A Friend in need is a Friend indeed.

Even though he had heard the doctor cough, he was focusing too much on the plants. He continued to fuss about the shrubs he was near.

“M’mum loved plants. I got it from her… There’s something about being able to have something wild but controlled”

He picked a flower that wasn’t as sad as the others and stood holding it out to the Frenchman.

“Lillies like these need richer soil, or they’ll never stand strong. They’re French, right?”

He stood silently as he waited for the other to take the weak-stemmed bloom.

It took a moment for what was happening to register in his mind. He almost gaped at the taller man as he reached out and took the flower in his hand, pulling it closer to him to inspect it and sniff it. "Ah! Lis!"

He smiled at it for a few more seconds before placing it in the breast pocket of his suit. "Merci, Samuel" His smile turned somewhat sheepish. "Ah..I am no' sure if it is French..I do not know much about flowers. I spent far too much of my childhood sitting inside and reading books." He chuckled and looked somewhat nostlagic.

"So, you spent a great deal of your child'ood outdoors, Samuel?" he asked. "And wiz your mozher, I pressume?"

Samuel looked at the lily he had just given, and replied with almost a vague shrug.

“We’re in Australia till I was 15. Mum tried t’keep a garden, but we lived in a really dry part, so she couldn’t plant everythin’ she wanted… But moving here… She spent all her time in the garden after work”

Samuel fidgeted with his shirt as he spoke, sounding a little forced. He seemed more than comfortable with talking about himself; however it was obvious he was still not at home with talking about his mother. But knowing that he’d have to talk about her and his father eventually he had made the choice to actually talk.

Rémy gave his lily a fond smile before turning it to Samuel. "Australia? What is it like growing up zere? Did you prefer it 'ere or zere" He asked curiously, reaching out absent mindedly to dust Samuel's hands away from his shirt and fixing it up so he looks neat. Uncannily, it was a habit he learnt from being raised in a country where appearences are crucial and being neat is preferable to looking sloppy at any time.

"To be 'onest, I am no' sure if I prefer it 'ere." He fussed for a second before deciding the shirt looked okay, it was then that he realised he was perhaps being a little inappropriate.

"S'hot and dry half the year, cold and wet the other half"

He shrugged, South Australia had the luck of being jammed between the arid hot north and west of Australia and the lush forested east coast. So it didn't really have the mild days occasionally offered to the east and west.

"I kinda miss it... But only because everythin's so tall here... But then Adelaide doesn't have tall buildin's so of course eveythin's tall here... S'tall everywhere but Adelaide..."

Sam watched as the other man busied himself adjusting his clothes, he knew he should stop the other, but for what ever reason the Australian just couldn't bring himself to stop him. It's not like his appearance mattered to him. Hospital issued clothes were never going to look all that good, and it's not like there was ever anyone about that he should look respectable for.

Besides, he'd gotten used to looking like a shambles of late.

"You don't like it here?"

Sam wasn't too sure if Rémy meant the hospital or the country.

Pulling his hands back to himself, he ran a hand through his hair and looked up at the sky.
"I suppose I...It's not that I don'...well, no. Not particularly." He finally admitted with a smirk. He had not realised how much he loved his home in France until he had left it. He did enjoy travelling of course, but all other countries seemed inferior to him. This country, of all the beautiful places that could rival his homeland, was pathetic.

"It is always so grey here. I get so excited over a few rays of sun." he chuckled at his own strange behaviour. "And yes, ze buildings are tall and over bearing. Everysing seems new and nosing 'as a story to it." he sighed, he really did love the old buildings and overly dramatic stories that seemed to come attached to them and everything within France.

"Per'aps I should visit Australia sometime... 'ave you ever been to France, Samuel?" he asked, cocking his head to the side.

Samuel gave a slight shrug.

"Nothin's really all that old in Adelaide either, I guess"

He watched the Frenchman's movements carefully, almost as if he were committing them to memory. While he hadn't spent much time around psychiatric doctors before he had spent enough time around them to know that Dr. Artois was being more overly familiar and open than the rigid and stiff doctors he had become used to.

Sam wasn't too sure if this was part of his healing method, one of those "If I'm open, you'll want to open up" kind of things, or if he was just a naturally open person.

"No, I've only been in this country and Australia...Sorry"

Why did he just apologise for that?

"No need to apologise, my friend. But I reccomend it." he grinned up at the other man. "I am sure a man of your profession could appreciate ze city of Paris." He nudged at the other man's arm with his elbow encouragingly. "Alzough, ze more rural areas are quiet pleasant too..." He looked thoughtful for a moment before turning his attention back to his patient.

Suddenly, something occured to him. "Ah! The time!" he lifted his wrist up to inspect his watch, clicking his tongue. "I am so sorry. I am late for my next meeting, shall I walk you back to your room?" he suggested this, but there was really no question as he tugged at Samuel's arm, leading him back inside with him. He looked more than a little disappointed to be leaving the warmth of the sun as he stepped through the doors. "It was lovely meeting you, Samuel. Shall I come back at ze same time tomorrow?" he asked as he practically glided through the halls.

