Off-Limits

- 1 -

Megan

"Ms. Pete, your 2:00 is here. Should I send him in?" My assistant Charity said standing beside my desk.

"Yeah." I said not looking up as I continued writing down my notes from my last client who was on ward at the nearby hospital. "Oh and would you fax this over to Lennox Hospital?" I said giving her the notes. "Thanks."

I was a medical psychiatrist, I worked with all types of patients with all types of backgrounds. I used to work within the hospital environment but then I branched out on my own since there were certain rules I had to play by and not enough room to push for my patient's the way I can now.

I always wanted to do something like this, helping people was a dream of mine when I was little. I've seen up close what it does to a person suffering mentally and the effects on their families.

Only thing is sometimes the workload and hours are too much. But I loved it anyway.

Charity took the file before she showed my next client into my office. I stood from my desk as a guy walked in. I smoothed down my dress which had slid up my legs from sitting.

When my eyes finally landed on him I noticed he was around 6'2" , brown skin and tatted. If I said he wasn't sexy I'd be lying to myself, plus I had weakness for a man with tattoos. But he was my client and the only thing I should be focused on right now was helping him in whatever way I can. "Mr. Brewster, hi, I'm Ms. Pete." I reached out to shake his hand but he just ignored it not making eye contact with me.

"Hi." He just said nonchalantly, mostly looking like he didn't want to be here.

"Okay." I said awkwardly. "Um, have a seat please." I gestured over to the couch over by the window as he walked over to sit. I sat in the chair in front of him, feeling his eyes on me as I took a seat. His eyes were intense and had a lot of darkness within them.

"So Mr. Brewster, I see here that you were recently discharged from the military." I said looking over his file a bit impressed with his portfolio. He was out on honorable discharge after serving 4 years.

I looked up to him, his legs sprawled open, laid back and he just nodded completely disinterested. He was going to be one of those clients. "Look, I know everyone isn't always too keen about therapy but I promise you, it's a safe space for you to speak your mind. We can discuss anything you want to, it's all confidential. So whenever you're ready no pressure." I said crossing my legs and sitting back.

He just shrugged pulling on his beard looking a bit awkward and out of place. "Ion really know what you expect me to say. I told them I'm fine."

"That's understandable that you feel that way. They're just making sure that everything goes smoothly for your transition." I said trying to make him more comfortable.

"Here's what we could do..." I shifted in my seat a bit. "How about I ask you some questions and you answer what you're comfortable with." I paused waiting for an answer but he didn't respond, he just stared at me. "Okay... so, why make the decision to move here? I see you lived in New York before."

"I ain't really have no one back home, my mother died before I left then my father did since I been away."

"So there's family out here?" I said making a few notes.

"Just my aunt, couple friends too."

"Okay. So what is it like being back altogether? How's the adjustment?"

He sighed like something was weighing heavy on him. "Too soon to tell but I guess it's a lil strange. I ain't really sleep much since..." I looked up as he trailed off.