Caulfield. I am from the veterans’ hospital. Here is Mr. Burns’s medical file.” The room seemed too quiet, and she became uncomfortable suddenly. David did not help with the uncomfortable situation as he started reading the new file, simply standing quietly in front of her and his new patient. “So should I come in with Mr. Burns, or should I remain outside?”
David came out of his reading trance and returned to the here and now. “Yes. I mean, yes, you can remain in the waiting room. Michele will let you know the best places to get coffee. I typically do my work with my clients without observers. If that is a problem, I am sure there are a number of qualified clinicians that could see Mr. Burns.”
The attendant was surprised but not as much as Michele. David knew there was a lot of money that was being pushed out the door. His new client remained quiet, but David noticed he was smiling just a little bit. The attendant recovered quickly, “No worries. I will be able to read.” Michele’s eyes closed with obvious relief that David did not lose such an economic windfall. Once settled, the attendant sat down. Quiet, broad-shouldered, and somehow present and invisible at the same time, Mr. Burns walked slightly ahead of David and took the seat closest to the door.
“A double door? Is it for noise or security or both?” Mr. Burns asked.
David became self-conscious of the first file he had been reading, the one that was still open on his desk. He took a moment to walk over and close the other file, and he then opened the “newer file” in front of him now.
“More for sound than security. Much more for reassurance than anything,” David said in a distracted manner. He was reading the file again, and while it seemed the same, there were some differences: grammar, sentence structure, and slight changes in the time line, especially in regards to the college years. It became apparent that David was being rude simply focusing on the case file when Burns asked, “So how do we get started?”
As if awakened out of a sleep, David made a decision. He put the file down, took out a pad of paper, walked around to chair beside his new client, and said, “Okay. Let’s start.”
Burns asked, “Where would you like me to begin?”
David responded, “At the beginning. What do you first remember?”
Chapter 5
Burns was sitting in an oversized, leather chair. Unlike most of his clients, he did not settle back into the chair. Rather, he sat more on the chair’s edge, his feet firmly set on the floor, his hands folded on his lap. Burns wasn’t wringing his hands per se, but they were nervously moving. “I remember waking up in a hospital about six months ago. I remember my hands were bandaged up and my eyes were covered. I remember the smell of smoke from electrical circuits. I also remember having difficulty breathing as if I was underwater.”
David noticed scarring of second-degree burns on his hands and slight scarring near the client’s eyes and nose. There was new hair growth on the back and right side of Burns’s skull, indicating either recent head or brain surgery. Burns’s cadence and voice was low, but his eyes were everywhere in the room. The eye movement was not that of someone nervous. The gazes seemed more purposeful. David asked, “What are you looking for?”
Burns stopped and focused on David. “I am just checking out your office. I do that as a matter of course. I am not looking for anything in particular.”
David knew otherwise. “No, you are looking around for something. Either an advantage point or an escape or both.”
Burns smiled. “Sorry. A job hazard … so I am told.”
David noted the smile. It wasn’t a nervous smile or a fake one. The smile seemed genuine. The corner of the eyes narrowed, and the nose seemed to flare slightly.
“And what were you told your job was or is?” David queried.
“They tell me intelligence.” Then Burns shifted quickly. “So, Dr.
David came out of his reading trance and returned to the here and now. “Yes. I mean, yes, you can remain in the waiting room. Michele will let you know the best places to get coffee. I typically do my work with my clients without observers. If that is a problem, I am sure there are a number of qualified clinicians that could see Mr. Burns.”
The attendant was surprised but not as much as Michele. David knew there was a lot of money that was being pushed out the door. His new client remained quiet, but David noticed he was smiling just a little bit. The attendant recovered quickly, “No worries. I will be able to read.” Michele’s eyes closed with obvious relief that David did not lose such an economic windfall. Once settled, the attendant sat down. Quiet, broad-shouldered, and somehow present and invisible at the same time, Mr. Burns walked slightly ahead of David and took the seat closest to the door.
“A double door? Is it for noise or security or both?” Mr. Burns asked.
David became self-conscious of the first file he had been reading, the one that was still open on his desk. He took a moment to walk over and close the other file, and he then opened the “newer file” in front of him now.
“More for sound than security. Much more for reassurance than anything,” David said in a distracted manner. He was reading the file again, and while it seemed the same, there were some differences: grammar, sentence structure, and slight changes in the time line, especially in regards to the college years. It became apparent that David was being rude simply focusing on the case file when Burns asked, “So how do we get started?”
As if awakened out of a sleep, David made a decision. He put the file down, took out a pad of paper, walked around to chair beside his new client, and said, “Okay. Let’s start.”
Burns asked, “Where would you like me to begin?”
David responded, “At the beginning. What do you first remember?”
Chapter 5
Burns was sitting in an oversized, leather chair. Unlike most of his clients, he did not settle back into the chair. Rather, he sat more on the chair’s edge, his feet firmly set on the floor, his hands folded on his lap. Burns wasn’t wringing his hands per se, but they were nervously moving. “I remember waking up in a hospital about six months ago. I remember my hands were bandaged up and my eyes were covered. I remember the smell of smoke from electrical circuits. I also remember having difficulty breathing as if I was underwater.”
David noticed scarring of second-degree burns on his hands and slight scarring near the client’s eyes and nose. There was new hair growth on the back and right side of Burns’s skull, indicating either recent head or brain surgery. Burns’s cadence and voice was low, but his eyes were everywhere in the room. The eye movement was not that of someone nervous. The gazes seemed more purposeful. David asked, “What are you looking for?”
Burns stopped and focused on David. “I am just checking out your office. I do that as a matter of course. I am not looking for anything in particular.”
David knew otherwise. “No, you are looking around for something. Either an advantage point or an escape or both.”
Burns smiled. “Sorry. A job hazard … so I am told.”
David noted the smile. It wasn’t a nervous smile or a fake one. The smile seemed genuine. The corner of the eyes narrowed, and the nose seemed to flare slightly.
“And what were you told your job was or is?” David queried.
“They tell me intelligence.” Then Burns shifted quickly. “So, Dr.
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