Chapter Twenty-Three

The only way I could think to describe Dr. Lee's office was "crisp." Like the air itself had been pressed and organized so neatly that I was slicing through it with every step rather than pushing it aside. Everything in the nearly all-white office, down to the pens on his desk, had its own location, position, and angle.

Dr. Lee stood and shook our hands as Charles and I entered. I guessed he was about 50, but he kept himself in such good shape, it was difficult to tell. There wasn't a single blemish on the dark skin of his face, though he did favor a meticulously styled goatee. His suit, a dark blue in contrast to his bleached surroundings, was tailored and ironed with a precision that fit his shape with every movement.

"Good morning," he said to us both. "I'm Dr. Francis Lee." Motioning to me, he asked, "Adam?"

"Yes," I confirmed.

"We spoke on the phone; nice to meet you. And you must be Charles," he concluded, shifting his attention to Charles.

"Hi," Charles offered feebly.

"Adam," Dr. Lee stated, "if Charles doesn't mind, I'd like for you to sit in on our sessions. I think you might be beneficial to our goal. Charles, would that be okay?"

"Yeah," Charles said, "that's fine." I couldn't tell if it was exhaustion from the last few days or if he just didn't want to be here, but Charles sounded distant, almost distracted.

"Great," Dr. Lee announced, "Now, to begin-"

"Sorry," I interrupted, "Would it be okay if I ran to the car really quick? I just need to put a few things away if I'm staying inside."

"Certainly," Dr. Lee told me. "Feel free to let yourself back in."

I stepped out, struck by how dim the rest of the building now seemed. Being in Dr. Lee's office was like staring into the overhead light during a dental exam.

I walked out to my car and slipped my phone from my pocket, placing it in the glove compartment. Even with its volume shut off, I still felt self-conscious about having it in Dr. Lee's office; everything about the environment made me feel unprofessional just for not wearing a tie. After fixing my hair in the rear-view mirror and wishing I'd spent a little more time on a closer shave, I walked back into the building.

I opened the door to Dr. Lee's office and found both him and Charles staring at the wall, their eyes fixed on the same point. I followed their gazes, trying to determine what it was that had captured their attention so fully but saw nothing of interest. The door closed behind me. Both of their heads snapped simultaneously in the direction of the sound.

"Oh, Adam," Dr. Lee said. His voice signaled relief, but his eyes seemed to be trying very hard to blink away their apprehension. "Charles was-" He cleared his throat, "just telling me about his visions. We were trying to find some physical reason for them, a trick of the light perhaps." He glanced back at the wall then back to me and offered a smile, then motioned for me to have a seat.

Joining Charles on the couch, I surveyed the wall again, still seeing nothing there worth studying so intently. But maybe he had his reasons. He was the doctor, after all.