Catching Up (Sean)

[Carleigh Davidson]

Carleigh didn't come down to the psychiatrist's office nearly as often as she use to. Entering her fifth and (hopefully) final year at Hammel was... bittersweet. As a senior, she had to start thinking about her future and what plans lay outside of the boarding school walls. Did she go back to California, to try and mend things with her family? Did she stay in Vermont? Go somewhere else? Did she want to go to school, or wait until she had a sure idea of what she wanted to be and where to go? All these questions and more raced through her mind on a weekly basis. This didn't even include the stress that came with her power, an ability she still struggled with after all this time.

The normally poised, confident girl let out a heavy sigh as she made her way down the corridor to Dr. Neville's office. She'd known him for a long time, ever since her arrival, and considered him a close mentor of hers. Whenever she had doubts about her power or struggled with the insomnia or missed her family, he was always there.

So, she'd scheduled a meeting to catch up. Carleigh didn't find it necessary to come on a weekly, or even monthly basis, anymore. Her insomnia had gotten better. (There were still one or two sleepless nights a week but it was much more manageable.) She'd accepted the fact that her family would always think she was a little strange for manifesting a power. There were still steps that had to come, to reconnect and actual talk to them, including her older brother. Overall, things were okay and relatively normal. Sure, Carleigh was stressed for the year to come and also dealing with her and River's breakup. That had gone smoothly and they were still friends, but dealing with the feelings that still lingered after the relationship was... difficult.

With all of that whirling through her mind, Carleigh knocked on the door to Dr. Neville's office, a small smile on her face. 

[Dr. Sean Neville]

While Sean met with any student who requested face time (and with several who did not), he had his favorites. The psychiatrist was human, just like everyone else; he knew when certain people disliked him, either because they displayed this blatantly through disrespectful behaviors or harsh words, or because they had less than pleasant thoughts which he detected through his telepathy. Likewise, certain students brightened his day by visiting, even if they came to him for less than happy reasons. Ann Hudgins had been one such student. Estelle Flores and Emma. Carleigh Davidson was another student whom he enjoyed seeing, and so he had been quite happy to make the appointment that she had requested.

Sean saw a bit of himself in Carleigh. She had found herself on his watch list upon first arriving at Hammel, because she was young and struggling with a difficult mental power, one that brought with it typical but frustrating side effects. So they had met the first time. Her issues with her family came out, and they met repeatedly since then. As she had gotten a handle on her adjustment to Hammel, and on her life, they had met less frequently, but, as he told her time and again, his door was always open.

She was due to graduate at the end of this year, he knew. That opened up many doors for her future, but also created a potentially confusing period of adjustment as well. In anticipation, he had set aside some resources that she might want.

Right on time, he heard her knock, coupled with her familiar mental presence. “Come in, Carleigh,” he called out to her. She should know to make herself comfortable.

[Carleigh Davidson]

Summer break had kept Carleigh fairly occupied. There was the road trip with River that took up a good majority of it, as well as the camping trip with Sera and Alice. That one had been a bit... awkward, to say the least, but she still had a good time with her friends. Keeping busy also meant that she didn't feel preoccupied with her thoughts, but now that school had started, reality was hitting the blonde. Graduation. Grades. Doing something with her life. Figuring out what something was.

Yeah, it was stressful. Others had survived before her, though, and so she would too.

Carleigh arrived on time, sure that Dr. Neville knew she was there before even knocking on the door. Her mind was a whirlwind of activity at the moment. Opening the door, she smiled at the familiar person behind his desk. When she was younger, Carleigh often came down to visit with him to talk about everything going on in her life. While this meeting was initially scheduled to just catch up, the blonde found a sense of relief washing through her veins. Maybe she hadn't realized how necessary it was to meet with him.

She closed the door behind her, making her way over to the usual couch. "Thanks again for meeting with me." Carleigh said with a wide smile, her fingers absentmindedly playing with the silver ring on her thumb. "You have a good summer?" As time went on, Carleigh found it easy to be casual with Dr. Neville. To have a light conversation with the psychiatrist that never felt forced in any way.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Unless otherwise occupied, Sean tried to be in his office prior to the student appointments. He thought it best both for a sense of security on their part, as well as to prevent active snooping or accidental destruction in his office. Not that the latter had ever been a concern with Carleigh, but it was habit, and it was the best way to practice with the students.

The psychiatrist was no stranger to stress. Neither in his daily life nor from when he had been a teenager, in a position similar to Carleigh. Of course, when he had been a senior, he had already known that he would go to college, and it was expected that he would go to medical school and become a doctor. It had been expected that he would marry an Irish Catholic women and have children with her to make a large, Irish Catholic family.

Not every expectation could be met.

“Of course,” Sean assured her with a smile. His job entailed meeting with the students, and that was the part of his job that he most enjoyed. The day that he failed to find time for them would be the day that he tendered his resignation.

