[Episode] Sessions with La Patrona: The Rascal

Somewhere Else:
Beatriz reread the letter the courier had brought to her with mixed feelings of dread and confusion. Her Father had done what? “Hijo de su (Son of a-)…” She would mutter as she slammed the door leading to her office. “If I-” A familiar head would peek through the now half-opened door. Beatriz wouldn’t notice until a quiet voice would pull her from her thoughts.  “Doctora..?” Noting that the doctor was now of right mind, the woman would come in and close the door silently behind her as a worried expression clouded her delicate features. “Is everything alright?” Seeing her concerned assistant, Beatriz would immediately look up from the letter and shoot the woman a reassuring smile. “Ah, it’s really nothing.” The woman shot her an unimpressed look. Finally relenting, Beatriz would reply with a tired sigh. “It’s just my father. He… He wants me back in Centaurea.” This caused the woman to grow even more concerned. “Is he sick?” Beatriz would shake her head in response.

Beatriz would fold the letter into fourths and place it in the front pocket of her lab coat. “No.” Having the letter now secured on her person, the psychologist would make her way towards her desk and take a seat. She’d prop her elbows on the desk and press her forehead on the fist she had created with her intertwined fingers. “There’s a paciente (patient) who needs a look-over. Apparently Father talked too much and now they think I can help them solve their problems.” The woman looked at Beatriz in wide-eyed surprise before grinning like a madman. “But,” she would say through a feeble attempt to bite back her all-knowing grin “You told him you weren’t going back… right?” Beatriz winced causing the woman to shake in mildly controlled laughter. “And,” she would continue while attempting to calm herself down. “Even though you said that… He still told people you would come to help him with a special case?” Beatriz would give a nod in confirmation.

With no more willpower to hold back, the woman’s uncontrolled laughter would ring across the halls of the make-shift clinic. After a few moments of Beatriz’s annoyed hushing, the woman’s laughter would die down as she looked at the psychologist in mock worry. “What are you going to do?” Beatriz would crack a tired smile and shrug. “What can I do?” Beatriz would turn to look at her coworker with newfound determination. “If Papa (Dad) wants me back, I have no other choice but to go back.” The woman would nod in agreement. “I’ll go pack up your bags then.” Leaving the psychologist to her thoughts, the woman would turn and leave. However, she would do so without knowing the true extent of Beatriz’s worries. After all, Beatriz wasn’t going to go for a vacation or for a friendly visit. She was, in fact, summoned to work a special case in the middle of a civil war. Beatriz would turn her head to glare at the keepsake she had kept of her father.  “Si me muero (If I die), it’s all your fault.” Oh, how she’d haunt him if she did.


Centaurea:
Despite her previous familiarity with Centaurea, Beatriz could honestly say that she felt very much like a foreigner in her own hometown. It had been much too long and, as a result, everything seemed odd and alien to her. She would glance around much like a fish out of water causing some passerbyers to stare at her warily. Beatriz would take note and flash them a smile. This seemed to surprise them and so she would watch them in concern as they scurried away. She frowned. From what she remembered, Centaurea had been a place crawling with deadbeats and thugs but, now, it seemed to have all been replaced with the flurry of townsfolk. Not that it changed the tense atmosphere of the place. Beatriz would clasp her suitcase tightly and make her way towards her father’s clinic. She had stayed there waiting for him for about half an hour like an idiot but he had never shown up. “When I see him…” she muttered under her breath as she hauled her items angrily. One thing was for sure, though, her father was still a jerk.

After a bit of walking, Beatriz would stop and ask for directions to which she received suspicious looks and mixed replies. It took a bit of time probing and, by the time she managed to head onto the right path, she was already frustrated with the earlier encounters. “Guess they weren’t lying…” Beatriz would say softly to herself. She had known somewhat about the current situation but she hadn’t realized the grand scale of it. From what the letters had told her, it hadn’t been this bad before. She’d have a talk with her father about it later. Beatriz would soon arrive and the tinkling of bells as she opened the clinic door washed over the young woman with a massive wave of nostalgia. “One moment!” A voice yelled out just before a clattering of items falling caught her attention. Beatriz would drop everything and rush into the back storage room to assist. However, she would find her father standing there sheepishly as paperwork and utensils were strewn across the floor all around him.

He’d make eye contact with her and move his hands rapidly to grab a container that laid half-open right beside him. “Help me sterilize them, mija (daughter).” He would push a box full of instruments towards her. “We don’t have all day.” Beatriz would roll her eyes as she took the box to one of the vacant rooms. “Good to see you, too, dad.” She would say just as she vanished into the hallway. It was to be expected, unfortunately. He cared for her, truly, but sometimes she wondered. “You finished yet?” Her father would yell from the other room. She growled a response. “I’ll take that as a yes,” He’d say as he came in and placed a bundle of paperwork by her side. “I need you to look over these files later. Sort them out by numerical order.” Beatriz would shoot him a glare as he disappeared from the room. If she hadn’t known better, she would have thought he had tricked her into coming back to work for him. She’d sigh and continue her work diligently. He’d tell her the reason she came, later… right?

