InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "I like tigers."

Dr. Aeotha Elliot (freudian_slip) wrote in jh_corporation,
@ 2008-02-20 11:17:00

Here We Are (Ed)

All she wanted was a glass of wine, a nice warm bath, and a very good book. Instead today was filled with over zealous scientists, receptionists with 'daddy' issues, and a clerk with OCD which compelled him to wash his hands in scalding water every time someone sneezed... The list went on. People couldn't be normal; there was no real normal anymore. People had mechanical hands covered in layers of false skin that looked real. AIA units were so real to her now it was hard to tell the difference, and in fact, 9 times out of ten, you could be completely wrong in guessing which was which.

Her headache had started an hour ago. As Cindy droned on about how her father never loved her, her boyfriend didn't love her, and the cat she bought certainly didn't love her. Aeotha wasn't even taking notes anymore. She was doodling flowers and trees on her notepad. The girl had issues, and it wasn't the men in her life, or the cat she bought. It was dependency. The need to be wanted by someone. To be supported by someone. Most people found religion that way. God would be there for them. Even Aeotha was guilty of that.

Aeotha felt guilty for not caring. But really, making a difference in this woman's life was impossible unless she actually admitted that someone loved her. Someone had to. Didn't she love herself?

"What about you Cindy? Do you love yourself?" Aeotha piped up amid Cindy's fast growing tears over boyfriend, father, and cat.

"What's there to love?"
"I'm sure there's something. What about your smile?"

Cindy glanced at Aeotha, and then went back to talking about how her boyfriend didn't smile as much. Aeotha wanted to crack the pencil in her hand. Finally their time was up.

"Ah. Ah, for next week Cindy."
"But I.."
"I have a lot of people to see today. And it's far past the time for my lunch. You understand. I'll be here next week, same time."
"Alright.." And Cindy got off the couch and headed out of the room. Aeotha felt her headache getting better already.

She didn't sign up for receptionists. She signed up for Criminals, Police officers, the Scientists and the AIA's specifically. Aeotha gathered her paperwork, her binder, all into her bag. Her laptop, purse, and left the room. The door shut behind her. Aeotha was glad to be done, for now. She'd stop into the staff room for Coffee and then off to lunch. Turning the corner Aeotha headed into the slightly ajar door that led to the Coffee pot.

Coffee. It was going to make her even shorter than she already was. But it would make the rest of the headache go away. The familiar face, not too close to the pot just yet, but looking like he was going for it was a welcome sight indeed. "Edward! Not too busy to get a cup of coffee today are we?" Aeotha smiled and headed towards him. She'd known Edward years now. And still, her knowledge of what he did exactly was limited. Private, and classified. She'd have to die in order to know.

It was for the best.

"I've missed you. You never stop by the couch anymore."

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drstrangegloves
2008-02-21 03:09 am UTC (link)

Edward looked up from his clipboard and pulled a blank piece of paper over the page he had been reading. Oh – it was Dr Elliot, from the behavioural department. They were colleagues… occasionally, even though their work was on different levels. She wasn’t privy to a lot of his work, save for what JH announced publicly. This included the emotional patches he had been reading about on his clipboard. She probably was the one analysing the effectiveness of those blasted patches. His smile was appropriate, with the right level of warmth and not a hint of sleaziness that he’d sometimes give to female coworkers.

The doctor wasn’t that attracted to her, anyway. It was hazardous to find a bedpartner in the workplace, primarily because the kind of women who worked here weren’t the kind of women Ed wanted to deal with after he had left the offices. Still, she was an attractive woman and there was no harm done with a flirt or two.

“I’m afraid my life has stabilised enough to not warrant your help,” Edward replied and held up one of his artificial hands. He was wearing black leather gloves today. “But from the way my latest project is going, you may find me back on your couch sooner than you think.”

He winked, and peered over her to see how much coffee was left.

“And how are things going for you? I suppose winter’s the busiest time of year, with all the patients feeling down.”

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freudian_slip
2008-02-21 04:33 am UTC (link)

"It's that 'nobody loves me everybody hates me' time of the year." Aeotha picked up a cup from beside the coffee pot and got herself a glass of it. She then went to get the creme and sugar. Ample amounts of both then stirred it slowly. She loved her patients. Every one of them was something new and exciting. Each one could be cured, one day, and hopefully by her. But sometimes..

"Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like to take on another profession. Like English. Do English teachers have the same problems as I do with Students? So many unwilling to learn or to change their styles of thinking? Or what if I'd chosen Medicinal Medicine rather than Mental?" Aeotha took a sip of her coffee.

She had considered quite a few things. More than a few things.

"What if I'd become a scientist?" Aeotha looked back to Edward with a smile.

"I do hope I find you on my couch, I bet you have all sorts of curious quirks.."

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drstrangegloves
2008-02-23 03:26 am UTC (link)

Edward shook his head, when she spoke of choosing Medicinal Medicine or becoming a scientist. “We’ve come far in the field of diagnosing and treating diseases, but disease has a mind of its own. Sometimes it won’t respond to treatment in the way you would like. Research is the same – when we develop something, sometimes our creations behave in ways you never expect.” He brushed his gloved hands over one another; some of the dead-end nerves on his upper arm began to make themselves known once again, as it reminding him of that incident.

The good doctor chuckled, and set his own coffee mug down on the table. On it was a joke:

Why was Baron Frankenstein never lonely?
Because he was good at making friends.

He poured coffee into the mug, and followed it with a bit of sugar and cream.

“You are more than welcome to examine my quirks anytime you wish to do so, Dr Elliot,” Edward chuckled, and sipped his own coffee. “And it needn’t be on your couch…”

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freudian_slip
2008-02-25 01:57 am UTC (link)

"A wise man said, the mind is it's own disease. It can convince itself that the body is sick, just as much as it can convince the body that it's sick. Ever heard the stories from back in the 90s of people being so convinced they had cancer that they actually grew lumps?" Aeotha smiled as she took a drink.

"Curious, really." Aeotha shook her head and went to lean beside where the pot was to look at him closer.

"Oh? And where would you prefer?" She was prepared for any answer he might have, no matter how crude.

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drstrangegloves
2008-02-29 07:51 am UTC (link)

“There is some enervation of the lymphatic system, and the stress caused by such worrying over nothing would lead the way to illness. While the power of the mind is significant when it comes to the body’s ability to fight disease, no malignant tumour has been destroyed by the power of thought alone.” And Edward stopped the discussion there, as he very well knew about the woman’s… beliefs, through office gossip. He wondered how she could stand to work for JH, when they played God everyday by bringing what the masses to be ‘sentient life’ into the world and modifying it like how ‘God’ fashioned a submissive spouse for Adam from his rib.

“As for where I would like some therapy… how about your bed instead?” Edward winked, and followed it with a hearty chuckle. “Just kidding.”

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freudian_slip
2008-03-01 03:32 am UTC (link)

Aeotha was surprised to say the least, she'd half expected a silly answer, but when he said her bed she lost her concentration and immediately dropped her coffee mug. It hit the floor without shattering but did manage to slosh the coffee right onto her shoes, feet, and ankles. Aeotha jumped back startled. it'd been hot after all.

"Oh! I.. How silly of me. I'm sure I burned myself now." Aeotha immediately went to sit down to find out how much damage she'd done.

"Forgive me, I'm not the best with jokes."

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drstrangegloves
2008-03-03 06:38 am UTC (link)

Now that was an interesting reaction, for what she should’ve recognised was a joke. He hadn’t shown any serious interest in her then, and he wasn’t going to show any serious interest in her in the future. Maybe she was interested in him – oh, that was an amusing thought. It was good to know that at his relatively mature age, he was still attractive to the younger ladies. Oh – now wasn’t the time to lose his gentlemanly demeanour. He knelt down took a look at her foot.

“Ah… just superficial burns. Just run it under cold water for a while and it’ll be fine. I’ll call someone to clean this up.”

He paused, and added.

“Very sorry about that… it was just a joke.”

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freudian_slip
2008-03-03 07:08 pm UTC (link)

Aeotha nodded a few times. "I know it was a joke, just a little surprising none the less." Aeotha was embarrassed, her cheeks pink because of it. She straightened up.

"I should go tend to this, at home likely. I don't have any more appointments today at least." Aeotha stood up slowly, making sure he stood up before she did. She smiled a little.

"Well, it was nice seeing you Edward."

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