Dr. Leslie is In Session
In the light of a new day, Grenadine finally sits down with Dr. Leslie for their first session. The plan is to meet daily in the computer room for comprehensive analysis sessions. He starts in with something simple, "So... Where do you hail from?"
Grenadine tells Dr. Leslie that she belongs to the Chevnic Union, but he says he's never heard of that... "Is that near Russia?" he asks?
Dr. Leslie decides to shift gears and asks Grenadine what her favorite color is, a favorite ice breaker he came up with years ago that never fails. She throws him for a loop when she says, "Color is for people who don't have crushing weight on their soul." He considers asking her what she means by this, but doesn't want to pry, so he shifts gears yet again and offers her a piece of gum. She accepts.
Although Dr. Leslie does not yet understand what Grenadine is going through, he gives himself a mental pat on the back for getting her to open up by accepting the gum. "Very good!" he cheers, more to himself than to her.
Meanwhile, Marie has come up from a hard day of work looking for a nap, but, alas, her room is occupied, and so she remains perpetually displaced.
Downstairs, Opal has borrowed Gene's computer so she can work on her online nursing degree. Gene peers over her shoulder and wonders if Dr. Leslie's school is for real. A Chance Encounter
As Gene is on her way back up to her room to listen to sad ballads on the record player, she catches Vlad coming out of the bathroom with his old-time-girls photographs tucked under his arm. She corners him, pinning him to the wall with her body.
She tells him that he's all she can think of and if things don't work out, there aren't enough sad ballads in the world to soothe her. What she's trying to say is that she wants to make out.
Vlad's heart floods with anxiety. He can sense that Gene is not to be thwarted.
An Ambitious Assignment
Dr. Leslie closes his session with Grenadine by giving her an assignment. "Confront that thing that is the most frightening to you —whatever that is, and acknowledge it. Tomorrow we'll pick up right here.You can do it!" Satisfied with how professional he sounds, Dr. Leslie feels today has been a success.