A few hours had passed when Beatriz finally completed the last of her tasks. Not that her father had been much help as he was busy reading a new mystery novel he had apparently been keeping up with. “Listo (Done),” she would say as she locked the metal cabinet closed. “That's the last of them.” Her father, without sparing a glance at her direction, would nod in approval. “I’m impressed.” He’d rub his chin thoughtfully, “It seems as if your small viaje (trip) hasn’t dulled your capabilities.” Beatriz would place the key in a hidden compartment just besides the cabinet. “Of course, not.” She’d reply smugly. “I actually travelled for work, thank you very much.” Her father would glance up briefly from his reading. “Cuidadito, chiquita (Careful, small one).” He’d narrow his eyes as he placed the book down. “Todavía soy tu padre (I am still your father), remember?” Beatriz would roll her eyes.

Her father would take the gesture as acknowledgment and give his daughter a wide grin. “Anyways, mija (daughter).” He pulled out a slim folder and handed it to her. “You’re paciente (patient) is coming over in a few more hours.” Beatriz would take the file and look it over. She would find that everything but the name was blank. She’d look at him incredulously. “Are you serious?” He would give her an enthusiastic nod, “It’s all there.” Beatriz would close her eyes and move her head upwards to face the ceiling. The folder would be closed immediately as she did her best to summon both the willpower and patience she would need to deal with her father. “Papa (Dad),” she tried again. This time her voice would be soft and soothing almost as if speaking to a misbehaving child. “There’s nothing here. It’s blank.” Her father would nod again. “I know.” He’d follow it up with a nonchalant shrug.

Beatriz would keep her eyes closed, counting her numbers down from ten, before opening them up. She would see her father holding out another file towards her. “EyAHAHA!” He’d bark out in laughter as soon as he made eye contact with her. “You should have seen your face!” She’d give him an unappreciative smile as she took the file. Beatriz would pull out the intake form and nod at it thoughtfully. “Interesting,” She would remark. “It seems the patient has a deep understanding of themselves.” Her father would grin back in response. “No, her guardian came in to book the appointment.” He’d gesture towards the files. “He filled them out, too.” Beatriz would look up from the form to her father and back. “That’s… that’s not how it works.” Her father would shrug causing Beatriz to frown. Still, regardless of how the information had been obtained, it was better than nothing. She only hoped it was correct.

It took a few more hours of hard work and labor but Beatriz could finally say that she was quite pleased with how things had turned out. Her patient’s room had been artfully arranged with just enough décor to consider it homely. This pleased her greatly as it definitely beat the basic white walls her father had in his other rooms. She nodded to herself in satisfaction. Hopefully, it would be enough for the patient to feel comfortable throughout the appointment. After all, her patients were of utmost priority. Beatriz would then busy herself with other mindless tasks. She’d had just gotten started when the tinkling of bells sounded throughout the clinic. Grabbing the already prepared clipboard, Beatriz would don her lab coat and make her way towards the front of the clinic. She could only assume that it was the patient she had been waiting for.

Making sure that she had everything she needed, she would walk out with all the confidence she could muster. “Thank you for waiting,” Beatriz would say with a smile as she emerged from the back. It hadn’t taken more than a couple minutes but hospitality was important. “I am Dr. Beatriz Hernandez but feel free to just call me Beatriz.” She’d smile at the duo as she moved towards the counter. She would start the initial meeting slowly in order to get them situated as, besides the basic information she had received, she knew nothing about them. “Would you both like something to drink before we get started?” Beatriz would give them a moment to reply. If they agreed, she’d be quick to fetch them refreshments. If not, she’d smile and turn to the young woman. “You must be Miss Sato.” Hopefully, she had assumed correctly. After all, the young brooding woman was the only one of the two that fit the registration information. “Are you ready to get started?”

Everything had been proceeding smoothly until Beatriz called her patient by name. It wasn’t a mistake that she had made that floored her but, rather, the blatant manifestation of perplexion and puzzlement that the patient displayed towards her. Beatriz would lift her eyes towards the woman’s companion in a questioning gaze. Surely, he had made mention of this. Had he not? As far as she knew, he had been given quite a long time to bring up the appointment to his young companion. Beatriz, after all, had taken quite a journey to reach Centaurea. It was no easy feat much less time consuming. The psychologist would then shift her gaze towards the young woman. It was evident that she had no clue. Beatriz would watch silently as the woman’s body language switched to a more aggressive tone. If the patient wished to stay, Beatriz would make sure to note this situation. After all, this was all important for the patient's overall mental health.