The psychiatrist crossed from his desk to his preferred armchair, once Carleigh settled on the sofa. “I did, actually. My partner and I took a trip to Rhode Island.” His relationship with Josh was no secret, in fact was a point of pride since he viewed their relationship as valid as any marriage, and so he spoke freely of his partner in anecdotes. “And how was your summer?”

[Carleigh Davidson]

The blonde had been toying with a few ideas in her head. She enjoyed fashion and shopping, but wasn't sure if she wanted to make a career out of it. Did she want to stay in Vermont or go back to California? Go to college and take some general studies? There were so many decisions to make, all within the span of a few months. The frequency in which Carleigh spun the ring on her thumb increased.

Despite the stress she felt, the smile on Carleigh's face was genuine. Just Dr. Neville's presence alone made her feel a little less... hectic. Like the mess inside of her mind wasn't as bad as it had been when she first entered the office.

Settling in her usual spot on the couch, Carleigh's eyes lifted from her hands to the psychiatrist. Her smile widened. "That sounds like fun, you have a good time?" She asked, before shrugging in response to his next question. "It was... alright. Eventful." Carleigh chuckled, running her fingers through her hair. "Took a road trip with a friend and then went camping. Well, if you can call it that." The place her, Sera and the others stayed at was much too nice to be considered a genuine camping experience.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

“I had a wonderful time.” A smile flitted across his lips at the memory of that trip, of the sites that he and Josh and seen, and of how much they had enjoyed the time away together. He and Josh did not have the ability to go away for long vacations as often as they would when they inevitably retired, or had Sean not worked for a school. Still, they made do with what they had, and he had yet to find himself disappointed. He hoped that his partner felt the same way.

But that was enough about how he had spent his summer vacation.

“Eventful is a starting place.” It could be a good starting place. It could be negative. It could be neutral. He waited for Carleigh to elaborate on her plans before offering more opinion. He nodded as she explained that it had been a road trip, followed by some form of camping. The psychiatrist had fond memories of road trips as a younger man. He had fewer fond memories of camping; in fact, he had never cared for camping. Even though he chaperoned the Hammel camping retreat every year, more from obligation than from enjoyment on his part.

He heard in her mind that their site had been too nice to be rugged, and so he asked, “And what was the campsite like?”

[Carleigh Davidson]

"Awesome." Carleigh grinned. She liked hearing how other people spent their summer, since hers was usually spent in Vermont. By choice. The blonde had learned that she could hold grudges for a long, long time.

Which was maybe part of the problem and stress in her life.

Her lips twitched, a small chuckle. Eventful was one way, and the simplest way, to describe and summarize her summer. Carleigh struggled to find the right words when initially prompted. While she didn't regret the events of the summer, they did shape her. It changed who she was. "Super nice. More resort-like than camping. There were no tents or campfires... just cabins and a jacuzzi." She said, with light laughter. It really was ridiculous to consider that camping. "But it was... enjoyable." Dramatic. But she had fun with Sera and Alice. Carleigh avoided Malachai and his friends, since there seemed to be a disconnect between the two groups and she wasn't one to intentionally seek drama.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean returned the smile. “I think so too.” Not that he tended to use that word, since it had not been a key part of his slang during his formative years. However, he had enjoyed the vacation with Josh, for a variety of reasons. He always enjoyed time spent with his partner, and he appreciated being able to get away from Hammel and Pilot Ridge for a few days or a week here and there. As much as the other man teased him, and as apt as his reputation for omnipresence at Hammel might be in some respects, he did value vacations and travel elsewhere.

More than that, the trip had provided him with a number of pleasant experiences and happy memories.

Turning from his vacation to hers, the psychiatrist listened attentively as she described how her camping trip did not qualify as roughing it by any stretch of the imagination. Not that he could blame her, as, personally, he disliked camping and would far prefer a resort to a tent in the woods. “I like how that sounds,” he replied, honest in that. “Where were the grounds?”

He might want to try that with Josh during the next summer break.

[Carleigh Davidson]

Carleigh agreed with Dr. Neville that it was enjoyable to get away from the familiarity of the school grounds. While it was comforting, sometimes it got old. Everyone deserved a vacation and she was glad that even the school psychiatrist had time to himself over the summer. Not having to worry about the students.

She took a moment to think about where they had gone. "Pennsylvania." Carleigh answered, a nod of confidence with her answer. They had drove there, piled in Sera's car. "But it was nice, if you don't like traditional camping. I'm not huge on it either, but it was just funny that it was called a camping trip." She said with a smile. That said, she also was a little relieved when it ended and they could return to Hammel. There was only so much glaring and snide comments Carleigh could take.

"That said, I was kind of glad when it was over." She admitted. "Spending time with the same people for a long period of time can get overwhelming."

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean had spent a fair amount of time traveling in Pennsylvania over the years that he lived in New York. Sometimes they would go to Philadelphia, and he had been to certain other parts of the state when needed, as well as to the mountains, although decidedly not for camping, or anything called camping no matter how luxurious it might be. “Pennsylvania is nice, and I’m glad that you had a good trip.”

