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Post by Colleen Christiansen on Jan 22, 2012 0:01:24 GMT -5
Colleen smiled. "Oh! You know, I'm new here too. Well, mostly. I've only been here a few weeks. " Now he'd gone and done it, getting her talking. Colleen could definitely be chatty when it seemed welcome- and he just said he wanted someone to talk to.
He believed her when she said she was engaged, and there was a desperate urge in her to tell him about the baby. Her jaw even tightened in preparation to say it, but she held her tongue. He didn't want to hear it, anyway.
She just wished she had someone to tell... And as it stood, he was the only one who wouldn't question her. She just wanted someone to talk to, too. "Where are you from? I'd offer some good places to go, but I'm still just learning. I don't even know what drew me here. Why did you move here?"
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Post by Dr. Walter Everett Burkhardt on Jan 22, 2012 0:54:06 GMT -5
Of course, he was not new in town, by any stretch of the imagination. But since she clearly was, she didn't have to know that he was lying. And Walter lied as easily as he breathed.
"Work," he replied. "I have a job not far from here, at the hospital. I used to work in Germany... you might notice a little trace of an accent. But I needed a change of scenery, so I decided to come here."
The key to a good lie was to keep a kernel of truth. Yes, he worked nearby, and he had come from Germany. She didn't need to know that it had been many years since he'd left Germany. "What about you? Did you move here to be close to your fiance?"
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Post by Colleen Christiansen on Jan 22, 2012 1:07:24 GMT -5
"Oh, you're a doctor?" She wasn't sure how she felt about that. But it made her want to tell him about the baby even more. And of course, she was assuming he was a doctor, too. "What kind of doctor are you? Surgeon.... Pediatrics?"
Colleen still hadn't sat down. She was still on the clock, after all, and se didn't want to look like she was slacking off after being late.
"Uhm... No. I mean, we had a thing in school, but we went our separate ways. It was accidental that I found him again, but I'm really glad I did. I'm a big believer in a higher power. There's a reason I'm here. Sometimes, I just really need to believe that. We're all meant for a purpose. Sorry, I don't mean to bore you with a philosophy lesson."
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Post by Dr. Walter Everett Burkhardt on Jan 22, 2012 12:19:54 GMT -5
Walter almost laughed at the idea of him as a pediatrician. Yes, he had worked with children once, but he was very far from being a kindly children's doctor. But she couldn't have known the irony of her innocent question, and he answered it with a benevolent smile.
"Actually, no... I'm a psychiatrist," he replied.
He could, of course, make much of her philosophical ideals. They were also quite ironic, given the background that she couldn't remember. Would she still believe in fate and higher powers if she knew about her childhood?
"That's very insightful of you," he said in that mild tone of his. "When a person feels that they have no purpose, it's all too easy for one to lose the way... fall into dangerous and destructive habits. You must be very well-grounded."
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Post by Colleen Christiansen on Jan 22, 2012 12:50:45 GMT -5
"Oh, I see," Colleen replied, suddenly feeling like he was judging her on everything she said. But really, she didn't care. He might be trained to figure out the reasons she felt the way she did, but he still didn't know her.
"I still think you'd be suited for kids. You kind of talk like you're talking to a child, you know? Not that I mind. Do you have children? And I'm not that well grounded, it turns out. I make brash decisions. Getting engaged was a rather spur of the moment thing. Moving here... well grounded people think things through. I kind of just do them."
She didn't think through the things she said, either. That much was probably obvious to him by now, but he didn't seem annoyed yet, and none of her tables were calling her yet.
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Post by Dr. Walter Everett Burkhardt on Jan 23, 2012 1:25:06 GMT -5
Yes, he tended to talk down to most people. This was, of course, because he looked down on most people. He was smarter than everyone, or so he believed, and it took a great deal of patience to deal with what he considered to be "stupid people." Yes, even his so-called children were beneath him, even if he had essentially created them.
"I have worked with children in the past," he said. Again, not a lie, and she didn't need to know the details. "But unfortunately, I have none of my own. I am not married. I never was the 'settling down' type," he added with a smile.
Her little tangent about being impulsive and not thinking things through didn't surprise him. He knew these things about her already, and not just from observing her. Colleen may not have been one of his favorite children, like Nikola or Kylie or Zane, but he knew her just as well.
"It takes courage to act impulsively," Walter said. "It's called taking a leap of faith... jumping into something new without thinking things through is very brave. Anything can happen, and you're ready to face it, whatever it is. Don't underestimate that."
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Post by Colleen Christiansen on Jan 23, 2012 1:44:02 GMT -5
Colleen frowned. It was either extreme bravery, or utter stupidity. She figured the wizengamont was still out on that one. Based on the way her life was turning out, she was leaning more towards stupidity.
"Thanks for saying so," she offered, not really wanting to get into with this man, pretty sure that he didn't care all that much. She set a hand to her hip, cocking her head at him slightly. She bet he hated when people tried to figure him out, since it was his job to do that with other people. But he still made her curious.
"Maybe settling down isn't all it's hyped up to be, you know?" She shrugged, glancing around the coffee shop again. "You know, I ran off when I thought things were getting serious with my fiance. A long time ago... I don't even remember what happened. It's like a literally blacked out. I mean, who does that?"
