Page 11 of Dual

Dr. Ezra sets his pen and paper aside and leans forward, elbows on his knees.

"Let's try a co-consciousness exercise," he says gently.

Anna groans. "You know she never plays along."

"That's alright," he continues, just as patiently. "The goal isn't to force anything, Anna. It's to notice. Just notice."

Anna's jaw flexes, her eyes fixed on a spot on the carpet like it's holding her secrets. I see the way her fingers tremble slightly, even though she's trying to keep them still. I want to grab her up into my arms and whisk her away from anything that causes her even the vaguest discomfort, but I know she wouldn't want me to. So I swallow back my need to fix it for her and stay still, even though all my muscles tense with the need to make it better.

"Is that okay?" Dr. Ezra asks her.

She nods, a small jerk of her chin, but her throat bobs like swallowing the word costs her something.

"Domhnall," Dr. Ezra turns to me, his calm eyes steady, "you're here to support her. No need to fix anything," he says, as if he can read my mind. "Just be present."

I nod. I'll keep still even if every instinct screams to do more. In this, I won't fail Anna.

Dr. Ezra shifts his attention back to her. "I want you to close your eyes, if that feels safe. Take a deep breath. In through your nose, out through your mouth."

Anna's lashes flutter, then fall shut. Her breath is shallow at first. But she follows his words, drawing in air, then letting it out in a shaky exhale.

"Good," Dr. Ezra murmurs. "Now, I want you to notice your body. Your feet on the ground. The way the chair holds you up. No need to change anything. Just notice."

I watch her chest rise and fall, the tension in her shoulders softening by degrees.

"Now," he continues, voice soft as if weaving a spell, "Iwant you to scan your body slowly. Start at your toes. Any sensations? Warmth, coolness, tingling? Even nothing is something to notice."

Anna's brow furrows slightly, but she doesn't speak.

"Move up to your calves, your knees, your thighs. Notice any shifts. Any sensations that feel different from the rest."

Her fingers twitch.

"You don't have to name them aloud if you don't want to," Dr. Ezra says gently. "But if you do, that's okay too."

A long pause. Then, barely above a whisper, Anna says, "My hands feel... buzzy."

"Good," Dr. Ezra says, his smile small but genuine. "Can you sit with that buzzing? Just notice it. Is it sharp or soft? Fast or slow?"

Her lips part slightly. "It's like... like when your foot falls asleep. Not painful. Just... there."

"That's perfect. Now, I want you to imagine that part of you—the part that feels the buzzing—isn't alone. That there's someone else noticing it, too. Not outside of you, but right there, inside, sharing that space."

Anna flinches. Just a small jerk, but I feel it like a punch to the gut.

"It's okay," Dr. Ezra soothes. "You're safe. No one's taking over. You're just noticing together."

Her breathing picks up, fast and shallow.

"Anna," I whisper, my voice low and hopefully grounding. I don't reach for her, but I lean in slightly, letting her feel mypresence. "I'm right here, love. Just you and me. You're doing so well."

A tear slips down her cheek, but she nods.

"Good," Dr. Ezra says softly. "Can you ask if someone else notices the buzzing too? You don't have to force an answer. Just ask, on the inside."

Anna's lips move soundlessly at first. Then, in a voice so faint it's barely there, she whispers, "Do you feel this too?"

The room feels like it holds its breath.