YOU NEED A PSYCHOLOGIST

[HELLO HOSPITAL]

"Doctor Karen, why do you keep on sighing?" Sapphire asked. "Is there nothing you can do again?"

Dr. Karen removed her glasses, folded them and gently placed them on her desk.

She opened a long thick black book containing patients' reports, and one of her patients was Sapphire, which her eyes settled upon. With a soft exhale, she readjusted her position.

"I'm going to be very honest with you, Sapphire. I've been your doctor for over six years. I've dealt with cases like yours, but in your case... It's different."

"How do you mean, Dr. Karen? You don't think I'll ever regain my senses again?" Sapphire asked, each question escaping her lips in a measured way.

"What do I say?" Karen pushed open her laptop and turned the screen to Sapphire.

"This here is a patient's report. Same case as yours. Three years already, and you can see the improvement—great improvement." She tapped the space bar twice.

Another patient's file appeared.

"And this is yours, Sapphire. Compared to the other patients, her nerves are already responding, and in your case... it's barely responding."

"What are you trying to say? I should give up, and live the rest of my life—numb." The words felt heavy. She placed her hands on her thighs, squeezing them in between her legs.

Strengthening her shoulders, she mirrored Dr. Karen's face, hoping for any sign that said I wouldn't give up, but all she found was hopelessness.

"Your case is critical. It's high time we face reality. I can't carry on with the treatment. It's like planting a seed on clay sand."

"You've been my therapist for a long time. I'd have stopped coming if I believed that, but I kept showing up, not missing a single session because I believe that soon, I'll start responding. You shouldn't be the one to give up when I haven't."

"Exactly. I shouldn't give up, but I shouldn't also play dumb when I can see it isn't going anywhere," she said, sighing softly. "I see you as my daughter, and wouldn't watch my daughter wasting the years of her life. You just got married. You should be enjoying your marriage. I know Wilson is patient and understanding, but I can't help but think that the chances of you having a loving marriage are thin, and that, too, on me."

Sapphire bit her inner cheek, and secretly gulped at nothing at the mention of Wilson's name.

A loving marriage? What a joke.

"It's best we leave my marriage out of this." Sapphire held her hand. "You are an experienced doctor. We can try other methods. I'm sure something might work out. I can't keep living my life like this."

"That's what I'm trying to say. At this stage, you don't need a therapist." Dr. Karen turned their hands and held Sapphire's own instead.

"Meaning?"

"I think what you need is a psychologist."

"Psychologist? But they're—"

"I know that, but they try every possible means. You need them to see right through you. Through those unresponsive nerves. Someone to communicate directly with them. To call them out."

Sapphire withdrew her hand from Karen's. "Are you sure?"

"70%," Dr. Karen said, and a long silence stretched between them.

Something struck Sapphire's chest. Deep. So deep that she could see something she thought she had lost coming back to her.

"So...how can I get in touch with one? You're the only one that I know when it comes to these cases."

Dr. Karen took her phone and punched her keys.

Done, she kept her phone and gave Sapphire a sign.

Sapphire's phone dinged, a text notification.

"I've sent you the address. Anytime you go is fine by him. I've contacted him, and he's ready to receive you," Dr. Karen explained.

Most of the words Dr. Karen said went over Sapphire's head. The only thing that rang in her head was the pronouns that came out of her mouth.

Him and He.

"...The psychologist is a male?" She asked, slowly.

"Yes. He's a male," Karen replied.

Sapphire gulped, tracing her gaze to the address.

Her brow etched at the said address. "This place is like three hours—"

"The distance or your nerves responding again?" Dr. Karen cuts in.

"My nerves," Sapphire answered sharply.

Dr. Karen flashed her a deep smile. "I hope it works out for you." Putting on her glasses, she took out her tablet and began scrolling through the hospital records.

Sapphire curled her palm around her phone, the warmth doing nothing to soothe her, rather it increased the weird feelings she got each time she remembered the 'he and him'.

Never had she had the idea that she'd ever had a session with a male. e3cIt wasn't supposed to be this weird, but she couldn't understand the strange feeling.

"Thank you, Dr. Karen." She stood. Dr. Karen nodded. "I'll leave now." Grabbing her purse, she gave Dr. Karen a smile and left the office.