Miku’s voice would soon rise an octave higher to which her companion would pay no mind. As a psychologist, it concerned Beatriz that the young woman had been unaware of the appointment and led to it under false pretenses. If anything, it truly showed the trust the patient, Miku, had towards the man when, in all reality, the man’s concern contrasted the trust he might have supposedly had towards her. Regardless, it was something Beatriz viewed as unhealthy in the duo’s relationship. It also helped her to understand the patient’s reason to lash out. Most people, after all, would naturally grow upset when finding out that the people they trusted were plotting things behind their backs. However, as the woman’s fury grew, Beatriz wondered if this was an occurrence that stemmed from previously instilled behavior or if recent circumstances had shaped her. Perhaps, both. The only evident thing now was that Miku had learned to use anger as a form of defense.

Nevertheless, Beatriz would remain watching from the sidelines. From what she could see before her, the man would take the lead of the one sided confrontation and spin it around. A true smooth talker but, based on the situation at hand, it was needed. However, if he were to need the help, she would step in. Yet, as the time went on, he seemed to have expertly controlled and diffused the situation beautifully. He had reasoned with the young woman until, finally, he had managed to reach her. Miku would then take a brief moment for herself before seemingly resigning herself to her fate. Although this was not how Beatriz advised patients to be brought in, it was clearly evident that Miku needed a guiding hand. Why the man had decided against being that person, Beatriz had no clue nor did she wish to know. Now, it was her responsibility to make sure the patient received the help she needed to move away from the aggression she had enclosed herself within.

Now that the patient had finally conceded, Beatriz would take the opportunity to proceed with the appointment. She, however, would not comment on the outburst that had just occurred nor would she show that it affected her. Instead, she would leave it up for discussion during the session. “Please follow me, Mi..- ku.” Beatriz would say as she politely indicated for the young woman to follow her. She hoped that the fumbled name would be missed. Moreso as she was trying to adhere to the young woman’s wish of being addressed simply by her first name. “Once you get situated, we’ll be ready to begin.” Having reached the designated room, Beatriz would hold the door wide open. “Feel free to take a seat anywhere you feel most comfortable in.” Beatriz would leave the decision up to Miku. She found, after all, that people were more prone to speak when they felt they had power over their own decisions.

Beatriz would motion her hand towards a small desk in order to bring attention to the beverages placed neatly on top. “There’s bottled water on the desk for you as well in the case you change your mind.” She made sure to acknowledge the woman’s previous refusal but, from experience, Beatriz knew all too well how thirst had a funny way of appearing during stress. After the patient had taken a seat or, perhaps, decided to remain standing, Beatriz would pull one of the chairs over. She would place it just far enough so that the patient wouldn’t feel that she was intruding into her space and take a seat. “Before we get started, is there anything you would like to speak about?” She’d make eye contact with Miku and smile. “I’d also like to remind you that anything you say here will be kept confidential.” Beatriz stressed the importance of confidentiality. This was, after all, a place where patients would be able speak freely and express themselves.

Miku scoffed at her question which immediately let Beatriz know where exactly the patient stood on the spectrum. “Who would I tell? Everyone looks to me to know what to do and get them through it. I can’t.” Beatriz nodded slowly at Miku’s outburst. ‘Aye, que Dios me ayude (Aye.. May God help me)...’ The psychologist silently thought to herself, trying to hold back a sigh. It was a common misconception many people in leadership often had. They viewed themselves as unable to give into weakness which meant they often bottled things up. Even if speaking about such topics had nothing to do with frailty.

These preconceived notions, however, were very detrimental to one's own mental health which, unfortunately, led them to… well, she looked up at Miku, alcanzar sus limites (reach their limit). Thus, having even just one confidant was enough to get them on the right track for their mental health. Of course, they also needed to be the right person for the patient to talk to. Lukman, quite frankly, would not be her go to person as someone for Miku to rely on. Simply by his mannerisms and gestures, that alone gave her a bad feeling. On the other hand, it also meant that Miku needed new friends and/or regular visits to her office.

Turning towards the matter at hand, Beatriz further decided to probe for more details. It would not take long, however, for Miku to push back. “I’M NOT HELPLESS!” Her patient shouted. Beatriz stayed silent as her patient shot up from her seat like a bullet. Clearly, she had hit a nerve. Beatriz, however, made no attempt to correct Miku. Sure, she had never called Miku helpless but emotional triggers gave no rhyme or reason. They were simply words that some patients zero-ed in on. Saying anything else on the matter would make them quite defensive. That, of course, was something Beatriz was trying to avoid.

