A/N: So thank you all for the reviews, you are amazing. Anyways, CC and Niles will meet next chapter. I was going to have it in two, but I just decided to make this chapter extra long. So please enjoy.
"Hello, Dr. Bort," Niles said as he stepped into the patient recreation area. He closed the door behind him before he took his seat on the floral patterned couch. "I apologize for my tardiness. Mr. Sheffield wanted me to deliver a contract on my way over here."
"I understand," Dr. Bort answered brushing lint off her shoulder. Her extra wide shoulder pads under her black blazer made her look like a vulture. Her beak shaped nose and beady eyes glared at Niles as if he was a dead rodent. Her appearance would have frightened most other people, but he had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. He was reminded of a zinger he used on Miss Babcock a few years ago.
She opened her black binder and pulled out her yellow notepad. She tapped her pen against the yellow pages before she wrote the date in the left hand corner. "Alright, Niles, I'd like to ask you a few questions about your initial relationship between you and Miss Babcock. Can you do that for me?"
He swallowed before nodding. Although he was perfectly able to keep his composure under the most stressful circumstances, he felt as if his emotions would be completely evident. The disintegration of their friendship constantly bothered him, and he had only himself to blame. He tormented her constantly when she was only trying to keep Sheffield productions running. He knew that he needed to answer the questions in order to be of any help to CC Babcock. "Okay," he finally said in almost a whisper.
"Okay, when did you first meet CC Babcock?" Dr. Bort asked.
"Sara and Mr. Sheffield's wedding. She was one of the bridesmaids," he replied. He remembered being a groomsmen and looking at the young woman across from him. Her brown hair was in a bun, and he couldn't help noticing the pale blue dress brought out her eyes. Her brown hair and glasses contrasted the blonde bridesmaids that were searching for their future husbands in the church pews. CC looked completely content watching the ceremony as if it was a movie.
Dr. Bort quickly wrote down his response and asked, "and what did you think of her?"
Although he wanted to admit how beautiful she was at the time, he merely replied, "She was just different than the other bridesmaids." The therapist muttered something under her breath as she jotted down his answer.
"When did you get to know her?" she asked.
"When she began working as Mr. Sheffield's secretary," he replied with a faint smile. He wanted to add that she was his best friend, but the words refused to form in his mouth.
"And how did you behave around one another?"
"Witty repoirtee," he answered as if the answer was obvious.
"Same as currently?"
"Absoloutely not," he responded defensively. "It was more playful and innocent because we were friends." He closed his eyes and lowered his head. He clasped his hands together as he reflected on his words. He felt as if he defiled the cherished memory because he spoke about it. All the times CC snuck into the kitchen for a pleasant afternoon conversation while Maxwell and Sara went out to lunch seemed almost average. He reflected on the memories because they were never mentioned. Now, they were just part of the past.
After Dr. Bort's pen glided against the lined yellow paper, she looked up and asked, "What happened to your friendship?" she asked. Her beady brown eyes met his blue, and Niles felt as if she was reading the answer on his face. She straightened her posture and tapped the pen against her notepad as she waited for his response.
"After Sara died, Mr. Sheffield was too distraught to work. CC stepped in and did all the work for him. She had to become tough to keep people from taking advantage of her. I felt as if she changed and became harsher with my insults. I guessed she stopped seeing me as a friend and more as an enemy," he admitted shamefully. He realized his actions resembled a child who acted out for attention. He wondered if he was that immature, but it was too late to change the past.
"Why do you keep torturing her then?" Dr. Bort said without looking up from her notepad. Her nose nearly touched the ink on the paper. Niles was reminded of all the times CC was holed up in the office and was bent over Maxwell's desk as she went over contract for hours.
Niles didn't know how to answer Dr. Bort's question. He had Fran as a best friend, and they both loved aggravating the business woman. He never meant to break her down, but he knew he was doing it all along. Maybe, he expected her to confront him about it, and they could work things out; however, he knew insulting her wouldn't restore their friendship. He also didn't know what else would. He sighed and responded, "I just didn't know what else to do."
"Well, how do you communicate with Miss Fine?" Dr. Bort asked.
"That's different," he responded almost annoyed that Dr. Bort was comparing CC Babcock, the sharp-minded self-suficient businesswoman, to Fran Fine. "I was helping Fran win the heart of Mr. Sheffield."
"But didn't you believe Miss Babcock had feelings for Mr. Sheffield? Why did you not help her?" the therapist inquired. A knowing smile crossed her thin lips as if she already knew his answer.
Niles thought of all the possible reasons. He truly felt that CC and Maxwell would be a terrible couple despite their similiar upbringings and class. Rather, CC would be painfully bored with Maxwell Sheffield. Fran, who clearly wanted to be married, was the exactly the warm-hearted person that belonged in the Sheffield family. If he was going to be perfectly honest with himself, he would admit that he couldn't bare to see CC Babcock with anyone else but himself. Unfortunately, he was unable to express his desire to have Miss Babcock for his own. He answered, "They're clearly not right for one another."
"Right," she replied writing down his response on the yellow paper. She placed the notepad in the binder pocket. She closed the binder and placed her hands firmly on the cover. "Well, thank you for all your help. Do you mind coming in next week at the same time?"
