My entry in the Reader Retention contest.

Internist Hitesh Choi M.D. knit his brow with concern as he looked directly into his patient’s eyes. “Have you ever considered doing something like this at any prior time in your life, Richard?”

“No, Doc. It was a bad, bad day – one of the worst I can ever remember having. Okay, actually, it WAS the worst day in my life. I guess the booze didn’t help my mood either. But I ended up not going through with it, so things are OK, right?”

“Because a couple of angels showed up and took the gun away as an option. Thank god for them. I think I’m more worried about this than you appear to be.” The physician rubbed the sparse goatee on his chin as his eyes arched upward while he thought. “I’ll be right back,” he said as he suddenly rose and left the exam room.

Rick sighed, and glanced at the pretty redheaded woman seated to his side. She had not gotten farther than 30 feet from him since she showed up at his door last night. Her green eyes looked up at his. “Thanks for letting me be in here during your visit, Rick.”

“I’m having second thoughts about agreeing to that, Meg. The way you described me to him almost made me sound like a nuthouse candidate. There’s no way I looked that desperate.”

Meg smirked and pursed her lips. “Typical guy. You don’t like doctors, and tend to underplay any symptoms and problems. I just told what I saw, plain and simple. I’ll let him make the diagnosis. But he needed an accurate picture of how you were last night.”

“And I appreciate having all the information I can about my patients, ma’am,” said Dr. Choi, having walked back into the room. “ I wish more patients would bring their spouses or friends to give me a full picture of the problem. Now, Rick. Let’s talk frankly.”

“OK, Doc. Shoot.”

“I think you had a major depressive episode. It all seems exogenous – meaning due to the extreme trauma you experienced – but I’m worried that you could still be at risk for self-harm, especially if you get alone. I’m giving you two options: inpatient treatment at the local psychiatric facility –“

“WHAT?!”

“- Hang on, Rick – OR you can go visit a psychiatrist, today at 2 - that’s in 30 minutes - with Dr. Ramanathan. I called and worked you in.”

Rick stood up. “No, thanks. I don’t want to see a shrink. We’re done here.”

Choi stood also, and set his jaw. He was half the size of his huge patient, but his white coat allowed him to pull rank. “Richard. If you refuse either of these, I will notify the county mental health department, and they will send an evaluator quickly over to where you are–“

Rick’s shoulders slumped, and he grit his jaw. He looked down at Meg with tears in his eyes. “See, Meg? I’m being treated like a lunatic. I hope you’re happy.” Then turning to Choi, “OK, Doc. I’ll see the shrink. But I’m doing so under protest.”

Meghan sat in the psychiatrist’s waiting room. Unlike the visit at Dr. Choi’s, Rick had refused to allow her to be present while this specialist evaluated him. That’s why she was surprised when, after about an hour, the receptionist told her that she was now needed in the consultation room.

“It was my understanding that Rick – the patient – didn’t want me back there,” Meg stammered.

“It’s the doctor that’s asking for you, ma’am,” replied the receptionist.

Meg now knocked on the door of the room she’d been led to. “Come in,” a male voice with a foreign accent said.

She entered and saw her friend with the psychiatrist; both pointed to an open seat for her to take. “Rick – are you sure you’re OK with me being here? I thought –“

“It’s fine, Meg. This experience has been so much better than I thought it would be. He’s gonna let me go home; since you are the one who’s looking after me, he just wants to talk with you a bit.”

“Wow, that’s great! Did he make you make a promise not to hurt yourself, like the suicide counselor made me do?”

The doctor had been writing on his pad computer, but he lifted his head – and his right eyebrow – when Meghan said that. He said nothing, however.

“Yeah, this is Dr Ramanathan – he says call him Dr. Rama for short. He did make me sign an agreement that I wouldn’t harm myself, and is starting me on some high powered antidepressant. I have to stay on it at least 6 months, then he’ll consider weaning it off. He’s also called my work and had them excuse me for the rest of the week. Evidently he thinks I need therapy with a counselor and group meetings pretty intensely for the next few days.

“I would normally be fighting this, but this shrink is a prince of a guy – he really cares. He’s not a weird ‘Sigmund Freud’ type, he’s more like a regular guy. Told me I wasn’t weird for feeling this way. Evidently males commit suicide more than females, and use guns more too. So he was glad that I came in. He wants to personally tell you thank you for … for …” Rick suddenly appeared choked up.

“For what, Rick?” said Meghan.

“For coming to his rescue,” Dr. Rama inserted. “When you and your friend confiscated his gun, you saved him, I’m sure of it. I wish you had called the suicide hotline for him last night, but that’s the only thing I would have done differently. “

Rick’s tears made him sputter as he spoke. “You told me last night that I’d saved your life. It took you less than a day to return the favor. Thank you, Meg. Thanks for saving my life.”

Meghan reached over and squeezed his hand. “I owed you, Big Bear. It’s all going to be okay now.”

Doctor Rama addressed Meghan. “Ma’am, you said something earlier that intrigues me. Have you called a suicide counselor for yourself recently?”

