FH Clinic [3/24]

[susanofnarnia.livejournal.com]

The Counselor is in-- and no, she did not try to get the Muppet Rats to sing "Give My Regards to Broadway" for her out in the hall. Must've been someone else.

Comments

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

Cameron frowned as he ran into some muppet rats on his way. He swore one of them was humming "That's amore" and wondered about the hygienes of the clinic now that the doctors had moved into town.

He knocked on Susan's door and stuck his head in. "Yo, doc!"

[susanofnarnia.livejournal.com]

Susan returned his smile, and folded her arms, studying him before saying, "Hello again, Cam. Come on in. Happy Friday."

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

"Are we turning Friday's into holidays?" He asked as he fully entered the office and plopped down in a chair. "I could live with that."

[susanofnarnia.livejournal.com]

"You tell me. You seem in a very good mood?"

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

"I am," he said. "I guess it was a good week."

[susanofnarnia.livejournal.com]

"What in particular stands out for you?" Susan asked, clicking on her pen. "And after we've discussed that, there's a few things about your dream journal that should be addressed."

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

Cameron's reply sounded suspiciously like the letter J.

[susanofnarnia.livejournal.com]

It's a good thing Susan has training for this. Otherwise the urge to laugh would overwhelm her on occasion. "Would this be the same Jaye you've mentioned before?"

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, she's the girl I've been flinging with," he said even if the last time they talked he had said he'd put an end to that.

[susanofnarnia.livejournal.com]

Cautiously, Susan nodded, her lips twitching then stilling. "And you've been spending more time with her this week?"

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

"A bit, yeah. It was her birthday yesterday," he added as if that explained everything.

[susanofnarnia.livejournal.com]

"Was there a celebration? Cake, and ice-cream...?"

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, Rory threw the party and I brought the cake," Cameron nodded.

[susanofnarnia.livejournal.com]

Susan nodded. "So you're still-- flinging? Which is fine. I'm simply slightly confused, because the last time you were here, you said you weren't doing that any longer."

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

"Oh, we weren't." Cameron replied. "We kinda called it off and let things rest for a while. When things had cooled down, we realised we were still interested and we picked it up again." It's amazing he managed to say that without flailing.

[susanofnarnia.livejournal.com]

"And this-- makes you happy? More relaxed, fewer nightmares?"

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

He blushed a bit, but nodded. "Yeah, I guess it does."

[susanofnarnia.livejournal.com]

"I'm glad." Susan smiled, letting that lie there a moment, then said, "Which does bring us back to the dreams. So far, we know that when you're physically relaxed, they occur less often. I wanted to talk about the content of them. Are they always the same? Beginning in one point, ending at the same one?"

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

Cameron tensed and clapsed his hands together. "Most of the time, Vala usually isn't in them. It's just the crashing."

[susanofnarnia.livejournal.com]

Noting the increase in tension, Susan made her voice quieter. "Do you know it's a dream, while you're dreaming it? Do you feel things, as well as see and hear them?"

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

"It's real," Cameron replied and quickly corrected his words. "I mean, it feels real. I wake up and I can feel the cold."

[susanofnarnia.livejournal.com]

"Does it ever vary, aside from the presence of Vala? Do you ever wake up before the crash, or manage to avert it?" Susan was quickly writing notes and frowning.

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

"Sometimes I wake up when I hit the ground, but that's about it." Cameron shrugged.

[susanofnarnia.livejournal.com]

Susan sighed, then asked, "You've never been in a plane crash, or piloted a plane. You've never been to Antarctica, correct? Cameron, I think there's something else going on here, than just stress."

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

He raised an eyebrow but didn't look up. "Like? I've dreamt about a lot of things that I've never been in or went to."

[susanofnarnia.livejournal.com]

"Cameron." Susan waits for him to look up, then sighs. "Did you have this dream before you came to Fandom?"

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

He was quiet for a while before he finally answer, "No."

[susanofnarnia.livejournal.com]

"On any of your visits home, or trips off the island, have you had this dream?"

Fandom Island is not a normal place. What happens here can not be taken for granted.

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

"Yeah," he rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I had it when w- I went home for Christmas."

[susanofnarnia.livejournal.com]

Susan studied him, then said, "We can take a break if you want, Cameron. Or get you a drink of water?"

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

He shook his head and straightened up a bit, giving her a quick smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm good."

[susanofnarnia.livejournal.com]

Susan slowly nodded her head. "All right, then." Quietly, she said, "Cameron, we're on an island that's not exactly-- stable. These dreams could be precognitive, from some time far in your future. Or they could be someone else's dreams, seeping through barriers to you." She sighed. "I want you to talk to Professor Dream about this."

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

Except for the muscles in his jaw, Cameron didn't move an inch. "I don't think there's a point," he said stubbornly.

[susanofnarnia.livejournal.com]

"The point is your mental health. And I disagree," she said quietly. "Even though the dreams have lessened in frequency, it's clear that they haven't lessened in intensity when they *do* occur. And that you have no control over the direction of events. I am worried about long-term effects."

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

"What sort of long-term effects?" Cameron asked, still sitting way too still.

[susanofnarnia.livejournal.com]

"Depression. Anxiety. Other brain trauma. Disturbed sleep patterns, no matter how familiar, can have a cumulative deteriorating effect on the dreamer. And since these are, I dare say, not common dreams-- who knows what might happen." She sighed. "Dream quests are conducted with someone there to anchor the dreamer; if your mind is being drawn into anything like this without your control... Cameron, I do not want there to be a night where you wake up inside that crashed plane. Do you understand?"

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

He actually laughed at that because he had no clue how else to react. "I get it," he nodded and rose to his feet. "It's a dream. It won't repeat itself."

[susanofnarnia.livejournal.com]

"Cameron..." Susan sighed in frustration. "That is not what I'm saying, and I think you know it. But I won't push today. If you do one thing." She caught his eyes. "Think about talking to Professor Dream. Because there's only so much help I can give you."

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

"I'll think about it," he said even if it didn't sound like he would be thinking for a long time.

[susanofnarnia.livejournal.com]

Susan sighed. "Have a good week, Cameron. Stick to the exercise, have fun with Jaye, and I'll see you next Friday."

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

"Thanks, doc. Have a nice weekend," he said trying to make up for his grumpiness, but he really didn't want to discuss this further right now so he headed for the door.

[suzotchka.livejournal.com]

[[Can we handwavily change Ivanova's appointment from yesterday to, say, Monday or so?]]

[susanofnarnia.livejournal.com]

[works, yay! Contact me on AIM, need direction for where the next bit is going]