Handsome
Dr Johnson informed the rest of the team of the new plan going forward. Dr Armstrong and Dr Jennings were supportive of the readjusted programme, they were confident in Bailey's skills and were eager to get to work properly after the stall in the beginning. However, Dr Lewis and Dr Thomas had their reservations about it. The way they saw it, the more time Bailey spent inside in close quarters with Barnes, the more of a chance she would get hurt again.
"Not if I do my job properly." She told them.
The two did feel a little more reassured when Bailey informed them that Barnes had agreed to divert the camera audio through to the meeting room for them to observe for every moment Dr Johnson was in there. Everyone knew Bailey was a force to be reckoned with and the team knew this, especially Patsy on a personal level. Once she had made her mind up about something, there was little to be done to change this. She is very stubborn, especially if it is something Bailey believes to be right.
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"Good morning Mr Barnes," Dr Johnson said as she carried her bag, laptop and two Starbucks coffees over the threshold.
Barnes was sat at the counter eating a bowl of cereal. He looked up to the light above the window, it switched from red to green. "Morning," he mumbled.
This was a good start already, he didn't have to be coaxed out of his room. She slid the cup across to him, both of which had "Hailey" written across. Close enough.
"Thank you." He said as he took it to his lips. He screwed a face, "Jesus, that's strong. What even is it?"
Bailey laughed, "An americano."
"Thank you but not I don't think that one is for me." He slid it back to her.
"I'll try again tomorrow." She smiled.
The two of them settled in one another's company, Bailey set up her laptop at the kitchen counter as Barnes washed his bowl and put away the cereal and milk. He stood in the kitchen with Dr Johnson and the two chatted causally. The sense between the two of them was relaxed, even with the window now activated and they were in the direct line of view of the team Barnes showed no signs of anxiety.
Bailey checked the clock, they had been talking absentmindedly for just over an hour. Barnes turned his torso either way to crack his back and then stretched his arms out, resting his lower back and palms on the edge of the counter behind him. "What's the plan for today then Doc?"
"How about seeing what you've missed in the world of tv and film?"
Dr Johnson and Barnes stood in front of a huge TV set up, there were cabinets and cupboards full of DVDs, box sets, CDs, a game console, and some games. Barnes stared at it, feeling a little overwhelmed. One thing at a time, Bailey thought. She showed him how to turn it on, from the button on the side, and the remote, then as best she could, showed him how to navigate his way through the channels.
"I'd recommend putting on the film channels and seeing if anything stands out to you." Bailey suggested.
Barnes flicked through and landed on a channel called Legendary Films, they were running a Jack Nicholson marathon. He looked to Bailey for approved. She nodded.
"You can't go wrong with him." Dr Johnson encouraged.
By this point, it was lunch. The dumbwaiter's bell rang. Barnes retrieved his meal at sat down on the sofa. Dr Johnson pulled out her chicken salad from her bag and perched herself on the stool at the counter.
Barnes looked over his shoulder, "You can join me over here if you want?"
Dr Johnson smiled, "As long as your okay with having lunch with your therapist."
He laughed lightly, "You were the one that said I need more friends."
Bailey joined him on the other side of the sofa as the 1994 film Wolf began.
Barnes finished his lunch then sat down on the couch with his arm outstretched over the back of it after taking his plate to the sink. He noted he would have washed it there and then but he didn't want to miss anything. Dr Johnson should have been doing some work, but the two were discussing the history and influence the film had. Barnes was amused by the special effects make up of the wolf, the plasticity of it reminded him of someone, something he and Steve came across decades ago.
The next film was One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Next.
"Oh god," Dr Johnson said as the opening credits rolled on screen.
"What?" Barnes laughed at her tone.
"I hope you don't see any familiarities between me and Nurse Ratched."
He smirked, "I'll let you know."
Bailey couldn't have picked a better film to watch herself in an attempt to see a deeper understanding Barnes had of his situation, trust, and his relationship with therapy. The film depicts the relationship between sanity and madness, conformity and rebellion, all things Barnes had first hand experience to one degree or another.
The film ended, and Barnes turned to her, "You're nothing like Nurse Ratched," he said with a vulnerable edge to his voice. "Where she was limiting his physical and mental freedom, you are most definitely encouraging me to expand mine. Well, at least just my mental for now."
"I know you were referencing Zemo yesterday, and this nurse is another bad example of my profession, yet you are working well with me. Why do you trust me so?" Dr Johnson asked.
"Because Steve trusts you, and I trust Steve."
Bailey pictured the teams' heads instantly dipping down into their tablets and tapping their fingers as fast as their hands would allow them from this interaction.
Dr Johnson was hyperaware that all she had achieved this afternoon was watched films. Not the most active start to the new programme, and probably not the best way to get people like Patsy, Dr Thomas, and the Director, who would find out eventually, on side.
She collected her laptop from the kitchen then sat back down on the sofa, this time with her legs crossed and a pillow on her knee. She loaded up her documents and began to write up her analysis of the last couple of days, taking no notice of the next film that was starting.