On the other hand, these triggers provided much information for her to work with as they played heavily on one’s insecurities and fears. It was evident that pursuing this further would only serve to break what little trust the patient had given her. Although not much, Beatriz had made some progress that she did not want to lose. Thus, for now, the psychologist chose to move towards a different direction so as to avoid the patient closing herself off. However, she made a mental note to come back to the subject at a later date. With this in mind, she turned her attention to something else Miku had mentioned - her aliados (allies).

However, Mithu’s response was a bit unexpected. Not that she blamed her for having quite a straightforward view of Centaurea and its people. It was, after all, one of the reasons why Beatriz had left her hometown to work in the slums. Furthermore, it was a known fact that both the World Government and the Marines did nothing to provide aid. To make matters worse, they were often the ones who kept the traffickers going by providing them support to squash all over the will of the people. It was up to those willing to fight in their own way that the rest survived. However, these thoughts were not helpful to the session at hand.

Miku continued. “So now I came back once again but I guess some people took notice before I hit the shore.” Beatriz let a small frown slip. It sounded rather odd hearing from someone else that they were being tracked. Or, in other words, being spied upon. However, it did not seem as if her patient found it odd so Beatriz let her continue. Asking her questions regarding the incident would come later. “That’s where Lukman and his friends found me, but it wasn’t just them.” Beatriz nodded in understanding. It was obvious that this was a traumatic memory for her.

There seemed to be a momentary break in reality for Miku before she jumped ahead in her story. “Anyway, they made me an offer that I couldn’t refuse.” Beatriz nodded. If she thought the whole thing wasn’t fishy before, it sure was now. It seemed quite clear that Lukman was the mastermind of all this. As to why he needed Miku, Beatriz figured it was better off not to involve herself further into this mess. “I help them get rid of Croft, and we maybe turn Centaurea into a proper home that isn’t just something to run the hell away from.” Beatriz blinked a few times. Such idealistic thoughts but Beatriz knew reality didn’t work that way.

However, Miku was entitled to her own thoughts and opinions. Beatriz’s only role was to make sure that the young woman was in a good state of mind and mentally healthy. “Lukman and his friends all have plans to try and fix this place up, won’t be anytime soon but it’s a start.” Beatriz stopped short from raising an eyebrow. Instead she shifted her gaze at the patient’s intake form. Miku was still quite young and, perhaps, easily impressionable. One thing was for certain, however, the young woman had a strong attachment to Centaurea and faith that it could be restored. But, at the expense of what?

Miku sighed after having mentioned the lack of strength on her side. Whether or not it came from a place of defeat or resignation, Beatriz had yet to find out. Whatever the outcome, it was clear that it was playing a heavy toll on the young woman. "People are going to die, Doc." Miku concluded. Beatriz nodded in affirmation. It was something she could not deny as it was a fact of life. Although, at times, a necessity, war often came with no clear winners. Death and destruction followed both sides. Trauma and desolation more often than not accompanied them. It was only through faith and belief that helped those in it continue to fight on.

“Has Lukman and his crew included you in their planes (plans), eh… renovation plans? Is that something you feel will work towards Centaurea’s future?” Beatriz made sure to say ‘feel’ rather than ‘believe.’ It was a subtle way of asking her what she truly believed in her gut. The mind, after all, could be easily convinced but the innate feeling one had inside could not. As per Lukman’s mention, it was Beatriz’s indirect way of seeing how much the patient was involved in their plans and how much trust Miku had placed on them. Perhaps, Miku’s insecurities came from not knowing what she was fighting for or for whom she was fighting for.

The best case scenario, of course, was that Miku knew exactly what she had at stake and the outcome that would come from pursuing Lukman’s goals. It would mean that her triggers came from second guessing herself in other matters pertaining to the upcoming battle. After all, it wasn’t Miku that had established their path but, rather, it was the man who seemingly had been waiting for her to arrive. Beatriz immediately dispersed the thought. ‘¿En qué me metí (What did I get myself into)...?’ She thought to herself. No wonder her father had referred to her. She was an outsider. Someone who had nothing to lose in Centaurea.

Of course, this didn’t deter Beatriz from doing her job. “Why is this so important to you?” She figured she would start easy before hitting with a hard question. Open-ended questions would give Miku time to speak her mind before delving in deeper. “Have you ever thought of abandoning your role in this war or giving it to someone else, even if, momentarily?” She trained her eyes on Miku in order to catch any subtle hints. “You mentioned that many strong people sided with Croft. Why didn’t you?” Beatriz would give Miku time to collect her thoughts if she needed to and speak.