Sessions Spent Alive
Ninth Session
Lance was nearly sick with anticipation. He had found Tanna had slipped out early that morning – leaving him with a cold bed. But he knew that she would appear for their appointment that day – where they once again might ravish one another’s bodies.
Lance could only hope that his other patients didn’t notice his incessant staring at the clock while they spouted off their various problems. Just thinking of her brought a smile to his face, which puzzled several patients as they told him sad stories.
Finally the afternoon had rolled around, and Lance only needed to wait another half hour until he could finally see Tanna again. He was overjoyed when he heard a knock at the door, thinking perhaps she had arrived early – but instead he found Daisy. The woman he had thrown away. He gave a heavy sigh and signified his annoyance with her always abrupt and unwanted meetings. He thought she would’ve gotten the message the other night when he kicked her out of his home.
“Hi.” She said awkwardly.
He didn’t say hello back.
“Look Lance, if you want to date someone else that’s fine. We weren’t in an exclusive relationship anyways.”
“Right.” He agreed.
“But if you’re not serious with her either. Then I see no reason why we can’t still fool around.”
Her. Lance thought. How did she know there was a her?
“What do you mean?” he added.
“Well I did see you with her last night.” Daisy said.
Lance felt his stomach sink. She knew about Tanna, but he didn’t think she had recognized her – perhaps she wouldn’t.
“Who?” he asked.
“Oh Lance don’t be silly.” She said. “You don’t have to hide it, I’m only a little bit jealous. You could’ve just said so.”
“Daisy, my love life is private. And we are serious. So please just let her and I be.”
He saw that she looked hurt. Probably similar to how he looked when she told him he was leaving for Maluku.
“I’m sorry Daze.” He told her. She turned around and walked out the door. Lance prayed she didn’t realize who Tanna was. Tanna would be the type of person Daisy would dismiss and leave unnoticed – Lance hoped she did this time.
Daisy wandered down the hall. She grabbed coffee from the FBI break room, knowing they had better sugar. Daisy felt the elevator take her two floors down before stopping and letting others on, and some off. She got off only to realize she’d forgotten the sugar for her coffee. She stepped back on since it was labeled with an upwards arrow.
Daisy noticed Lance’s new fling the moment she entered the elevator – she looked her up and down. Daisy recognized her, not as a patient, but she just noticed the familiarity she felt.
“You’re here to see Lance.” She commented. Daisy tried to figure where she knew her. The tied hair and relaxed t-shirt suggested she was athletic. Perhaps yoga. she thought. Daisy was slightly churned by the fact that Lance had picked up another woman at the same place she practiced Yoga.
Tanna nodded and smiled in compliance. No one had ever talked to her in the FBI building. Tanna was slightly unnerved when she was followed out of the elevator by the same girl. Tanna didn’t know how she knew her – but she wasn’t going to ask.
“He’s a great guy.” Daisy told her as they were finally parting ways, she was headed into the break room while Tanna carried on down the hall only murmuring: “Thanks.”
Tanna carried on away from the odd girl until she reached Lance’s office. She only knocked once before he pulled the door open and ushered her inside. She could tell he was flustered.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, she then noted: “You’re usually the one to ask that.”
“Daisy… she saw us. I think last night.”
“Was that the girl that just talked to me in the hallway?” she asked him.
“She recognized you?” Lance asked, his heart sinking lower.
“She knew I was here to see you.”
“Does she know you’re a patient?”
“I… I don’t think so. She didn’t hint to that at all. She could’ve recognized me from yoga.” She added. “I’ve seen both of you there before.”
“Right…” Lance said, “you both go there. Maybe… she didn’t realize you were a patient.”
“Well lets fucking hope so. I don’t want you to lose your job.”
“Tanna… I’d be more worried about you.”
“Don’t even try that Dr. Sweets. You’re job is more important. At least the trial is close – perhaps after that I can switch doctors and… you and I could…” she trailed off. Lance’s heart lifted a little when he realized she was thinking about their future.
“That’s a possibility.” He told her. “The trial isn’t far away.”
“I know…” she added. “I’m nervous you know… seeing him again. Even if he is in chains.”
Lance sat beside her on the soft sofa. “It’ll be alright.” He told her. “I’ll be there. I’ll even be asking you questions.”