Barnes picked up the remote and turned up the volume. Dr Johnson looked up from under her lashes with a smirk to Barnes who was trying hard to supress a laugh.
"Is my typing disturbing you?" She asked, amused.
He raised his eyebrows high so that his forehead wrinkled a little, his tongue was pressed to the inside of his cheek. For a moment, a thought flashed across Bailey's mind.
He was so handsome.
The chiselled face, the distinguished lips and eyes, even the stubble and long hair. Bailey had always found herself attracted to the clean-cut men, but in the past, this had proven to in fact be bad taste. This thought had creeped into her mind before, but she expelled it to the depths. This time, she had no control over it. She wasn't sure whether it was the way he tossed her a glance and a smirk, or the way he was being mischievous with her.
"Yeah," he paused to laugh, "You are. Do you mind?" He joked.
"You know what, how about I leave you to it for a bit. I need to get this work done, and then I have an errand to run. I'll probably be a couple hours." She closed her laptop and rose from the couch, "I'll see you in a bit."
"See you."
The thought had left her a little flustered and she was glad to have given herself a reason to leave. She knew she couldn’t think like that. He was her patient; she oversaw and directed his care and recovery. She was annoyed by herself.
Bailey spent the next 45 minutes in the meeting room with her colleagues working on her report, ignoring the echo of his laugh in her mind every time she paused to take a sip of her water. She decided to take an extended lunch break to see her grandmother.
When she arrived, her nurse explained that Josie had taken a turn in the night and she really wasn't well, she was back on a higher dose of medication that made her very tired and so she was asleep for Bailey's entire visit. Bailey brushed her grandma's hair and re-tucked her into bed, before settling down next to take her hand. She played old, fun memories of her grandmother, her mum, and herself, for Grandma Josie to dream.
Dr Johnson returned to the office as the sky dimmed and the streetlights flickered on. She laughed at the scene she returned to of her doctors. They were sprawled out across the desk in front of the window and not a single one of them had their tables activated. The noise of the ding of the elevator door disturbed them, Charlie and Alan straightened up in their seats and Patsy tapped her screen. Bailey couldn't blame them for watching the film through the window, it is what she had done all day too after all.
"Are you lot enjoying?" She asked, "Which is it now?"
"It's The Shining." Dr Jennings confirmed.
Dr Johnson chewed her lip; she wasn't sure if this was a good film for Barnes to have seen just yet.
Dr Lewis approached Bailey and whispered into her ear, "I think he's crying."
Dr Johnson inputted the code and returned to the complex, the whirling sound of the door as it resealed at the top made Barnes jump. Bailey witnessed him pull the edge of his sleeve over his thumb then bring it to his face to dry his cheeks.
She walked towards the sofa as the final scene played, the classical music as the camera panned into the framed photo on the wall revealing Jack Nicholson's character at the forefront reading the year 1921.
"Are you okay?" She asked.
"I'm fine," he lied with a groggy voice.
Dr Johnson sat down about a meter away from him, "You're not supposed to lie to your therapist." She said nicely.
He sniffed and wiped away a couple more of his tears that escaped, "I thought that was what you were supposed to do in therapy."
Bailey laughed lightly and let him gather himself before asking another question, "What was it about the film that made you upset?"
Barnes took a deep breath, "Um, from the outset, the snow unnerved me. Like, yeah, I know, it's a scary film, but the snow, the isolation, then the insanity and violence. It just sort of hit home." Dr Johnson nodded along, "They're just familiar feelings."
With that, the door opened, and Steve entered the apartment.
"Hey guys, what's going on?" he asked cheerfully.
Barnes wiped his face again; he suddenly rose from the sofa and headed to his door. Steve took in his expressions and saw that he was upset, he raised his arm to rest it on his shoulder as he passed but Barnes dodged out of the way.
"Not now Steve." He says sharply before his bedroom door slammed behind him.
Steve looks to Bailey who scrunched her nose up at him in awkwardness, "You sort of interrupted a moment there, Cap."
"I didn't expect you to be in here, what's happening now?" He asked as he crossed his arms over his broad chest.
Bailey lazily rolled her eyes; Steve was trying to look serious and intimidating. She stood up too to face him.
"There's been a change in the programme, we are now conducting the sessions in a more relaxed and natural environment."
"And that means…"
"One on one therapy across a nine-hour period per day," Bailey pushed her hair to behind her shoulder, "I would describe it as a part time roommate sort of deal."
Steve scoffed, "You are his therapist, not his roommate."
"You're right, I am his therapist and as his therapist, I see this as the best course of action."
"Hmm." Steve said, not entirely sure what to make of it yet.
"You know, I don't need your permission for any work I do with Barnes." Bailey said in a bold voice. "I don't even have to tell you the plans Steve."
Steve untensed a little recognising the hostility Bailey was now showing, his voice was softer from a place of care, "Does the Director know about this?"
Dr Johnson raised one of her dark brows, "Since when was Michaels the head of psych?"