Alan’s fourth session began in a quieter mood. The air felt a bit lighter than before, the unspoken awareness between them palpable. Dr. Morgan greeted him with her usual professionalism, yet something about her demeanor had softened—an openness that hadn’t been there in the early weeks.
“Alan,” she began, after they exchanged brief pleasantries, her voice measured but softer than usual, “there’s something I should share before we continue. After our last session, I found myself thinking a great deal about what you showed me—perhaps more than I should have. It stayed with me. The images, the emotions, the questions they raised. It affected me more deeply than I expected, and as a professional, I needed to make sense of that. So, I reached out to a trusted colleague—someone who has known me for years and who could help me untangle my reaction with honesty and objectivity.”
Alan’s eyebrows lifted slightly. “Another doctor?”
“Yes,” she said, nodding. “Dr. Elise Turner. She’s a therapist, someone I’ve known for years. We’ve always trusted each other to speak candidly about complex cases, and I knew she’d offer insight without judgment. I spoke to her in confidence—not about your identity, of course—but about how deeply your story affected me. I told her how it made me question the boundary between observation and feeling. I wanted perspective, a way to ensure I could continue helping you with clarity, even while acknowledging what your case had stirred in me.”
Alan leaned forward, intrigued. “And what did she say?”
Dr. Morgan hesitated, her gaze distant for a moment as if recalling the conversation. “She helped me see that what I felt wasn’t wrong—it was human. Curiosity is part of understanding. But she also suggested that I look inward, to study my own reactions the way I might analyze yours. It was… eye-opening.”
Alan studied her expression, the faint color in her cheeks. “You told her about the videos?”
“Only in general terms,” she admitted. “But enough for her to understand what had stirred me.” She offered a small, self-conscious smile. “She was fascinated by it too, actually. By the psychology of it—the connection between physical conflict and emotional intimacy.”
“That’s interesting,” Alan murmured, watching her carefully. “So she understood?”
“She did,” Dr. Morgan said softly, her voice warming as she recalled the exchange. “More than I expected. She was intrigued—asked questions, pushed me to explain what I saw in your reactions and in those images. At first, she was purely analytical, taking notes, dissecting my words. But the longer we spoke, the more her tone shifted. Perhaps because she’s as analytical as I am… or maybe because some part of her recognized what I was describing.” Morgan hesitated, her eyes distant now, thoughtful. “There was a moment when I could sense she wasn’t just empathizing; she was feeling it too. You could see it in her posture, in the way her voice softened. She understood it not just intellectually but viscerally—as if something inside her responded to the same current. It made me realize that what you feel, Alan, may not be as uncommon as it seems. It’s simply… hidden, even among those who would never admit it. We both left that talk changed in some way.”
Alan felt a curious thrill at the thought—two professional women discussing the subject that had consumed him for years, trying to understand it, maybe even feeling its pull themselves. The image of them together, speaking in low tones about what had moved them, sent a shiver through him. He imagined the analytical calm in their voices breaking slightly as they described what they’d seen, the unspoken acknowledgment that it had touched them both in ways they hadn’t expected. It fascinated him—two minds drawn into the same current he had long struggled to navigate alone. “It sounds like she became part of it, in a way,” he said quietly, his tone laced with curiosity and something deeper.
Dr. Morgan tilted her head, her eyes meeting his. “Perhaps. Sometimes empathy crosses unexpected boundaries.” She gave a small laugh, light but uncertain, her tone betraying the memory’s vividness. For a fleeting second, she seemed lost in it—remembering Elise’s searching gaze, the shared curiosity that had hovered between them. The air in the room shifted as she spoke, as though she were halfway back in that earlier moment. Her fingers tapped lightly on the edge of her notebook before she stilled them. “We both left that conversation thinking more deeply than we intended,” she continued, her voice quieter now. “It wasn’t just about you anymore, Alan,” she admitted, hesitating as if unsure how much to reveal. “It became about us—two colleagues realizing there might be more behind our fascination than we’d expected. What we felt, what we might have been trying to understand about ourselves, even about each other.”
Alan smiled faintly. “I wish I could’ve been there to hear it.”
Her lips curved at that. “You might’ve found it enlightening. Or unsettling.”
Alan nodded slowly, a faint smile lingering. “I’m glad you told me. It makes this feel… more real.”
Dr. Morgan smiled back, quietly. “It is real, Alan. For both of us.”
Alan hesitated as he rose to leave, his hand lingering on the back of the chair. “Dr. Morgan,” he began, his voice tentative but steady, “would it be… possible for your colleague, Dr. Turner, to join us in a session sometime?”
She looked up, surprised, her brows knitting slightly. “You mean, the two of us together? Here?”
Alan nodded. “Yes. Since she already understands what we’ve been discussing—and since you said she was fascinated—it might be interesting to hear both your perspectives. You could both help me understand this better… maybe even help each other understand it too.”
For a long moment, Dr. Morgan didn’t answer. The idea hung between them, dangerous in its potential. She could imagine Elise sitting across from them, her steady gaze, her questions, the quiet tension that might fill the room. Something about the suggestion sent a small jolt through her.
“I’ll think about it,” she said finally, her voice lower than before. “It’s unconventional, but perhaps… valuable.”
Alan smiled faintly, sensing her hesitation wasn’t disapproval but curiosity. “Good. I think it could be very… enlightening.”
As he left the office, Dr. Morgan sat for several minutes longer than usual, her mind caught between professional caution and a flicker of anticipation she didn’t dare name.
