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Summary: With his mother dead, father absent, best friend missing, and girlfriend stolen, life literally fell apart for him. At his friends' guidance, he meets with a therapist who offers several drug-free treatments... but the unexpected aftereffects cause both of their lives to unravel.
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Me: Welcome to my fifth story update of the day and also the new angst story that you all have been waiting for since 6 months ago! Due to the nature of this story, my author's notes will be "milder" but more serious than usual.
Marucho: I really don't have much to say, other than that we need to get Shun off the roof as safely and quickly as possible.
Runo: Seriously? He's on the roof again? The last time he did something like that was—
Me: —in Sound of Affinity. Anyway, this story was based on two different movies that I watched, and I swear there will be a happy ending despite all the depressing misfortunes.
Julie: As usual, the author doesn't own anything.
Me: And I consulted a trusted professional about all the medical lingo in this story!
Chapter 1: Overactive Thinking
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"We can only hope that sickness doesn't exist in heaven..."
"It's only a problem if I'm losing."
"Don't worry about it. This isn't my first time attending an excavation."
"It's not me. It's you. We're done."
...
A group of three people were standing on the sidewalk while looking up at a two-story building rooftop. "Shun, get off the railing!" screamed a twintailed bluenette. "Do you know how dangerous that is?!"
"Runo's right!" a bespectacled blond added. "We understand you're in a difficult situation, but at least get off—"
"You don't understand anything." Sitting on the railing of the said building's rooftop was an amber-eyed male who ran his fingers through and pulled on strands of his black hair. "Leave me alone."
"We can't do that!" replied a cobalt-eyed girl with her silver hair in a side ponytail. "You're lucky that only Runo, Marucho, and I are here right now. This would be a lot worse if there was a giant crowd of strangers. What will everyone else think when they find out that you jumped off a roof or at least attempted to?"
"Julie, you know just as well that no one else cares. Mom's dead, Dan's missing, and don't even get me started with—"
"Fine, don't think about anyone else then," Runo interrupted. "I don't know how the three of us on ground level ended up here, but I'm glad we did. Get off the roof, Shun. You're not thinking straight because you just lost your mom and don't know about Dan's whereabouts. The police have his missing-persons case as priority. As for your mom, we're always available to help with funeral arrangements.
"And if you think your jerk dad and that heartbreaking witch will come by surprise, then I'll kick them out personally!" Julie added.
The bespectacled blond tapped on his friends' shoulders and pulled up satellite map images on his phone. "There are fire escape stairs on the side of the building that lead to the roof. Screaming at Shun from ground level won't make the situation or my parched throat any better."
"Let's go up then," the girls decided.
Shun continued to hyperventilate while ranting. "Do you have any idea why those two left me? All my dad's claims of working overtime were lies, and—what the hell?!" He turned around and saw his three friends just a few meters away from him after hearing footsteps on metal stairs. "Come any closer, and I'll—"
"What happened to the calm and composed Shun that we all know?!" the bluenette snapped. "Seriously, this isn't you right now. You mom definitely wouldn't want to see you like this. Dan's mouth would just drop in complete disappointment. I don't know much about your dad, but at least get yourself together and show him plus your greedy ex-girlfriend that you're better off without them."
"I don't want to hear about my dad or—"
"And if you won't listen to us because all you can do is vent, then how about you see a professional who's paid and trained to listen?" Marucho added.
The raven-haired male readjusted his posture on the railing and crossed his legs. "What did you just say?"
"Of all recent events that happened, your mother's death impacted you the most. You haven't slept or eaten properly for the past few days. We're all friends and want to help you, but we can't if you won't let us."
"So what do you want me to do?"
"You might find this unconventional, but I'm willing to take my chances to see you recover." The bespectacled blond approached his mourning friend by himself and held out a business card. "I met her at a health convention with my father a few weeks ago. She was a very pleasant person to talk to."
Alice Gehabich, MACP
Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor
Shun snatched the card swiftly and asked, "Does that mean you'll finally leave me alone?"
"You know that won't stop us from doing wellness checks on you," Julie refuted. "But we're begging you to get off the roof before something bad happens."
"I'll get off once you three get off."
"You heard what he said..." Runo dragged her friends to the fire escape stairs, but not before saying a piece of advice. "I know your mom's gone, but Dan's still alive unless the police have evidence saying otherwise."
