A/N
Was anybody else disappointed with how Toby handled Happy having been kidnapped S1E17? To be honest, Sylvester seemed more concerned. And being a shrink, he should have recognized the possible effects. Even though the kid was harmless, she didn't know who it was until quite a bit later, and though she is tough, it's still a different kind of situation than she usually gets in, and until the hood comes off, it's much more stressful.
I don't have a Beta, so any mistakes are my own.
Contains spoilers for S1E16, Love boat, and S1E17, Going South. You have been warned.
Toby was analyzing from the moment the door opened. The messed up hair wasn't unusual, but the wide eyes and hesitance before answering his question was. And though the kid was, well, a kid, he still worried. Were it a stronger person, or the Cartel, she would have been in real danger. And when she ignored Sylvester's protest and defended the kid, Toby started to run possibilities.
He, of course, went along with it, realizing the kid truly was harmless, and came up with the plan that would lead them to the Cartel, pushing his thoughts back until the ordeal was over. But they were a cyclone, and Walter promised that when one of them got hurt, the others would come and help. And though Happy wasn't hurt, she could have been. And sympathizing with her kidnapper wasn't normal Happy behavior.
He decided upon Stockholm syndrome. The psychological phenomenon in which hostages express empathy and sympathy and have positive feelings toward their captors, sometimes to the point of defending and identifying with the captors.
She showed sympathy, saying he was just a kid and they could trust him.
She identified with him, having shared the same background – family either abandoning them, or dead, their own Oliver Twist story, and he wasn't afraid to say it out loud.
It was also clear to Toby she saw a little of herself in the kid. And she thought that the little connection she forced herself to see was enough. Happy was reaching, starved for somebody to share part of with, and she wanted to see it in this kid. And when he left through the window, taking their valuables, she was shocked. Sure, it led them to the Cartel thanks to the magnetic strips, but Happy was so sure the teenager wouldn't betray them.
Happy was nearly hurt again, but he didn't realize the extent of it, as he was a little distracted watching her shimmy down a post.
She showed sympathy once more when she made Cabe give him the watch. And the excuse of, "he saved my life", wasn't enough. In fact, it made the case worse in Toby's mind. Whatever happened that caused the kid to save her life meant she wasn't as capable on her own as she would have thought, and the kid seemed a little bi-polar in that he switched sides too quickly, too easily. And Happy was falling for it.
Toby was, frankly, worried. His friend was obviously confused and refusing to accept that she wasn't okay. And he couldn't do anything about it, since he had to take care of a malnourished, scared, and bruised girl. So once again, he was forced to put Happy in the back of his mind.
Then they were alone, Zoey back home and the rest of the team doing whatever it is they do. Paige was with Ralph, Sylvester was at the hospital with Megan, and Walter was most likely feeding his massive ego. As for Happy, she was taking her anger out on a motorcycle, replacing screws and bolts and whatever those round things were. Toby made a few calculations and decided the chances of her throwing a wrench at him were about 56%. Which meant there was a 44% chance of her not hitting him. He took the risk, pulling up a swivel chair.
She didn't even look up from her toolbox. "I'm fine, Doc."
"In the past forty eight hours, you were hit in the back of the head, kidnapped, betrayed, kicked in the face multiple times, thrown on the ground, and had several guns pointed at you. Had the Cartel not wasted time by talking, you would be dead, and you know that. You are most certainly not okay. Need I remind you, I got my degree from Harvard before most people got their drivers license?"
Happy paused before moving again. It wasn't much, and most people wouldn't have noticed. But Toby was not most people, and saw the movement, raising an eyebrow at the back of her head, waiting until she spoke. "Pass me the drill."
Toby obliged. "There you go again. Putting up walls, hiding behind facts. You know you were wrong, making some big mistakes. So you take your anger out on machinery. Fixing the mistakes of mechanics before fixing your own."
She turned. "I'm a fully grown woman, Curtis. I can handle myself."
"Oh, I'm not denying that. But I am saying that you don't have to do it alone. Are you forgetting Valentine's day?" Happy stiffened at that. "You've been giving me the cold shoulder since the fireworks. And I've let it slide, let you deal with your feelings. But now it's bigger than that. At least let me talk to you as a friend, if not as a doctor."
Happy set the tools aside, and looked at him dubiously. "Fine, Doc. Analyze me. I'm an open book."
Toby turned his attention to her workbench. "Your crowbar has been untouched since we got back, even though that job would be easier with using one, implying you still remember the traumatic panic of being knocked out," he looked at Happy once more. "You keep rubbing your wrists, so you remember having been tied up. You couldn't take your eyes away from Cabe's left wrist, and it was with regret, so you are regretting the decision of helping the kid. And you jump whenever anybody comes up behind you. You snapped at Paige and broke two drills already – displacement. You're mad at yourself for being so careless, so silly for having been kidnapped by a kid no older than sixteen. And even madder because you trusted him."
Happy stood up and swept her screws into a bucket. "We're done here."
"Hey, hey hey hey, wait," Toby said, standing and pushing his chair aside. "We can back up, but you need to talk to me. I can be whatever you want, doctor or friend." He bit his tongue to refrain from adding lover to the list. "But what you're feeling and what you've been through is dangerous, and if we don't address it, you can be in trouble."
She slammed her drawer closed. "Fine. I'm mad at myself for wanting to trust him, and mad at myself because I did. As you said, Oliver Twist upbringing. I wanted to believe he was good because I wanted to believe he was like me."
Toby nodded. "You related to his story, and you wanted to prove to yourself that it doesn't mean you have to be a bad person."
"Exactly," she said, averting her gaze.
"And when he didn't live up to those expectations, you didn't know what to do," he nodded. "Alright, let's get a look at you."
Happy didn't have to ask to know what Toby was talking about. He already figured out she's gotten kicked multiple times in the face, the bruises should start to show more. She sat down on the chair he had pushed aside and waited.
"Alright, bruises should start to show soon, so we'll check that, then eyes," He explained, tilting her head back.
"Whatever you say, Doc, I trust you."
And she did.
A/N:
Well, that was fun. First fanfic, not bad. I kind of ended it in a hurry since I wanted it out before the next episode was released, so I may come back and finish it properly. You are more than welcome to review. I have included several samples for you to copy and paste at your leisure.
"I enjoyed this short piece of work arranged of symbols I can read, as I am familiar with the English language."
"I disliked this short piece of work arranged of symbols I can read, as I am familiar with the English language."
"I was once kidnapped in Mexico and suffered from Stockholm syndrome within the first hour of being abducted, I'm offended."
"I found a TYPO!11!" (Thank you, please let me know where it is so I can fix it.)
"I look forward to reading more of your work."
"I hope this is the end of your work."
"Turtles are my favorite sea animal." (If you disagree, future fics will feature varying aquatic life in the sample reviews, and you are welcome to stick around until I mention your favorite.)