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sub_dividedTwo shortfics with Ritsuka's psychiatrist in them (she is also in the next chapter of Call Me Anytime - what can I say, the woman is convenient. Also, I'd never noticed this before, but SHE HAS NO NAME seems she does have a name, it's Katsuko. Way to not check facts, self!).
Warning, lots of talking in these. Also the second is way too ernest.
Title: Sensation Threshold
Rating: R for topics unsuitable for children
Wordcount: 285
Note: makes more sense if you've read a certain recent Zero Sum chapter (February 2006? March?)
story is @ chain_of_fics
Title: Hypnosis
Rating: G
Wordcount: 601
Note: Lalala, everything I know about hypnosis I learned from popular fiction.
Hypnosis
"Is there anything else you'd like to talk about?"
Ritsuka looked up from his hands, folded in front of him. He shrugged with one shoulder. "Not really. Mom wants to know when the next hypnosis session will be."
She made a show of flipping through her appointment book. "Let me check...next month, it looks like. Possibly longer." If it had been up to her, the answer would have been never.
"That's late."
"Ritsuka, you don't really like those sessions, do you?"
"I don't mind them. It's only-"
"Yes?" she prompted, when he didn't continue.
"I don't like the feeling of not being in control. But if it helps to bring the old Ritsuka back, it's worth it."
"Hmmmm." She steepled her hands in front of her. Ritsuka looked back at her from the couch, frankly. He was very serious for someone whose feet didn't reach the ground. "It's not exactly like that. Hypnosis can reach a deeper level of consciousness, but only if you allow it to. Additionally, your unconscious mind is still you - it can't be persuaded to do anything you wouldn't do."
Ritsuka's mouth quirked. "Careful, Sensei. It sounds like you're saying I'm purposefully resisting. Or that there is no old Ritsuka. If my mother heard that, she'd lose it."
She smiled back at him. "I didn't mean it that way. We both know you want this to work. Whatever's blocking the hypnosis, it isn't something you have any control over. But Ritsuka-" she hesitated.
"Sensei?"
Ritsuka responded remarkably well to rational explanations. He resisted therapeutic lies or half-truths, and hated being told he was too young, too fragile, or too ignorant to understand something. He didn't shy away from unpleasantness, and he always spoke honestly. It was sometimes hard to believe to believe he was only thirteen - she'd met adults who were less level-headed.
Therefore, she reasoned, telling him what she was worried about would be beneficial.
"Hypnosis is only a tool, it isn't a solution. And it's dangerous. Although we might eventually break through to your old memories, your old personality, hypnosis won't fix whatever it was that caused them to be buried in the first place. As a matter of fact, it will only exacerbate the problem - deepening the gulf between your conscious and unconscious mind will make you more likely to respond the same way to future trauma. And then we'll be right back where we started."
She paused, waiting to see how he'd take it. This level of openness with a patient, while not unheard of, was generally not advisable. In the case of children, especially, conventional wisdom was that she only say what a child needed to hear, not what he or she might like to hear. Ritsuka was looking down at his hands again. Had she made a mistake?
He looked up at her with a conspiratorial grin. "I know. I checked some books out of the library. Hypnosis is interesting."
Well, then. "I see! You're really smart, Ritsuka."
"I just like to know what's going on."
"Wanting to know what's going on is smart."
Though he ducked his head to hide it, she could tell that he was blushing. "Nnnnn."
The time for their session had nearly run out (actually, it had ended three minutes ago). It was with real regret that she said, "It's looks like that's all we have time for today. I'll see you next week, though, right?"
"Right." Ritsuka gathered his things and headed for the exit. He paused at the door, said, "Sensei?"
"What is it?"
"Thanks for being honest with me."
-END-
I'm still mad at myself for not getting a name before writing these. Maybe I should edit it in, hmmmm.
Warning, lots of talking in these. Also the second is way too ernest.
Title: Sensation Threshold
Rating: R for topics unsuitable for children
Wordcount: 285
Note: makes more sense if you've read a certain recent Zero Sum chapter (February 2006? March?)
story is @ chain_of_fics
Title: Hypnosis
Rating: G
Wordcount: 601
Note: Lalala, everything I know about hypnosis I learned from popular fiction.
Hypnosis
"Is there anything else you'd like to talk about?"
Ritsuka looked up from his hands, folded in front of him. He shrugged with one shoulder. "Not really. Mom wants to know when the next hypnosis session will be."
She made a show of flipping through her appointment book. "Let me check...next month, it looks like. Possibly longer." If it had been up to her, the answer would have been never.
"That's late."
"Ritsuka, you don't really like those sessions, do you?"
"I don't mind them. It's only-"
"Yes?" she prompted, when he didn't continue.
"I don't like the feeling of not being in control. But if it helps to bring the old Ritsuka back, it's worth it."
"Hmmmm." She steepled her hands in front of her. Ritsuka looked back at her from the couch, frankly. He was very serious for someone whose feet didn't reach the ground. "It's not exactly like that. Hypnosis can reach a deeper level of consciousness, but only if you allow it to. Additionally, your unconscious mind is still you - it can't be persuaded to do anything you wouldn't do."
Ritsuka's mouth quirked. "Careful, Sensei. It sounds like you're saying I'm purposefully resisting. Or that there is no old Ritsuka. If my mother heard that, she'd lose it."
She smiled back at him. "I didn't mean it that way. We both know you want this to work. Whatever's blocking the hypnosis, it isn't something you have any control over. But Ritsuka-" she hesitated.
"Sensei?"
Ritsuka responded remarkably well to rational explanations. He resisted therapeutic lies or half-truths, and hated being told he was too young, too fragile, or too ignorant to understand something. He didn't shy away from unpleasantness, and he always spoke honestly. It was sometimes hard to believe to believe he was only thirteen - she'd met adults who were less level-headed.
Therefore, she reasoned, telling him what she was worried about would be beneficial.
"Hypnosis is only a tool, it isn't a solution. And it's dangerous. Although we might eventually break through to your old memories, your old personality, hypnosis won't fix whatever it was that caused them to be buried in the first place. As a matter of fact, it will only exacerbate the problem - deepening the gulf between your conscious and unconscious mind will make you more likely to respond the same way to future trauma. And then we'll be right back where we started."
She paused, waiting to see how he'd take it. This level of openness with a patient, while not unheard of, was generally not advisable. In the case of children, especially, conventional wisdom was that she only say what a child needed to hear, not what he or she might like to hear. Ritsuka was looking down at his hands again. Had she made a mistake?
He looked up at her with a conspiratorial grin. "I know. I checked some books out of the library. Hypnosis is interesting."
Well, then. "I see! You're really smart, Ritsuka."
"I just like to know what's going on."
"Wanting to know what's going on is smart."
Though he ducked his head to hide it, she could tell that he was blushing. "Nnnnn."
The time for their session had nearly run out (actually, it had ended three minutes ago). It was with real regret that she said, "It's looks like that's all we have time for today. I'll see you next week, though, right?"
"Right." Ritsuka gathered his things and headed for the exit. He paused at the door, said, "Sensei?"
"What is it?"
"Thanks for being honest with me."
-END-
I'm still mad at myself for not getting a name before writing these. Maybe I should edit it in, hmmmm.