A new friend.

Joseph groaned and stretched lazily, blinking his eyes in the afternoon sun. He checked his phone blearily. It looked like he'd been out for a couple of hours. He stood up, stretched again, and went into the living room.

He was startled to see Beth sitting on the couch and chatting with a woman he'd never met. She was gorgeous - statuesque, with high cheekbones, deep brown eyes, and a toned but slightly voluptuous body. Her eyes lit up when she saw him.

"Hello, Joseph. I'm Dr. Katherine Brown, but you can call me Kate."

He rubbed his eyes, then realized with some embarrassment that he was shirtless. "Thanks, uh, Kate. If you don't mind me asking, why are you in my house?"

Kate nodded to Beth, who answered the question. "Ok, Joseph. Don't be mad, just hear me out. Kate is an old friend of mine from high school. I called her over because she might be able to help you. She's a psychiatrist specializing in guilt and depression. You seem to be having a really hard time coming to terms with your new... ability, so I thought she could help."

Joseph was apoplectic. "You told her? Are you crazy?" His eyes widened with an epiphany. "You- you used it on her! Ma'am, I am so sorry-"

Kate cut him off abruptly. "Now, now, Joseph. No need to apologize. I'll admit, I was lured here under false pretenses. Beth told me you had been feverish for days but didn't have health insurance, so I agreed to come give you a private examination to see if I thought you needed an ER visit. Of course, the moment I attempted to take your pulse, your gift took effect."

Joseph sat down abruptly, head in his hands. "Beth, how could you do this? Why are you so insistent on controlling people? Oh God, what am I going to do? This is another life ruined because of me!"

Kate walked across the room to sit next to him on the loveseat. She took his hand in hers.

"Joseph, listen to me. Your feelings are perfectly healthy. What you have - this gift you've been given - it's not something anyone is equipped to handle. You didn't ask for it, and you don't know what it is, and the ethical questions posed-"

Joseph had a sudden outburst. "Ethical questions? You mean how every time I touch someone it mindfucks them into being my ****? Is that the ethical question you're referring to?"

She patted his hand soothingly. "I don't think that's necessarily accurate, but we'll discuss it later. For now, yes, that is the ethical question. It's a valid question, and you're right to ask it. Let me ask you a question. Should I feel guilty about this? Do you think I'm responsible for my current relationship with you?"

"Of course not. You're just a mind-controlled ****. Why should you feel bad?"

Kate smiled. "Power dynamics aside, I have just as much responsibility for this situation as you did. In fact, I have more. I touched you. Even under false pretenses, I was a more active participant than you. So why shouldn't I feel worse? The answer is obvious - you now have power over me. But that doesn't translate to culpability, Joseph. You're a good man. You're doing the best you can with what you've been given, and very few people would be as circumspect as you."

Joseph was starting to come around to her point of view. "Still, though," he argued. "Don't you have to say this stuff? Even if you feel like I've ruined your life, you can't criticize me because of the- the-"

"Gift?" she offered.

"I'm not fucking calling it that."

She smiled sympathetically. "I think that's what it is, and I hope to convince you of that. For now, though, let's call it your ability. Now, you said I can't criticize you - that's simply not true. Joseph, you could use a shave. And, let's face it, a shower." Beth chuckled at that. "I can say those things because I want what's best for you. I'm not a docile ****, and I have my own thoughts and opinions. I can go to a bookstore and get something I'll enjoy reading. I can take it home and read it while sipping a glass of my favorite wine. I can go to work and help my patients, all without thinking of you in any way."

"You can?" Joseph looked to Beth for confirmation and she nodded in agreement.

"Yes, Joseph. This new relational status we share - it's unprecedented, but I can try to compare it to others. Let's start with an obvious one. A good parent has nothing but concern for their child. They will do everything in their power to make sure their child is happy, healthy, and safe. Sometimes that means telling the child no, or making them do unpleasant things. Other times that means doting on the child and doing what the child wants even if they'd rather not.

"Think of a religious person's relationship with their deity. They can't know what exactly the deity wants from them. They can pray and read scripture to try to divine God's will, but at the end of the day they have to guess. That said, they still constantly try to please their deity.

"Finally, consider a doting spouse. Part of what makes a relationship work is spontaneity. If I only got my partner gifts on Valentine's Day and her birthday, I wouldn't be a very good partner. But if I know she likes expensive chocolates and bring some home for her after she's had a long week, that's a little self-directed way to make her feel better. Surprising her means finding ways to make her happy that she may not have even thought of herself."

Joseph frowned. "So I'm your child, your God, and your husband. That's supposed to make me feel better?"

"You're not exactly like any of those," Beth chimed in. "And here's something to keep in mind. In all of those relationships, the relationship isn't always on the forefront of the person's mind. Parents, spouses, and religious people aren't always thinking exclusively about their child, spouse, or god. I want what's best for you. So does Dr. Brown. That doesn't mean we're giving up our lives, especially since you've made it abundantly clear that's not what you want."

Joseph didn't know what to say. He looked back forth at the two women who were smiling supportively.

The psychiatrist let the silence pass for a moment, then spoke. "Joseph, I think a good question to ask now is what you want. That's what this is all about, isn't it? We've determined what sort of relationship you'd like to have with Beth. Now, what about me? I'm helping you in my capacity as a therapist, of course, but that's just based on what Beth's told me. I'd like to learn more from you. How, exactly, can I best help you?"