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Post by Dr. Walter Everett Burkhardt on Jan 23, 2012 15:53:13 GMT -5
"You'd be surprised," Walter said simply. "In my profession, I see a lot of people who panic like that when a relationship gets too close. Some of my colleagues make their entire career treating individuals who suffer from that kind of fear. Perhaps it goes back to your childhood... abandonment issues, maybe?" Then he laughed lightly, although it was a singularly joyless sound. "But forgive me, you didn't ask to be analyzed. Sometimes it's difficult to shut out the psychiatrist in me and just have a normal conversation."
He paused to take another sip of his coffee, taking the opportunity to observe her once again. There was something odd in her eyes, and her complexion looked almost ghostly pale. Of course, with her red hair, she was always going to be extremely pale, but there was a grayish tinge to it that puzzled him. He wondered if she was ill.
"At any rate, I don't think there is anything at all unusual in your reaction. The important thing is that you are back with him now."
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Post by Colleen Christiansen on Jan 23, 2012 17:31:22 GMT -5
Colleen hesitated, not saying anything. She wondered if he could tell she was lying... And if he didn't know, he'd surely think she was crazy if she told him. She shrugged. "Yeah maybe. I don't really remember my childhood. But I do know I was adopted."
Which was why she wasn't going to give this baby up for anything. She was going to make sure this child remembered every bit of its childhood. She was going to give it everything this world had to offer.
"I know. I just wish I'd figured it out sooner. We could have had literally years together, and if you asked, I couldn't even tell you what I was thinking. I just don't think that much, actually. We've established this, though. You call it brave. I'm still not so sure. But wow... I've rambled on about myself quite a bit. Sorry about that. Your coffee is probably getting cold."
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Post by Dr. Walter Everett Burkhardt on Jan 24, 2012 0:20:44 GMT -5
Something about the way she said that--"We could have had literally years together"--struck him as odd. It didn't seem like it was necessary to regret the time that they'd spent apart now that they were back together. Of course, Walter had never been in a relationship, so his only understanding of them was based on psychological theory rather than experience, but it still seemed counter-intuitive to him to dwell on the time apart. If they were together now, then surely there was nothing to regret. Wasn't it a typical romantic notion to believe that their reunion was proof that they were "meant to be"? Shouldn't the time of separation just be proof of their solidity as a couple?
He filed that little piece of information away in his brain, but chose not to pursue it for now. He didn't want to seem nosy by pushing into anything that she had not offered. After all, she was so free and open with her information that there wasn't any need to push. She was practically an open book. Practically, but not completely...
"Oh, no, not at all. I don't mind. I'm a psychiatrist, after all... people fascinate me. I find you very interesting. And you know, if you ever need to talk, you can always come by the hospital where I work."
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Post by Colleen Christiansen on Jan 24, 2012 13:26:04 GMT -5
Colleen laughed, but it was to cover a jolt of panic in her gut. "No... No, then I'd have to pay you.
" She flashed a smile, joking about it, but she already knew she wouldn't seek him out. The last thing she needed was this guy digging deeper and not only finding out what a pathetic fraud she was, but some of the horrible things she never remembered doing.
"Do you do that hypnosis stuff too? That scares me, honestly."
She shrugged, almost shutting down and losing the sunny smile. "Anyway, nice to meet you. I should really get back to work."
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Post by Dr. Walter Everett Burkhardt on Jan 24, 2012 22:57:04 GMT -5
Walter had expected this reaction, and was not disappointed by it. It was typical for him to push boundaries, to see where his limits were. Colleen, as he expected, was still too trusting, but she still had her limits and her secrets. No matter. He could backtrack and build her trust a little more slowly. All he had to do was come to this coffee shop every day, so she'd get used to seeing his face and look upon him in a friendly manner. She would be much easier to win over than dear Josephine.
"I understand completely," he said in a gentle tone. "I believe I will be coming back to this shop quite often... the coffee is better here than any other in the city. So imagine I will see you around."
He didn't answer her about the hypnosis, but he assumed she would rather not know the answer there.
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Post by Colleen Christiansen on Jan 25, 2012 11:50:52 GMT -5
Colleen nodded, picking up her coffee pot again. "Joe does pride himself on the quality of his coffee. We'll be glad to have you back. Anyway, jut give me a shout if you need anything, all right?"
The redhead finished this with a smile and turned to make her rounds again, before disappearing behind the counter and helping with the couple of customers lined up.
She had forgotten to get the man's name. It was strange, but there was something familiar about him. And because he was familiar in some way, Colleen felt comfortable talking to him. She had to be careful though, before she let enough slip that they wanted to put her in te mad house. Sighing, she glanced at Joe, and thought to herself that it might be time to disappear again. She doubted anyone would miss her, an what did she really have that was holding her here anyway?
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Post by Dr. Walter Everett Burkhardt on Jan 26, 2012 0:59:53 GMT -5
Walter smiled at her again. "It was nice talking to you," he said simply, then watched in silence for a moment as she went about her work. There was something hanging over her, he decided, and he didn't know what it was. But it was important, and he was going to have to find a way to win her trust enough to find out what it was.
He probably could have stayed there all day, watching her from behind his newspaper, but he didn't want to make her suspicious. Even though he had off from the hospital for the morning, he knew he'd probably go in anyway. There was always tedious paperwork to be done.
Finishing his coffee, he gathered his cloak--transfigured to resemble a muggle jacket--and his newspaper, and got to his feet. With one more friendly nod in Colleen's direction, he left the coffee shop.
But he'd be back tomorrow.
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