Hi everyone! I want to bribe you a little... if I get 10 reviews for chapter 2, I will post chapter 3!
P.S. I know that in an actual hour a lot more would be discussed. But think of this as abridged versions of the sessions.
~D
Chapter 2: Session 1
Bobby sat on the couch.
"I'm glad you came back," Olivet started as she opened her pad of paper.
"Did I have a choice?" he asked.
"Well, I suppose it depends on if you value your privacy or your job more. I take it you value your job more."
Bobby crossed his arms. "I want to make it clear that I do not want to be here, nor do I think these sessions are necessary."
"Oh, you made that very clear when we first met. So let's just say that you're humoring me here... that you are giving me a fascinating subject to psychologically poke and prod at."
Bobby couldn't help but crack a smile.
Olivet smiled too, "There we go. It's already going better than before. Before we begin, I have to ask you an important question."
"Okay..." Bobby's nerves started acting up again.
"Do you feel comfortable with me as your doctor?" She watched for his reaction
Bobby furrowed his brow in confusion and replied, "Um, I suppose so. I... I don't have any reason not to, do I?"
"No, of course not. I just need to let you know that if you do not feel comfortable, there are other doctors available through the department."
He shook his head. "This is fine. Plus, I don't want to have to go through another entrance exam." He smiled genuinely.
The doctor laughed and had her own moment of ease. "No, those are difficult. But I am glad to see that you are already feeling better about this... and I'm glad to see you joke. But you said something interesting just now. Did our first meeting make you nervous or anxious?"
Scratching his neck, Bobby replied, "Um, I suppose... wasn't it obvious? I'm not used to being in these situations. I'm usually on the other side of this."
Olivet nodded and jotted something on the paper. Then she reached to behind her, to a side table and asked, "Would you like to smoke?" as she placed an ashtray on the coffee table.
"How did you...?" Bobby started, confused.
"You tap your lips. It's a nervous habit of people who smoke. A lot of people do that in here."
Bobby moved his hand away from his face and reached into his breast pocket, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. He lit one and exhaled. This might make the sessions more bearable.
"So, what would you like to talk about today?"
He opened his mouth as if to say something, but thought better of it. After a moment Bobby finally said, "I think it would be better if you lead the direction of these meetings."
"Why's that?" the doctor was genuinely confused.
"Well," Bobby uncrossed his arms, but crossed his legs, "I think it would probably be much less painful for you and much less stressful for me if you lead. After all, I don't want to manipulate you."
"Ouch." She wrote in her pad and continued, "Do you find that you manipulate people often?"
"That's not what I meant." He sighed. "I'm a detective. There is always some manipulation in my job."
"Okay, well how about we talk about your job today."
The leg started shaking again, "What would you like to know?"
"Well, you said that you are on the other side of these situations. Do you find that you use psychology when questioning people?"
"It's kind of my trade mark, I guess. But Ross doesn't always seem to agree with it."
"How's that?"
Bobby shook his head and took a drag, "I don't know. He prefers 'old school' interrogations from what I can tell."
"Ah, like in the old cop movies... slap 'em around and such."
"Yeah, like that."
Olivet bounced her pen on the pad and asked, "And you don't like using those techniques I take it?"
"No."
"Why?"
"I... I prefer to understand why someone did or didn't do something. I don't want to scare them into confessing for something that they didn't do. People are complicated and rarely do they ever do anything without some sort of motive. I like to learn their thought process before I judge them."
The doctor wrote in her pad. "That's understandable. So, how is your relationship with your Captain?"
"Um, I don't..." Bobby looked away.
"Bobby, don't worry. If you have something nasty to say about him, I legally can't tell him. I know that you haven't worked with him long. And I am aware that there have been disagreements between the two of you. As long as it's not a threat, I can't report anything, so feel free to say what you feel. It's why you're here."
"Right. Well, he's.... He and I don't see eye to eye. I know that he thinks I am frantic and unhinged at times. I am. But it's what makes me a good detective. My previous Captain, James Deakins, he understood my methods. He probably thought the same things about me. But he knew that they work. When I would interrogate people, he would call it 'The Goren Show'." Bobby smiled at the memory, and Olivet smiled in agreement. But Bobby's smile faded and he continued, "But he got a raw deal and had to resign." He exhaled more smoke.
