Page 29
Despite having been to her therapist’s office on Starland on nine separate occasions, Nell always felt a flutter of nerves every time she waited in the room for her session to start.
Doctor Kingsbury was Nell’s idea of perfection. Her office was neat and tidy; everything looked ordered and practical. The room was always the perfect temperature, with warm yellow light making it feel cozy.
The seats were comfortable but not too soft, so she could settle into one and not squirm around to find a decent position.
There were always oils and scented sticks burning on the table. The smell relaxed Nell more than any hash brownie she’d ever gobbled down when she was younger.
Then there was Doctor Kingsbury. She looked like she’d stepped out of a how to look like a perfect therapist book. She wore fitted black pantsuits and always had a bright colored blouse underneath. Her makeup was subtle and enhanced her natural beauty, framing her blue eyes and warm smile.
Nell would have preferred it if her therapist was on Prodigy, but Starland wasn’t far, and she scheduled her appointments at lunchtime or after work. She’d had one session a week for the last nine weeks, and it felt like she was making progress. She had a therapist who understood her.
Doctor Kingsbury sat opposite Nell with a tablet resting on her knees. “In the last comm you sent me, you told me about the aliens who questioned your beliefs about your abduction.”
Nell nodded. She shared everything with Doctor Kingsbury. That was the whole point of therapy. This latest issue had played on her mind. She hated having to justify herself whenever her past abduction emerged or when she blurted it out like an angry, out of control idiot.
“Why can’t those damn aliens put their hands, or their tentacles, up to what they’ve done? I’ll feel better once I know who did it and exactly what they did.”
Doctor Kingsbury nodded, encouraging Nell. “You said they were Galaxars.”
“That’s right. It was two of them. I know them. One is dating my boss, and the other is his friend. I don’t think they meant any harm, but it’s so frustrating when they act like it’s impossible that it happened to me.”
“Did you tell them how you felt?”
Nell grimaced. “I wanted to, but I got angry and stormed off. It wasn’t my finest moment.”
“We all experience anger. It’s a natural emotion.”
“Do you ever get angry?” Doctor Kingsbury seemed so unflappable as if nothing could bother her.
She laughed. “Of course I do. I’m only human. Everyone experiences things that rattle them. It’s how you deal with it that’s the important thing. If you could go through the scenario again, how would you handle it differently?”
Nell wrapped her hands around her knees. “I wanted to punch them. I wanted to scream in their faces.”
“Again, a natural reaction, but screaming and shouting aren’t considered polite.”
“What if I don’t want to be polite?”
“Then you risk having more attention paid to you. Is that what you want?”
Nell grimaced. “It’s the opposite. I want to fit in with everyone else.”
“Your experience was unique to you. We all handle things differently. Our task is to discover a way for you to manage it and function in society.”
“I need to know who did it. I can’t move on until that happens.”
Doctor Kingsbury made a note on her tablet. “Have you made any progress with identifying the aliens who abducted you?”
“I have my suspicions. It could have been the Banti, Monomars, Forkas. Or there’s the —”
“Are you pulling names out of the air or do you have proof?”
Nell sighed. She had no concrete proof, and that was a huge problem. “Some of their behavior has been underhanded when they’ve used My Single Alien. I don’t trust any of them.”
“Trust is not always something that needs to be earned. Sometimes, you have to give it and expect good things from others.”
Nell shook her head. “That’s not going to happen any time soon.”
“It’s important for you to learn the truth. You need to heal. If you believe you can do that by confronting the aliens who were involved in your abduction, then that needs to be your focus.”
