Rhodes Island's Psychologist

Ch 33: Doctor, Are You Available?

Lin Yie sets his pen aside and looks at Nightingale, who is looking out the window at the scenery outside. He sighs.

It is 11:23 and the first day of his work. In front of him stands his first patient, a patient that has consistently given him a headache. He is a psychologist, but he has to feed her medicine like a nanny, and his patient doesn't even listen to him. 

After a stalemate that lasted from 9 o'clock, she agreed, reluctantly, --- and only to eat half. Lin Yie really wants to cut her brain open and see what is inside that damn thing. 

(If you decided to take your medicine, why did you take only half?!)

Medical staff instructed him to give her three pills, but she only took one and a half and gave the other one and a half back to him, while acting like she made a great concession.

(For God's sake! This is for your own good, not mine! Why do I have to beg you to take it?!)

It makes Lin Yie feel really helpless. It is not the first time he faced something like this. When he was a vet, a lot of pets refused treatments as well, but they were animals, and communication was the main obstacle, so Lin Yie was always dispatched to solve that problem.

Lin Yie had two ways to deal with these pets, with or without force.

His pet affinity allowed him to either attract or scare animals, so a lot of the violent pets were afraid of him. There was one really sick stray cat his hospital sheltered, who refused to cooperate with its vet and even bit the staff. Lin Yie tried to calm it down, but he was bitten as well.

Because Lin Yie was not accepted by other doctors, he was in a bad mood. When he was bitten, he only got angrier, so he grabbed the stray cat and bit it back.

...Lin Yie isn't the most rational person you will meet...

After that, the cat became obedient and gentle. Lin Yie didn't even need to pet it, and it would try to please others on its own, like its personality made a 360-degree turn. 

After that, Lin Yie discovered his other talent.

For example, if some stray dogs barked at him, and he barked back, those dogs would stop barking. As time passed, the stray dogs and cats near the hospital became very afraid of him. And for some reason, he was accepted by other doctors.

Maybe they acknowledged his ability.

Of course, Lin Yie would always choose appeasing animals first, as long as they are not too aggressive. He would touch their bodies gently. After that, they would become obedient. And thanks to that, the tasks of feeding animals medicine, injection, and sterilization were all handed over to him. Even though his job was boring, he was good at it. 

However, when he arrived at Rhodes Island, he realized his past experiences no longer help him in this job.

Although his ability works on devils.

As he looks at the devil in front of him, he struggles between biting or touching her...

Wording!!!

(Um...)

He is a psychologist, but why does he think like a pervert?

Lin Yie is lost in his thoughts.

Nightingale is watching the scenery outside, at the birds flying in the sky and her eyes reveal a tinge of jealousy. 

She is a very quiet girl. If nobody initiates a conversation with her, she would just sit there for the entire day, but Lin Yie has to be around her for that to be true. Even she doesn't know why.

She feels that she was in a dream. In that dream, she was trapped inside a cage. Outside the cage, there were people who wanted to kill her. Inside the cage, there was endless darkness. She hugged her knees. She wanted to cry. But she had no tears. She wanted to scream. But she couldn't speak. Her body was paralyzed, by desperation and fear. 

However, these were changed when a hand came and tore the cage apart. It let the light pour inside, driving away the darkness and her fear.

(Was that a dream? )She doesn't know, because she no longer remembers the past. She only remembers the feeling.

And that feeling only resurfaces when she is around Lin Yie. If he is not around, the darkness and cage would come back to haunt her.

So, she fears everyone intuitively, except Lin Yie. He is the only one she doesn't dislike.

(Why?)

Nightingale doesn't understand.

"Liz, it's time for your medicine." Lin Yie speaks again, "You still have another half to finish."

Nightingale glances at him.

(...)

(How annoying. Stay away from me.)

...

Lin Yie can't read her thoughts. He is just trying to make her take the rest of the pills. After all, this is his first task. At the same time, he is also thinking about who his next "patient" will be. Orchid told him before that very few people came to her for help when she offered counseling. Will he face the same situation? Even if he manages to help Nightingale successfully, it is not possible to suddenly make everyone trust him.

Will he only have Nightingale as his patient?

Isn't that too boring? It is relaxing, but his importance in Rhodes Island will diminish significantly. That's not why he joined the game.

If everything goes smoothly, he will get a job offer when Amiya is back. He wants to be the operator trusted by operators and depended upon, not Nightingale's nanny.

It is still the first day of his job, but Lin Yie is already thinking about this important question, mostly because he is bored out of his wits, and some devil keeps ignoring him. 

(How difficult.) He sighs

(When will there be a cute, obedient, furry girl coming for me? It would be great if she comes right now, while using that beseeching look and asking "Doctor, are you available?". That will make my life so much more interesting.)

Lin Yie thinks. 

Then, the door suddenly opens.

A tall, well-built man with bull-like horns storms inside the room. When he sees Lin Yie, he speaks in a deep voice, "Doctor, are you available?"

Lin Yie stares at those chest muscles. Something in his heart breaks apart.

(Can I say I am not?)

If fate was a person... Lin Yie believe they like making his life horrible just for the fun of it.