Sessions Spent Alive
Second Session
Tanna awoke that morning to the light pitter-patter of rain. She hadn’t slept in, she rarely did. She remembered a time when she was young and she’d give anything to sleep all day long and miss school. Then her mother would force her out of bed and out the door for school. This morning consisted of smoking a cigarette as she walked to her second appointment with Dr. Sweets. Along the way she found a cup of coffee to keep her cigarette company. She was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. She felt that being comfortable was how every woman should dress. High heels and tight pants made her in no way love life more than she already did. Her hope in humanity had been dwindling ever since she saw what terrible things man was capable of.
She stared at her reflection in the elevator, she was still here, even though she had no desire to be, but for the moment she was okay with existing.
She knocked on the door labeled with Dr. Lance Sweet’s name. She watched as the door opened before her welcoming her inside.
“Hello Again.”
“Hello Dr. Sweets.”
She felt dramatic sitting in this open room being stared at.
“I hope you don’t find this unprofessional,” he said “but I brought something for you.”
“Oh…”
Dr. Sweets pulled out a pick cardboard box, she immediately knew where it was from. Capellini’s Bakery. The only Italian bakery in town, there they served the best fresh pastries anyone had ever tasted. Tanna remembered the pink boxes her mother would bring home after working late as an apology for leaving her alone for so long. Inside were several pastries, but Dr. Sweets knew which one she would pick. The vanilla cannoli, they were her favorite and her knew that from what she had mentioned in a previous session with her old doctor. He had really paid attention to everything about her.
She enjoyed eating it as he enjoyed eating some fruit tart. He seemed so normal, so like her, he didn’t even use that over zealous psychiatry talk like all the other doctors had.
She felt better than she had when she walked in when he officially started their session.
“I wanted to take a little time to talk about the case.”
“I think I can manage that.”
“So you witnessed the death of Margerie Langley and her brother Devin?”
“Yes, I was seeing Devin and the time, and living with the two of them.”
“And they were killed by Brock McCallister?”
“Yes, my ex.”
“And you watched them die?” he asked her.
She didn’t respond, but Dr. Sweets already knew.
“You know - I’ve seen someone die. Right in front of me.”
“Did you know them?”
“Well there’s an interesting question, no I had not met the man before in my life, we both stepped onto the same train. We never would have even spoke except he got this phone call. It was his doctor telling him that after years of battling cancer, he was finally free of it, and that he would live a healthy and fantastic life. I was the closest person to him and he chose to share this glorious news with me. He said he was going to travel, see the things he had always wanted to see, and sleep with exotic women.” Tanna smiled at the thought of this mans happiness, but she knew it was about to end badly. “There was a water main that burst, and flooded the underground tunnels and as the train derailed his was thrown forward into the bar he had been holding earlier – and it killed him instantly.”
“All in a matter of minutes.” She said astounded.
“Yes unfortunately. This is something that’s haunted me. And this is what I wanted to leave you with, if that man lived all his life expecting to die, like yourself, when suddenly given the chance he was ready to live, and I wonder if your situations are not so different.”
Tanna sat silently. Dr. Sweets was good. After both sessions he had left her thinking about her life, and each time she valued it a little bit more than she had before.
She told him about how she had dated Devin for only a short while, and that she even felt responsible for Margerie and Devin’s death – she should’ve know that he was dangerous enough to hurt them. He left her alive because he didn’t think she would go to the cops, but she did. They hid her – and locked Brock up, and all she had to do was stay alive till trial and he would be gone forever.
“Would you like to see him get the death penalty?”
“Yes.” She paused. “Does that make me a bad person?”
“No I don’t think so. I would even agree with you.”
“Thanks Dr. Sweets.” Tanna stood to leave.
“One more thing. Tomorrow I’m working an important case – I’ve been asked to participate in a prisoner transfer, which means our appointment will have to be pushed back.”
“What time Doctor?”
“Four o’clock.”
“See ya then.”
She stared at her reflection in the elevator, she was still here, even though she had no desire to be, but for the moment she was okay with existing.
She knocked on the door labeled with Dr. Lance Sweet’s name. She watched as the door opened before her welcoming her inside.
“Hello Again.”
“Hello Dr. Sweets.”
She felt dramatic sitting in this open room being stared at.
“I hope you don’t find this unprofessional,” he said “but I brought something for you.”
“Oh…”
Dr. Sweets pulled out a pick cardboard box, she immediately knew where it was from. Capellini’s Bakery. The only Italian bakery in town, there they served the best fresh pastries anyone had ever tasted. Tanna remembered the pink boxes her mother would bring home after working late as an apology for leaving her alone for so long. Inside were several pastries, but Dr. Sweets knew which one she would pick. The vanilla cannoli, they were her favorite and her knew that from what she had mentioned in a previous session with her old doctor. He had really paid attention to everything about her.
She enjoyed eating it as he enjoyed eating some fruit tart. He seemed so normal, so like her, he didn’t even use that over zealous psychiatry talk like all the other doctors had.
She felt better than she had when she walked in when he officially started their session.
“I wanted to take a little time to talk about the case.”
“I think I can manage that.”
“So you witnessed the death of Margerie Langley and her brother Devin?”
“Yes, I was seeing Devin and the time, and living with the two of them.”
“And they were killed by Brock McCallister?”
“Yes, my ex.”
“And you watched them die?” he asked her.
She didn’t respond, but Dr. Sweets already knew.
“You know - I’ve seen someone die. Right in front of me.”
“Did you know them?”
“Well there’s an interesting question, no I had not met the man before in my life, we both stepped onto the same train. We never would have even spoke except he got this phone call. It was his doctor telling him that after years of battling cancer, he was finally free of it, and that he would live a healthy and fantastic life. I was the closest person to him and he chose to share this glorious news with me. He said he was going to travel, see the things he had always wanted to see, and sleep with exotic women.” Tanna smiled at the thought of this mans happiness, but she knew it was about to end badly. “There was a water main that burst, and flooded the underground tunnels and as the train derailed his was thrown forward into the bar he had been holding earlier – and it killed him instantly.”
“All in a matter of minutes.” She said astounded.
“Yes unfortunately. This is something that’s haunted me. And this is what I wanted to leave you with, if that man lived all his life expecting to die, like yourself, when suddenly given the chance he was ready to live, and I wonder if your situations are not so different.”
Tanna sat silently. Dr. Sweets was good. After both sessions he had left her thinking about her life, and each time she valued it a little bit more than she had before.
She told him about how she had dated Devin for only a short while, and that she even felt responsible for Margerie and Devin’s death – she should’ve know that he was dangerous enough to hurt them. He left her alive because he didn’t think she would go to the cops, but she did. They hid her – and locked Brock up, and all she had to do was stay alive till trial and he would be gone forever.
“Would you like to see him get the death penalty?”
“Yes.” She paused. “Does that make me a bad person?”
“No I don’t think so. I would even agree with you.”
“Thanks Dr. Sweets.” Tanna stood to leave.
“One more thing. Tomorrow I’m working an important case – I’ve been asked to participate in a prisoner transfer, which means our appointment will have to be pushed back.”
“What time Doctor?”
“Four o’clock.”
“See ya then.”