Psychologist Connie Hatcher continues to encounter some very atypical situations which put her in some very compromising positions. Oddly afterward her memory of specific events seems a bit clouded. She's not quite sure, but something odd is going on. Sooner or later, she'd get to the bottom of it!
*****
The music was awesome, the company outstanding, and Denise and Connie both looked amazing. This party comprised not only their colleagues but also some of their clients as well.
A lot of the folks who came in for therapy had been steadily working on their psychological issues for years and had developed close relationships and trust with their psychologists and therapists.
Everyone was apparently having a great time as well, if the smiles and dancing bodies was any fair indicator. John Tucker came up to the two women and looked them over.
"I had no idea you two clean up so nice! WOW!"
Denise and Connie laughed.
"We have our moments. And look at you John. I didn't think you even knew how to spell suit, let alone own one!"
"Are you kidding me ladies? I stole this from a little midget tailor at a suit show." He winked.
Denise smiled.
"If you had paid him, he might've made sure you got one that actually fit you."
Without missing a beat John shook his head.
"Nahhhhhhhhh, then I'd look like everyone else and that's just boring. Besides, you're both psychologists! That means you're attracted to strange and odd folks. Why would I wanna look normal? Get outta here!" He laughed.
They laughed too. Connie shook her head.
"You know we can't date patients John."
"Who said anything about dating? I just want a quick few hours of thrills!"
"Only a few hours? We'll have to pass."
John shrugged.
"Your loss. My right hand says I'm quite the lover!" Then he cocked his head and stared off into space for a moment as if deep in thought. "Of course I am seeing professional help for my mental state, so uh,... I could be mistaken."
He grinned and walked off to get another drink.
Denise looked at Connie and the two of them started laughing and giggling. These parties were always the best. One thing was sure; between the patients and the staff at the monthly get togethers there were always a lot of really interesting personalities and characters present.
Doctor Klines approached them with drinks in hand.
"Quite the party this month eh?"
Denise and Connie nodded.
"John just paid us a visit. He's quite a fun character. You must enjoy having him as one of yours."
Klines was an older man with a strange squint in his left eye. He had a short and neatly trimmed whitish-gray beard and mustache, which had everyone in the office privately joking that he looked like Sigmund Freud reincarnated. Of course no one told him this.
"Oh yes. He's a charmer if you don't mind listening to his endless hours of obsessive discussions about his step sister, his aunt, his mother, and all of his female relatives, as well as the women who resemble them that he has dated or slept with." He said with a sort of bored and clinically detached tone in his voice.
"That bad eh?"
Doctor Klines smiled and shook his head.
"No. Actually I have a LOT worse than John. And a lot more destructive personalities to deal with as well."
Denise nodded.
"Tell me about it. You should speak with some of ours. Kirk is my favorite."
Connie giggled.
"Yes, the 'dog whisperer' we call him. Thinks he can speak with dogs in their animal tongue and that they have a complex secret language and plan to take over the entire planet by first establishing generations of passive canine-human relationships until the day when they are in a position to reveal to us their true conquering natures! But of course he is spying on them and gathering intelligence, which he shares with his lucky state appointed psychologists in a weekly report. He writes hundreds and hundreds of papers and expects us to read everything and tell him what he should do to help interfere with their plan?"
Klines nodded chuckling softly.
"Send him to see Cesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer from TV."
Denise shook her head.
"Oooooooh no! He HATES Cesar. Thinks he's being misled by dogs and perpetuating false information to the human race! Don't get him started on that one!"
They laughed and chatted for a while and then moved on as the party continued.
Later when the party was winding down Dr. Klines approached Connie and quietly pulled her aside.
"I hope you don't mind me asking, but I have a problem and since we are at the office I was wondering if you could come with me to my office and help me take care of something? I'd ask my secretary, but she left already and you have about the same proportions."
Connie raised a curious eyebrow.
"Excuse me? And just what are we talking about Doctor Klines?"
"My desk is rather cumbersome and it's close to the wall on one side. I have a file that dropped there earlier and I can't reach between the space to get it. Plus my knees don't bend so well. But I thought that perhaps you could reach it and I'd be able to take it home and review it tonight? I hate to impose but I'm not as nimble as I once was. Would you mind trying? I think your arms are thin enough and you may be able to help me get my file back. I don't want to wait all weekend until Monday because by the time Kim gets here I won't have but a few minutes to go over the case before my client shows."
Connie laughed and offered him her arm.
"I'd be delighted to try Doctor Klines!"
He smiled and hooked his right arm through her offered left.
"Thank you Doctor Hatcher! I really do appreciate you doing this for me."
Old Doctor Klines unlocked the door and let them into the office, then closed it behind them and walked over to the desk. He turned on a couple of lamps and then pointed to the narrow gap between the large desk and the wall.
"The lip from the desk top of this big monster prevents anyone from sticking their arm straight down. But there's a wider gap along the side. Maybe from the floor level you could reach it? I can shine a flashlight down if you can't see the file?"
But Connie could see it. It was about midway in and in the space between the wall and the bottom of the desk. The manila folder with its charts and file information was clearly visible.
"No that's okay. I can see it. I'll see if I can reach it. It'll be a little tight, but I should be able to get it for you."
He smiled.
"Thank you so much! I really appreciate this! You have no idea!"
She grinned.
"No problem!"
Then Connie knelt down before realizing that squatting down wasn't going to work. It was pretty far back. She got on her hands and knees and began to reach through the tight gap to grab the file. As she stretched in her arm the narrow space made for slow progress. It was tight, but not so bad that she couldn't do it. She just had to move slowly and take her time.
She was up to her shoulder and with her eyes closed her fingers found the file and gripped it. But this tightened the muscles in her forearm and upper arm and she found herself stuck. She jerked a couple times but was unable to move her arm or retract it.
"Is everything okay?" He asked her.
She took a breath.
"Yeah, I'm just stuck at the moment. Don't worry though. I'm sure we can figure out something."
"Maybe I can help you?"
"I don't see how Doctor Klines."
"I can pull you while you pull carefully too. We can get you and the file out together okay?"
She shrugged.
"Fine! Let's try it."
Behind her she felt his hands on her waist. He got a firm grip and then spoke.
"Ready Doctor Hatcher?"
She nodded.