As he was nudged he let his body sway a little, there was no reason behind it, he just felt like going through the movement. He didn't have long to think about what the streets of Paris would look like, nor contemplate the rural villages before he heard the Frenchman's tongue click after his exclamation.

With out even time to respond he found himself once again being dragged behind Rémy like some awkward Great Dane. He noticed how much colder it was in the building than it was outside. Shouldn't this place have central heating?

"Uh? Well, you're the Doctor. Isn't my session plans completely up to you?

To be honest Samuel had no idea what his therapy session times were. He just expected the doctors to turn up when they felt like it.

"Actually, it is up to you." He said, nodding his head at the taller man and opening the door to his room, guiding him inside. "I wan' you to be comfortable wiz your appointments." he chuckled softly and sighed a little as he looked at his watch. "But zat is alright. I will come back at ze same time zen." He smiled warmly and gave him a friendly wave with a slight waggle of his fingers, trotting off down the hallways and disregarding fellow staff trying to tell him off by talking over them in a cheery voice.

As he walked away from the man he began to think carefully about everything he had noticed. From the obvious avoidance and reluctance to speak about his Father to the way such a tall, well built man would let a small man like himself drag him around. In a way, it was endearing. He was not sure if he had always been such a gentle person but the thought of him holding a gun at innocent people and firing at them with the intent to kill lingered in Rèmy's mind. This would be an interesting case indeed. Rèmy found himself eagerly awaiting his next appointment with the Australian.

Samuel stood in his doorway as he watched his doctor leave. After a moment he closed the door and walked over to his window, staring out at the small sliver that he could see of the garden that he was just out in.

He sighed.

Running a hand through his hair, his gaze shifted from the garden to what could be seen of his reflection in the glass. He definitely looked a lot less disheveled than he did before Dr. Artois had started to re-arrange his person. He picked at his shirt, it was grubby as he'd neglected to change it in several days. He wasn't too sure why, but he felt the strong need to be respectable looking for the next visit from Rémy Artois.

Rémy strolled out of his office bright and early the next morning. Perhaps it was a little early, but Samuel did not give him a time. If it did not suit him, he would have to learn to be specific, wouldn't he? A small smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth he headed down the corridors. A small shiver ran down his spine, he wasn't sure if it was because he was eager or because of the temperature. Afterall, the hospital halls were rarely heated, and people wondered why he overdressed? Madness. This hospital was a mad house.

He decided to give Samuel some warning by knocking enthusiastically on the door to his room. He waited a short moment before announcing himself in a cheery voice. "Samuel! It's Rémy!" Opening to door a little he poked his head in the door and looked around for the Australian.

The Australian in question was standing by the window lost in a day dream. He wasn't thinking of anything in particular, but simply just zoning out.

It was habit for him to be awake for six am, and being institutionalised didn't seem to change the habit which had been a part of his life since childhood, he had showered and put on clean clothes.

His hair was still a mess however, his comb was in his hand so there was an obvious intention to use it, he had simply got distracted by the day dream.

So lost in it he was that he didn't hear the doctor speak.

Rémy stepped into the room with an amused chuckle and shut the door behind him, remaining in front of it with his hands behind his back as he observed Samuel. "You are up early today." He said with a grin. He saw that he seemed distracted and strode across the room to peer out the window curiously, wondering if something specific had caught his attention. His face fell a little as he noted how cloudly it appeared out today. Looking a little confused at not seeing anything particularly interesting, he turned to look at Samuel with a quirked eyebrow.

He smiled down at the hand holding the comb and poked at it with the non writing end of his pen. "What 'as you distracted, Samuel?"

After a second Samuel gave a little start, and then looked down at Rémy, blinking a little as if he didn’t remember who he was for a moment.

“Hnn?”

He looked down at the hand that was poked, pulling it closer to his face to look at his comb.

“Oh…My hair”

Realising that Dr. Artois was now here and he managed to forget to brush his hair he frowned and glanced at the window looking at his reflection this time. His hair was all over the place and still wet from washing it.

“Sorry, doc…”

He didn't like that he didn't manage to do what he set out to do in time for the others arrival.

Rémy kept his eyes wide and locked on Samuel's, wondering what he was thinking about with an intense sort of curiousity. Suddenly as the other man frowned it all became clearer. Was he really so disappointed over something as silly as hair? For Rémy's sake? His expression softened to a smile. "I am sorry, I came so early. I did no' give you enouzh time to get ready.."

He looked back at the comb for a second before quickly plucking it from Samuel's hand and running it through his hair in a quick few sweeps before setting it down and placing his clipboard at the ratty little table that decorated the room so stylishly. He pulled up a chair, folded one leg over the other and propped his chin up on his hand with his arm on his knee. He beamed at the Australian. "So, Shall we begin?"

Samuel shook his head slightly.

