating Eli's smell was and how protectively he placed his arm around her. She literally sighs in content while she relives the forbidden moment shared between them, or at least what she thinks was a moment. Suddenly, she is startled from her daze by someone repeating her name. "Dr. Turner? Dr. Turner, are you alright?," the voice chimes in. Claire perks up in her chair and apologizes, "Oh, yes Kate i'm alright. I did not sleep well last night. I'm sorry." Claire finishes up with her current patient and then strolls to the break room to grab her lunch.
When she returns to her office she is not surprised to find Eli sitting behind her desk. This is not his appointment time yet, but he is so impatient he took it upon himself to intrude on Claire's break time. Eli is the first to speak when Claire enters the room and closes her office door behind her. "Hey Claire.," Eli says with a smirk. Claire rests her free hand on her hip and replies shortly, "It's Dr. Turner, Mr. Westen." Eli chuckles cockily and shakes his head side to side as if to disagree with what Claire just said. Then he says, "I still have thirty minutes before my actual appointment. Thanks anyway, Claire."
The fact that Claire has never seen Eli laugh at anything let's her forget his smart comment quickly. She even lets herself giggle along with him a little, because ironically he is right. The serene atmosphere won't last long though, and Claire is choosing to enjoy it for as long as possible. Claire currently sits in the patient chair and Eli still sits behind the desk as if they had switched roles. The thirty minute break flashes by, so Claire grabs her timer and sets it to an hour to begin the session.
"What would you like to talk about today, Mr. Westen?," Claire asks. Eli nonchalantly shrugs his shoulders in response, and Claire mentally rolls her eyes. Eli has never been an easy patient to tolerate, but if there is one thing Claire is phenomenal at it is being stoical. Almost forty minutes rolls past without a single word spoken between Claire or Eli. Obviously, there's not much to say.
Claire's parts her lips and begins, "Mr. Westen, There is something I need to discuss with you since we are not going to talk about anything else." Eli instantly bores his cobalt eyes into Claire's mahogany ones after she finishes her sentence. He then lifts his eyebrows and nods his head motioning for Claire to continue her thought. Claire takes a deep breath before continuing her thought, she adjusts her glasses. "Mr.Westen, I'm happy... I'm ecstatic even about your new found... activities. But deep down I feel that I'm not capable of helping you further your sobriety." Claire bites her bottom lip and diverts her eyes to the floor, not wanting to look him
Ten more minutes of deafening silence pass when a ding comes from the timer, Eli sits still as a statue dissecting the words that came from Claire's mouth. Claire rises from her chair and makes her way to the desk to grab an appointment card. Eli sighs as he lifts from his seat, he indulges himself in his thought. 'Why would she say that? Maybe she did it cause she has feelings for me? No... that creep from the diner the other night. He must have did or said something to her!' Eli scoffed as he thought about the situation, Claire would never say that she cares too much about people.
"Dr.Turner what is this really about? Is about that creep from the other night?" Eli laughed rubbing his hands against his jeans. Claire turned towards him and handed him the card "This is serious Mr.Westen. I can't help you anymore." The lament card felt heavy in his hand, his teeth began grinding against each other. He looked at Claire who was perched against her desk looking at the floor. "That's it." Eli jumped from his seat and rapidly paced in her office, running his hand through his hair. "Mr.Westen.... Please" Claire spoke in a small voice still looking at the gray carpet.
"What!?! Claire" he yelled facing her, she couldn't look at him "Huh? You give me this card and give me some doctor bullshit about not further my whatever. LOOK AT ME!!" Claire jumped at his words not looking at him "Mr.Westen as a doctor I think about what's best for my patient" Eli felt a knife pierce his chest, he actually thought she cared for him that she was his friend. "Oh. Right. You're not a doctor now our hour is done Claire. So tell me the truth, this a joke." Eli yelled kicking the coffee table over spilling drinks everywhere. "Eli that's out of line" Claire yelled finally looking at him, he walked to her quickly faces inches apart.
"Look me in the eye and tell me about trading doctors" Eli locked eyes with her. Claire gulped and sighed "Eli next Tuesday you will go your appointment with Dr.Santez. After today I will not contact you in anyway, because you are no longer my patient." Taken aback by her final statement Eli turns to leave, he lays his hand on the doorknob an turns his slightly his back still turned towards her "My parents never cared about me, they threw me away like trash. And the only person I thought cared about turned out to be just like them. Thanks for giving up on me. Bye Dr.Turner" Eli leaves out the door slamming it shut.
Claire places leans against her desk for support, both physical and moral. Tears start to sting her eyes slowly flowing down her cheeks to the carpet. "Bye Eli" she breathes heavily, slumping in her desk chair and continues working