"And how did that make you feel?"
Bobby made eye contact and responded, "I guess that's when the bottom started falling out. My job was... is my stability. And he was part of the foundation. I wasn't happy but there wasn't anything that I could do. I tried. We all did. That's the job, I guess. Politics." He stubbed out the cigarette and put the pack back in his pocket.
Olivet wrote. "And is your relationship with Ross still... rocky?"
Bobby sighed. "I can't always tell. For all the people that I read day to day, I can't ever tell when Ross wants me there, or wants me out. I want to believe that he respects me, but that he doesn't always know how to deal with me."
Olivet nodded. "And is there anyone in the department that you feel you can go to in a time of need? A support, if you will?"
Tilting his head, Bobby thought for a moment. He didn't need to think about the question, but something made him. Finally he said, "My partner."
"Alexandra Eames."
"Yes."
Again there was more writing and a page was turned. "This is a difficult question, but has there ever been anything romantic between you and Detective Eames?"
He shook his head, but stopped. His mind went to the conversation he had with his brother Frank: Why don't you take Eames to a hotel and get it out of your system? He was brought back to reality when he heard Olivet asking, "Bobby, what is it?"
He shook his head again and rubbed his forehead with a hand. "It's... it's nothing."
"Are you sure?"
He nodded, "Yeah." He cleared his throat. "Um, she keeps me in check. What's more, she puts up with my antics. She saved my life at Tates and I trust her. That's the most important thing, that I trust her."
"Does she trust you?"
"I think so. But I guess you would have to ask her that. We work well together, in my opinion. But at times I feel, I know, that my methods have cost her a promotion. I think she knows I wouldn't be as effective without her, and that's why she stays. But by staying by my side, she risks her reputation."
"How so?"
Bobby looked away. "The Chief of D's doesn't like me. And the longer she is with me, I'm sure the more he doesn't like her. She is the reason why I am still in the NYPD, and the Chief is always looking for ways to get rid of me. But with her there, he can't truly justify getting rid of me."
Olivet wrote. "But do you ever think he is keeping you around because you do a good job? I mean, you are a successful detective with a good number of successful cases under your belt."
He looked back at the doctor. "Don't try to flatter me."
Olivet was put off by this remark. "Um, that wasn't my intention, Bobby. I'm sorry." His mood had shifted back to the guarded man that she met the previous week. She noticed that his leg was still bouncing and shaking. "Does talking about work make you uncomfortable?"
He crossed his arms. "I... I don't know. Isn't that why I'm here? To talk about work?"
"We are here to talk about you. Work just happens to be one element of your life. But if you want, we can change subjects."
"No. I'm not uncomfortable. Let's just keep going."
She nodded. "You have been fidgeting since we started this discussion." She looked down at his leg and his eyes followed. Once seeing this, Bobby halted the movements and cleared his throat.
"I'm fine," he coolly responded.
"How do other detectives receive you?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well," she crossed her legs, "do you feel that you connect with any of the other detectives in Major Case?"
"Detectives rarely see eye to eye."
"So I've learned. Do you give them the opportunity to get to know you?"
He looked away and threw up a hand, "It's not a social hour-"
"But you need social interaction, don't you? Can you work in a place where you don't get along with anyone but Eames?"
"I... I don't know how to answer these questions."
"Try honestly. Do you ever crave more social interaction and comradery in the workplace?"
Bobby watched her for a minute, trying to determine how to respond. His eyes flicked to the clock and a spark of hope hit him. "Doctor, I think our hour is just about up."
She looked at the clock and replied, "We still have a few minutes. It's a simple question, Bobby. You seem to lead a relatively solitary life. Is this something that you want? Or is it something that you want to change?"
"I don't know. I have friends. But I am a detective. We don't have social lives. We work. That's why I'm here. Because I want to get back to work. And I'm done for the day."
Bobby stood and walked out before Olivet could say anything more.
