Where will my Shrink convene group counseling session today?/part 3

Where will my Shrink convene group counseling session today?/part 3

fiction
edward w Pritchard

see parts 1 and 2


Dr. Fortner my psychologist is threatening to throw me out of our group counseling sessions. He says I am not applying myself and my drinking is much worse and I am drifting faster from job to job. I didn't tell him but Laura and I broke up too. After only three weeks, some sort of record even for me.

My group therapy sessions are held everywhere except in Dr. Fortner's office. In his van riding around, a tree house behind, hey just read parts one and two of this story for details. Anyway today's session, a mini session to give me one more chance to take our group therapy seriously was held at a German restaurant down in Canton and we sat at the bar. Just me, Dr Fortner, and Mr. Ply, who is about 91. No women allowed. That's ok with me I'll meet them at the hauf brau there in Canton.

Fortner is mad at me. He is making me be the leader of group and he is me. Psyche instructors training 101, scenario 5b I suppose. If he can be me I can be him. I was terrible mean in my comments about his family. Me is an asshole; wait it wasn't me it was my psychologist Dr. Fortner, not me it's Mr. $108 per 49 minutes.

Still sitting there at the bar chain smoking cheap cigarettes Dr. Fortner, playing me,  seemed pretty darned pathetic. Sometimes I quit listening and just watched in the mirrors the real customers of German village restaurant come and go this Friday evening. I don't think I would really like to be a psychologist. It's hard enough to pretend to be interested when you are pretending to be interested.

Mr Ply is in therapy because he has trouble adjusting to being old. I don't know I told him I thought he was doing well at it, 91 and all but then I got serious and told him, speaking as his shrink to exercise, and get new interests and maybe meet a nice woman. There were two fat girls there in the other part of the bar away from us and I took Mr. Ply over and introduced him. They wanted us to sit down but I told them I had to get back to the bar; I didn't bother with the bit that I was a psychologist today. Those two girls seemed hurt that I wouldn't sit with them and I started getting sensitive, so I went back and listened to the real Dr. Fortner being me. He was hitting on the red head tending bar to our right and he had a real line going. I can't possibly sound like that.

I made Fortner buy me a White Russian and I bought the same for him and then I had the red headed waitress take both White Russians over to the two heavier girls sitting with Mr. Ply. I didn't buy Ply a drink, he has been getting social security a long time and I figure he can afford his own drinks.
end part 3