A.N.: Sorry for the delay, but I had a few really crappy days... However I'm feeling better now and here's your update. Enjoy reading!

Chapter 33:

Dr. Riber had asked Danny to come to her office for a conversation and actually she was not looking forward to that. He didn't talk to her, didn't tell her anything about his experience and for her that meant, that he didn't trust her. She was used to addressing her patients by first name, but he hadn't even granted her that one favor.

Honestly – she did not know what to, had no idea how to help him. She had tried - she had tried really hard, but she simply would't get through to him. She had tried to talk to him, had tried defensively and with a lot of sympathy and she had tried by confronting him. She had tried with and without medication, but it simply wouldn't work.

She had no more chance to be miserable about her lack of progress as he entered her office right then. It was seven weeks since he had been brought to the hospital and his broken legs had healed by now. But as he hadn't been able to use them for the last few weeks, he was on crutches when he entered her office.

The aftermath of his injuries was no longer visible. He had been lucky – if one could say that in his case – the injuries on his face hadn't build any scars. But that didn't mean anything to her – she knew the scars she was supposed to tend lay way way deeper.

She gently asked him to sit down and gave him an intense gaze before asking the obligatory question to her patient.

„How are you?"

„I'm fine."

She had heard this answer from him once too often and at times it left such a frustrating feeling, she simply wished to yell at him, asking him to finally admit that he was not fine, that he was deeply, deeply traumatized by what had happened to him. She wanted him to finally agree to the help offered and let her do her job.

She knew it was nothing more but a wish – he wouldn't give in to her. Most probably not ever. She knew she needed to stay calm, but this conversation was already heading the wrong way and he still wasn't making it any easier for her.

„What did I come here for?"

„I'm your therapist. What do you think you came here for?"

„I don't know."

This was getting more and more frustrating. He perfectly well knew why he was here. He just didn't want to be here and unfortunatelly she couldn't make him stay. Neither in her office nor in the hospital for any longer. She had no reason to hold him here for any longer – she couldn't prove he was in any way a danger to anyone. She would have to let him go.

She had actually asked him to come here to tell him exactly that, but she had decided she would not do that without trying for one last time. It was her profession, it was her duty – she at least needed to try.

„Look - I know this is hard for you and I understand why you don't want to talk about it, but you have to. You need to talk to me, you need help to get through this and that's what I'm there for. I'm there for you."

„I already told you – I don't remember anything."

Frustration had a hold on her this time – she just couldn't keep herself from reacting in the one apropriate way to his behavior. Although as a psychologist she had to be very more careful, as a person – one with emotions as any other living being – she couldn't help it but confront him.

„That's not true."

„So what? I'm a liar?"

She hadn't expected any other reaction from him. His anger – the one reaction, which had replaced his fear – was controling most of his reactions nowadays although he mostly had himself under control. But the one thing he really didn't get along with was being confronted with anything having to do with his experience.

She needed to be more diplomatic on this matter – she didn't wanna fight with him. It was of no use, neither to him nor to her. She told herself to calm down and tried to get a conciliatory tone into her voice, showing him that she hadn't intended to hurt him.

„I didn't say that."

„What are you saying?"

„I'm saying that you need to deal with what has happened to you and you can't do it alone."

He seemed to think about her words for a few moments, not looking at her and she almost had the feeling he would listen to her. The expression on his face – especially in his eyes – told her all too clear what he was feeling about her words.

„As there is nothing I can remember, there is nothing I have to deal with."

She had no idea what to say to him any more – she had seldomly experienced that level of regression and ignorance with a patient – someone who was that absolutely unwilling to take another person's help. She needed his cooperation, which she didn't get and she was at her wits' end. He however seemed to interpret her silence as something else than frustration.

„Can I go?"

She surpressed a sigh, but breathed out audibly by his reaction. He however didn't seem to care that much about her emotional reaction, although he definitely knew what she was that frustrated about. Keeping him here wouldn't be in any way productive and she obviously couldn't make him talk to her – god knew she had tried...

She wouldn't tell him right now, she simply couldn't. She had still some hope for him and there were a few things she needed to take care of, before she would allow him to be a part of the real world outside of this hospital's wing once again. She needed for his surrounding to be prepared for him. But for now, she would allow him to leave.

„Sure."