Shadow stared ahead as he absentmindedly tapped on his clipboard, thinking deeply about his next few steps.

His last client walked out the door for the last time just two days ago, life turned around and issues being dealt with properly. He called in today to ask if he could ever come back willingly to be checked on if he ever slipped up, and the news quickly spread around the office of a client being able to say that proudly.

Now, he was assigned another.

"Sonic" was his official name, but underneath, he was described.

"Only responds to the name 'Spins', gets aggressive if called Sonic multiple times. Dislikes touch, loud sounds, and mentions of humans at all.

Age: 17

Height: 3'2"

Weight: xxx

Diagnosis: Severe depression, suicidal tendencies, hyper aggression, general fear around adults and those taller than him.

Medication: xxx"

That put him on edge. There were a few reasons why he was picked. One, because while everyone that worked here was an adult, he was the youngest looking and could easily pass as 18. Two, he also hated humans, for reasons he was sure if he spoke about he'd be put in a hospital too. Lastly, he also hated being touched. Whenever anyone made contact with him, accidental or not, it would make his skin crawl. Maybe because of past trauma, maybe due to something else, but he never cared enough to find out.

Finally, Shadow stopped tapping to blink at the clock. About time to get up and see Sonic, albeit that he would be early.

He got up from his seat and straightened his back, holding a clipboard in the crook of his elbow as he unlocked his office door and left, locking it behind him. Sonic-- Ahem, Spins' room was to the left and down the hall, second door on the right, in the 'D' ward. The doors had little windows to peek into to check up on clients in passing if one had no time to individually unlock and open the door to see if they were alright, and each window was two way. On their side, it simply looked like a mirror.

He stopped at Spins' door and glared at the blue mesh against the window. Quills, hedgehog quills, removed and woven together to block anyone from seeing inside. He unlocked the door, pushing it open and sliding inside before it had much of any time to close.

Spins didn't even look up, simply rubbing a bald spot on his head near his temple and staring at the bed.

"Hello," Shadow greeted, knowing full well that he was going to get next to nothing out of the other. "I'm Shadow, your new guidance counselor. Or doctor, if you rather I call it that."

"What's my name, Doc?" Spins cut in, and Shadow noticed that he was running his fingers against the spot roughly now. He dropped his hand to drag his claws against the fabric of the bed.

"How exactly do you want me to answer that?" He asked instead, and the blue hedgehog's expression changed.

It was only for a split second, but it was there long enough for him to notice. "...Call me Spins, doc."

"Alright, Spins. Now that the dumb basics are over with--" there was a clear change in expression there, he wasn't sure if it was because of he was looking at his clipboard and the other figured he couldn't see him, or if it was because of his improper word choice, but it was definitely there. Shock. "I'm finally able to start. Anything you wish to tell me before I do?"

"So I'm dumb, to you?"

"Not at all." he responded calmly. It was easy for him, he was rather… expressionless, and hard to scare. If given to the wrong client, he would immediately tell someone else to take his place. He was only there for the difficult ones. "This isn't my first time with a client, and the start is awfully awkward for the both of us each time. I don't wish for anyone to feel downtrodden."

Spins stared, hand going up to the bald spot on his quills. He grew quiet, then. "Is that dye?"

It was Shadow's turn to be a bit confused, then he realized what the other was talking about. "Oh, the red? No. Everything about my body is 100% natural." He wished he could say the word he was originally thinking.

"Prove it."

"And how will I do such a thing?" He asked quickly, pulling out a single red quill and offering it to the other. He had yet to leave his chair and Spins had yet to stand from his bed, leaving him to keep his arm out. "If you break it in half, you will see that the red continues through the entire quill."

"I mean, you must have red other places." Spins moved to his hands and knees, lowering his chest to the bed to wave his hips in the air. "Why don't you come over and show me?"

"Inappropriate."

If anything, Shadow fixed him with an empty stare and smoothed down the collar of his lab coat. His very first client was a rapist, and two others were highly sexual to the point where they need to be so heavily drugged and tied down to even be spoken to. They… didn't make it out.

"Wow, what, can't take a joke?" Spins' mood changed drastically and he spun around, sliding off the bed to make a rather rude gesture. It only reminded the other that no clothes were allowed inside rooms of D wards. "Ha ha! And to think you even had the chance to talk to me!"

Shadow blinked, merely exhausted at this type of show. Even if he was getting somewhere, mockery was also getting him nowhere. "You know nothing about me, so how can you come to any conclusion? How do you know I didn't come to choose you specifically?"

Spins seemed offended for a second to be told off, then rolled his eyes. "Duh, no one likes me. Everyone in this damn hospital is sick of me." he glared, challenging him. "Even you, Doc. Admit it, you got stuck with me."

Shadow wrote that down quietly, hand moving like he was doodling more than writing. "You feel as if no one cares for you?"

"You're ignoring my question." he smirked, giving up on the other and laying down on the bed. "Admit it. Admit that I got dumped into your hands because they're sick of me. I dunno why they wont send me to the Farm already."

"And what exactly would you have done if they took you up on that offer? To go to the Farm?"