Now that he was completely along on the roof again, the raven-haired male read both sides of the business card in detail. What did I ever do wrong in life to deserve this?
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"Thanks again for another session, Alice. I'll see you next week."
A redhead therapist waved goodbye to her last client of the day before approaching her blonde assistant at the receptionist desk. "We're done for the day, Chris. Wait... where did Soon go?"
"She just left to deliver a package to another suite upstairs because the mail staff gave it to us by mistake. Anyway, I have a lot of paperwork waiting for you to review. There are some newly signed health release forms from your patients, care notes from local providers, and notices from the local human services agency..."
"Thanks for organizing all this. I was surprised that all my appointments took a bit longer than usual today. Anything else I need to know?"
An auburn-haired girl entered the suite's front doors before locking them behind her. "I'm back! Miss Alice, I forgot to tell you that we have a potentially new client, which I scheduled for this Friday at 4PM if that's all right with you. There was a last-minute cancellation."
"New client? Did a physician refer this person to us?"
"I don't believe so. He called this office directly and implied that he obtained your business card from someone. Is there a difference?"
"No, I was just curious. Usually, patients who were referred by their physician or another provider also have their health information sent over, which I usually review in advance. But since you scheduled this new client at the last time slot of the day, then there shouldn't be any issues about going overtime. Did you create a new profile folder for him yet?"
"Here you go."
The therapist read the tentative cover sheet before closing the folder and grabbing Chris's stacks of paper. "You two are free to go after finishing any outstanding tasks. I need to spend more time cleaning up my care notes."
"See you tomorrow, Alice!"
"Don't stay too late, Miss Alice."
The redhead locked the doors again after her administrative assistants left for the day. After turning off the lobby lights, she returned to the consultation room and sat on a sofa. I've only established my practice for less than two years, and all my current patients were referred to me from former preceptors who've maxed out their workload. I wonder what surprises this new client will bring.
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On Friday afternoon, Shun found his way to the office building complex for his appointment, but the layout was more confusing than he expected. The main entrance led to a lobby with several chairs, an elevator next to a set of stairs, and a set of glass doors leading to patio tables and trees in the middle of the building lot. Offices were located along both the left and right hallways.
When was this building even built? It's modern enough to have these amenities but lacks signs on the wall that indicate which hallway includes which office numbers. The only thing on the wall was a list of room numbers with respective owners' names. Room 168 is on the first floor. Thank goodness.
The suite had two doors, each with two panes of glass in plastic frames. The bottom glass was transparent, whereas the upper glass had white plastic translucent sheets adhered from the inside. Alice's full name, title and occupation, and office phone number were written with white stickers on a brown sign. The translucent sheet does provide more privacy for whoever's waiting inside.
Once inside the lobby, an auburn-haired receptionist stood up and greeted the visitor. "Hello there. My name is Soon. Is this your first time here?"
"How did you know?"
"This might mean nothing to you, but as an administrative assistant, I've memorized every single appointment of the day. However, I still need you to confirm your name and appointment time for verification purposes."
After Shun provided the necessary information, he was then met with a thick stack of papers. "What is this?"
"As a new client and patient, you're required to complete and sign several new documents. The first packet asks for your personal information. The other papers are regarding consent, privacy, services agreement, medical history, health release... This we ask people to come at least fifteen minutes early for the first appointment."
Meanwhile, Chris was typing an important document during the entire conversation until she switched screens and sent an instant message to the trio's group chat. "Last client of the day just checked in."
"I'll be there shortly after finishing a care note," her employer messaged.
A few minutes later, Alice opened the doors while holding a file folder in her hand. "Is Shun here?"
"Hi."
Surprised by the redhead individual before his eyes, the raven-haired client raised his hand weakly before following the redhead inside to the hardwood consultation room. In the center of the room was an area rug with a tea table, two large sofas, other chairs, and lamp tables. Toward the right were bookshelves against the walls and a computer desk setup. Toward the left was a kitchenette with a sink, refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, hot water boiler, and an assortment of pantry items. "Feel free to have a seat."
"I wasn't expecting you to look the same age as me."
"Well, I have two things to say about that... Age is just a number, and it sounds like you didn't search for my name online before coming here… which isn't a bad thing. We'll get to know more about each other during current and future sessions. Did my assistants already go over the confidentiality policy with you?"
