3 -2 -1 Contact! : Sparks

[x-leosamson.livejournal.com]

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

Monday, April 6th, 6pm

"Don't you dare steal that last Earl Grey!"

Leo turned and grinned as Jasmine walked into the small staff lounge. The young psychology intern was carrying her tea mug and mock-glaring at him. "Hey, I've got Jada in a few minutes--poor kid had an incident over the weekend--I need the caffeine."

Jasmine put her hands on her hips and cocked her head. "And I've got to write a report on the session I just finished with the Peterson twins--who just set fire to the neighbor's cat."

"Oy vey iz mir," Leo said, wincing. He handed over the teabag and reached for the chamomile. "You win."

"Poor Jada, though. What happened?"

"She tripped and fell onto her uncle--destroyed his new plasma TV and apparently gave him a significant facial burn." Leo poured the water over his tea and added a little honey. "It looks like there may be noticeable scarring," he continued, shaking his head in sadness.

"Oh, dear," Jasmine replied, her face compassionate, "Pobrecita."

Leo nodded, and then turned, hearing voices from outside the room. "And I think that's them now."

"Good luck!"

"Thanks," Leo replied, walking down the hall. He walked into the waiting room and smiled at Jada, standing there clutching her arms around herself while Tamika tried to cheer her up with a balloon. Jada's uncle Trey, who he had only met once in passing, stood behind her, a large bandage over half his face.

He looked...odd. Leo caught of a glimpse of something he couldn't really identify in his eyes, but shrugged internally and stepped forward. "Good to see you again, Mr. Riley. Thanks for dropping Jada off, would you like to come back and talk a bit, or do you need to head out?"

Trey kept his face mostly blank, even tried for mildly friendly though he failed. There was a pain in his eyes that mixed with something darker and more impassioned. When the doctor spoke to him the man's free hand went to the bandage on his face, fingertips brushing it tenderly. That girl had left her mark on him forever. "Sorry, Doctor Samson, I've got somewhere to be." He even kept his voice almost genial despite the tension that ran through him and kept trying to edge into his tone. "Jada's all yours." And he could keep the miserable little-- Trey cut the thought off so he could focus.

The balloon mouse was doing little to cheer Jada up it seemed. Tamika supposed it was hard to enjoy something you couldn't touch without destroying, so she decided to take a different approach. After dropping the animal back on her desk, Tamika pulled out her box of tricks and pulled out one of her red foam noses. Here was something that wouldn't be destroyed by a little spark, or so she hoped. "Here you go honey," said Tamika as she crouched down before the girl. She held out the nose to Jada. "Why don't you try this on for size?"

Jada drew back from Tamika's extended hand at once, hugging herself as she shook her head vehemently. The progress that had been made in coaxing the girl out of her shell had been swept away completely by the accident.

"It's all right, Tamika," Leo said, leaning down to Jada's level. "Jada had a bit of rough weekend, but we're going to talk about it, and try to figure out ways to help." He stood and glanced back at Trey. "Thanks again, Mr. Riley, we should be finished around seven." He looked down at Jada, "Come on back, Jada. We'll play in the sand tray, and try to have a better day, all right?"

Trey gave the therapist a nod. On the way to the door he stopped to tie his shoe and in the process slid the briefcase he'd come into the clinic with under the chair he'd sat down on when he did. Confident the briefcase was out of sight, he stood up and said goodbye to Tamika. He even smiled at the woman, warm and pleasant. Trey swore he could feel the tension leaking out of his shoulders as he passed through that door sure he'd never have to walk through it again. Not only that, but that girl would never walk into his house again. His home, his life, was safe once more.