Playing with the idea of three wishes for each character. The song in the background of the 4x09 McCollins scene spoke of three wishes, and made out that Andy was Nick's three wishes. What would everyone wish for?
Hope you like the concept. Let me know, leave a review!
*Disclaimer* I do not own Rookie Blue.
'Okay, who would like to start?'
Dr Dwyer stood in the middle of the room. The counselling had been summarised as 'successful' by the department, so Best had agreed to an expansion of the doctor's services. They'd all been in session with her by now, and she wanted to try something new with them. She recognised that most of them had issues expressing their feelings, and trusting one another with their thoughts. So she'd gathered them around her, sat in a circle, each looking as despondent to be there as she had expected.
She'd told them her idea. That each of them should imagine they had three wishes. Pretend they were real, and that whatever they wished for could actually happen.
She asked them to take it seriously, although from the looks of the faces some of them were not going to comply.
All they had to do was take it in turns to reveal their wishes to the group. They could say them to everyone, or direct them to an individual. She didn't mind. As long as they all participated.
She was trying to get them to see that the more open they were with each other, the less stressful it might be at work, and the easier they could all move on from their issues.
And so she'd asked for a volunteer.
Chloe slowly raised her hand. 'I'll go,' she said tentatively.
A collective sigh of relief filled the air, as everyone silently thanked her for going first.
'Okay, well, I'm sort of an open book, so this probably won't be much of a surprise for you all, but anyway,' she started.
"I wish that Gail would be nice to me, because I think she has a kind heart really and that its all for show, so she doesn't get hurt.' Gail flinched in her chair, but forced a small sarcastic smile in Chloe's direction.
"I wish that Andy would let someone in, so we wouldn't have to watch her struggle with really hard choices and not be able to help her,' Chloe breezed quickly past that one so she didn't have to make eye contact with the men who were glaring at her from all angles.
'And finally, I wish that Chris would come back. Cos I feel like everyone was happier when he was around.' And with that she smiled, and let out a deep breath as if a weight had gone from her shoulders. Dov squeezed her hand from the seat next to her.
'Okayyy. Thank you Chloe. Who wants to go next?'
'Alright, I'll go' Gail offered from the opposite side of the circle. A few eyebrows were raised in shock.
'I wish…Chloe wasn't so god damn happy all the time. It's sickening.' She sniped at Chloe in retaliation.
'I wish Traci would give my brother a chance,' she said, glancing to Traci, two seats round on her right, who gave her a wry smile in return.
'And I wish Nick had the balls to admit he has feelings for Andy.'
She fiddled with her sleeve, pulling it down over her hand and picking at a frayed thread. It was quiet around her. She could feel their eyes on her.
'This is good, people.' Dr Dwyer spoke from the middle. 'Next?'
Traci cleared her throat.
'I wish that Noelle and Frank can have a long and happy life together,' she smiled fondly at Noelle across the circle.
'I wish that my best friend could find a strong and simple love, like I did.' Traci looked at Andy on her right, who glanced at Sam, and then at Nick. Knowing it was anything but simple with either of them.
'And I wish life wasn't so short….that Jerry was here,' she added lastly, looking over at Gail as a response to her wish. Gail smiled in return, knowing what Traci meant. That she was going to try.
'Can I say something next?' Noelle asked, before the therapist had a chance to speak again.
'By all means.'
Noelle turned in her seat so she could see everyone. 'I wish that I wasn't waiting for test results that might hurt my family,' she said, sadly.
'I wish I didn't have to ask so much from the people that love me.' She glanced at each of their faces.
'And I wish I could know that one day my little girl will grow up to have such wonderful friends as I have.' She choked on the last few words and had to compose herself before smiling at the group and leaning back against her chair, glad it was over.
Touched by Noelle's words, Dov decided to take his turn next.
'I know everyone's having a tough time at the moment, and its getting really hard to just switch off to it. I don't want to step on anyone's toes. So I'm just going to state the obvious and let the rest of you fight it out.'
'I wish Noelle wasn't sick,' he began.
'I wish Oliver could be as happy with his new lady as I am with Chloe.'
'And I too wish that Chris would come home. Because I miss him too,' he said, and fell silent.
Marlo went next.
'I wish I found it easier to make friends,' she started, looking at the group from under her eyelashes.
'I wish I could learn to accept help from others, when I know I should.'
'And I wish that I could feel comfortable talking about my feelings.' Nobody made a comment. Eyes scanned the room, looking to move on. Sam was the only one who looked Marlo's way and held her gaze.
Dr Dwyer thanked Marlo for her input, and scanned the room to see who was left to speak. 'Detective Swarek, would you like to say something?' she asked.
'Not particularly,' he said glancing at Andy and fidgeting in his seat.
Andy stirred in her seat, spurred on by Sam's refusal.
'I'll say something,' she suggested.
'Lovely,' Dr Dwyer said, before gesturing that Andy should begin.
Andy looked at the floor and twisted her fingers together while she decided what to say first.
'I wish…..' she paused, then tried again. 'I wish that I could just work out what…who…I want, rather than running away all the time.'
'And, I wish that I could find a way to not get left, by the people I love.' She raised her eyes to look at Sam as she said that. He was watching her closely, as were the rest of them.
She sighed a heavy sigh before she said the last one.
'And I wish that I could see inside people's head's sometimes, so I could know what they were thinking. Then maybe it wouldn't be so hard to let go.' She ran her hands through her hair and looked up at the ceiling, already regretting saying what she'd said with both Sam and Nick in the room.
Nick was the next to speak. He took his time phrasing it so he didn't give too much away.
'I wish the stakes weren't always so high,' he started.
'I wish that I could stop second guessing myself, and hesitating.' He looked at Gail and then at Andy.
'And I wish that I could stop caring if the people I love get hurt from the feelings I might act on.' He sighed and glared at Gail. This wasn't easy, but she'd brought it up first.
'Oliver? Would you like to go next?' Dr Dwyer asked.
Oliver shuffled.
'Umm, okay. I wish that my kids will be as smart and strong as those of you in this room that I've had the pleasure to mentor.' He said with a smile. 'Not that your egos need reminding of that!' he added with a laugh, trying to lighten the mood.
'I wish that people listened to my advice more often than they do, because I'm normally right.' He laughed again, looking at McNally in particular.
'And, uh…I wish that my friend here,' he slapped Sam on the back, 'would get and say his piece quickly so we can all hit the penny!'
They all smiled at him. Apart from Andy who looked at Sam, almost daring him to run.
Dr Dwyer turned her eyes on Sam. 'Well?' she questioned.
'No. Absolutely not. This is not my thing,' he said gesturing around the circle. 'I don't do this.'
'Why don't you try?' she probed.
'Nope.' He fidgeted and made to leave, but Oliver caught his arm and pulled him back into his seat.
'Is it going to kill you to give us a wish or two?' Dr Dwyer asked.
Sam closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.
'How about this,' he blurted, 'I wish I didn't have to sit in a circle of people I love and respect, and listen to the them hurting, about things that I blame myself for.' He paused, meeting Andy's stare.
'Go on…' the therapist encouraged.
'I wish that I could go back six months and stop replaying things in my head in case it would make a difference. '
'And I wish that I could tell people when I love them, instead of bottling it up.' He said.
'There. Can I go now?'
And with that he bolted from the room, leaving the others to piece together what he meant.
Let me know who you think I got right, and who I got wrong, by leaving a review. Thank you for reading!
Steffie.