Whenever something traumatic happened, a simple questionnaire was given to determine whether a knight required psychological assistance.
Question 1: “Have you experienced anything traumatic recently?”
Question 2: “How do you feel about your day-to-day life?”
Question 3: “Do you require emotional assistance?”
Sometimes, however, such questions failed to ascertain an individual’s condition.
There he was, X, sitting patiently in the waiting room of the medical wing inside of the research department with his usual light-hearted demeanor, staring blankly at the mosaic tile flooring.
“Come in,” a female voice said in a British accent, beckoning him into the office as the big metal shutter doors opened up in front of X. As he walked inside, those same doors shut behind him, creating a loud, damp, metallic sound.
The interior of the office was rather lavish, furnished with comfortable oak seats and a fine leather sofa. The walls were clad in spruce panels, and on the marble floors a white fur rug comfortably sat.
“It’s rather cozy in here,” X remarked with an anxious smile.
“It should be. This is a psychiatrist’s office,” the woman replied, sitting behind her ornamented antique desk.
A variety of bits and bobs were arranged on her desk, making it that much more welcoming. Behind her, there was a large exotic fish tank built into the wall, illuminating the office with its blue glow.
The psychiatrist appeared to be a woman in her mid-twenties. She had black, slicked back hair that was carefully tied into a meticulous bun. She wore black heels and a black butterfly patterned summer dress with long loose sleeves rolled up to her elbows and sat with her legs crossed, leaning her elbows on her desk.
“My name is Vivian. I’ve heard so much about you, X. You can sit down and make yourself comfortable,” the woman smiled.
“The pleasure is all mine,” X muttered, sitting down in the chair directly in front of her.
“You can lie down on the sofa if that will make you more comfortable,” Vivian stated with a warm look in her eyes.
“Oh no, I’m okay,” X replied, as he continued awkwardly staring at her without saying anything.
Silence filled the office with overwhelming pressure. A stare-down between Vivian and X ensued, none moving an inch or diverting their gaze even for a moment.
“So, do you feel like telling me why you’re here?” she asked, breaking the ice
“’He’ said I had to come, didn’t say I had to talk,” X retorted without moving an inch.
“Joseph told me that something happened. Care to explain what?” Vivian smiled.
“I got into a workplace argument,” X shifted his gaze.
“An argument? Please elaborate?” Vivian clasped her fingers in front of her face.
“Nope!” X anxiously exclaimed with a goofy smile.
“Alrighty,” Vivian said, picking a file out of one of her drawers and throwing it on to her desk. “July 23, 12:13 am, You…” she read before being interrupted.
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“Wait!” X screamed out in frustration. “Alright. You got me! I’ll tell you,” he smiled with a slight scoff.
“So basically. Two days ago, me and my team went out for drinks. I’m sure you were invited, the entire compound was,” X explained.
“I recall receiving a memo,” Vivian said while touching her chin.
“Well, almost the entirety of our team showed up apart from Matilda, George, and Matsuhide. The next day, we had an operation. Well, things went south, as the enemy set up an ambush waiting for us and two of my teammates died as a result. I lost control, Yada, Yada, Yada. Let me skip over the non-important details.” X paused, trying to gather his thoughts. “So, there was this bartender who we got the info from, right? But apparently, he never gave any intel. And guess who was tasked with interrogating him? Matsuhide! And so, I thought, If I was Matsuhide, and if I was going to betray my team the next day, I wouldn’t come to drink with them. I mean, I could bear to see their faces, and that’s me. Matsuhide is a lot softer than me. I’ve known him since he was a kid. His dad used to bring him to see me. Man, those were the days,” X continued, shifting his thoughts towards the past.
“But wait, Matsuhide wasn’t the only one not to show up?” Vivian asked.
“Well yeah, but George was killed, and it’s not Matilda,” X shook his head.
“Why do you think it’s not Matilda?” Vivian wondered.
“It’s not Matilda.” X said, motionless.
“Why do you think so?” Vivian smirked, leaning forward.
“I know it’s not Matilda.” X repeated, in a slightly agitated tone.
“How?” she inquired with a blank stare.
“I know it’s not Matilda, because I’m sleeping with her!” X loudly declared. “Kidding,” he smiled. “She’s just not the type,” X shook his head.
“So basically, you’re saying it could be Matilda.” Vivian sighed, shaking her head in accordance.
“Now that I think about it… Yes!” X giggled. “Can I leave now that I’ve stumbled upon this great realization?” X mumbled, visibly dissatisfied.
“Why don’t you continue telling me what happened,” Vivian interjected, putting on her glasses.
“Okay, right…”, X cleared his throat, “So, yesterday, after dropping my arm off for repairs, I went to Matsuhide’s office to talk to him. But you see, there was this big black bodybuilder looking guy standing outside his door, not letting me in. A real mountain of a man. Swole and pumped with spaghetti-like veins popping out of every uneven surface.” X explained.
“So, what did you do?” Vivian leaned in closer.
“Told him I had full jurisdiction to enter Matsuhide’s office. To which he said that he’s not a Knight and I have no jurisdiction over him, therefore I have no means of making him move and that I should walk away or try my luck,” X sighed.
“And?” Vivian asked with great anticipation.
“I tried my luck,” X’s eyes shifted to a serious expression filled to the brim with malice, “I grabbed him by the throat and smashed him through a wall and used his limp body like a rug,” X explained before sighing once more.
“Then, I came up to Matsuhide and said: you’re a little rat, aren’t you?
And then he said: what are you doing? Why did you do that to my bodyguard? Are you insane?
And then I said: Fein ignorance, all you want, you set us up to die!
And then he said: Fuck you X! Do you have any proof of this nonsense you’re spouting?
And then I said: You didn’t go to the bar with us, and you were the one responsible for the intel.
And then he said: I didn’t interrogate the guy myself, someone set us up, but it wasn’t me!
And then I said: What about the bar then? What were you doing then?
And then he said: Fuck you, it’s none of your business what I do in my free time!
And then I said: It is my business when my teammates die because you’re a shithead!
And then he pulled out his gun and screamed: Fuck you!
And then she said…” X spoke reenacting the conversation.
“Wait, wait, wait. Who’s ‘she’?” Vivian slightly twisted her head as a sign of confusion.
“I’m just screwing with you, there was no “she”, I was just checking if you were paying attention,” X laughed.
“Anyway, then I screamed: I’ll skin you alive Timothy!
He tried to shoot me, but all of his shots missed. I took away his gun, smashed his head into the ground and said: You are a fucking cockroach!
And then he said: Fuck you.
And then Joseph screamed over intercoms: X stop it this instant!
And then I said: I’m just taking care of the trash.
And then Joseph finally gave me some context and said: His wife died last Monday, that’s why he wasn’t with us that day, he was with her at the hospital.
And then I said while having my blade pressed against his throat: We’re you now?
And then he said, unsurprisingly: Fuck you!
And then Joseph said: X leave his office this instant!
And now I’m here, happy?” X grinned while crossing his legs.
“Yes! Are you?” She asked with a warm smile.
“Not since coming here,” X replied with a slight sigh.
“Fantastic!” Vivian clapped. “So, is this violent behavior of yours, is that common? I heard about what you did to Melissa, poor girl.” Vivian demonstratively swayed from side to side.
“She wouldn’t let me out, so I walked out on my own,” X smirked with a strange sense of self-satisfaction.