NEXT DAY
Nate(nervous): In here to see Dr. Berger...
Receptionist(smiles): Do you have an appointment?
Nate(nervous): Y-Yeah...
Receptionist(checking computer): What's your name?
Nate(fidgeting uncomfortably): Um, Nathan Ford.
Receptionist(smiles): Looks like you have an appointment in five minutes but you can go right ahead to his office. Down the hall to the right.
Nate(pretend smile): Uh, thanks.
(Nate waits on chair next to Dr. Bergers office and fidgets uncontrollably. Nate sighs)
(De. Berger office door opens and he walks his patient out)
Patient: Thank you Dr. Berger.
Dr. Berger: No, no. The pleasure is all mine.
(Nate stands up as the patient leaves)
Dr. Berger: Oh, you must be my next appointment. Well come on in.
(Nate walks in uneasy)
Dr. Berger(closes door and walks in): Have a seat, have a seat. So what's your name?
Nate(takes a seat and fidgets uncomfortably): Uh, Nathan Ford...
Dr. Berger: How'd you find out about me...huh?
Nate(fidgets): Uh, my friend told me about you...yesterday.
Dr. Berger(smiles as he takes a seat): Ooh, friend? Was it a lady friend?
Nate(shakes his head, yes): Y-Yeah, why...?
(Dr. Berger grabs a cigarette and puts it in his mouth)
Dr. Berger: you want one?
Nate: I thought the sign outside of your office said, no smoking?
Dr. Berger(sighs and smiles): That's only for the waiting room by the receptionist...
Nate(thinking): There was also a no smoking sign there too.
Dr. Berger(chuckles): An unwritten rule, really doesn't matter, you know.
(Nate fidgets uncomfortably)
Dr. Berger(smiles): So who's this girl friend?
Nate(snaps): She's not my girl friend!
Dr. Berger(smiles): I never said she was. All I said was who's this girl friend? A friend that's a girl, nothing wrong with that.
Nate(calms down a little but still fidgety): oh.
Dr. Berger: where you so fidgety?
Nate(looks at hands): Uh, I don't know. I guess because I don't like therapists...
Dr. Berger: oh, I see.
Nate: I mean, I don't like therapy- I don't have a problem with therapists.
Dr. Berger: Therapy and therapists, basically the same thing.
Nate(annoyed): No. therapy is a noun. Therapists is a pronoun; a person. So they're basically not.
Dr. Berger: Therapists have to do with therapy so they are.
Nate(angry): Can we just get this over with?
Dr. Berger(opens files): Fine. I understand that you had a son who passed?
(Nate looks down at his hands)
Dr. Berger: Ah, sensitive...
Nate(snaps): I'm not sensitive! Okay. I'm not sensitive!
Dr. Berger(looks through the file): Sure. (Smiles) and you work for the IYS?
Nate(mad): no! I-It was someone else!
Dr. Berger(looking through file): who?
Nate(sighs): I don't know her real name-
Dr. Berger(chuckles): You don't know her real name?!
Nate(mad): No! Don't. Okay?!
Dr. Berger(smiles and flips through file): So what do you do?
Nate(confused): What?
Dr. Berger(smiles): In the file it said that you worked at the IYS...but it doesn't mention any other current jobs...
Nate(fidgets): Oh, uh, right. I-I um work with individual clients. Confidential.
Dr. Berger: Solving rich people's problems, heh?
Nate: Actually. It's the other way around.
Dr. Berger: so what is it that you do?
Nate: I already told you... I work with individual clients...
Dr. Berger(grins): No, how do the rich people solve your problems?
Nate(shuts eyes then opens them): Confidential.
Dr. Berger: something wrong with your eyes?
Nate(rubs eyes): No, no. I-Its just...I was hit in the back of the head...
Dr. Berger: with what?
Nate(catches himself): A-A...confidential.
Dr. Berger(flips through pages): Huh. You lived with your dad until you were 18 and then you went off to...
Nate(uneasy): Harvard and got my Doctores degree...
Dr. Berger: before that you went to BASIS Scottsdale but got expelled and went to BASIS Tucson North. Huh, it seemed you got into a lot of fights.
Nate(uneasy): Yeah me and my father moved around a lot.
Dr Berger(nods): Texas, where you went to Carnegie Vanguard High School. Dallas Texas, School of science and engineering. Santa Cruz, pacific Collegiate Charter. North Charleston, Academic Magnet High School. Cypress, where you attended Oxford Academy. Osprey, Florida, Pine View School. Lincroft, New Jersey High Technology School...
Nate(uneasy): Okay...
Dr. Berger: New York, huh. High School of American Studies at Lehman college. Maine, at which you attended Maine School Of Science and Mathematics...
Nate(mad): Okay! I don't need you tell me what I already know!
Dr. Berger: I'm not. I'm just reading what's on the file. Why're you mad?
Nate(mad): I-I'm not mad...I just (calm) Can you not read the file...please?
Dr. Berger(sighs): Fine, so why are you here?
Nate(shrugs): My...friend...advised me to come.
Dr. Berger: Why?
Nate(shrugs): I don't know.