"It was one of the many forms I had to sign..."
"That's good." They ended up sitting across from each other on opposite sofas. "Please call me Alice. May I call you Shun? Or do you prefer something—"
"That's fine."
The redhead placed the folder on the tea table and resumed talking. "Here's some honest advice. Psychotherapy usually requires multiple visits, so there might not be instantaneous solutions to every problem during this first appointment. My goal is to equip every client I see with life-long solutions over quick fixes. I hope you don't mind that I initiate an icebreaker."
"A what?"
"As the name implies, it's an activity that allows all sides of a party to introduce themselves. I can start if you—"
"Actually, I have a question for you. How come your highest degree is a master's and not a doctorate?"
"That was fast... I haven't been asked that in a long time. Becoming a licensed therapist doesn't require a doctorate degree in philosophy or psychology. Long story short, I finished my bachelor's degree early and pursued a two-year master's degree in psychology because I wanted to enter the workforce and help people as soon as possible. The shortage in mental health professionals is a very dire issue, which unintentionally discourages people from seeking mental health services. Speaking of which, what motivated you to reach out?"
"My friends forced me to do this, or else they'd bother me with wellness checks every single day. I'm honestly not expecting much out of this."
"As I mentioned earlier, therapy takes time. I'm glad to hear that your friends care a lot about you."
"If therapy takes time, then what else is there besides just talking?"
Alice took the folder back from the tea table and flipped through the pages inside. "Your medical history is very simple and straightforward. You only have one active medication, which is the sertraline that was prescribed by your primary care provider."
"So what? Are you going to ask me more questions to understand why this medication isn't working?"
"We'll get to that topic eventually. I legally can't prescribe, so there's not much I can do to change your medication regimen. If it's not working, then that's a conversation for your doctor. How about you tell me when you started taking sertraline?"
Seeing that the redhead was still poised and unmoved despite all the implicitly hostile responses, Shun calmed down slightly and answered honestly. "I just started high school at the time and was going through a lot of stress and anxiety. After trying so many other treatment methods, my doctor at the time discussed with my mom and decided it was best that I keep taking sertraline indefinitely. As I grew older, I learned that sertraline and other similar medications are more commonly used to treat depression. "
"I see... The proper term for depression is 'major depressive disorder'. Sertraline and other similar medications not only treat anxiety and MDD, but also obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, schizoaffective disorders... the list goes on. At least you're aware of the medication that you're taking. Would you like to tell me what happened during high school that made you so stressed and anxious?"
"Doesn't everyone get stressed about high school? You literally only have three or four years left before becoming a legal adult and going off to college."
"True, but as far as I know, most pediatricians wouldn't prescribe antidepressants to minors unless there were extenuating circumstances. But if you prefer not to go into detail, then—"
"I'll talk, since you desperately want me to." He then pointed to the kitchenette. "After I get some water..."
"Lukewarm or room—"
"...with ice." That stern reply sent chills down Alice's spine, and Shun noticed the subtle change in the therapist's expression. "Helps me calm my nerves."
"Not a problem at all." The redhead filled a drinking glass with six ice cubes and topped it off with filtered water. She then placed the glass on a coaster in front of her patient with a box of tissues. "Enjoy."
Shun eyed his therapist suspiciously as the latter returned to her seat, but he eventually continued talking after drinking his iced water. "My mom's leukemia relapsed during my first year of high school. My dad later started picking up overtime at work and often returned home really late. One day, he just left because he didn't want to face my ailing mom anymore."
"I see... Have you seen your father since? How's your mother now?"
"No, I haven't and would rather keep it that way. My mom just passed away last week, and my best friend from preschool through college also went missing recently. All I know is that he left for a business trip, but his coworkers at his destination haven't seen since day one."
"What's his name?"
"Dan... You'll see his name on the news eventually. Our friends told me not to worry because law enforcement has everything under control. I don't even remember the last time that Dan and I didn't talk in over forty-eight hours."
"And you're especially anxious because your closest friend isn't here to help you get through your mother's death?"
"You could say that it. Not only did I lose my mom, but I also—" He was about to drink his iced water again when he realized that the glass was empty. "Never mind. I'm not going to talk about that."
"Would you like me to refill your water?"
