The White Wolf's New Life

The White Wolf goes to Disney World pt. 1

Friday

Steve was starting to get to a point in his life where packing up for a trip was starting to get a little annoying. Not because he was packing a lot for just two people and a dog. It was just the thought of packing that irritated him. He was either going to over do it or under do it. And in Bucky's case, it was best to never under do it.

But before he could think about packing for the trip, he had to get Bucky to therapy. Steve made an appointment because Bucky's biting had become worse over the past few days. He has bitten his hands and his wrists to the point of deep bruises. Steve wasn't sure what was causing the problem but it was concerning.

Once they arrived at the therapy center, Bucky bit his wrist frequently and started head tossing again. Steve had to restrain him to stop him from biting too deeply.

"Bucky?" Dr. Simon called. Steve picked him up then followed him into the room. "I can already see the problem, the wrist biting."

"And he's head tossing." Steve set Bucky on the couch. Bucky bit his wrist and began head tossing.

"Nothing is able to distract him?"

"No. And I've tried his chewies and other sensory toys but nothing is working. This started a few days ago and he's biting so much, his skin can't heal."

"I can tell. And when did the head tossing first start?"

"He first did it when he had a dissociative episode. But that was the last time I saw that." Dr. Simon frowned a little while he observed Bucky doing the head tossing and biting his wrist.

"Correct me, but did you say you were going on a trip soon?"

"Yeah in two days."

"Anxiety. He's experiencing severe anxiety. Are you experiencing a bit of anxiety too, Mr. Rogers?"

"Yeah, a bit."

"You two are most likely feeding off of each other. You are nervous and he is nervous as well. His brain is probably magnifying the anxiety to make him bite and head toss." Now Steve felt a little guilty. "Have you tried breathing techniques for relaxation?" Steve nodded. "Do you think you can get him to follow your breathing?"

"I can give it a shot." Steve crouched in front of Bucky and grabbed his hands. Bucky's pupils were abnormally large and he was breathing way too hard. "Look at me." Bucky looked at him then attempted to bite. So Steve blew air in his face a few times, Bucky took a few slow breaths then looked at Steve. "That's better. You okay?"

Bucky nodded.

"So you're saying I'm the cause of his anxiety?"

"Not his initial anxiety. But this sudden biting and head tossing is something that is response to what he is feeling."

"What can I do?"

"I recommend, when you need to, distance yourself from him. When you feel overwhelmed, take a minute to yourself and breathe. Before your trip, take a few hours and take a few meditating breaths."

"Okay, thank you."

"You're welcome. How long has he been biting?"

"Since I got him."

"Did Dr. Nicole ever find the cause?"

"No."

"Tell me about the biting."

"He'll bite himself when he's bored or overly stressed. He'll bite me if I'm restraining him. He has bitten just about every member of my team out of impulse."