Doctor:           Okay, Ryou.  At the request of your father, I'm going to try something new today—

Ryou:             Hypnotism, I know.

Doctor:           (after a pause) Are you all right with that?

Ryou:             (looking away) Sure.

Doctor:           (taking a note on the pad of paper resting in his lap) Doesn't sound too convincing.

Ryou:             If it bothered me, would you not do it?

                        (Several papers on the doctor's desk are disturbed by an unseen force and fall to the floor.)

Doctor:           (after restoring the papers) Point taken.  (He shifts himself, setting the pad of paper and pencil aside.) Now, then—I am going to count to ten slowly and when I reach the number ten, you will have slipped into a trance and you will be able to speak with me on a subconscious level.  Do you understand?

Ryou:             Yes.  (after a pause) But can you promise me something?

Doctor:           (looking concerned) I don't know.  What is it?

Ryou:             (swallowing hard) Promise you'll still be my friend after…

Doctor:           (resolutely) Yes.  I promise…let's begin.  One.  You are fully alert.  Two.  Three.  You begin to relax and feel drowsy.  Four.  Your eyelids droop.  Five.  Six.  Your eyes are closed.  Seven.  Eight.  Your consciousness is slipping.  Nine.  You are almost gone.  Ten.  You are submerged.  (pauses)  Ryou?

Ryou:             (moves his head but is silent)

Doctor:           Ryou, can you hear me?

Ryou:             (slurring) Yes.

Doctor:           Okay.  (allows a moment for Ryou to right himself) Do you know why your father is upset?

Ryou:             (sighs) I misbehave.

Doctor:           (picking paper and pencil back up to take notes) And why is that?

Ryou:             I'm angry.

Doctor:           Why are you angry, Ryou?

Ryou:             No one understands.

Doctor:           What don't they understand?  (after Ryou fails to reply) Ryou?

Ryou:             You don't understand me.

Doctor:           What makes you say that?

Ryou:             (after a pause) You think I'm crazy.

Doctor:           Why would I think that?

Ryou:             (sniffling) You don't believe me.

Doctor:           (is silent)

Ryou:             I trusted you and you don't believe me.

Doctor:           What did you ever tell me that I didn't believe?

Ryou:             (hesitates) The voice…(he twitches, exhaling sharply)

Doctor:           Ryou?  Ryou, what was that?

Ryou:             (tears snaking down his cheeks) I trusted you.

Doctor:           (brow furrowed) Ryou, you can still trust me.

Ryou:             (shaking head slowly) No.  I trusted you.  Bipolar…(He laughs abruptly, once, a sad laughter, and it melts directly into trembling, quiet sobs.)

Doctor:           (says nothing, but the guilt in his features is enough)

Ryou:             (whispering) I trusted you.  (twitches again)  No.

Doctor:           Ryou?  Ryou, what is that?

Ryou:             (weeping) No, you can't know.  (This time the twitch is a jerk away from an unseen threat.)

Doctor:           (alarmed) Ryou, what was that?  Your father?

Ryou:             (smiling hopelessly) You people don't get it.  My father's hit me once in my life.  My mother never touched me cruelly.  (More tears flow.) You don't get it.

Doctor:           Then explain it to me.

Ryou:             (hugging himself like a child) I did.  You didn't believe me.  You didn't believe me when I told you about him—(jerks violently and his nails dig into his jeans, then his voice changes, deepens) Shut up.

Doctor:           (softly) Who are you speaking to?

Ryou:             (his eyes snap open) None of your business. Stay out of it if you know what's best for you.  (He sneers, turns his head, closes his eyes, and the normal voice returns) Leave him alone.

Doctor:           (eyes wide) Ryou?

Ryou:             (growling again and looking at the doctor) No!  This imbecile is not my problem.

Doctor:           (is alarmed and begins to back away)

Ryou:             (slams his eyes shut and cries) Stop it!  Stop it!  Leave me alone!  Leave them all alone!  I wish you'd die!  I wish you'd never come into my life!  (with a wailing sob) Leave me alone.

Doctor:           (recovers himself suddenly) It's okay, Ryou.  I'm going to count backwards from ten and you will come back.

                        (Ryou still weeps.)

Doctor:           Ten.  Nine.  You are coming back.  Eight.  Seven.  You are growing more alert.

                        (Ryou's sobs soften to whimpers.)

Doctor:           Six.  Five.  You are almost awake now.  Four.  Three.

                        (Ryou's whimpers are now only ragged sighs.)

Doctor:           Two.  You are waking up.  One.  You can open your eyes.

Ryou:             (opens his eyes slowly, surprised to find he's been crying)

Doctor:           (concerned) Ryou?  You okay?

Ryou:             (sniffles and runs a hand along a tear-stained cheek) Yeah.

Doctor:           You had me worried.

Ryou:             (makes eye contact with the doctor, and upon seeing the distress there, grimaces) I'm sorry.

Doctor:           (still fazed) Do you remember anything?

Ryou:             (confused) No.  (after a pause) What did I say?