Keeping Faith

Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Shrink

     Tony picked up David bowl of half-eaten soup and sighed, "Dave, you really should try to eat more of this...Jay and Anthony will skin me alive when they get back and see you've barely touched your food."

David shook his head, "It'll be our secret, Tony. Besides they went to get a candy bar...and didn't offer me one." Tony chuckled as he tossed out the soup, "David, if you can't eat your soup then why would they give you candy?"

David signed "They could have at least offered." Tony shook his head, "Would you like me to go down and get you one?"

"No...but you should picture this, Tony." David began, taking a big swallow of chocolate milk, the nurse had just graciously delivered.

He waved his hand in front of him as a symbolic gesture, "Time...ever so little of it we are given and suddenly —" He snapped his figures for added emphasis as he continued his rant, "Everything you thought to be true is shattered before your eyes—" "What are you talking about?" Tony queried, ever the captive and willing audience, "It's really the minor details that really paint the picture." Tony attempted to invoke a joke. It seemed appropriate at the time.

Annoyed, David shot him a disapproving look for interrupting his monologue and continued where he left off, "And you're forced to simply continue with your life as though nothing happened." He stated, the picture painted clearly enough in his own mind.

Tony sighed. He missed the David he had known since the academy. The carefree, humorous one. He knew he was still in there.

Jonathan and Anthony returned followed by Dr. MacGregor as she entered the room again for the fifth time that morning. This time she returned with another woman. David knew immediately she was a shrink.

She was conservative but still quite pretty. Her light brown hair was slicked back tightly into a little bun behind her head, her large, oversized glasses covered half of her face, a charcoal gray cardigan clung firmly to her arms while falling gracefully to the sides of her royal blue dress.

In her hand she held a small notebook and pen. Tucked carefully under her arm she had a small book. As she turned to enter the door the title of her book, written in gold letters, gave David quite a surprise.

The Holy Bible.

David thought to himself: Hmm...well that's kind of odd. I've never met a shrink that believed in God.

Tony stood immediately as they ladies entered the room. Dr. MacGregor smiled warmly at David and preceded to do the introductions, "David, this is Dr. Jenny Nickell. She is going to be instrumental in your recovery program."

Dr. Nickell extended her hand to David and he took hold of it with a shaky hand. His cheeks grew warm with embarrassment as he found though he was improving on his speech, he was growing unable to control the shakes anymore. She offered a soft smile in return, "David, uh — is it alright if I call you, David?" He nodded.

She smiled again, "Thank you. I'm not one for formalities so you can call me Jenny if you like. It's a beautiful day. Seems a shame to waste it sitting indoors." She stated as she gazed out his window.

David glanced at his friends then at the view she deemed beautiful. A smile slowly curved the corners of his lips upward, it was a lovely day. If he were home, he would be out soaking up the sunshine. Probably playing fetch with Max or cooking on the grill.

A chill swept through him. He turned his attention to the IV infusing his arm with cold fluids. He frowned and gestured to the devise that had become a familiar attachment to his arm, "I don't think I'll be able to do much with a l-leash."