Loose ｡ Henry Mills [2]

25 - DOCTOR CRICKET

"Teresa, why don't you tell me what is troubling you."

Those ten words flowed off Archibald Hopper's tongue with fluent grace, dripping with a compassion that never seemed to waver. The man had recited such words with many patients before, but he had never dealt with the infamous archer herself. He knew that it was going to be a rather arduous task to get Teresa Holmes to open her heart to him and share her innermost thoughts, but he had never backed down from a challenge before and he wasn't about to start now. No matter how long it took for him to crack open her heart, the former cricket knew that she was in pain and he was going to do everything in his power to help her.

The platinum blond released an irritated sigh. "This is silly, I'm fine," Teresa insisted.

"Really?" The former cricket arched a brow, as though challenging her to admit that what she said was a lie, but the girl's face remained irritated as she sat across from him on the sofa with her arms crossed over her chest. "Because, to me, it appears something does bother you. Your friends are very concerned about you. Henry, most of all."

"I'm aware of how they feel," Teresa replied, her words sounding more harsh than she meant, something that didn't go unnoticed by the therapist.

"I see," Archie nodded. He stared at her for a long moment, watching as she kept her composure so she wouldn't crack under the pressure of his questions and gaze. He pushed his glasses up his nose while leaning back in his chair. "Teresa, let's not beat around the bush anymore. Something happened to you and it was... horrible."

Teresa scoffed. "Understatement of the century."

"You died," he deadpanned, and the flinch that her body gave did not go unnoticed. Archie frowned, licking his lips before speaking again. "I cannot even imagine what that must have felt like. For a child... for anyone... that is too painful of a memory to carry with you."

The room was silent. Teresa refused to meet his gaze and Archie sat there observing her body language, her expression, trying to decipher what the teenage girl was thinking about and if he had cracked open her shrouded heart. But alas, he did not, for the girl met his eye after a moment and she glared.

"Is that all? Can I go now?"

"You can do whatever you want," Archie told her. "I cannot make you stay here when you don't want to be here, that would be against my oath."

"Good." Teresa's irritated expression morphed into one of relief, a smile of the same emotion spreading over her face. To Archie, the smile seemed anything like relief and almost appeared forced, as the girl rose from the sofa and began making her way toward the exit. "Then I'm leaving."

"Teresa," he called, halting her in her footsteps. Her hand paused on the doorknob, but she did not turn around to face him. Archie rose from his chair, voice soft and even as he said, "As I have already told you, everything said in this room is said with confidence that will never leave these walls. I will tell no one about what we discuss. You also have absolute freedom in this room. You can stay, you can leave if that is what you want, but think about this before you leave," he paused momentarily, as though for a dramatic effect. "Do you want to get better? Do you want whatever is eating away at you to keep on eating until it consumes every bit? Or, would you rather talk, lay everything out on the table and heal?"

Teresa let her eyelids flutter shut as she clenched the doorknob so tight that her knuckles went white. She could feel her body grow cold with the power she possessed, but she pushed her magic down, burying it beneath heaps and heaps of snow so she wouldn't unleash it within Archie's office. She wasn't in the mood to clean up a winter storm.

After a moment's hesitation, Teresa released the doorknob with a huff and plopped back down on the sofa. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked out the window with a shake of her head. "Let's just get this stupid thing over with."