“Pull up a chair.”
The doctor complied and turned the barstool upright. He took a seat and sipped from his glass. Victor contemplated apologizing for their behavior but thought better of it. The man was a psychologist. It couldn’t have been the worst thing he’d ever seen.
Victor raised his glass to his lips and emptied the contents with one gulp. He placed the glass on the bar and refilled it.
“What can I do, Doc? What can I do to make it better?”
“You’re doing it.”
He looked at the shrink with disbelief. He’d just manhandled, cursed out, and threatened his pregnant wife right in front of him.
“Don’t bullshit me, Dr. Porter,” Victor warned.
“I wouldn’t, Governor Creed. Even though your wife didn’t do much talking, judging from what she’s been through and her behavior, I can easily deduce that she’s suffering from PTSD. That’s Post Traumatic—”
“I know what PTSD is, Doctor. And Ideducedthat without a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology.”
The sarcastic comment escaped before he could help himself. Taylor had tested his patience, but he didn’t mean to take it out on the doctor.
“I apologize for being rude, Dr. Porter. I’m a bit on edge myself.”
“Understandable. No apologies necessary. After everything your wife has been through, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is the easy diagnosis. But it’s also my understanding that your wife is pregnant.”
“She is,” Victor confirmed before taking a sip.
“Governor, traumatic events, compounded with hormonal changes due to pregnancy, is a powder keg of explosive behavior.”
Victor had been so worried about Taylor’s state of mind after the shooting that hormonal issues had never even crossed his mind. He’d been ridiculously oblivious to what she was really going through, and he felt like a complete asshole for snapping at her.
“I’m going to hell,” Victor muttered.
“Nah.” Dr. Porter chuckled. “You got her to calm down.”
“Hmph…did I?” Victor scoffed. “She’s probably trashing our bedroom as we speak.”
“It’s better than the alternative,” he said through laughter before drinking from his glass.
“The alternative?”
“Yeah. She was about to kick your ass.”
