Struggle For Control
Therapy
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Mort sat on the couch in Dr. Harris’ office.
popped his jaw once or twice.
“I’m not here to judge you, Mort,” Dr. Harris said
reassuringly. “I’m here to help.”
Mort looked up.
“I know, I just…I never saw myself getting to a point like this.”
“That’s very understandable, most people
don’t.” Dr. Harris sat in his
chair. “Some people know why they come
to me, others…well, sometimes they know there’s something wrong, but they just
can’t pinpoint it. Mort, do you know
why you’re here?”
Mort nodded.
“Yes.”
Dr. Harris smiled.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better start. As soon as you feel comfortable enough, tell me.
not much that I haven’t already heard – do not think that you are abnormal in
any way.”
Tell him.
Tell him everything. Scratch
that…you don’t even know everything.
Tell him what you told Alex, at least to start.
“There are voices,” Mort said softly.
on. “Two of them…two are mine, I
suppose it’s what anyone has in their mind, you know? The ‘what if I do this’ sort of thoughts and the ‘don’t do that
you idiot’ thoughts.”
“Indeed, nothing more than one’s conscience really,
though everyone’s is different.”
“There’s another e the though, and it’s not
mine. It has its own personality, its
own drawl, its own…wants I…I guess.”
Mort proceeded to tell Dr. Harris everything he had told Alex about John
Shooter.
Dr. Harris looked deep in thought when he said, Mort’s eyes opened widely. “You think I’m leaving something out?” Dr. Harris nodded. “Why?” “Am I correct?” “Are you going to lock me up?” Mort asked quickly. Dr. Harris smiled. Mort moved his body more toward the edge of the “Whatever you say is only between the two of us.” “Sometimes I…I’ve seen him. “Seen him? Mort got up and began to pace. “Calm down, Mort.” Mort realized the tone he’d taken. “It’s all right. “Yes,” Mort said, feeling utterly embarrassed. Why did you say that, Mr. Rainey? Dr. Harris watched as Mort’s faced drained itself of Mort took a deep breath. “All I want is for my life to be back to normal.” “Is this a recent occurrence?” “Not exactly, it happened once, then went away…now Dr. Harris looked at Mort and tried to read his “I’m fine,” Mort insisted. Remember those words, Mr. Rainey. “When did all of this start?” “I caught my ex-wife cheating on me. “I can imagine that your stress level must have been Mort nodded. “And this is when you saw ‘John Shooter?’” Mort nodded. “But it stopped?” Mort nodded again. “Then what happened?” “After a while, I couldn’t stand being in that cabin “And ‘John Shooter?’” “Gone…until I started seeing Alex.” “Alex?” Dr. “I was nothing but nerves when we first started “Until?” Mort felt like he was somehow betraying Alex, but he Mort became all but offended. “Mort, I think your problem lies in the stress “Stress? Dr. “What I mean is that instead of venting out the “It can’t be that simple,” Mort insisted. “Mort…” “He can’t be…you can’t hear what he…there are “Are you willing to try medication?” “Anything…” Dr. Harris began to scribble on a pad. “Extensive?” “I don’t want to jump to any conclusions. Mort ran his fingers through his hair. “How was it?” Alex asked. “Apparently, I’m stressed. He helped you?” “He did. I’m “No, no…” He Alex smiled. *** Author’s Note: Therapy – not the most exciting chapter, but necessary.
“Mort, what is it that you’re not telling me?”
“No. Tell me what else has
happened.”
couch; he was barely sitting on it now.
“Alex won’t know?”
As in?”
door! As in he called me, trying to
convince me that I stole a story of his!”
So, you’ve interacted with this voice – he’s taken form?”
all color. “Mort?”
it’s – he’s – back.”
body. “Can you go on or would you
rather stop?”
elevated?”
“I couldn’t write, I was living alone, and she and the bastard she…she
and Ted wouldn’t stop hassling me about the divorce papers.”
“All I could do was sleep and be paranoid about some psychopath that
thought I…everything from then is such a blur.
I only remember fragments of it.”
“As soon as I signed the papers.”
anymore. I sold it and moved here.”
Harris was caught off-guard.
dating. I’d hear random thoughts here
and there, but those left too.”
had to figure out what was happening to him.
“Alex and I started getting really close and she got scared – we both did
– and she asked for some ‘time’, which usually feels like a death warrant.
somehow and was trying to convince me that Alex was cheating on me.”
I knew she wasn’t Amy…but he wouldn’t leave me alone.
you’re putting yourself under.”
Harris, I already knew that I was stressespanspan style="mso-spacerun: yes">
Mort was beginning to wonder why he agreed to this.
frustration, you seem to let it manifest.”
threats and…”
reduction. If nothing changes, then
we’ll try something more extensive.”
troubling factor here.”
right.” The men shook hands and Mort
returned to the waiting room. He felt
lighter than he had before, thanks to getting things out into the open with
someone, but he just couldn’t believe that stress would make him see things.
sorry if this didn’t…”
caressed Alex’s face. “I’m going to
come back. I’m going to take care of
whatever this is. Hell, if it is
stress, then there’s nothing to worry about right?”
“Right.”
factors (and a bit intense) already written, but can’t post them yet, so hang
in there, more excitement and drama are coming, I promise!