“Oh God,” Tina murmured, closing her eyes as what little she could remember of that horrible event flashed through her mind.  “I nearly died.  Most of my friends nearly died.  Helena ended up in a coma.  Lara died.  And Jenny” her voice trailed off and her hands began to visibly shake.

Dr. Lowenstein waited patiently as Tina struggled to control herself.

“Jenny died while saving my life.  I can’t understand why she died and not me.  I don’t get what made my life worth more than hers.  Ever since then, I can’t function right.  I don’t even see the point of getting out of bed on most days,” Tina stated, sitting on her hands to stop the shaking.

“Your feelings are perfectly normal.  Often when someone goes through a tragic situation like that, what you’ve described is the result.  You have to stop comparing your life to Jenny’s.  There is no measure of worth on one person’s life over another.  And it’s a fact:  sometimes people just die.  Sometimes it’s just their time.  And nothing you do or say can stop that, Tina.  You have to forgive yourself for something that isn’t your fault.”  The doctor checked her watched and then leaned forward regretfully.  “And this, unfortunately, brings our first session to an end.”

Tina looked at her own watch, feeling a surprising tug of regret that the appointment had indeed ended. 

“Tina, it was great meeting you, and I think you’ve already made great progress today.  I’m going to give you a prescription for anti-depressants, and I’ve scheduled another session for next week.  But should you feel the need to talk or anything before then, feel free to call or stop by,” Dr. Lowenstein said, handing her a prescription slip.

Tina slowly made her way to the door, but paused before leaving.  “Dr. Lowenstein?” she asked, turning around.

The doctor looked up from her appointment book.  “Yes?”

“I thought all you shrinks were supposed to have couches for your patients to lay on for when you made them stare at spilled ink,” Tina commented, biting back a small grin.

“Well, that’s just in – ” the doctor broke off, catching sight of the grin spreading on Tina’s face.  She grinned back.  “I do believe that was an attempt at a joke!  It was, wasn’t it?  There’s hope for you yet, Tina.”