Never Again

Chapter 2

It was the next morning, and as usual, Cora found herself at work. The lights were already on when she made it to the front doors of the clinic; the secretary was usually there before her to unlock everything and set up for the day, being one of the more "early bird" employees like Cora.

Cora pushed open the front doors, yawning as she did so. She had barely slept all night, tossing, turning, and mulling over the decision that she had to make regarding Jax Teller. As a counselor, she wanted nothing more than to go and help his ex, Wendy, but the situation seemed void of practicality. Cora had no way of getting down to Charming, unless Jax was willing to buy her a bus ticket or come get her himself. Plus, there was the added bonus of her family waiting for her when she arrived. As much as she loved her family, she didn't have the energy to stomach any interaction with them, specifically with her twin. Cora was finally at a place in her career where she was happy; she didn't want to deal with her sister giving her hell over her success and guilt tripping her about staying in Tacoma.

Cora entered into the clinic's lobby, greeting the secretary as she passed by, making a beeline for her office. She had a meeting to get ready for; it wasn't for another hour, but she wanted some time to set up, put out snacks, organize chairs, and whatnot. She was a bit of a control freak; she liked having order, and her workplace often guaranteed that.

After dropping her lunch bag and purse in her office, Cora headed into the meeting room where the group session was to be held. She turned on the coffee pot and then rummaged around in a cabinet and found some cookies to put out on the snack table.

Once the food situation was figured out, Cora set out chairs, putting them in a circle. She wasn't sure how many people were going to show, but going off of last week's crowd, she figured there'd be about ten or so in attendance.

Then, she remembered the tall, blonde man from the previous day; he had called himself Kozik. He was going to be there, or so he said.

Cora didn't know what it was, but there was something about him that struck her. It wasn't often that she took a liking to people, especially upon first meeting, but there was something about him that she liked. He seemed good-natured and friendly but also held an air of mystery about him. She was intrigued, to say the least, and hoped that he would attend the meeting after all. She was eager to learn more about the circumstances which brought him to the clinic.

Cora arranged the chairs, shifting them back and forth until they seemed evenly apart. Then she got out the sign-in sheet. The meetings themselves didn't require sign-ups, because they were open to all, but they did require sign-ins, as a way of keeping record in case something bad were to happen later down the road.

She set out the sheet on a small table by the front door and glanced up at the clock. People would be arriving at any moment. She went and took a seat at her chair in the circle, waiting for the different attendees to show. After a few minutes, people began filing themselves in; most of the faces were familiar and waved at her as they entered, signing in, and taking their usual seats in the circle.

There was one face, however, that was unfamiliar to the group, but familiar to Cora: Kozik. He entered into the room, a look of uncertainty on his face until he locked eyes with Cora. She waved lightly at him and gestured to the sign-in sheet. He looked down at it, and then picked up the pen, signing his name.

He then made his way across the room. There were only a few available spots; conveniently, the seat next to Cora was still open. He walked through the center of the circle and sat down in the seat next to her.

She cast him a welcoming grin as he sat. "Glad you could make it." He turned his head to look at her, smiled, and nodded in response.

Glancing up at the clock, Cora saw that it was time to start. She asked the person on the other side of the room to close the door; then she began her usual speech and introduction. The room fell silent; everyone watched as she spoke and went through the protocol of the day.