First official chapter! Enjoy :3
Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Crane or anything Batman-related, unfortunately. I only posses the rights to Cassidy Matthews.
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Crane has an appointment with Cassidy the minute the office opens. It was easy to manipulate her into arriving at seven-thirty in the morning, after absolutely assuring her that she needed her medication ASAP. Cassidy seemed completely mortified by her disorder, although Crane wasn't quite sure why. He's going to find out though, per usual.
"Doctor Crane, your seven-thirty appointment is here," pipes in Katie Hayes through the intercom. Crane has always absolutely loathed his provocative secretary, what with her try-too-hard deep red lipstick and fake, ringlet-like ginger extensions. Katie would always flounce around him, dropping papers at just the "right" moment so that she could lean over and give him a show. It was pathetic how hard she tried. If anything at all, she would make a perfectly acceptable test subject someday.
"Thank you, Miss Hayes, please send her in," Crane answers passively.
Moments later, Cassidy enters his office, her cheeks flushed from the freezing cold outside. Crane smiles at her, and she grins back shyly. Her long blonde hair hangs just above her hips, which is a change from her usual pony tail. He likes it.
Something to pull on, whispers Scarecrow suggestively.
"Shut. Up," hisses Crane under his breath. Cassidy takes a seat across from him and raises an eyebrow.
"I'm sorry, did you say something?" she questions.
"No," answers Crane quickly. He shuffles through the papers on his desk, eventually zoning in on Cassidy's file. "I informed you of your diagnosis in our last session, did I not, Miss Matthews?"
"Borderline personality disorder," says Cassidy bleakly. She glances down at the floor and shakes her leg lightly.
"Are you feeling anxious?" Crane adds.
"I..." Cassidy trails off, considering her words. She bites her lip gently before continuing, "My mother was borderline... she died by suicide."
Oh, a lip biter, Scarecrow cackles.
Crane ignores his indicative alias and replies, with an air of sympathy, "I'm sorry to hear that. My own mother died by suicide as well." Lie. Crane hasn't seen his mother in years; he has no idea what's happened to her. But he'll say anything to get inside Cassidy's head.
"Oh, Doctor Crane, that's awful, I'm so sorry," Cassidy apologizes, as though the entire made-up situation is her own fault. "If you ever need someone to talk to-"
"Don't worry about it, Miss Matthews. I'm the psychiatrist here," Crane interrupts with a friendly grin. "As for your condition... it is a chronic disorder, and it is quite complicated. However," he pauses, "it is certainly treatable, specifically with dialectical behavioral therapy and medication management."
"Where can I receive that type of treatment?" asks Cassidy interestedly.
"I could refer you to an outside psychiatrist and therapist," says Crane. Cassidy frowns, seemingly displeased with the idea. "Or," he continues, "you could continue medication management and therapy with myself. I've been trained in DBT therapy, but the decision is up to you."
"Oh, well, you're the best psychiatrist I've had," says Cassidy brightly. "And I wouldn't feel comfortable with switching doctors at this point, anyway..."
Crane chuckles internally. Attachment issues. He's already prepared himself for this particular answer, seeing as he's been treating her for nearly six months now. At first, he had pinned her as a frightened little girl, at least mentally, despite being about twenty years old. It's a symptom of her disorder, acting as a child stuck in a full-grown adult's body. She craves the affection and attention she never received when she was young, a common occurrence in borderline patients. But what had interested him the most was the intense fear of abandonment she'd described in multiple sessions. In the beginning, he had wondered how that fear would translate, had she become one of his test subjects. She'd probably react with a lot of sobbing... begging, too...
Lucky her, she fits his personality profiler. And she's cute. That would keep her safe, at least for now.
"All right then. For now I'll prescribe you ten milligrams of Prozac. It's an antidepressant that's often helpful in treating mood swings. Side effects may include nausea, loss of appetite, headaches, and drowsiness," Crane explains. He writes the prescription, then reaches into his back pocket and passes Cassidy a card. "This has my personal cell phone number on it, just in case you experience any side effects." He pauses. Cassidy looks in him with a slightly confused expression on her face. "Or if you'd like to have more personalized sessions," Crane finishes.
"Oh," says Cassidy, taking the card. Her cheeks have flared tomato red, obviously out of flattery. She's smiling like a giddy little girl now, all traces of confusion erased from her expression. She bats her eyelashes a few subtle times before answering, "That sounds great, Doctor Crane. Thank you so much. I'll give you a call soon."
"I'm looking forward to it, Miss Matthews."
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Reviews, anyone? :)
