"And this time next week I'm going to be at Tru's wedding," Saku was saying.
He shook his head forlornly.
"I just... I don't know how I'm going to cope. She's getting married and I'm... I'm not."
Not knowing what to say, Amber put her arm across Saku's shoulders. Saku continued to look down at his feet. Just as Amber was starting to feel awkward, Saku grabbed her hand. He turned his head and looked at her with a frown.
"Who is he?"
"Huh?"
"The guy who's been hurting you."
Amber tried to pull away but Saku held firm.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Amber insisted, trying to avoid Saku's searching eyes.
"You've got bruises and a... a sore that's still scabbing over on your side..."
"Result from the holiday."
"No, they're too recent for that."
"How would you know? And for that matter how would you know what injuries I have anyway?" Amber demanded angrilly. "Spying on me in the shower?"
"Don't have to," Saku replied coolly. "My protection magic is particularily focused on fire and abuse."
His frown deepened.
"He raped you."
Amber managed to pull away completely from Saku then.
"He did not!" she objected loudly. "I don't know where you're getting these crazy ideas but I'm not having any more of your... your nonsense!"
Saku tilted his head on the side as he considered his friend.
"Is it Dexter?" he asked.
"Nothing is going on. I'm not being abused or raped or anything. Just leave it, Saku."
Saku shook his head.
"I couldn't even if I wanted to," he told her seriously. "Just how long has this been going on anyway?"
"And why didn't I notice sooner?" he asked himself.
Amber glared at him.
"It hasn't been going on since you met him has it?" Saku went on. "No... it must have begun gradually... I'm sure I would have noticed if it started straight away. And I spent way, way more time with... with Trina than I have been with you for awhile now..."
"Oh I get it," Amber said suddenly. "You feel guilty for not being able to save Trina, so now you've come up with this fantastic story about me so you can pretend to rescue someone. Well, it's not going to work Saku."
Saku flushed angrilly.
"I'm going to pretend you didn't say that and offer to introduce you to my Aunt."
Amber frowned.
"Your Aunt? Why?"
"Have I ever mentioned she gives great massages?
Natalie knew before she even looked at Amber that something was wrong.
"Hi Nat," Saku said cheerfully. "This is my friend, Amber. Amber, this is my Aunt Natalie, Tay's wife."
Natalie held out her hand.
"Nice to meet you," she said.
Amber hesitated, then took Natalie's hand in a handshake. That moment of tactile contact told Natalie plenty, but she chose not to show it.
"So," Natalie said, closing the door behind them. "What can I do for you?"
"I have just been telling Amber about your massages," Saku replied.
"I see. And just what have you been saying?"
"Oh, just about how your massages are so awesome that not only do you feel better physically, but you also feel better spiritually."
"I've never given you one, so how would you know?" Natalie asked teasingly.
Amber looked at Saku with raised eyebrows.
"Details, details," Saku replied with a wave of his hand, then looked at Amber. "Aunt Natalie's an empathic healer."
"What's that?" Amber asked.
"It's like the more common physical healing, only it works, well, empathically," Natalie replied. "The best results are accomplished through touch, and it helps a lot if the... patient is relaxed and comfortable at the time. So my massages work wonders in that area, but of course, some people aren't comfortable with massages. Holding hands is sufficient. It also helps if you actually want my help."
Natalie gave Saku a searching glance.
"Just curious... you can sense festering injuries right?" Saku asked.
Natalie gave a slight nod.
"Has Amber got festering?"
"Saku!" Amber objected.
"I really don't think that's any of your business," Natalie replied seriously.
"Yeah, well, I'd be surprised if she's not a mess in there. She's got an abusive boyfriend."
"Not this again," Amber groaned and buried her face in her hands.
"And he raped her," Saku went on.
"He never raped me. I consented!" Amber objected, her voice muffled a little from her hands.
"Verbal consent, or consent under duress doesn't mean you consented emotionally," Natalie observed calmly. "However -"
Whatever she was going to say was cut off by the sound of Penny crying.
"I'll check on them," Saku offered.
"Thanks," Natalie replied.
She waited until Saku had left the room before continuing.
"Hon, I'm not going to try and tell you what happened to you," she said solomnly to Amber, taking her hands, effectively forcing her to look at her. "You know what you've been through. I can only see the emtional impact of what you've been through. I can see that the festering is the result of some deep seated problem that's effected your entire life. I can see the signs of abuse in various forms - and make no mistake, we all suffer abuse from time to time. It could be anything from the more obvious variations like sexual and physical, to the more subtle, like verbal or neglect. It also looks like you've had some long-term therapy that hasn't helped - that kind of thing also leaves a mark."
Amber gave her a startled look and Natalie let go of her hands.
"I can help," Natalie went on. "But you have to want my help. As I said before, my power works best when you're relaxed and comfortable. If you don't want my help you've not going to be either of those things, now are you?"
Natalie gave Amber what she hoped was a reassuring smile.
"It can't be all me either. Think of it like a broken leg: if you don't get it set correctly, your leg is just going to heal back crooked. So you go to the doctor, you get it set in plaster, you wait while the bones heal and the plaster comes off. Then you start therapy to rebuild atrophied muscles and the like until you're able to walk again without the use of a crutch. It's the same with my powers. I can take away the festering and allow you to think objectivly again. It can't be done with one session, and how often sessions are needed is dependant on how fast the festering comes back. But when we reach that point where the plaster can come off, it's all up to you. I can continue to heal, to encourage, to act as your crutch, but you're the one who needs to deal with the core issue and learn to use your leg again."
Amber was silent for a moment.
"And what is the core issue?"
Natalie paused and considered.
"I can't tell you specifically. A doctor can recognise what kind of instrument caused the wound but not what exactly happened. Likewise, I can can sense that the core issue in you is a sense of inadequacy. I don't know why this is the case, only that it is, just like a doctor can tell if you've been stabbed by a knife, but not how, why or whom."
Natalie grabbed her purse from her bag while Amber thought about this. She was ambivalent, wanting to run away, denying that there was anything wrong with her, both glad and angry that Natalie wasn't going to make her do anything she didn't want to do, afraid of what exactly Natalie had seen in her and yet hoping all the same.
"This is my card," Natalie said, placing her business card firmly into Amber's hand. "It's completely up to you whether you want my help or not. If you do, great, call me, make an appointment. You can some here, or I can visit you. Either is fine by me. My fees are on the back. I'm expensive, and my rates are going to go up when I finish my councelling degree, but empathic healing is a rare enough power to warrant it. I recommend one session a week to start - that number can increase or decrease depending on how you're progressing. If you don't want my help, that's fine too. You don't have to call back. And don't let Saku - or anyone else - try to push you into using my services. There's no point if you're feeling resentful. It has to be your decision, because you want my help."
Amber nodded slowly.
"I should go," she said.
"Okay," Natalie replied, standing up. "Take all the time you need to think about it."
"Yeah... thanks..."
**********
"Amber gone already?" Saku asked as Natalie entered the room.
"Yes," Natalie replied. "She's going to think about it. And don't try to push her into it."
"Who? Me?"
"Yes, you. It doesn't matter that you have her interests at heart, getting pushed around is still getting pushed around. And if you're right about the abusive boyfriend thing, she's had enough of that already."
"You doubt me?"
"I don't doubt she's been abused," Natalie replied. "It may even be her boyfriend. But I've only met the girl today, and I've never met her boyfriend, so I really wouldn't know."
Saku nodded.
"Well, I should go. I have places to go, things to do, people to see," he said grimly.
Natalie felt a shiver go down her spine as she watched Saku leave.