“Right… you think… you think he’ll really go away? For good?”
“I think if you stay strong. Which you have been for days now.”
“Well Dr. Sweets changing doctors can do wonders on a girl.”
“I’m glad I can help.” He said. “Do you want to talk today?”
“Actually… yes. I think I would like that.” She said.
________________
That night Tanna and Lance decided to spend the night apart in case of anyone, like Daisy, stopping by. Since they had gotten off lucky they decided that they shouldn’t risk it. Tanna called him late into the night:
“Tanna you shouldn’t call me here, they check your phone records.”
“But you’re my doctor… and I’m feeling depressed.”
“Tanna…” he said. “How’re you really feeling?”
“Nervous mostly. The trial’s this weekend.”
“Right, but you know what you’re going to say… you said you were ready today.”
“But… well are you ready Sweets?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well you have to ask me some pretty… well scary questions, and considering what I am to you…”
“Because he beat you? Tanna I am more than ready to put that man away for life.”
“Think we can do it?”
“I know we can.” He told her. “Don’t worry. Then afterwards we can be together, and it won’t matter what Daisy says.”
“Think she won’t notice?”
“Well as long as she’s not on trial, but Dr. Brennan assured me earlier that she was going to relay evidence, not a student.”
“Well that’s a relief.”
“Were you really worried about Daisy?”
“Well you really… but because of her.”
“I know what I’m risking Tanna. But thank you for caring, it’s nice for a change.”
“She was that bad huh?” she laughed.
“She was a little… absorbed yes. Nothing like your ex.”
“True.” She said “How’d it end?”
“She left me really, well. It was somewhat mutual. We were engaged… she wanted to study in the Maluku islands and asked me to come with, I declined and also noted I wasn’t waiting for her to come back.”
“Ouch.” She said.
“She chose her career over me.” He told her.
“But you’d choose me over your career?” Tanna asked, slightly astounded.
“I am a man of morals I guess.”
“'Doctor and patient,' what morality is in that?” she asked giggling.
“Well, specific morals.” He told her laughing himself. “The important ones.”
“Thanks Sweets.” She said.
Tanna felt a sense of importance that had been lacking in her life for a long time after she hung up the phone. A sense that lulled her into a peaceful sleep.
Lance could only hope that his other patients didn’t notice his incessant staring at the clock while they spouted off their various problems. Just thinking of her brought a smile to his face, which puzzled several patients as they told him sad stories.
Finally the afternoon had rolled around, and Lance only needed to wait another half hour until he could finally see Tanna again. He was overjoyed when he heard a knock at the door, thinking perhaps she had arrived early – but instead he found Daisy. The woman he had thrown away. He gave a heavy sigh and signified his annoyance with her always abrupt and unwanted meetings. He thought she would’ve gotten the message the other night when he kicked her out of his home.
“Hi.” She said awkwardly.
He didn’t say hello back.
“Look Lance, if you want to date someone else that’s fine. We weren’t in an exclusive relationship anyways.”
“Right.” He agreed.
“But if you’re not serious with her either. Then I see no reason why we can’t still fool around.”
Her. Lance thought. How did she know there was a her?
“What do you mean?” he added.
“Well I did see you with her last night.” Daisy said.
Lance felt his stomach sink. She knew about Tanna, but he didn’t think she had recognized her – perhaps she wouldn’t.
“Who?” he asked.
“Oh Lance don’t be silly.” She said. “You don’t have to hide it, I’m only a little bit jealous. You could’ve just said so.”
“Daisy, my love life is private. And we are serious. So please just let her and I be.”
He saw that she looked hurt. Probably similar to how he looked when she told him he was leaving for Maluku.
“I’m sorry Daze.” He told her. She turned around and walked out the door. Lance prayed she didn’t realize who Tanna was. Tanna would be the type of person Daisy would dismiss and leave unnoticed – Lance hoped she did this time.
Daisy wandered down the hall. She grabbed coffee from the FBI break room, knowing they had better sugar. Daisy felt the elevator take her two floors down before stopping and letting others on, and some off. She got off only to realize she’d forgotten the sugar for her coffee. She stepped back on since it was labeled with an upwards arrow.
