Session 1: Dr. Davis

[2012_approaches]

It's a private office in one of the nicest buildings in Georgetown. Everything is understated, quiet, and confidentiality is clearly key. The secretary takes only last names and the waiting room is designed for one person only. There is a water fountain in the corner but no other typical "therapy" gimmicks. The singular waiting chair is comfortable

Comments

[on_jennys_terms]

Jen is on time, like always. She takes a seat in the solitary chair and stares at the wall across from her. She doesn't want to be there and she just wants this to be done with for the week. It's a waste of her time. But what would she really be doing instead? Laying around in bed or on the couch? Time well spent.

[2012_approaches]

The door opens and a woman about Jenny's age steps out. "Come on in, Jenny," is all she says. No "Ms. Shepard." No "Director."

[on_jennys_terms]

She picks up her bag and enters the doctor's office, lingering just inside; she waits for the invitation to sit. Jen feels like a child having been sent to the guidance office.

[2012_approaches]

Dr. Davis closes the door and then takes a seat in one of the two chairs in the office. She doesn't ask Jenny to sit. That's up to her. She can sit when she wants. So, she just starts to talk. "As you know, I am Dr. Davis."

[on_jennys_terms]

"Yes," she answers and decides she's going to stand for a moment. As if it matters at all to the doc if Jen sits or stands. It's some weird power/control thing. Jen knows she's in control but feels like she shouldn't be because this isn't her territory. Maybe it's just silent protest at being there.

[2012_approaches]

The doctor nods and waits, patiently. Or well, she just waits. She isn't patient or impatient. She just waits. This is Jenny's game and she can sit here for an hour. At least today. She'll be back next week.

[on_jennys_terms]

Jen, however, has never been particularly good at waiting. "Look. This is wasting your time and mine. If we're just going to sit in silence for an hour, I'd rather do that at home and let you see other clients." There's no shortage in the amount of anger she suddenly has lately.

[2012_approaches]

The doctor shrugs. "Well," she checks her book, "you're all I've got scheduled, so sitting here without you is apparently a waste of my time. It's your time to waste and forgetting that your sessions are mandatory, you also don't have to talk. You are also a practical woman, so, let me remind you," she leans back a bit in her chair and tosses the schedule book aside, and crosses one leg over the other. "I'm still getting paid, so you might as well make it worth your while."

[on_jennys_terms]

Eventually, Jen just gets tired of standing and takes a seat in the only other chair, dropping her bag by the leg again. She has no intention of saying anything else, so unless Dr. Davis starts asking questions, it's going to be a very long and boring session. She crosses her legs and then her arms.

[2012_approaches]

Dr. Davis waits just a few moments, mostly waiting to see if Jenny gets up to leave. She wouldn't be the first client and she won't be the last if she does. But under the sulking teenager, there appears to be a woman who wants to talk. So after about five minutes of Jenny stewing, she finally asks a question. "What did you do over the weekend?"

[on_jennys_terms]

"Nothing," Jen answers. For as vague and stock as the answer is, it also happens to be true. She did very little and what she did do wasn't productive at all.

[2012_approaches]

The smile on Davis' face is almost imperceptible. But it's there. "Nothing? Really?" She shrugs. "Okay. I'm assuming you spent some time breathing, which isn't exactly something to ignore considering your recent adventures. And I'm hoping there was some eating, which isn't something people often think about. You probably slept, because that's very common when you're depressed. So, yeah, three small somethings probably do add up to nothing."

[on_jennys_terms]

Jen is starting to find this woman very patronizing. "It's nothing as far as I'm concerned," she answers, but holds off on adding how she thinks even that much was too much. Jen isn't in the habit of sharing her feelings with others, especially those she doesn't trust. And she definitely doesn't trust--let alone like--this doctor.

[2012_approaches]

Davis nods, accepting the answer. "All right." She tilts her head and folds her hands in her lap and keeps just looking at Jenny. "So, what would you rather have been doing?"

[on_jennys_terms]

"What makes you think I'd have rather been doing something else? Assuming I needed to be doing anything, breathing included, I was doing exactly what I was supposed to be doing." Of course, she chooses not to say what most people would have naturally said, that she was doing what she wanted to be doing.

[2012_approaches]

Something changes in Davis and she leans forward a bit. Maybe it was a test of Jenny's personality, maybe it was something Jenny said that was enough of what she needed. But her demeanor changes. After a minute she gets up and walks around, standing behind her chair, looking at Jenny. "All right, Jenny. I'm not going to play games with you because it is a waste of your time. I'm also not going to beg for you to say why you're here. We both know you didn't just mess up your medication. Whether or not you wanted to succeed is a moot point because you didn't. But over the course of our time together, we are going to cut through the BS and figure things out. This moves as fast as you want it to. I'm not here to hurry you along back to work or to try to make things perfect. You know better than I do that they never will be. So where do you want to start?"