Meg was surprised, and suddenly wary. “Yes … but I’m not here as your patient, so why are you asking?”

“I’m asking as Rick’s doctor. You are committed to overseeing him for the next few days, I understand?”

“Yes. I made some calls and adjusted my work schedule. My new friend Lizzie will cover the late afternoons and evenings, and I’ll be there the rest of the time.”

Dr. Rama’s brow was now knit with concern. “Can you tell me when and why you called the hotline for yourself?”

“Actually,” Meg said, “Rick called them for me. Yesterday early afternoon.” She then quickly recounted the lunch meeting with Derek, and Rick’s actions at her apartment just after.

Dr. Rama took all of this in. When Meg finished, he seemed in deep thought; then he pointed to both of them as he asked: “Is there any romantic attraction between you two?”

“Doc, I’m still in love with my wife,” Rick protested.

“And I’m not over Derek yet either!” Meg replied

“I believe both of you; yet, it’s possible for all that to be true and still be desirable to each other.” The doctor looked at Rick and pointed towards Meg. “Are you telling me that you are not attracted in any way to this beautiful woman here?”

Rick started to flatly deny the charge, but his eyes met Meg’s. He took in the lovely vision of his friend sitting there in the leather chair. Long wavy auburn hair that flowed waterfall-like from her head to her breasts. Those breasts were large and complemented her curvy butt. Not model thin, but not overweight. She was in a black tube top with a green jacket, and painted-on green capri pants.

Rick suddenly became aware of where his eyes had wandered, and forced them to gaze at her face. At her pretty green eyes and pale, porcelain skin. His mind now drifted to the past. Before yesterday, it had been nearly 2 years since he’d last seen her. She was 23 years old then, and just beginning her full time transition to a female life. Though at that time just starting hormone therapy and “pre-op everything”, she still was a very passable woman. Now she’s unreadable; more than that - immaculately sexy, thought the big man. He was aware that he was getting turned on.

“Rick – did you hear my question?” Dr. Rama spoke and interrupted the big man’s reverie.

Rick’s cheeks, already slightly flushed, became beet red. “Doc – if I’m honest, I have to admit that she’s one of the sexiest women I’ve ever known.”

Now Meghan’s face was flushed, and she began to perspire slightly. This admission from her friend not only shocked her; it brought an eruption of conflicting emotions in her chest. Both hands covered her mouth.

“And you, ma’am,” Dr. Rama spoke to her, “Do you feel attracted to Rick?”

“Ah … um …” she quavered, and pointed an open hand towards her friend. “Just look at him.” Meg now did just that. This man was massive and strong, and stood somewhere north of 6’1”. His wavy black hair was only just beginning to recede at the forehead. He had no beard or mustache, but always appeared to have a stubble shadow even after his daily smooth shave. His dark eyes and deep voice made her weak in the pit of her stomach.

Meg turned towards the psychiatrist. “Doc - he’s a man’s man – a big, fantastic hunk of masculinity. What woman wouldn’t be infatuated?”

The doc shook his head. “Okay. I have serious concerns about you two looking after each other. Both of you are emotionally fragile and recently suicidal. Rick, especially with the problem you disclosed to me, you can’t risk a romantic relationship right now. Neither of you can, in my opinion. You need to find someone else – preferably a male relative or friend – to watch over you while you get the counseling and medication you need. Either that, or I need to admit you to Passages, the local psychiatric inpatient center.”

“Nope.” Rick shook his head. “That’s not gonna happen. I’ll find someone else besides Meg. It has to be a guy, huh?”

“I could accept another woman, such as your mother or sister. But not your friend here. I need you to assure me that you will comply with my order on this, Rick.”

“I promise, Doc. I promise.” Rick stood up. “Am I done here?”

“Okay, I liked that doctor until he got the impression that we were going to have a sex orgy as soon as we got out of there,” Meghan grumbled as she drove Rick back to his apartment. “After all, we spent last night together and all that happened was therapeutic snuggling.” But I had no idea he thought I was sexy, she silently thought. One of the sexiest he's ever known. That's what he said. Meg could feel her heart start to race.

“I don’t have many male friends. Only one that I think I could trust to be discreet about all this – Phil, from work - and he’s on vacation in Florida ‘til the end of the week,” Rick fretted.

“Rick, what about your mom or sis-“

“NOPE. No. I am not involving my family in this. You should know why, Meg – the ‘family business’ is why I moved from New Jersey.”

Meg frowned. “Lizzie’s got the rest of today with you, but she can’t stay overnight. Who can we get to be with you then? The doc didn’t want you alone.”

“Just let me be alone, Meg. We don’t need to tell the doc about it. My buddy may be back from Fort Lauderdale in two days.”

“Now it’s my turn to say NOPE, Rick,” Meg stated. “If we’re going to disobey the doc’s orders, then we’ll do it by me staying with you tonight. You being alone sounds like the worst option. So I’ll stay, we’ll interact as just friends, and tomorrow you start your counseling. And tonight you start your antidepressant,” she said as she pulled into the drive-through window at Rick’s pharmacy.

To be continued tomorrow.

Thanks for reading!