Then she admitted her happiness that it had ended, and he sympathized. “It can,” Sean agreed. The psychiatrist was friendly and, due to his telepathy, possessed a different view of boundaries and interaction than did most other people. More than that, his partner was an extrovert, and so he was expected to make an appearance at various parties and social events, including managing the attorney’s political campaign. Despite all of that, Sean remained an introvert, and sometimes he needed time to himself, to whatever degree the telepathy afforded him that ability. “How long was the trip?”

Between the actual “camping” and wherever else they went, as well as the drive there and back, he could understand how that could grow exhausting. Needing time to recharge was a very human need.

[Carleigh Davidson]

"Before this summer, I hadn't been around the States that much. Besides here and California." Carleigh admitted. Before, she never travelled, opting to stay within state lines. She never found it necessary to leave. But it had been nice exploring what else the other States had to offer. "It was really nice. I'd go back." Just... maybe not with the same group of people.

Although an extrovert by nature, even the outgoing needed a break. It's why she was comfortable jumping from person to person, from group to group and never really establishing herself with a solid group of friends. It was only the start of senior year, but Carleigh had a feeling things would likely be similar. Except for a couple of people, she didn't really keep steady contact with people. Acquaintances were more of her thing.

"A week." Enough time to feel like it was a vacation without going away for too long.

"I did more this summer than usual. Maybe it's because the last one before the real world." Carleigh wrinkled her nose at the thought of the world outside of the institute walls.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Traveling was not for everyone. Not everyone had the opportunity to travel in their childhoods or adolescences. For that reason alone, being able to travel for the experience held value. “That’s something to keep in mind, then. Going back,” Sean replied. He had always enjoyed Pennsylvania when visiting, although he had stayed away from the more rural areas for personal reasons.

“A week is a long time,” he agreed. His vacations with his partner typically lasted a week or less, often weekends or long weekends instead. And he and Josh lived together and had a tendency towards co-dependence. Spending a week traveling in a car with other teenagers held no appeal to him, and not merely from the fact that he was in his mid-fifties. As such, he sympathized.

Sean noticed her wrinkle her nose, which prompted him to ask, “And what do you plan to do when you enter the real world?”

The psychiatrist typically only used that phrase when joking, since he considered life at Hammel to be as real as the outside world, even if the school could do quite a bit to protect the students and absorb wider consequences of their behavior. However, since Carleigh had framed the difference in such phrases, he would adopt the same parlance.

The students had options. Pursuing higher education at college and beyond. Attending a trade school. Finding a job. Doing volunteer work like the Peace Corps. Enlisting in the military, although Sean tended to advise against it when he could. At her age, the world was an open door.

[Carleigh Davidson]

A heavy weight pressed down on Carleigh's shoulder. The inevitable question. What to do outside of her home for the past few years. Since the start of her teenage years. The smile she had been wearing dropped. "I have no idea." She admitted, the facade of confidence falling down. Because that was the truth; she had no idea where to go or where to even begin. No set goals or ideas or a dream job. Carleigh had been so busy merely existing that she forgot to look ahead.

And now, it felt like she was being left behind. Before she even graduated.

"I've never really thought about it, you know? I was so preoccupied with life here that I never looked ahead. Never thought about where I could see myself in a few years time."

She smiled, sheepishly. "I guess that's why I came here today. It's a lot to think about."

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean did not intend to pressure her, but it was the next logical question, given the direction of the conversation. And her admission that she had come to him for that purpose only underscored that point.

“It is a lot to think about,” the psychiatrist agreed. It had been a lot for him to think about when he was her age, and he had been sure of what he would do – both what was expected and what he wanted to do. It could be overwhelming no matter the life plan, and the smallest bit of indecision only made the possibilities appear more numerous and thus terrifying in their uncertainty.

“But two heads are better than one when it comes to serious matters like this.” He functioned as the ad hoc guidance counselor for that reason. If she desired, or if either of them deemed it necessary, he could pull the 2015-2016 Princeton Review Guide to Colleges and Universities off its shelf and begin looking through it together.

“Even if you haven’t given it much thought, have you at least considered whether you want to go to college?” That was a starting proposition, as doors opened or closed based on her answer to that question.

[Carleigh Davidson]

Instinctively, Carleigh began twirling the silver ring on her thumb around. It was too much to think about, really. What did she enjoy doing? Cheerleading had been a fun hobby for the peppy blonde, but it wasn't exactly something she could make a career out of. It was just that; a hobby. No talent to speak of.

She ran a hand through the length of blonde hair, exhaling a short sigh. "Yeah, that's true." She said, quick to agree when he suggested that two heads were better than one. If she left Dr. Neville's office with some sort of idea, a direction, then Carleigh was happy.

Hesitation, before an answer. "I haven't thought about that." Like everything else in her life. "I thought about taking a year off to think about it. Have some time off, see if I can find something I like." For Carleigh, money was clearly not an issue. Part of her wanted to stay in Vermont; it felt more like home than California ever did. "I think I want to stay in the area, though."