--

Stepping out of the hospital, a frown settled on her face as she noticed her phone had been buzzing long enough in Dr. Karen's office that she had to put it on silent mode.

Removing the silent mode, another notification came in. The headline caught her attention. She clicked on it, and got into the car.

•The biggest contract to ever exist has just been signed. The partnership between the Smith's and the DeVille's.

•Not only did they become in-laws, but they're now business partners. A partnership that no doubt will be the best.

Her finger accidentally pressed a red button, and a live video came up.

Stanley and Wilson were on the screen, answering questions concerning the partnership, and what they aimed to achieve. Tears brimmed in the corner of her eyes as she watched Wilson act like the nicest man on earth and her father, he didn't attend her wedding, but he's here. Wilson is right.

She left the live video when one of the journalists asked Wilson about his married life. Her fingers curved into balls while her other hand wiped the tiny tears that welled in her eyes.

She got into the car.

"Where to, Ma'am?"

"Drive, I'll direct."

"Stop here," Sapphire said.

"But, Mrs. DeVille, we haven't—"

"Sapphire Smith, that's my name." Sapphire didn't allow him to finish before cutting in.

The driver's eyes traveled to the rearview mirror confused. "You are married to—"

"Don't wait for me." She held the car handle. "When I'm done, I'll give you a call."

The driver nodded.

Sapphire got out of the car and drew a long tired sigh when the driver drove away. The correction is raising questions.

Turning around, she saw the building she was searching for, standing at the shallow end of the road.

She gulped, the strange earlier feelings she got resurfacing again. Not only did it take three hours to get here, the environment felt so weird and gave her the chills.

She rubbed her right arm, goosebumps crawling on her skin as she proceeded to the building.

Standing in front of the building, her eyelids went up searching for the name. She found none.

"Where in the world did Dr. Karen recommend me to?" She mumbled lowly, turning on her phone location in case anything happens to her.

Before she could touch the door, it opened on its own. She frowned at the strangeness before going in.

The door closed with a loud force. She jerked, jumping slightly as she twisted her neck to the door, her heart rate increasing.

The heartbeat seemed to calm down when she saw someone that looked like the receptionist sitting behind a table.

Sapphire cleared her throat before going to her. "I..."

"Take the stairs up to the end. The first door to your left." The lady's voice stopped her without sparing her a glance.

Sapphire's feet went damp with sweat inside her shoe. She felt tongue-tied at the creepy way the receptionist received her.

A little part of her whispered to her to leave, but she ignored the voice, said a low thank you, and followed the direction of the lady.

The climb began. Panting and sweat followed next. Stairs after stairs. Never-ending stairs that the doubt and fear grew heavier in her chest.

What if this place—

She shook off the thought, sighting the last stairs. Half a relief washed over her when she stood in front of the door the lady had spoken about.

Just like the building, there was no name tag at the door.

So weird.

She rubbed her palms together, both inner voices reverberating in her head.

Go back.

Don't go.

Your nerves are more important.

Just when she was about to knock, the door opened on its own exactly the way the door had opened.

Sapphire clutched her bag like a shield, peeking into the room before taking the first step—into the office.

The cold cedar mixed with cardamom air immediately hit her skin and nostrils.

She gulped harder, squinting her eyes to adjust to the dimmed light as they fell on the cold pair of blue eyes that locked on her. She didn't know why the eyes felt extremely familiar to her, like she had seen them before today. Even the way they pierced her, like they were peeling her, layer by layer.

A few strands of hair fell on his face, covering almost his eyes, and some parts of his face. She couldn't tell who he was.

"I... Good afternoon. I'm—"

"Mrs. Sapphire DeVille," he completed, his voice sending cold shivers through her.

"It's Sapphire..." she sucked in a long breath. "Nevermind."

"Sit."

She gave out an almost invisible nod as she sat on the patient's chair—no lying down—making it impossible not to look away from him.

No smile.

No greeting.

Just a pair of cold blue eyes that didn't swallow in the dim light.

Her eyes trailed to his shirt. She couldn't make out the exact color—gray or ash.

From his shirt, her eyes traveled to the table between them which had pens, notepad, tablet, laptop and papers which she'd deem as patients' reports. Then they fell on the nameplate. She froze, staring at his name, especially his last name.

Tristan DeVille.