"No thanks. Sorry that I left water stains everywhere."
"That's why I brought tissues." While wiping down the tabletop, Alice commented, "Lack of water is not the reason why you're holding back on the last that thing that you wanted to tell me."
"You said that therapy takes time. If anything, I probably won't talk about it until future appointments."
"That means you're willing to come back."
"Or that I never come back and therefore never talk about it. Welcome to my life."
"Then I hope you understand that not everything is within our control. You shouldn't blame yourself for the unfortunate events that happened to you recently." Suddenly, a melodic alarm went off in the room. "Time flies..."
"Is it time to leave?"
"Not necessarily. You're my final appointment of the day, so I can stay later if you need me to. I don't know how comfortable you feel about this, but would you be open to trying nonmedicated options to manage your anxiety?"
"Are you suggesting that I stop taking sertraline?"
"Not at all. Remember, I can't prescribe any medications, and I never tell anyone to stop their medications without primary care approval unless there are signs of allergic reaction. Maybe you could try something more in addition to your current medication."
"What do you have to offer?"
Alice opened the drawer of one of the lamp tables and took out a chunky box the size of a human palm. "This is an exhaler designed to help regulate respiration to reduce anxiety. I obtained these at a convention a few weeks ago and am giving them away for free. It doesn't use or contain any medication at all, and you only need to add essential oils at most for scent enhancement."
"Do you always give free items away to new patients? What if I never come back?"
"I had enough free items for all my other clients, and they all said that the exhaler has helped them a lot." The redhead slid the box next to Shun's empty water glass. "I'm not giving up on you, but I need more time. You'll be back, right?"
While reaching for the exhaler package, the amber-eyed patient looked up as his gaze locked with the redhead's chocolate-brown irises. "I'll see what I can do."
After Shun left, Alice was about to use her computer when Chris knocked on the door and slowly let herself in. "Did everything go okay?"
"It was alright for a first session. Why do you ask?"
"You gave the new guy one of your free exhalers already."
"Oh, that... I have to empty out all the free items in my office at some point. Did he make a follow up appointment?"
"Not yet. He was able to book this appointment slot today because someone canceled, so whether he'll have recuring appointments is up in the air. Also, most of your patients are female, so just be careful around that guy."
"Thank you, Chris. I will." The redhead closed the door behind her blonde assistant and continued writing her care notes. I can only do so much to help when people are actually reaching out to seek help.
Behind the Scenes:
- Shun's a bit OOC at first because life suddenly threw several curveballs at him. Taking medication alone can only do so much, which is why is the next step is to try psychotherapy with a licensed therapist (i.e. Alice).
- As mentioned , I consulted a trusted professional for all the medical lingo. Alice may be calm and composed because she's a licensed professional therapist, but that's a stressful job itself too. She also has a lot of free samples to give away later on.
- Shiori's default cause of death will be leukemia unless she's still alive (like in Sound of Affinity) or dies from foul play (like in My Dearly Relently Mind). Simple as that.
- Dan's situation will be explained in full detail later, but he's basically an anthropologist/archaeologist (like in Catch Me When You Can) who has to attend off-site excavations (hence Shun calling it a "business trip" even though it's not all that glorious).
- I'll leave it to you to guess who Shun's ex-girlfriend is AND whom she ended up together with afterwards... At least his friends called the ex-GF a witch instead of a profanity that rhymes with "witch"... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
- This story is partially based on another author's incomplete story (also featuring Shun's unfortunate life situation) that's now deleted. If you recall or have read that other story before, then rest assured that my 15th story here is milder than that, but still pretty angsty.
- The title is definitely one of my less creative ones, but consider this an insane version of Reteaching Life X Sound of Affinity.
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Me: Lots of throwbacks here—Shun on the roof being upset about life, Chris and Soon working for Alice again... And I decided to have the entire first appointment in the first chapter because I need to keep the plot moving.
Runo: I am NEVER going on the roof to save another person again. Where's Dan when you need him?
Marucho: He's not here, so everything is on us now.
Me: If everything goes as planned, then every chapter will feature therapy appointments, so I'm not going to repeat that in the preview... But the next chapter will feature Shiori's funeral that Shun finally planned after getting himself together... I might bring some OCs back for fun!
Julie: Hope y'all are starting the new year better than expected!