Page 12 of Disgrace

“Funny.”

“What is?”

“I’ve been focusing on the business a lot lately.”

“Because you don’t know what’s happening?”

“Mostly.”

Leonard nodded once. “You’re going to do fine, John. Regardless if you leave here and it is sunshine, rainbows, and puppies, or if it is hellfire, chaos, and anarchy. The unknown can only really threaten your stability if you allow it to dig in a bit too much, if you get what I mean.”

“I do.”

“Good.” Leonard stood, and brushed invisible lint from his pant legs. “I also have another proposition for you before I give you some good news.”

John smirked. “How about you give me the good news first?”

“Nice try. I make the rules.”

Asshole.

“What is the proposition?” John asked.

“You need a therapist when you leave here.”

John stiffened.

This was not a topic he wanted to discuss because it was a sore spot for him. He didn’t like the idea of leaving Clearview Oaks only to need to find a new therapist to see. He was not about to trust someone after the last debacle.

“I can physically feel how much discomfort this is causing you,” Leonard said.

“Yeah, well, what can you do,” John said through gritted teeth. “Nothing, apparently.”

“I would take your file on as a patient outside of this facility. Twice weekly. One weekday, and one day on the weekend.”

The tension in John’s body bled out slowly. “Would you?”

“Sometimes,” Leonard said, “it is more about the patient finding the right doctor, than it is about anything else.”

“Twice weekly, then.”

“Do you want the good news, now?”

John nodded, and stood from the chair. “I almost forgot about it with the whole new therapist thing, actually. What is it?”

“You’ll have visitors tomorrow. Your cousin—Andino—and a couple of people he’s bringing along. Ladies, apparently, if the information he provided is to be trusted. Unlike his father, Andino doesn’t tend to be disruptive when he comes here.”

John only laughed. “My uncle, Giovanni, makes it his first and only goal to have fun.”

“This is not the place for fun.”

“Mmm.”

“You didn’t ask who Andino is bringing, by the way,” Leonard said over his shoulder as he left the room.

Fuck.

He hadn’t.