“Been up since six… Just got… Distracted”

AS the Frenchman goes close to him to brush his hair, on reaction alone he dropped down slightly to make it easier for the doctor. Straightening up again when he’d finished. The whole time he wasn’t sure where to look. His eyes followed the doctor as he made himself comfy in the only chair in the room. This room really was quite pitiful; he’d spent more than a few sleepless nights wondering what the rooms previous tenants were like, If only because the walls had shown many signs of being repatched in their time.

“It’s why ya here, after all”

Samuel shrugged one shoulder non-comittally. He really didn’t really want to talk about his life. Although he knew he had little to no choice, he still didn’t like it.

This was really the worst part of therapy. The pressure he had to put on his patients to make them speak to him made their relationships quite strained. He had been called such nasty things for insisting on an answer to simple things like 'how are you?' or 'how is your day?' Though, Samuel did not seem to have that aggressive bite to him, he was far more docile. While it was refreshing not to be yelled at, it also made it just as hard to get answers out of the quiet man.

He gestured at the man's bed and looked up at him. "You may sit down if you feel more comfortable." He offered, going to pick up his pen, not letting his eyes leave Samuel's. "Tell me, 'ow did you feel after our session yesterday?" He picked up the clipboard and began to make notes already, mostly to remember what he had said. "Did it bozher you to 'ave to speak so much? You seem so quiet." He added, reflecting on what he had just been thinking about.

He really did like Samuel, the last thing he wanted to do was harrass him out of his comfort-zone and have him grow to dislike him. He did seem to understand that it was Rémy's obligation to make him feel more at ease, but he wanted to bond more with him. For a start, he would like to be referred to by name and not just as his doctor, then he wanted to become more like a friend than some nameless face who wandered into Samuel's room every morning to bother him.

Sam looked at his bed, however didn’t feel like sitting down on his bed or otherwise. So he continued to stand where he was, though he did put the comb down on the dresser.

“It was… Okay? Like I was in a session?”

Samuel didn’t really know how to reply. He didn’t think much about it, he knew he did actually like it, but he wasn’t sure if the doctor should have touched him so much, however now he thought about it the man did just comb his hair for him. Which would me the man had no boundary issues; admittedly, Samuel also wasn’t entirely sure why this fact didn’t bother him as it should.

He stood quietly, sighing a little and watched the doctor in the rickety chair.

Rémy's lips tightened into a frown for a moment as he looked at Samuel. He opened his mouth to tell him off for that answer but found himself laughing instead. It was fairly precious despite how obtuse it was. "I should 'ope it felt like you were in a session, Samuel. It is no' as zough we were on a dinner date or at ze movies."

He flicked his pen against the table, thinking about how to coaxe out answers. He decided to be blunt and simply address the issue. "So, Samuel. I want you to know zat ze more sought you put into ze answers, ze easier sings become." He said in a soft tone. "I 'ave no intentions of pressuring you, but you may take as long as you like to answer me. Zere is no need to rush your soughts." He nodded as though to complete the sentence and looked up at Samuel, keeping a calm expression on his face.

Samuel nodded slightly; he could understand what the man was getting at. However that didn’t mean it wouldn’t make his talking any less awkward. He shifted his weight from one foot to another and thinks about the question again.

He looked out the window again and tried to figure out how he felt about the session, and about his quiet nature. It wasn’t that he was quiet to his own mind, even before the break down he only really spoke when he needed to. He was very much a man who preferred to listen to others than be listened to.

“It was okay… Bit unexpected, but okay”

Which was true enough, he had only expected to be spoken to and be analysed. Not dragged out to a garden by the hand, or to be touched and rearranged.

“I just didn’t have much to say, that’s all.”

He shrugged a little.

His pen scratched against the paper on his clipboard as he made some brief notes. He looked up at Samuel and quirked an eyebrow. "Unexpected?" He asked curiously. "Would you care to elaborate, Samuel?"

He hoped that he hadn't shoved Samuel into something that make him too uncomfortable. He really didn't want to be a bad doctor, but finding the balance was so difficut.

"Not used t'bein' touched... That's all"

Samuel shrugged dismissively. He didn't look like the touching bothered him, because it really didn't. Because Samuel was tall and naturally not a big talker, people naturally avoided contact with him as he make people nervous or unsure of him. That and Architects were naturally not all that touchy to begin with.

"S'okay though"

He wasn't sure why, but he felt the need to reassure his doctor.

Despite Samuel's reassurance, Rémy gave him a guilty smile. "I am so sorry, I did no' mean to make you uncomfortable." He said that, but really he did not feel bad at all. The touching did not seem to have any negative effects on him, in fact it seemed to open him up a little.

"I am sure you 'ave noticed my methods are quite different from other doctor's." He mentioned with a nod. "'owever, I am quite confident that I am well suited to you as a doctor."

“Yeah, y’different. But… It’s good”

Sam watched the doctor impassively, and admittedly he almost felt like smiling at him. But couldn’t quite bring himself to do it. After a moment his tilted his head ever so slightly.

“So… Today’s about…?”