As she prepared the system settings, she noticed Finn studying Eric with deep focus.
Later, Eric emerged from the session looking thoroughly drained. His face had sunken, and his movements were slow and deliberate as he sat up in the treatment chair. Elena watched as he rubbed his temples in circular motions, a clear sign of the headache she'd warned might follow. His shoulders, which had carried tension even before they started, now seemed to bear an even heavier weight.
"How are you feeling?" Elena asked, making notes on her tablet as she observed his condition.
Eric squinted at her, the overhead lights clearly aggravating his discomfort. "My head feels like I tried to set the record for quantity of beers consumed by a thirty-five-year-old man last night."
Elena caught Finn smiling at that. "That's not unexpected. The first few sessions often trigger headaches as the brain responds to the feedback."
"Just so we're clear," Eric said, shifting in his seat, "this is the 'getting worse' part you mentioned, right? Not the 'getting better' part?"
"Yes, this is the initial response," Elena confirmed. "We can provide something for the headache if you'd like."
"I'll manage," Eric said, though his grimace suggested otherwise. "Been dealing with headaches for three years now. What's one more?"
Elena noticed Finn move closer from where he'd been standing by the monitors. His usual stoic expression had softened somewhat. Eric looked up at Finn, then back to Elena.
"Will this help with my insomnia?" he asked, with a glimmer of hope in his voice.
Elena hesitated, knowing honesty was crucial but hating to extinguish that small spark. "Unfortunately, that will get a little worse before it gets better too."
Eric took this in, his expression falling. "The insomnia's been the worst part of this. Haven't slept through the night since it happened." He paused, then added with a smile, "But on the bright side, I've now seen the complete first season of the FlexiKnife infomercial series that exclusively airs at 3am."
Elena started to offer the appropriate sympathetic response. Before she could speak, however, Finn let out a genuine bark of laughter. It was a sound she'd never heard from him.
The sudden, unexpected noise startled both Elena and Eric. Eric's eyes widened in surprise, then something shifted in his expression. A spark of life that wasn't there moments ago. His posture straightened ever so slightly. "Finally! That joke has never landed before!" Eric exclaimed, a new energy entering his voice. "Everyone else gives me these sad eyes or an uncomfortable fake laugh."
Finn moved in a little, with excitement in his eyes. "Episode four is rough," he said deadpan. "When Brad Valentino gets aggressive with the tomatoes."
Eric sat up straighter, his entire demeanor changing in an instant. "You've seen it! The tomato massacre!" Eric said, his voice rising with enthusiasm. "Brad’s eyes were... lifeless."
Elena stood apart from them, observing this sudden connection forming.
"The way he kept saying 'one clean slice' as he cut them apart one by one," Finn added, and Eric laughed again.
"The season finale was insane, with that bread knife attachment revelation!" Eric replied, prompting a smile from Finn.
Elena watched this exchange with growing fascination. In the weeks she'd known Finn, she'd rarely seen him smile, let alone laugh or engage in this kind of casual banter. Yet here he was, bonding over terrible late-night infomercials with a patient he'd just met.
More importantly, she realized this conversation had done more for Eric's mood than any medication she could have prescribed. The headache still etched lines around his eyes, but the heaviness had lifted from his expression. But a question nagged at her: Why did Finn know so much about 3am infomercials?
Eric's voice became serious again. "The mood swings have been tough," he admitted. "Yesterday, someone cut me off in traffic.Let it ruin my entire day. One stupid moment and I'm spiraling for hours."
Finn hesitated, his eyes dropping to the floor. "Books help. During the spiral. Gives your brain something else to focus on." He paused, then added, "I have some good ones I could bring by later, if you'd like."
Eric looked at him curiously, clearly recognizing there was more behind the offer than simple professional courtesy. "That would be great," then he asked, “Does that work for you?”
Finn's expression shifted, a flash of discomfort crossed his face. "For someone I knew," he responded.
Elena caught the past tense and filed it away with all the other pieces she was gathering about Finn Cochrane.
"These last couple years have been difficult. I’ve been trying to stay strong for my daughters." He ran a hand over his face. “Even if I'm not always much fun." He mumbled.
Elena listened sympathetically, but her attention was split between Eric's words and Finn's reaction to them. She watched as the color drained from Finn's face.
Finn mumbled something about needing to use the bathroom and practically fled the room. The suddenness of his exit left both Elena and Eric momentarily speechless. Eric recovered first, raising an eyebrow. "Did I say something wrong?" he asked, genuine concern replacing his earlier animation.
Elena shook her head. "No, not at all. Finn just..." She searched for an explanation that wouldn't reveal too much. "He gets migraines sometimes too." The lie felt awkward on her tongue, but she needed to protect Finn's privacy while ensuring Eric didn't blame himself.