A pause, but this time it wasn't because Spins was thinking. Actually, he had changed position again, standing up a few feet from Shadow and digging his fingers into hid arms. His claws were clipped.

"I don't know, why don't we find out, Shadow?" He grinned, but it was empty. "Send me to the Farm."

He fixed him with an exasperated stare this time, then sighed, putting his face in his palm. "Must we do this song and dance, then? What reaction are you trying to get out of me? Do you truly wish I would give up right here and now, or have you given up on caring for yourself, and want someone to make the decisions?"

Spins ignored him, but it was obvious that his words hit him. His hands moved to his chest, but actions were slowed. his dull claws dug into his fur, trying to cause some sort of injury.

"Having second thoughts, now? Because you know, as soon as you hurt yourself you'll be moved to the Soft Room. That's somewhere I don't want you to be."

"...Why are you being so harsh to me?" came a sniffle, and Shadow blinked. Sure, he was getting angry, but he never once let it show nor rose his voice. His hands fumbled with his fur until it was clear he was just wringing his hands, not doing anything harmful. "Everyone's been so harsh. I don't know why. No one wants to listen, I know… just… why haven't you left? Just leave, let me rot. Leave."

"Finally." Shadow sighed, setting the clipboard down and looking at him. The other's eyes were tearing up, but he wouldn't let a single one fall. "A question I can answer. In short, I don't want to. I don't want you to sit and rot in here. I can't help everyone, but I can try, and damned if I'm not going to try with you."

Spins fell to his knees, now staring at the ground. He looked awkward now, unsure what to do with himself. "Oh… what happens when you fail?"

"I'll answer if you answer this question of mine first."

He sucked in a sharp breath, scrubbing his face dry with the heel of his palm. "Sure, what?"

"How many counselors have you had?"

A scoff. "In life or just in here? I'm sure I've run though everyone by now, they're all sick of me. Weird that you aren't yet." he shook his head. "Now mine."

"I've failed before, but that doesn't mean I let anyone of them do so. I won't let you fail, either."

"That wasn't my question."

"It was my answer." Shadow sat back in his chair, looking up at the plain white ceiling now. It pissed him off how many times he's had to stare at such a colour. Would it kill them to get any other colour except for white or tan? "Do you want your room painted?"

"...what?" Spins had stopped crying by now, looking more bored than anything. He hugged his knees to his chest. "Why do you--"

"I hate interrupting, really, but please just answer my question."

Anger flared, but it was quelled long enough to answer. "Yep. Want it painted with your blood."

"Hah," the words began slipping out faster than he could stop them. "You wouldn't be the first. My blood's an ugly colour anyway, pure red would be better."

Spins stared now, absolutely floored by that response that Shadow clearly didn't mean to say based off his flustered expression. The first expression he got from the other today, and he felt… somewhat angry about it?

"Wouldn't be the first…? Who else wanted your blood painted on the walls?" he asked, watching Shadow's expression sour, then return neutral. "That's a bit too personal, sorry I let that slip. Anyway, back to the colours. I ask because I'm allowed to make suggestions if the client asks since I'm usually the only one anyone listens to regarding that."

It was too soon, he supposed. Too soon to ask again about the 'blood painted on the walls' thing, but if Shadow was willing to listen about dumb shit such as what colour he wanted his walls to be, then fine. "Yellow, brown, and blue. I want the floor brown, the walls light blue, and the ceiling yellow."

"Oh, I see." Shadow's pen danced across the paper, "Those are nice colours. My room's painted similar, with light blue walls and black tile floors. My ceiling is grey, though, never white. I hate the colour white."

"Why?"

"Mmh," Spins could see the quick thought process behind his eyes, thinking if he could share information or not, before he spoke. "I was in the hospital a lot for personal reasons. Most of my time was spent staring at the white ceiling because I could never sleep."

"Oh." Now. "Was it for your EDD?"

Instead of rage, he got the polar opposite. Shadow laughed. It was short, sudden, and he cut it off with a clear of his throat, but he had laughed at what he said. "Where did you even get that from?"

Spins' face felt warm all of the sudden and he glared. "You know…" he looked at the ground. "You're probably as nuts as anyone else in here, I dunno."

"Hm, I might have a screw loose somewhere, but personally, who doesn't?" Shadow pulled his phone from his pocket and glanced at it, then shoved it back in. "Alright, I have no one else in my roster. If you want, I can stay and we can talk longer until it's time for me to leave, or I can go on lunch and fill up my schedule." it was rare he was ever so clear before. In fact, his clipboard only had Sonic's file. He asked about it, but he was still explained to only worry about Sonic. He supposed no one else needed so much care today.

"I can keep you here?" Spins grinned. "Even during your lunch?"

"You should know that our lunches line up today, so if you kept me, you'd also go without food."

"Wouldn't be the first time."

"I refuse to let you not eat. If push comes to shove, I will make sure you do."

"Hey, let's make a proposition." the teen stood, towering over Shadow with his arms crossed. The adult merely narrowed his eyes. "I'll listen to you, do whatever you want, answer whatever questions you ask me…"

"...And the catch?"

xox

what's up bitches speka here with a whole new story