AN: Once again I am so grateful for all your wonderful reviews and the fact you continue to read despite the fact I rip your hearts out with each chapter. Please consider this a forewarning that the road is about to get rocky for my version of H and E. Enjoy and as always, please review

Chapter Twenty Two - Confessions

'Hi Dr Sherman, I am so sorry I'm late, there was this thing at work and well, it doesn't matter I'm here now' Elizabeth rambled as she greeted a familiar face. Dr Sherman smiled and gestured for her to take a seat.

'You know I am surprised, In the six weeks we've been meeting this is your first time being late. I recall in our previous times together you were often late' Dr Sherman chuckled and Elizabeth grimaced apologetically

'It comes with the job, and as my work load begins to increase I find myself staying later and later again' she sighed, flashes of earlier conversations between herself and Henry flashing through her head.

'You ok there?' She asked, noticing the distant look behind Elizabeth's icy blue eyes. Elizabeth shook herself from her thoughts and brushed her trousers down, firmly nodding that she was ok, lying of course, but they both knew that by now.

'Ok-' Dr Sherman paused, she glanced down at her notes before her and skimmed over the information before looking back up at Elizabeth.'Before we begin today I just wanted to check my notes on your physical health? I want to make sure I am up to day with all your progress' She smiled

'Of course, urm, I don't have much to report if I am honest, I have a doctors appointment at the end of this week for a routine check up, to look over the wound on my back and thigh, and my memory test, I still haven't had that yet' she confirmed

'And how are you feeling about all that? It will be the first time you've been seen for what, four weeks?' She glanced down at her notes confirming dates and Elizabeth nodded

'Something like that yeah' she mumbled

'So? Thoughts? Feelings?' Dr Sherman pressed. Elizabeth pondered for a moment, chewing at her lip as she shook her head, unsure how to answer that without being truthful.

'I don't really feel like I have any connection to it, I've kind of been avoiding it. I was supposed to go for an appointment two weeks ago and I didn't…' she admitted and dipped her head

'Why?' Came the soft response and Elizabeth just shrugged, her body language imitating a teenager being told off.

'Scared I guess, some of my memories are still… Sketchy-' she paused wondering if that was even the right descriptive word, '-It's better now'

'Elizabeth it's not a test you can fail, all your memory will come back the initial testing proved that, it's more about you needing to recall events. It's also about your physical injuries, they need monitoring. When was the last time they were looked at?' Elizabeth chewed her lip and avoided eye contact prompting Dr Sherman to sigh. 'Has Henry at least seen them recently?' She asked and Elizabeth shook her head slowly, her eyes closing as her heart sank to the floor.

A brief moment of silence passed through them as Dr Sherman contemplated her approach.

'Are things still difficult between yourself and Henry?' She asked softly, watching the vulnerability of Elizabeth spill out before her.

'Yeah' she slowly nodded, raising her head and catching Dr Shermans gaze. She sighed and ran her hand through her hair 'Really difficult, I just don't see how we're going to overcome this' she cleared her throat and glanced across the room, her sole focus on the fish in the office, watching them swim around trying to distract herself from the hurt within.

'Have either of you talked to one another?'

'We still talk, we have conversations about the kids, or what's for leftovers, or how late it is and that I should probably get sleep-'

'I meant to talk about your feelings, how you're feeling, how he is feeling, how you both feel towards one another?'

``We can't, I mean we try, but every time it results in an argument and then it's really weird, the argument just stops. It's like one of us or both reach a limit and we don't have the energy to fight anymore so we don't, we just stop. But nothing is ever resolved, the underlying issues are still there. We just cover it up and move on, a different day, a different issue, brushing every single one under the carpet.' She spoke with very little emotion, her words pouring out but her feelings completely detached from her reality, a simple sigh of frustration was all she could muster.

'I worry how high are we going to let that pile get, it's not good is it'

'What isn't?' Dr Sherman pushed back

'Not having the energy to even argue anymore. I always believed that arguments were good, like you're fighting because you still care, but what happens when you both stop arguing? Then what?' Elizabeth leant back in the chair and sniffled, her gaze unable to focus as her mind tortured her from every corner possible.

'Do you think that's true? Are you no longer arguing with him because you don't care about him? Or your relationship?' The harsh truth propelled through Elizabeth's heart, a sharp gasp of air filled her lungs as her cries became more pronounced, her tears spilling over into her lap.

'No' she cried. She took her hand to her mouth and muffled the sobs which escaped her. 'I miss him so, so much. I'm just tired' she spoke through ragged breaths, her sobs consuming her as her heart fell apart. Dr Sherman reached for the box of tissues and passed them to Elizabeth, she accepted and took a few, gently padding her face and wiping her nose whilst her body calmed.

'Can I ask, what are you tired of exactly?' Elizabeth sighed, she was tired of all the questioning now and wanted nothing more than to head home. She closed her eyes and shook her head, unable to answer that.

'All of it I guess, tired of feeling like a prisoner within my own mind, tired of not being able to think clearly, not being able to work effectively, of being reminded of the trauma on my body, tired of arguing with Henry' she rambled…'Tired of feeling like my marriage is over' She confessed. 'I feel like I am going to go home-' she paused for a breather, '-Like one day I am going to go home and Henry is going to be there with divorce papers, and it will be all my fault' her lips trembled as she spoke, her shoulders began to shake at her own confession, it wasn't long before her flood gates were open a tsunami of emotions ripping through the room as Elizabeth cried heavily into her own lap.

Dr Sherman looked on and her own heart ached for Elizabeth, she had no words of comfort to offer her for she had written in her own notes many sessions ago that she felt Elizabeth was detaching from people, it was only a matter of time before that filtered into her marriage.

'Sorry' she sniffled pulling fresh tissues from the box 'I'll bring my own next time' she chuckled gesturing to the box of tissues on the table before them. Dr Sherman shared the half hearted laughter with her.

'Elizabeth, can I give you some homework?' It was a rhetorical question, Elizabeth knew she was going to be tasked with something even if she declined the offer.

'Sure' she reluctantly agreed.

'I want you to ask Henry if he will do a simple game of word-association with you'

'Word-association?' She looked confused and slightly horrified at the thought. Henry and Elizabeth didn't talk about her therapy sessions anymore, not since their fight after a session two weeks ago, in fact Henry and Elizabeth didn't talk about anything anymore, she hadn't even told him about the doctors appointment she missed, nor her pending one.

'Yes, it's an exercise to help you both clear your minds and get to the simplest form of feelings. Let's run through an example, so try and clear your mind. I'll say a word and after it I want you to say the first word that comes to your mind. Don't think about it, just say it ok?' She asked and Elizabeth nodded. 'Ok, I'll do a few so you get the idea' She smiled before starting.

'Day'

'Night'

'State'

'Busy'

'Carrots'

'No' Elizabeth laughed and pulled a face, she had never liked carrots.

'Therapy'

'Stop' she laughed again and nodded her head 'Ok I get the idea, and you think it will help?' She was sceptical

'I think there is a lot that you want to say to Henry but for whatever reason are afraid, or struggling to communicate with him. So I think this may be an outlet for those emotions, to simplify something which is vastly complicated.

'Ok, Thank you' she exhaled

'I think we will end it there, that was a difficult session' She acknowledged and Elizabeth's eyes widened at the understatement.

'Safe journey home Elizabeth'

'And you Dr Sherman, thanks again'