Project X

First Meetings (Part 1)

"Time's up, sweetheart. Get out."

My door burst open on its hinges and slammed into the wall, swinging forward again a few inches from the force. It stopped just before it hit the intruder's shoulder as he stood in the doorway, and before I could react, he motioned irritably towards Wendy, my patient, who shrank back into the couch she was sitting on, giving me an unsure glance.

"C'mon, let's go. Out you get, kid."

"Woah, there," I protested, putting my pen and notebook down on the desk behind me. "Wendy, it's OK..."

I threw her a reassuring look, gesturing for her to stay seated as I stood up from my chair and frowned at the man. "If you have an appointment, you'll wait outside until it's your turn. You don't just barge in - "

"I'm not a patient, Saul." I blinked at the use of my first name, and he quirked an eyebrow, not elaborating. Wendy frowned at him, then looked back me uncertainly.

"Who's that?" she demanded, her arms coming up to hug herself. "What's going on?"

"What's going on is you need to leave," he snapped, his voice now tinged with impatience as he strode closer. She cowered, her eyes widening, and I quickly stepped over to her, crouching down so I was below eye level.

"Hey, hey, Wendy. Hey, look at me," I said gently. "Look at me, it's OK..."

Her gaze flickered towards mine, and I nodded encouragingly, keeping my voice low. "It's OK. You're fine, he's not going to hurt you, he's just a guy I need to see, OK?"

That was a lie. I, in fact, had no idea who this man was, but I had to say something to calm her down. Wendy had a crippling fear of strange men; it had taken months for her to open up to me, and as she'd slowly revealed the details of her home life, suffice it to say that it became pretty clear why.

"Saul!" I turned to see Rima, my secretary, rushing up behind the man, her usually calm face flustered and red. "I'm sorry, I tried to tell him you were - "

"Wendy's appointment was booked for twelve till one in the A.M," the man recited, sounding bored, but his eyes were trained sharply on mine. "It is currently one-o-six. You don't get paid for overtime, and I've got something I have to discuss with you." He turned to pierce Rima with a scathing look, and she turned away uncomfortably, her hands playing with the hem of her shirt. "Your idiot secretary here thought the letter we sent to you was some kind of prank, and threw it away before you could read it. Didn't you, Rima."

"I'm sorry," Rima whispered to me as a dark flush stained her cheeks. "I thought - I mean, it said that it was from the - "

"Anyway," the man cut in. "That brings me back to my first point." His eyes swivelled back to Wendy, who shifted a little in her seat. "Get. Out."

I scowled at him, still crouched before Wendy, feeling my fists clench. "Wait outside. I'll wrap things up and call you in when I'm ready."