10652/New Patient Referral

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New Patient Referral
Date of Scene: 06 January 2020
Location: The psychiatric practice of Dr. Leonard Samson
Synopsis: Nick comes to see Doc Samson to decide whether he might be a useful replacement for Nick's retiring therapist.
Cast of Characters: Doc Samson, Phantasm (Drago)




Doc Samson has posed:
It's late in the afternoon, and the wind outside really wants to get into the office--but the heavy plastic covering still-under-construction repair work on the window and surrounding wall has been taped almost to excess to prevent that from happening.

Sitting in a leather chair next to a large wooden desk, Leonard Samson jots something down on a notepad resting on his lap, one leg crossed over the other.

"So, Mister Drago," he asks calmly, looking at the man over the rim of his glasses, "why don't you tell me a bit about what you were looking for with your previous therapist?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
With the knit cap and jacket hung up, entrusting the warmth of the building's heating and heavy duty plastic to do its duty, Nick is leaning back in a seat, legs outstretched on the slightly battered and yet new lounge chair, and fingers laced behind his head. The short sleeves of the Tee he was wearing on the jacket exposes an old defensive wound on his right forearm.

The heavy plastic, being a different element than expected for a physician's office does draw his attention a bit before the sound of his name anchors him once more. "Oh. Well, it kind of changed over the years."

Eyes glance up in thought, "But initially it was mainly finding ways to sleep better and keeping my anger in check. That was. Uh." He pauses, doing the math in his head, "Eleven, maybe twelve years ago?"

Doc Samson has posed:
"Mm," Samson replies, scratching out more notes on his pad. He takes a slow breath. "What caused you to have trouble with sleeping initially? And is that still a factor? Or are there other concerns that have popped up--or maybe become priorities to attend to?"

He tilts his head gently to one side. "And, if you don't mind me asking, how did you all try to deal with that sleep issue?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"Well, that's kind of a foggy area." Nick replies, frowning, "But we were leaning towards it be a combination between my mom being murdered and the years of incessant physical attacks when I was moved back to New York."

Nick's head shifts forward slightly as his fingers unlace, allowing for one hand to ball up.

"Kind of hard to sleep when you know in the morning when you set foot out of the home everything just repeats itself. Um. I think the first thing was the sleep meds and then exploring alternative approaches to where the meds would be a last resort."

The hand relaxes, allowing for Nick's head to shift back. "I think the sleep thing is much better. I rarely have to resort to the pills anymore. But, that ties into the other concern."

Doc Samson has posed:
"I see," Samson says quietly. He reaches to his desk and picks up a mug, sipping from it.

As he places the mug back down, the doctor leans back in his chair. "Do you think the repetition of each day--and the feeling it causes--comes from the physical attacks you've had to suffer? Does, or did, sleep offer a way to set that aside for a while and let you /not/ have to think about it?"

"And what's the other concern?" Samson quickly adds.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"Sleep didn't do much then. Sleep cycles were out of whack. Mostly REM. Mostly dreams repeating what was going on outside. So, I woke up a lot." Nick expands upon the sleep aspect, "I've found, that I'm much more irritable when tired. And," His head tilts to the side as he gives a slight smile, "If I get started when I'm at my worst, I can do more than I normally would AND I have trouble stopping."

Doc Samson has posed:
The scribbling of notes pauses as Nick notes his irritability. "Hmm. Let me ask you this ... do you get irritable often? Does it mostly happen at night, or do you have an atypical sleep schedule?"

Samson stares at Nick for a long moment. "I've got some experience with individuals who--well, let's say they have mood swings. And they've frequently occurred at night. Hence my interest in the details."

"Ah, not that I'm uninterested in anything else, mind you. You mention 'doing more'--do you mean lucid dreaming?" he continues.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"It's-" Nick pauses, considering things, "situational. I think. Fatigue combined with what's going on at the time. How often and how long I'm forced to tap into an ability. Who was hurt. The why."

He shakes his head, "I meant fighting back. The more irritable I was, the less likely I was to hold back. It's why I got expelled. No one sees the first punch. Just the finishing one."

Doc Samson has posed:
"So," Samson says, "do you feel like you can sense others' emotions or feelings when you get tired or sleep? Or is it more like an actual ability?"

He flips the notepad page over and continues taking notes. "What kind of fighting back do you mean? Was this fighting with the individuals who would attack you? Bullies?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"They were all bullies." Nick states simply, "I never started them. But eventually I learned to finish them." He looks over to Samson, "You'd think by that point that'd stop it but they just- keep coming." He holds up his hands upwards in a bit of confusion, "And somehow I'm the only one with the anger issues."

