But it was worth a try.
He might have given up on me, but I wasn’t ready to give up on him. I didn’t blame him. I was a bad sister. Selfish and uncaring. But I’d like to think I’d changed. I didn’t run away. I might not have stayed where he wanted me to, but I was still in Forest Grove, wasn’t I?
God knew it wasn’t about the job. The second I knew Malcolm was in danger, I was ready to leave everything to save him. It might have looked differently to everyone even Malcolm, but deep down, I was using this job as an excuse to stay. To try.
I just wanted my brother back.
Knock. Knock! “Have a minute, Professor?”
I looked up from the laptop. It was Mad Dog at my door. A backpack slung over his shoulder. His tattoos showing from his shirt up his neck as always. “Is Dasher all right?”
“Yeah. He…you know… He’s fine. I want to talk to you about something else.”
I gestured at a seat. “Come in.”
He set his backpack on the floor as he sat. “It’s a Psychology question.”
“Of course. Something from the last lecture?”
“Actually, it’s…uh…personal. Can I close the door?”
I nodded, closing my laptop.
He cleared his throat as he closed the door and returned to his seat. “I was born with this…defect. I call it the tinge. A vampire tinge.”
I cocked a brow as he explained his condition. He seemed to be very distraught about it.
“I’ve been trying for years, but I couldn’t get anything to work. Can’t exactly go to a therapist with this, so…”
I smiled. “I’m glad you came to me.”
“Yeah?” He sighed in relief. “I thought it would be awkward ‘cause…you kinda don’t like us.”
“I don’t…” I laughed under my breath. “Never mind. Yourtinge, is it only triggered by blood?”
“Large amounts of it, yes.”
“Before any of your previous episodes, have you exercised or been involved in any vigorous physical activity?”
He took a moment to answer. “I don’t think I have.”
“Well, in cases of psychosis and personality disorders that are triggered by external influences, working out helps. In your case, all I can think of now, and it’s not a solution, it’s basically a theory, is that you can, in a controlled environment, exercise heavily and then subject yourself to the trigger. The less energy the mind has to focus on the trigger, the less it is affected by it.
“If your response to the blood is less severe after working out, then it can be used as a way to condition your mind for recovery. I’d also suggest that even if your response is the same, you exert strenuous physical effort during the episode. It can tone it down and help you end it faster.”
“Exercise? Why haven’t I thought of that?”
“We can also work together on some anchoring techniques. A reverse trigger, so to speak. A simple move you choose that we link it to all your good memories and emotions. When you do it, it tells your mind to bring out an influx of endorphins to counter the negative trigger.”
“So the solution is to either be too happy or too tired?”
“It might sound too simple to work, but it does. With humans.”
“Thank you, Professor. You’ve been very helpful.” He rose and slid his backpack over his shoulder. “Keep you posted?”
I smiled. “Please.”
He flashed a crooked smile back. “I missed you, by the way.”
