Leo, Tamika and Johnny

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Johnny's appointment with Leo is something of a bust, but does lead to an entertaining phone call.



Johnny didn't understand why he had to come here. His memories all seemed to have returned (so far as he could tell) and his symptoms from being around that joy-exuding empath had begun to fall away so he could feel like himself again. So why a psychiatrist? His blue eyes dragged along the wood paneling as he walked, considering this very point, though he had little choice in the matter regardless of the answer he came to. He passed the door in question before his peripheral vision caught the name printed neatly along a plaque pressed to is surface. Dr. Leonard Samson. He paused and took a small hop back and, after pulling in a short breath, moved to knock.

...There was no answer. He knocked again. Still no answer, just the small echo of the sound in the empty hall. It took him a moment to notice the schedule (which his name was pointedly missing from) and the instructions to call somebody named Tamika Collins if the good doctor was not in. He pulled the cell phone only recently given to him from the pocket of his hoodie and slowly dialed the number. Maybe he was off the hook.

"Good morning," Tamika answered cheerfully, typing and talking at the same time. She peered at the screen, shaking her head as she continued speaking--Frank had the worst spelling of any of the staff at the center. "Salem Center Counseling Services, this is Tamika, how may I help you?"

"Well..." Johnny smiled sheepishly to himself, glad the woman on the other end of the line couldn't see his expression. It only occurred to him now that maybe he'd had the time wrong. It wasn't on Leo's schedule, but he hadn't actually written it down either. He hesitated. "Dr. Samson told me to come to his office, but he isn't here. The note says to call you."

"Oh, did he?" Tamika shook her head, amused irritation in her voice. "Excuse me a minute, honey." She put the phone down and shouted down the hall. "Leonard Samson! What have I told you about scheduling your own appointments?!"

There was a pause and then an abashed voice echoed back. "Umm...to never, ever, ever do that?"

"Then why is there some poor boy calling from Xavier's wondering where you are?"

Another pause. "...Oh, dear."

Tamika laughed ruefully, "I'll take care of it, hon. But what have we learned from this?"

"Never, ever, ever schedule my own appointments?"

"Very good," Tamika said, grinning. She picked up the phone, "Hello? Let get your name, honey, and we'll get this cleared up, alright?"

By the time Tamika returned to the phone, the white-haired teen was doing his best not to laugh. He couldn't hear Leo's end of the conversation, but he could certainly hear the woman scolding the PhD-holder like he was a petulant and irresponsible child. He did his best to straighten, though he couldn't shake his amusement completely. "Johnny Gallo."

"Johnny Gallo, got it," Tamika glanced over at Leo's client list. "Ah, I see you, honey, you're new to the Institute, right? Meeting with Dr. Samson for a intake assessment? Well, how does Monday work for you? I've got an opening at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Would either of those work?"

"Right on both counts," the teen replied, shifting to lean idly against Leo's firmly locked door as the conversation continued. So much for his good luck. "...Either is fine with me, I guess."

"Well, then, welcome, Johnny, and I hope things go well for you," Tamika pulled up her master schedule and noted down the appointment, which would also send an email to Leo to remind him. "I've got you scheduled for Monday, March 30th, at 10:00 a.m.--and I promise you that Dr. Samson will actually be there! I'm sorry about that, honey, he's a good man, but he forgets things sometimes. Anything else I can do for you?"

"That's it. Thanks," Johnny paused to look down at the woman's name (which had already slipped his mind) printed on the sheet stuck upon the door, "Ms. Collins." He smiled faintly to himself before adding, "I'll be there if he is."

"Oh, he'll be there, Johnny," Tamika replied,with mock-menace in her tone. "Now you have a good day, honey, take care, ok?"

How Leo ever missed anything with this woman on staff was beyond him. Grinning, Johnny shook his head in faint disbelief, wondering just what the penalty might be if he was a no-show next time too. "You too, Ms. Collins."