Almost Easy

"Do you like this doctor?" Brian asked as he drove himself and Zacky home from Hollis' office.

No response. Brian was used to Zacky not talking, but he knew that Zacky had something to say and it just annoyed him that after all the years the two of them have been best friends that he would still hide things from him.

"Zacky. Talk to me."

"She's pretty." He mumbled, wringing his hands as they sat in his lap.

"Yes, she most certainly was. Anything else? About her as a doctor not just about her appearance?"

"She...wants to help me."

"Well of course she wants to help you buddy. That's what she's there for."

"No..I mean I actually believe that she wants to help me. Not just for her job, but because she wants to help me."

"That's good. I think that you might be able to really open up to this one. Maybe she can help you with your fears."

The black escalade pulled into the driveway and the men climbed out of the car and walked towards the house.

"She made me make a goal for myself. Something to accomplish by the time our sessions are over." Zacky said as they sat down on the couch and put the flat screen television to whatever random game they happened upon first.

"Really? That's something new. Did you pick something you want to accomplish?"

He nodded but didn't say anything else, he kept his eyes focused on the game in front of him and didn't even glance at Brian in his periphery.

"Zacky, are you going to tell me what your goal was?"

"I'm watching the game Bri."

"Who's playing?"

Knowing he was caught in his lie Zacky sighed heavily, "I want to be able to sleep in a room by myself at night."

Brian rested a reassuring hand on his best friends shoulder, "I'm proud of you Zacky. You're really trying this time. I have full faith in you, I know you will be able to accomplish any goals you set for yourself."

He simply nodded in response and changed the television to the closest cartoon channel, eventually settling on Spongebob Squarepants and settling back comfortably into the couch.

"How old are you?" Brian asked with a laugh, standing up and walking into the adjacent kitchen.

"Shut up I love the starfish...he slays me."

Brian just shook his head and pulled a beer out of the fridge. Looking at his friend relaxing on the couch laughing at a stupid cartoon made him somewhat sad. He wished that everyone would be able to see this side of Zacky, the Zacky that only himself and Zina sometimes saw. Zacky that wasn't ruined by the war and wasn't a mute around people. The Zacky before he was ever sent overseas.

He popped open the beer and drank down half of it in one gulp. Setting the can down on the counter he turned back into the fridge and looked for something to eat.

"Zack, you want a beer?" He called from inside the fridge.

"Yeah. Miller, none of that piss water you drink!" He called back.

"Coors is not piss water." He said bitterly, tossing his friend the beer.

"I'm gonna go upstairs and work on some stuff, just yell if you need me." Brian said, taking his beer from the counter and walking up the stairs and into his bedroom.

Sitting down at his desk he opened up the spreadsheets he was attempting to get done for his father's construction company. He had given up the manual labor of the family business after being discharged from the army after he ended up with shrapnel embedded in both legs and right side of his head. He now worked mostly from home, so he could watch over Zacky.

He opened up the spreadsheets and took a long drink from his beer. He pulled Hollis' business card out from his pocket and turned it over in his hands while looking at the spreadsheets that were open on his computer. He looked at the card and contemplated calling her.

He didn't really know why he wanted to talk to her, but something in him wanted to talk to her. He wanted to thank her for getting through to Zacky. He wanted to tell her that he sees a Zacky no one else does, a happy Zacky that disappears outside of the house. And at the base of him, he wanted to ask her to dinner.

He was immediately felt attracted to her, her blue eyes and auburn hair. Her smile and the sincerity in her voice.

He knew that he couldn't do that. She was Zacky's shrink. And the first thing that Zacky had said about her was that she was pretty; an obvious sign that Zacky was also attracted to her, he couldn't possibly do that to him.

He put the card on the desk and put his attention back on the spreadsheet that were in front of him. He began to work on the budget for the upcoming month when his phone rang.

It was a number he didn't recognize but he answered the phone anyway. "Hello?"

"Hello, Mr. Haner? It's Dr. Thompson, Zacky's psychiatrist."

"It's Brian. What can I help you with? Is something wrong?"

"Um...I was just calling to see...if there were any pointers you could give me to help coax Zacky out of his shell more. I know that you must see a side of him that no one else does and I want to see that side of him as well."

He smiled, she honestly cared about him. Zacky was bound to get better with someone like her helping him. "Um..I wish there were a surefire thing to tell you about him, but really he only opens up to me because we've been through it all together, the war, school, everything. But trust me when I say that he's already gotten farther with you in one session that with most shrinks in months."

"Thank you, that makes me feel like I'm accomplishing something. I am very serious about his recovery. I want to see the Zacky that you see."

"I believe that. And so does Zacky. He told me so himself."

"He did? I'll have to thank him next week. Well, that's all that I called for, I guess I will see you next week at Zacky's next session."

"Wait." Brian said quickly, not wanting her to hang up.

"Yes?"

He took a deep breath, Sorry Zacky, but I have to do this. "Would you like to go to dinner with me this Saturday?"

"This is highly unorthodox Brian, you realize that right?"

"Well, you aren't my doctor. Please, just give it a shot?"

She thought for a second before sighing heavily in defeat, "All right Brian. I will go out with you on Saturday. Pick me up at eight. 100 Conch St. Apartment 24."

"It's a date." He said with a smile.

"Yes it is" She replied and they both hung up the phone.

He put his phone beside the computer and tried to concentrate on the spreadsheets again but it was pointless.

I have a date...with my best friends shrink. What have I gotten myself into?