The year was 2009. Carmen Wilkes was twenty-four and psychiatrist. She was tall with wavy light brown hair and green eyes. She loved her job. She loved helping people. She had a new patient starting today. His name was Randy Orton. She'd just finished going over his casefile. Her assistant came over the intercom.
"Mr. Orton is here." She said.
"Thank you, send him in."
About five seconds later Randy walked in.
"Hi Randy, I'm Dr. Wilkes." She said.
"Hi." He said sounding like he didn't want to be there.
"Please sit down." He sat down. "How are you today?"
"Annoyed." "Not at you, just the situation."
"Well according to your file, you've been ordered by your place of employment to complete three months of therapy for your anger issues." "On which I must sign off on upon completion and give your employer monthly progress reports."
"I don't have anger issues."
"I see here in my notes one incident where you screamed at an airport worker for next checking you in."
"I offered her a hundred dollars she wouldn't take it." "Yes I did get angry but doesn't everyone?"
"Yes but there is a difference between regular anger and what you're exhibiting." "What you seem to exhibit is an intense overreaction." "I was also told of an incident with a co-worker."
"That was his fault." "He backed into my rental car then acted like it was my fault."
"What happened when you got out of the car?"
"We started yelling at each other and I grabbed him." "He lied to our boss and said I hit him."
"What do you think makes you so angry?"
"People are fucking morons."
The hour was up.
"We're done for the day." She said. "Next time you feel yourself getting angry I want you to take a deep breath and count backwards from ten."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously."
"Ok." Randy stood up. "Would you like to go out to dinner?"
"I'm your doctor Randy."
"So what?"
"Even if I wanted to say yes, I couldn't." "Doctors aren't allowed to fraternize with their patients." "My license would be revoked."
"Oh."
"I'll see you Thursday."
"Ok." He left.
Later that night Carmen was in her apartment unpacking boxes. She'd lived there a week. She'd broken up with her boyfriend three months ago but had just recently found a place. She was doing her best to get her life back together.