Genevieve O'Hare - The Series

“Good afternoon, I’m here to see Dr. Hendricks.” “Can I have your name please?” asked the receptionist. “Genevieve, Genevieve O’Hare” she said wringing her hands together from the nervous feelings that consumed her. She had never been to a therapist before, but hey, it was a first time for everything, and this was a good thing. Besides she thought to herself, she needed to get the monkey off of her back. But then again maybe this was more like a gorilla…
“Okay, have a seat, she’s in with another patient at the moment, she will be right with you.” said the receptionist kindly. “Thank you.” said Genevieve as she turned to take her seat in the waiting room. The room was small and intimate. It was dimly lit with neutral colored sofas and chairs along with a few potted plants and a full stock of literary magazines spread out on the end tables. She assumed this was all to get people relaxed and lull them into a state of comfort so that they’d spill their guts once they got into the doctor’s office. Although Genevieve was never too fond of the idea of seeing a therapist, it was all the rave with the other wives at the gym. But then again, it was L.A. They would sit in the sauna after games of tennis or sessions with Ricardo (personal trainer to almost all of the desperate female gym members) and quietly discuss the advice their therapists had given them concerning one of their many shallow and insignificant issues as if it were some sort of “Aha Moment” or religious epiphany! Genevieve thought it was all just a complete waste of time and money. She would oftentimes think to herself, “Isn’t that what you have girlfriends for?”
But this time she was wrong.
This time she managed to put her judgments aside. This time she needed a good ear and sound advice. But most of all, she needed someone who wouldn’t violate doctor-patient confidentiality. Genevieve sat patiently in the waiting room as each minute ticked by on the clock on the wall. She went back and forth with herself about what she would say or better yet, how she would say it.
After driving for quite some time, she finally stopped and decided to get a room at a little bed and breakfast up the coastline in Monterey and it was there that she’d found a listing for Dr. Hendricks in the local phone directory. She left her family with no clue as to where she could’ve possibly gone and was sure they had put an APB out on her by now. However, not wanting to have any contact with anyone, she had thrown her cell phone out of the window on the side of the freeway and was certain it had become tire dust. The money in the secret account that she had saved up over the past 5 years should have been enough to regain a brand new start for herself she thought. Somewhere away from L.A. where she could be alone and leave the past behind and Monterey seemed so peaceful. Although, she didn’t rule out the fact that what happened might eventually force her to drive a lot farther.
After about 30 minutes, the office door opened and out walked Dr. Hendricks and a very worried looking man. All of a sudden she was plagued by indecisiveness about whether or not she should actually be going through with this. Genevieve felt the urge to run but her legs wouldn’t move. As the troubled man walked out of the door, she heard her name being called, “Genevieve, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Dr. Hendricks.” Genevieve stood up and smiled weakly and shook the doctor’s hand, “Nice to meet you as well.” she said. “Come in” said the doctor “have a seat on the sofa.” The room’s décor matched that of the waiting room but the furniture looked a bit more comfortable, the reason behind that, Genevieve thought to herself, was an obvious one. “Okay” began Dr. Hendricks, “Let’s get started. First of all let me say that I in no way want you to feel nervous or judged. People see therapists everyday for a variety of issues and concerns. Sometimes those issues are more severe than others. Nevertheless, whatever the problem or however serious, most people just need a more defined and unbiased outlet to work out those issues. I try to provide room for positive growth and insight through discussion. Of course as you know, nothing said between us leaves this room. Is that okay, do you understand?” asked Dr. Hendricks. “Yes.” said Genevieve. “Okay so why don’t we start with a little introduction, tell me about yourself and a little bit about why you decided to come and see a therapist.” said the doctor.
“My name is Genevieve O’Hare, I’m from L.A. and I’m a 30 year old soon to be divorcee.” Looking down at her notepad and preparing for a normal one hour discussion, Dr. Hendricks, situated herself in the huge armchair and although listening intently, she responded to Genevieve in the same manner that she oftentimes did with so many of her other patients, “I’m sorry to hear that.” She looks up from her notepad, noticing the uneasiness in Genevieve’s sitting position and the fidgeting of her hands. “You want to talk about what happened? Is this situation what brought you here to Monterey perhaps?” asked the doctor. Without so much as a sigh or a pause, Genevieve began to sob uncontrollably.
A bit startled by the immediate overflow of Genevieve’s emotion, the doctor reached for a handful of tissues strategically placed on the table to the right of her and handed them to her distraught patient. “You know, a divorce can be a very emotionally trying experience. So much is put into a relationship and then all of a sudden it seems as though everything you’ve built with a person is going in a direction that is totally opposite of what you wanted for your life. It’s okay to be hurt, to let it out.” said Dr. Hendricks as she tried unconvincingly to console Genevieve.
“I could give a damn about a divorce!” responded Genevieve firmly.
“I’m sorry…” said the doctor with great confusion.
A cold minute went by as Genevieve, staring at the floor, pondered what she was about to say. “I can’t say I understand what you mean Genevieve. I can’t imagine that you don’t care at all about the divorce. But, I must ask, if it isn’t the divorce that’s bothering you, then what is it? You can talk to me, that’s why you’re here. What has you so feeling so broken at this moment?” asked Dr. Hendricks, sitting on the edge of her chair, now seeming very worried. Genevieve looked up at the doctor with tears in her eyes and in a voice that was suddenly void of all emotion she finally revealed to the doctor why she had really come to see her that day.
“I set it on fire. The house, I set it on fire. My husband and my sister, they were in it…”


Tune in next Sunday and EVERY Sunday for a new post from Dose of Drama for the series, Genevieve O’Hare…