"Of course not," he replied.
"Next week, CC will be joining us; however, I have a suspicion that she will be relunctant to having you aid with her treatment. I won't be able to convince her otherwise, but you will. Do you think you can do that?" Dr. Bort asked calmly.
"Of course," he replied with a boyish grin. The two figures stood up and shook hands. Niles left the room. He couldn't wait to see CC conscious and rearing for a battle. He lived for those moments, but he was also excited to show her that he could be more than her downfall.
Dr. Bort knocked on CC's door. "Come in," she heard a female say. She opened the door to see CC sitting on her bed. Her hair was damp and clung to her head. Her skin was tinged with pink from the heat of the water. There were water droplets on her black shirt, but she seemed more content than ever before.
"Hello, Miss Babcock," Dr. Bort said taking a seat at the edge of the patient's bed. "You look well." A crooked smile crossed the patient's face. According the hospital scale, she had lost ten pounds. She seemed to regain her confidence and a bit of her figure. She was more determined to regain her good looks, sanity, and general Babcock pride.
"I'm glad you noticed," CC replied watching the woman open her binder. Dr. Bort pulled out the yellow and crossed her legs. She closed the black binder and put the notepad on top and balanced it on her knee.
"And how have you been sleeping?" the therapist asked.
"Surprisingly well despite this rock hard mattress," CC replied, "but you know I think the medication has something to do with that." Dr. Bort nodded. According the psychriatic ward's head psychriatrist, CC was on Prozac for her depression, and Xanax for her anxiety. Xanax tended to cause drowsiness, but no one was complaining that she was finally getting enough sleep so she wasn't threatening to hurt somebody on a daily basis.
"That's good to hear," Dr. Bort replied writing something down on her notepad. "I'd like to ask you some questions before we continue on with your therapy."
"Okay," CC replied arching an eyebrow. Even though she felt better, she knew the only way to continually make progress is do exactly what she was told. She would answer any question, take any medication, or try any treatment if she would be able to go home soon.
"Miss Babcock, you are a woman of class and wealth, and yet you continue to work, remain unmarried, and function as an independent adult. You've even admitted to not using much of your inheritance. Why is that?" Dr. Bort asked tapping the pen against the notepad.
CC took a deep breath. She was uncertain how to answer the question because she didn't have the answer. She had never wanted to be like her mother, wealthy beyond belief but have nothing to claim as hers, or her sister. Perhaps, she had been trying to gain her father's attention by following in his footsteps. For all she knew, she was just trying to further the gap between every other social elitist woman and herself. It wasn't as if she ever fit in with any of them. She merely shrugged and replied, "I can't imagine myself ever being the type to not work and sit around and gossip all day."
"So do you believe all people, who sit around and gossip, don't work?" the therapist asked writing something down on her notepad.
CC visualized two women in brightly colored tight clothing. Both had incredibly nasally voices and were chatting over two bowls of ice cream. The brunette was constantly talking about her issues with Maxwell Sheffield or whatever male was temporarily in her life. She clenched her jaw as she visualized Nanny Fine, in one of her short skirts and crop tops, strutting into the office and sitting enticingly on Maxwell Sheffield's desk. "I would say that's about right," she finally replied.
Dr. Bort's beady brown eyes met CC's deep blue that were flickering with hatred. The therapist laid her pen horizontally on the notepad and asked, "Who are you associating your answer with?"
"Excuse me?"
"You have an obviously disgusted expression on your face. Your jaw is clenched, and your eyes are flickering with hatred. You only get that expression when you are talking about your mother or Miss Fine. Which one is it?" Dr. Bort asked.
"Nanny Fine," she answered.
"Why do you think you hate her apart from her unprofessional appearance and her nasally shriek of laughter?" Dr. Bort asked flipping through her notepad until she found CC's initial comments about the nanny.
CC could think of a million reasons why she couldn't stand Nanny Fine. Everything ,from her laugh and her tendency to interrupt the producers when they were trying to get work done to her big brown eyes and warm smile, made CC loathe her existence. She hated that Fran was the one female companion she had, and she was there when she needed her. She hated that the nanny was close to Niles although it didn't surprise her. She hated that the brainless little twit was closer to him than she ever was or would be. Most of all, she hated that while she worked her ass off for her job and her unsuccessful relationships, everything fell into place with Fran. The Nanny was getting married to a Broadway producer and making her mother proud. CC was alone and failing her family every day of her pathetic life.
"Everything. I hate everything about her," she replied looking at the barred window.
"Right," Dr. Bort replied writing something down in her notepad. She slipped the object into the pocket of the binder. She closed the binder once more as she realized she was going to need Niles to get past CC's over simplified answers. Although she wanted to explore more of Fran's prescence, she knew she would be more successful if she had Niles to pull the information out of her patient. She stood up and said, "Well, thank you. Next time I see you, Niles will be with us. I'd like to try to use him for your treatment if that's alright."
Every part of CC wanted to scream "No, it's not alright", but she didn't have the choice in the matter. Dr. Bort had already left her room, and CC was alone to fret about Niles interfering with her treatment.
"That's just great," she muttered sarcastically. She realized her treatment was going to be a lot harder than she expected.
