Sound The Bugle

4

Daniel Cooper

Does she honestly think I'm going to tell her about being a hostage?

I look down at my clenched hands in attempt to avoid her wide, innocent, but beautiful eyes.

"I'll ask again. Why did your boss make the appointment?" She presses and I look up at her again. We make eye contact, intense eye contact.

"Are you this pushy with your other patients?" I retort, a smirk appears on my face briefly, but I wash it off almost immediately.

Nikki raises an eye brow at me, and I copy her. I can tell that she's already getting frustrated with me. "Are you normally this good at avoiding questions?"

I lean back in my chair, lost for words. I have no comeback.

Nikki brings a pen to her soft lips and begins to nibble on the eraser at the end. This girl knows how to drive me crazy. She studies me then places the pencil down on the desk abruptly.

"Your boss may have made the appointment, but he didn't drag you here kicking and screaming." She starts and I go to speak, but she holds a hand up, signalling me to keep my mouth shut. "You got yourself out of bed, dressed and drove here. Deep down inside, you know that you want help." Nikki leans back in her chair. She knows that she has hit the truth.

What I'd give to have one good nights sleep. To no longer be terrified by my terrible memories. Or just someone to be there for me.

"I'm not ready to talk about it." I tell her. My voice is sharp and somewhat distant. "All I'll tell you is that I had a panic attack yesterday morning. My boss is worried about me so he made the appointment." I don't make eye contact with her, but I can feel her eyes boring in to me.

"I want to help you." Her eyes follow the scar on the left side of my face and I turn my head a little in attempt to hide it. "Let me, please." I dig my fingers in to the arms of my seat.

I attended compulsory counselling sessions eight years ago. But it felt like they didn't really care. With Nikki, it's different. She clearly cares about the well being of her patients.

"I need time, Doctor...?" I look up at her briefly and she smiles at me.

"Doctor Dawson. But call me Nikki, please." I finally make eye contact again with her. She looks at you so intensely when she talks to you. "Same time next week?"

"Nikki. Yes and thank you." I let some of my bitterness crumble away and return the smile. I stand up and so does she. Reaching across the desk, we shake hands. I though her hands were small when we shook hands out side Costa. It's only now that I realize how tiny she actually is.

"No Problem, Daniel. You're not alone in this." With that we I release her hand and exit her office. The words 'You're not alone in this' replaying in my mind as I make my way to my car.

****

"Okay! Let the dogs go!" Instructs Officer Duncan and two German Shepherds launch themselves at full speed down the dark alley way.

We received news of two drug dealers that had broken in to an elderly woman's house about half an hour ago. When we arrived at the house, the two ran off. We chased them, but lost them in the end so we've let the dogs do their job now.

Their handlers run after them and we follow, hoping to catch the criminals. Our footsteps are kept as light as possible so that we are less likely to give ourselves away. But it is quite a challenge when you're trying your best to keep up with dogs.

I turn the corner to see that the dogs have caught them. The two burglars are pinned to the floor with snarling dogs above them.

"Casey, Holder!" I call to the handlers and they come and order the dogs to back off. Then Officer Regnary and I move in with our handcuffs.