A Psychopath's Heart

5

As I was getting ready for the morning, I wondered how long he would stay here. I was also thinking about my plans for the weekend. I made my way to my office and once again, my boss had texted me to come in and speak to him.

My boss, Jonathan, seemed to be on his phone and looked up when he noticed I was already there. He then gestured for me to come into his office and sit across from him. I sat across from him and waited for him to speak, I was unsure why he wanted to see me.

After a moment of silence, he looked up from his phone. "So, how did the session with Archer go yesterday?"

"A little disheartening, I seemed to upset him yesterday. However, I am confident today will be better."

He chuckled a bit. "You always say that, yet it seems like that man is always upset with you. Maybe you should reconsider your approach, don't you think? You haven't made much progress with him."

I wondered what he meant by that. I mean, I have lasted longer than his past shrinks so surely that counts for something. "May I ask what you mean? I feel like my progress may be slow, for sure, but I still am making some."

He sighed, it seemed like I was not just not getting it. "Do you really not realize why he's always upset with you? I thought you were a psychologist. It was almost like you did that on purpose to make him upset. I don't care if you think it's for his own good, how about you actually try and help him instead of making him even more unstable? That doesn't seem like a very good approach to your job, does it?"

Anger arose in me, but I took a breath and stared at my boss. "I have to get to know him in order to help him, and sometimes that means I need to ask the most difficult of questions," I said while plastering the fakest smile I could.

Jonathan scoffed and was silent for a moment before he spoke once again. "That's the thing, you keep asking really difficult questions that only get him more angry. You keep striking nerves that seem like they're incredibly sensitive for him. Is it really that bad for me to ask you to change your approach to actually help him? How long till you have your next appointment with him?"

I sighed, knowing that this conversation was not going anywhere. "Forgive me, for I am on edge today. I was not trying to argue. My next session is in 30 minutes."

He sighed as well, it seemed this conversation was going nowhere. He didn't even want to keep arguing with me. "That is quite alright. So, what do you plan on doing with him today? More questions that will just upset him more?"

At that moment, it took everything in me not to, what do the Americans call it? Yes, lose my shit. I cleared my throat and answered his question. "I will focus on light-hearted topics for today is Friday, the happiest of all weekdays."

He laughed at that last part a little bit and he nodded his head. "Good, I'm happy to hear that. Just please, avoid any topics that will get Archer mad. The longer you keep him calm the more likely you'll be able to get to the truth underneath his problems. If you can't, then we'll have to find a more suitable psychologist for him. And I doubt *anyone* would be willing to take on that challenge."

I nod my head, walk out of the office, and head into mine, where I see Archer waiting for me.

Like always, he was strapped to his chair and he was just glaring at the door, waiting for me to come through. As I entered my office he didn't say a word or make a sound yet his glare was like razor-sharp and piercing through me. I could sense the anger in his eyes.

I sat down across from him sighing. "It's Friday, why are we angry today?"

His glare never once broke, he had a look of such rage in his eyes that it was almost like he was ready for the moment when I had asked him the wrong question so he could blow. He was trying to restrain himself but I could tell that at the slightest wrong comment he'd let it all out. He didn't speak a word.

I arched an eyebrow "Are we ignoring me today?"

He finally spoke, but the sound of his voice was rather hushed and almost like he was muttering under his breath. "I don't feel like talking today. I'm not in the mood to be asking or answering any of your stupid questions."

"Ah is that how it is today? I will be gone the next two days so you won't be talking to me then, however, if you would like to make it three days I can have you escorted out."

That comment seemed to almost trigger him as he tried to stop himself from getting agitated. He spoke in a flat tone and his face didn't change at all but I could tell it had really affected him."Are you really trying to upset me again? Or are you just that oblivious to what you're saying? If I'm being honest there's really not much of a difference when you're always making me so damn angry."

"I'm simply stating a fact. I won't be here on the weekends, and I am saying that if you do not want to speak with me it's okay, I can have you go back to your room now."

He stared at me in silence for a moment before he looked away and spoke with such venom that it was clear it wasn't just any random threat. "And do you really think I won't take you up on that offer? It's just another threat anyway. If I had my way, I wouldn't speak to you ever again." Then he laughed, but that laugh wasn't a lighthearted laugh, it was a laugh filled with sarcasm and malice. He was definitely trying to upset me with this statement as well.

"Oh. So now you want a different psychiatrist?" I questioned.

He rolled his eyes and shrugged, trying to stay cool despite everything I have said so far."I'd probably prefer someone who actually knows what they're doing. You definitely aren't it."

I grab the transfer paperwork behind my desk and start filling it out. "I mean if this is what you really want I will respect how you feel Archer. I will say, I am quite hurt, however. It's not every day I open up to my patients that I have murdered like I did with you. I thought we connected a bit, but I assumed wrong."

When I started filling out the transfer paperwork, he seemed to get even angrier, but at this point, his anger wasn't surprising. All the while he was glaring at me, his expression was full of anger and disappointment. He looked away for a brief moment before he spoke again."We *did* connect. You're the first person I've found myself opening up to in years. But that does not change the fact that you're just as useless as all the past psychologists I've met."

I pause on my writing. "Does this me you still want a transfer? I could rip the paper up right now and forget this all happened." I stated.

Archer paused for a moment, he wasn't sure what to do right now. Did he really want to transfer or not? On one hand, I wasn't really helping him. On the other hand, he had started opening up to me in a way he hadn't in a long time. He then decided to look me in the eyes and spoke to me once again."Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"If I were to stay, would you promise to not make me so angry every session? The truth is I like talking to you, you're the only person I can trust in this whole entire place. Would you do that for me?"

I smiled and answered honestly. "I promise to try my best."

His face softened somewhat when I said that, he seemed to relax a little bit and he nodded his head. For a moment, he just sat there in silence, but then a smile spread across his face. He felt relief when he heard my answer. It was like he was finally getting the help he needed. He continued to stare at me and the smile just got bigger."Thank you. I truly mean that."

"Unfortunately, all this bickering caused us to waste time and our session has come to an end. I will see you in two days Archer."

"Yeah, I guess it did." He looked at me in silence for a moment before he spoke once again. "And hey, thank you again. I'll see you in two days." He smiled just a bit and it was clear I was making some sort of progress with him, even if it was only little by little.