He sighs, "The abilities didn't happen until much later. Around age 21."

Doc Samson has posed:
Samson sets his pen down on the notepad and then removes his glasses before doing the same with them. He rubs the bridge of his nose, eyes closed for a moment.

"Here's the thing," he says with a sigh. "If there's one lesson I've learned, it's that bullies never stop. There's a phenomenon called 'belief perseverance.' Basically, even in the face of new information that /should/ catalyze a major change in perspective ... people tend to double-down on their existing view. So even when a bully gets shown the error of their ways, some excuse pops up internally to explain it."

Samson shrugs. "Anyway. Excuse the mini-lecture. You mention abilities--at 21, that sounds too late for mutation. Generally, anyway. Were you in some accident or other strange scenario?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"So, pretty much damned if I do, damned if I don't..." Nick assesses from the mini lecture, "Fun times." Based from his tone. No, definitely not fun times.

He gives a slight nod, "Not a mutant. Still human. Mostly. I think. And 'Strange scenario' would probably cover it very well as it happened in a bar."

He frowns, "So, say if some 20 something year old guy snuck up and smacked a sixteen year old kid from behind with a baseball bat which sent the kid to the hospital, would that satisfy the belief preserverance thing and explain a whole group of bullies just suddenly stopping?" Yes. Totally hypothical here.

...

Totally.

Doc Samson has posed:
"Pretty much," Samson half-mutters, half-chuckles. He slips his glasses back on.

"The kid was struck from behind with a bat ... and sent to the hospital," Samson repeats. "And then the bullies stopped?"

He sits in silence for a few seconds. "I think that might be less a case of 'adapting to a change in perspective' than to 'fear or guilt about participating in a brutal assault.'" Samson offers a thin smile. "But I might be wrong. They might feel genuine regret for having terrorized you for so long."

Samson scratches the tip of his nose. "Did any of them ever reach out, afterwards, to atone?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"That's a big no." Nick replies, shaking his head, "However on the other end of the spectrum, none of them have come out of the woodwork asking for money either. So there is at least that."

Doc Samson has posed:
Pouting his lower lip slightly, as if in contemplation of the statement, Samson nods, blinking. "Good point. I suppose that's something to celebrate."

The doctor glances at his notes. "So. Nick. You've told me quite a bit about the circumstances that led you to seek therapy initially. What would you like to get out of visits with me? What are you working toward?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"Honestly, I haven't thought that far about it for this visit." Nick admits, giving a slight cringe, "But being my current doctor's retiring and you came recommended, it seemed a good idea to kind of let you know what you're getting into here as well as get a feel for what you're like."

He tilts his head back, looking to the ceiling in thought, "I've gotten a lot better with sleep when I make the time for it. But I guess what I need is-"

The musician pauses, "I need to learn to stop. Once in awhile."

Doc Samson has posed:
Samson clears his throat, adjusting his posture to sit more erect. "Certainly. That can certainly be something for us to work on--assuming that you're interested in returning."

He chuckles again. "I only say that because I know not everyone is a fan of my approach. Some have a very particular idea of what they want out of their therapist." Samson shrugs. "It is what it is."

"But, first, speaking of stopping ... it looks like that's our time for today. One thing to work on before our next chat, perhaps, is to work on stopping and reflecting on it. Being aware of it. Enjoying it, even, if that seems possible." Samson raises an eyebrow. "Does that sound like something you might be willing to try?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick considers the suggestion, frowning a bit before giving a reluctant nod as he sits up, sliding his feet to the floor "I'll try."

He starts to stand up, already moving again as he reaches for the hat and coat, "I make no guarantees, but I'll try."

Doc Samson has posed:
"Of course," Samson replies, slowly standing in response to Nick. "That's all I can ask--and it's all you can ask of yourself. The attempt matters more than the success, at this point. Becoming more comfortable with doing it. Becoming in tune with the act."

He extends a hand for a handshake. "I'm glad that you came to see me, and I hope that, on our next visit, we can explore how it's going--and what that might mean for further introspection and improvement."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick pauses in the putting on his jacket, one sleeve on with the other off, long enough to shove the knit cap over to the non-dominant hand. Taking the hand, he gives it a shake, "Thanks." He manages a small smile to accompany the response before going back to putting on the jacket.