Arnold went on to tell her his perspective about when Maddox had found him, and how he had been found by Tepic later still, “You know the rest Doctor…”
She nodded as she scribbled furiously, and then looked up at him several minutes later, visibly upset, “Arnold…we have a lot to talk about. I almost don’t even know where to begin…” She shook her head and continued to make notes muttering about how he’d almost stabbed himself. He obviously wasn’t supposed to hear her, but he caught it all. She paused her rant to ask him, “Is there anything else you want to talk about right now, before I start? Anything that you might have left out or thought?”
Arnold paused for a few moments, and then nodded, “I was rather surprised at how well they worked together.” She seemed unsurprised but still asked him to clarify.
“Their teamwork.” Arnold explained. “At the end that is, I was surprised at how well they worked together. They argued and disagreed with one another a lot more than I cared to mention, but they really did function as a team against the Lady. Sometimes in the past few months I wondered if it was trying to show me something about what we were going to do against the Dark Aether, or what we should do…but recently I’ve wondered if maybe it was more personal than that…like how I’ve decided to deal with Mr. Harvey.” Arnold shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m just glad to be in Babbage again.”
She nodded though she frowned. She was slightly less thrilled about his resolution of the situation, “Is there anything else you’d like to share?”
Arnold shook his head no, because he would not like to share the fact that when he had made that deal six months ago she had not been pregnant. He didn’t want to worry her that the child had not been his friend and might be taken before he even had the chance for any bond between them to be formed resulting in a changeling, which according to Hono no one had realized his uncle had been one for decades and so no ‘harm’ was done. He did not voice this fear aloud to the doctor who would only worry, because he had already told the people who needed to worry about that and watch.
Dr. Maddox made her final notes, and then took several calming breaths, “Arnold, your dreams or actions, whichever they were all point to what Freud refers to as the Death Drive as I’ve told you before. The theory that all living creatures seek out their own destruction subconciously…”
She didn’t say it, but during her brief pause he wondered how hard it was for her not to add, ‘Except in your case subconciously doesn’t apply so why are you still doing this you stupid cat?!’ They spoke about this subject for a time, commenting that Freud suggested that the desire for death was inherent in all beings and so there was no treatment except to reveal the problem and help the patient change their behavior to be less destructive towards themselves.
“But what I did find most interesting was the fact that the Lady wanted to preserve herself at all costs, and yet her other half was willing to give it all up…and you have the opposite problem…Id wishes to live and you are the one seeking death.”
Arnold frowned as her name came up, and he was about to say that he didn’t want to talk about her yet when he remembered that he had told the Dr. he would be ready after he had finished his story. He had just finished, but he still didn’t feel ready. Maybe he never would be.
Looking at the clock he realized they’d been at this for three hours again, “Can we at least wait till next week to talk about her?”
Dr. Maddox sighed as she looked at the clock and finished her notes, “That will give me time to go through this mountain of notes…I could have written a small novelette out of all this you realize?” Arnold half chuckled. He supposed it had been a long story at that. Dr. Maddox continued, “I’m not going to give you an assignment this week, but next week I want you to be forewarned that I’ll have something special in mind.”
He nodded, neither of them aware that his therapy would be postponed for weeks to come…
((I wanted to thank everyone who has kept up with this very long story, and hope you’ve enjoyed reading it even more than I’ve had writing it. This was a huge collaberation behind the scenes, and I’m very happy with the way it turned out and with being able to help people with their own ”plot bunnies” along the way. Tepic’s adventure is the only such ‘bunny’ I’m at liberty to discuss at this point and can be found here: 2, 3, 4 with more on the way I understand.))
*Deyni applauds the effort involved in working through such a complex story.*
Well done and well told, Mr. Arnold!
((Thank you, I’m very glad you enjoyed it, and I appreciate the comments that you and everyone else has left expressing their interest throughout.))
((I am more than happy to have read this^^ I like knowing backstory.Makes me happy))