Daisy noticed Lance’s new fling the moment she entered the elevator – she looked her up and down. Daisy recognized her, not as a patient, but she just noticed the familiarity she felt.
“You’re here to see Lance.” She commented. Daisy tried to figure where she knew her. The tied hair and relaxed t-shirt suggested she was athletic. Perhaps yoga. she thought. Daisy was slightly churned by the fact that Lance had picked up another woman at the same place she practiced Yoga.
Tanna nodded and smiled in compliance. No one had ever talked to her in the FBI building. Tanna was slightly unnerved when she was followed out of the elevator by the same girl. Tanna didn’t know how she knew her – but she wasn’t going to ask.
“He’s a great guy.” Daisy told her as they were finally parting ways, she was headed into the break room while Tanna carried on down the hall only murmuring: “Thanks.”
Tanna carried on away from the odd girl until she reached Lance’s office. She only knocked once before he pulled the door open and ushered her inside. She could tell he was flustered.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, she then noted: “You’re usually the one to ask that.”
“Daisy… she saw us. I think last night.”
“Was that the girl that just talked to me in the hallway?” she asked him.
“She recognized you?” Lance asked, his heart sinking lower.
“She knew I was here to see you.”
“Does she know you’re a patient?”
“I… I don’t think so. She didn’t hint to that at all. She could’ve recognized me from yoga.” She added. “I’ve seen both of you there before.”
“Right…” Lance said, “you both go there. Maybe… she didn’t realize you were a patient.”
“Well lets fucking hope so. I don’t want you to lose your job.”
“Tanna… I’d be more worried about you.”
“Don’t even try that Dr. Sweets. You’re job is more important. At least the trial is close – perhaps after that I can switch doctors and… you and I could…” she trailed off. Lance’s heart lifted a little when he realized she was thinking about their future.
“That’s a possibility.” He told her. “The trial isn’t far away.”
“I know…” she added. “I’m nervous you know… seeing him again. Even if he is in chains.”
Lance sat beside her on the soft sofa. “It’ll be alright.” He told her. “I’ll be there. I’ll even be asking you questions.”
“Right… you think… you think he’ll really go away? For good?”
“I think if you stay strong. Which you have been for days now.”
“Well Dr. Sweets changing doctors can do wonders on a girl.”
“I’m glad I can help.” He said. “Do you want to talk today?”
“Actually… yes. I think I would like that.” She said.
________________
That night Tanna and Lance decided to spend the night apart in case of anyone, like Daisy, stopping by. Since they had gotten off lucky they decided that they shouldn’t risk it. Tanna called him late into the night:
“Tanna you shouldn’t call me here, they check your phone records.”
“But you’re my doctor… and I’m feeling depressed.”
“Tanna…” he said. “How’re you really feeling?”
“Nervous mostly. The trial’s this weekend.”
“Right, but you know what you’re going to say… you said you were ready today.”
“But… well are you ready Sweets?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well you have to ask me some pretty… well scary questions, and considering what I am to you…”
“Because he beat you? Tanna I am more than ready to put that man away for life.”
“Think we can do it?”
“I know we can.” He told her. “Don’t worry. Then afterwards we can be together, and it won’t matter what Daisy says.”
“Think she won’t notice?”
“Well as long as she’s not on trial, but Dr. Brennan assured me earlier that she was going to relay evidence, not a student.”
“Well that’s a relief.”
“Were you really worried about Daisy?”
“Well you really… but because of her.”
“I know what I’m risking Tanna. But thank you for caring, it’s nice for a change.”
“She was that bad huh?” she laughed.
“She was a little… absorbed yes. Nothing like your ex.”
“True.” She said “How’d it end?”
“She left me really, well. It was somewhat mutual. We were engaged… she wanted to study in the Maluku islands and asked me to come with, I declined and also noted I wasn’t waiting for her to come back.”
“Ouch.” She said.
“She chose her career over me.” He told her.
“But you’d choose me over your career?” Tanna asked, slightly astounded.
“I am a man of morals I guess.”
“'Doctor and patient,' what morality is in that?” she asked giggling.
“Well, specific morals.” He told her laughing himself. “The important ones.”
“Thanks Sweets.” She said.
Tanna felt a sense of importance that had been lacking in her life for a long time after she hung up the phone. A sense that lulled her into a peaceful sleep.