A Collection of Short Stories

The End of the Tunnel

Sally knocked on the door hesitantly, and pushed it ajar, peeping round the frame. "Hi Mark." she said, greeting the young man behind the desk with a smile. "Can I come in?"

"Of course, of course! Sit down, I just have to finish this sentence." he said, scribbling something down in a Lever Arch File.

Sally sat down on the sofa and twisted her body to look out of the bay window behind it. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining brightly from the clear and cloudless sky, the kind of day when everyone comes out, even if they don't have anything particular to do. It was hot, but not too hot. One of Sally's favourite things to do was to people-watch, but today she just closed her eyes and tilted her face up to the sun, letting it warm her cheeks.

"How are you today Sally?" asked Mark, breaking in on her reverie.

"I'm very good." she replied, eyes still shut.

"I'm glad to hear it. Has anything interesting happened to you at all since I last saw you?"

"I saw a film with some friends and I went out for a couple of nights on girls' nights and stuff."

"Which film?"

"I saw Scott Pilgrim vs The World on DVD."

"Oh so you didn't go out to the cinema then?"

"With my friends? Yes I did, but I watched the DVD with Emily."

"So what film did you see at the cinema?"

"Killing Bono but I don't want to talk about it Mark." she said quickly, furrowing her forehead into a frown.

"Why?"

"Because it's about failure."

"Why should that mean you don't want to talk about it? You haven't failed in life."

"Not to that extent, it's true."

"So how did it make you feel?"

"You know what Mark! It made me feel great because it shows that even when you fail, you can get your life back on track again!" she said angrily. "Have you finished your sentence yet?"

"Yes, why do you think I'm talking to you?"

"To prove you can multitask?" she joked. Mark laughed warmly and Sally heard his chair squeak. "Are you spinning round again?"

"Maybe..." he said mysteriously. "So how have you felt the past week?"

"Well. I've mostly felt really happy. No, not happy..." she said pensively, and here Mark's face formed into a mask of concern, unseen by Sally, who still had her eyes shut. "Not happy, content." she smiled and Mark breathed a tiny sigh of relief.

"So, everything's good?"

"Yes. Yes, it is. I feel like my life's back on track." she smiled, and felt the weight of something else sitting on the sofa. She opened her eyes and turned her face away from the window.

"I hope you won't forget me Sally." he said quietly.

"Why would I forget you?"

"Well..."

"We'll keep in touch, even if I don't see you for a while." Sally persisted, "and anyway, you're not going to let me go for a while are you. Are you?"

Mark didn't say anything, he just looked away.

"Are you Mark?" she asked angrily. "I'm so grateful but, I don't know if I can do it on my own." she whimpered.

"Look Sally, I think that, you might, be almost ready. And you've got your family, and your friends, and Josh." he said the last name as if it left a bitter taste on his mouth and he grimaced as he said it.

"No Mark! You can't give up on me! I don't know what I'll do without you! Everyone gave up on me! JOSH gave up on me! He couldn't handle it! No one can really! They say they can but the can't! THEY JUST CAN'T! They're too close to me, that's why! They don't like seeing me hurt, so they let me get away with it! NO ONE EVER LIKES SEEING ANYONE THEY LOVE GET HURT!" she collapsed onto the sofa sobbing, leaving Mark wishing he'd never mentioned Josh.

"There there." he said, stroking her hair. "Whatever makes you think I'll be able to handle it Sally? I'm very close to you, you know."

"Yeah but, but you're not allowed to actually LOVE me, because, because, it's WRONG! It's that whole professional sexual misconduct thing! I mean, it doesn't mean that..."

"Hey, hey." he said, sitting her up. "I know it's wrong, but, I think it will be harder for me than for anyone else, because, you know what Sal? I DO love you - and trust me, it's not just because we've spent so much time together, because I promise you 100%, this is the first time it's ever happened to me."

"You, you love me?" she said shocked.

"Yes, you know what I do. And I don't care if that means that I have to discharge you and help you find another psychiatrist, or if that means that I have to support you for the rest of your life and stop you relapsing, I will. Because you know what, I don't care how wrong it's viewed to be (and I know it's not actually illegal), it's only because of how much the patient relies on the professional, and you know what, people rely on their partner in every relationship. So, if you promise me that you don't feel betrayed in any way, or hurt or like I can control you, or anything like that, I want to take you out to dinner."

"I don't feel any of those things Mark. None at all." she smiled wryly.

"Well, this is just a shot in the dark, but, do you think you could learn to love me back eventually?"

"I don't."

"Oh." Mark's face fell, and his heart felt heavy. The pain she caused him on saying that was intense and it hurt. "Well, I guess we should find you another psychiatrist now then..."

"Yeah. I guess. You can't really be my psychiatrist if we're going to be in a relationship." she giggled.

"But you just said you didn't love me! I'm so confused!"

"No Mark, for someone with a PhD you're insanely stupid! I said I couldn't learn to love you, and you know why?"

"No..."

"I already do!" she laughed. "I love you Mark! And I have for a long time, since I don't know when!"

"Really?!"

"Really!" and with that she jumped into his arms and shared her first kiss with her future husband.