U is for Undoing

Doctor William Bradford took a deep breath and metaphorically poked the rattlesnake. "You have something you want to say," he began. "Then just say it."

"All right," Don Eppes replied, his jaw set in a grim line. "I don't see why I should have to keep coming here."

Bradford's eyebrows shot up. "That's it?" he asked.

Don looked at him. "Yeah, that's it," he snapped. "What else did you want me to say?"

"I would have thought you'd want to talk about Granger," the psychiatrist replied.

"You…" Don leaned forward in his chair. "You haven't got the first clue about me, or Granger – or anything else for that matter. Why would I want to talk to you about him?"

Not for the first time, Bradford wondered why he couldn't have taken up dog-whispering or something equally stress-free. "Why would you say that, Don?" he asked quietly. "What makes you think I don't know anything?"

Don snorted in derision. "You've proven it, haven't you?" he answered. "You were the one who told me I should take a page out of Granger's book – that I could learn something from him." He smiled, but it was no more than a dour quirk of the lips. "I could learn something from him, alright – like how to be a traitor to my country."

"You're convinced he's a traitor?" the psychiatrist asked. "Even considering what you know about him?"

"I don't know anything about him," Don retorted. "But I do know that he admitted to planting a bug for the Chinese – there aren't too many ways to misinterpret that."

Bradford regarded him in silence for a moment. "He admitted to putting a Chinese bug in the sofa," he agreed finally. "Not that he planted it for the Chinese."

Don stared at him for a moment and then waved his hand in an abrupt dismissal. "I'm not interested in arguing semantics with you."

"Don," Bradford began slowly. "Regardless of Granger's actions – or his reasons behind them – the advice I gave you was sound." He settled back in his chair, lacing his fingers across his chest. "So… you think that because of what happened you shouldn't come here anymore."

"That's what I said."

"You don't think the progress you've made over the last few months outweighs your need to build another wall around you?" the other man asked. "You'll just be back where you started."

Don glared at him. "No, I won't," he countered. "I'll be ahead of the game."

"And why is that?"

"Because," the agent said, getting to his feet. "Now I know who I can trust."

Bradford watched as he strode for the door. When Don was about to open it, he called out, "And who would that be?"

"No one."

As the door closed with a muffled thump – At least he didn't slam it… really – Bradford sighed and opened the folder on his lap. He made a quick notation in the margin before closing the file and putting it away:

Back to square one.