ANYONE COULD TELL Pippa was a mess - inside and out.  Completely unrecognizable.  The front page poster child for before and after drug abuse.  But was she herself tired of rippin' and runnin'?  Hangin' and bangin'?  Croonin' and spoonin'?  Crackin' and shackin'?  Probably not, but it was either treatment or jail.  She chose the former.  Five years ago she was Queen of the East Side, but many burned bridges and deals gone sour later had cause most (if not all) of Sage Mountain to want nothing to do with her.  Maysodis Drug and Alcohol Treatment Facility was now a last ditch effort for her to learn how to execute that 180° turn.  Would she be going for herself?  Highly unlikely.  Her mom who offered her a ride there?  Her grandmother who was fighting stage III leukemia?  Possibly.  She could have been doing it for Fenton.  It sure as hell wasn't for Cory.  That no good fuckwad was doing nine months up the road for ditching his P.O.  The cops nailed him walking out of Walmart with a full cart of groceries. 
  The trip to Maysodis was a short twenty five minute car ride, given her mom's heavy foot, but the three hour wait in the musty lobby seemed like a struggle for sanity maintenance - somewhere between purgatory and eternal hell-fire.  The congested waiting room reminded her of those payroll advance stores with copious amounts of security on all fronts.  She kept silent, filling out insurance forms and a comprehensive thirty page substance abuse assessment.  Finally, the receptionist called her to the window.
  -Dr. Kellis is ready to see you.
  -Thanks.
  The receptionist buzzed her in.
  -Second door on the right.
  His door was open.  She waved in silence.
  -Pippa Perrins?
  Kellis glanced up from his titanium clip-board, slowly caressing his silver goatee.
  -You can shut the door behind you.
  Pippa shook her head and rolled her eyes; her signature impatience rearing it's ugly head.
  -How long is this going to take doc?
  -It all depends.  Won't you have a seat?
  He pointed to the auburn couch adjacent his over-sized mahogany desk.
  -This isn't your first time here Pippa.  What happened?
  -Everything.
  -What's everything?  Talk to me.
  -Heroin, crack, ice, Xanax, Roxys and lots of booze.  Jim Beam Fireball mostly. 
  -Marijuana?
  -God no!  I can't stand that shit!  I hate the way it makes me feel.
  -When was the last time you used?
  -Probably around twenty four hours.
  -Have you been sleeping at all?
  -Somewhat.  But not really.
  -Eating?
  -Just cold cereal.
  -How long did you stay clean the last time you completed our program?
  -Hmm.  Six to eight hours.
  -Well that's not any good.  Sounds like you weren't taking recovery very seriously.  What makes you think it will be any different this time?
  -Hmm.  Well...
  Kellis cleared his throat, waiting for a response.  Pippa considered saying, "I don't know," but changed her mind and said:
  -I have a new boyfriend with a shit-ton less baggage than Cory.  That fucker's doing nine months on a burglary charge.  A lot of different charges actually.
  -Your new boyfriend, does he use? 
  Kellis spun his chair to face his computer monitor, pointing and clicking, perusing her old records.
  -He's a heavy drinker.  And he smokes a lot of weed.
  -Is he gainfully employed? eyebrows raised. 
  -He's self-employed.  A professional blogger.
  -Aren't we all these days.  Tell me Pippa, would you classify him as an alcoholic or addict?
  -Yeah.
  She spoke quietly, curling into a fetal position, yet maintaining eye contact.
  -A functional alcoholic, but he's so much kinder to me than Cory ever was.  His family, well, parents I should say, are mega rich.  A for his drinking, he's in treatment too.  We decided last week it was time for both of us to get some more help.
 -That's good.  Clean time apart from one another will at the very least reveal what your relationship is actually grounded in.
  -True.
  -What's his name?
  Pippa's agitation levels were beginning to peak.  She hated psychological probing and interrogation.  Even if it was for the best. 
  -Damn it's freezing in here! 
  She crossed her arms, rubbing her biceps.
  -Why do you need to know that?  I don't see how it's relevant to why I'm here!
  -I know this isn't much fun, but openness and honesty are critical components to a life of sobriety.  We discuss problematic relationships and many other deeply personal issues with every resident who will open up and give us a chance.  You want to get better, don't you?
  Pippa completely understood his logic but balked with a response before blurting out in her frustration. 
  -Can you turn off the fuckin' AC?  Goddamn!!
  -With foul language like that?  Fat chance.
  Kellis tossed his $450 cross fountain pen on his desk, removed his glasses, and rubbed his eyes. 
  -Watch your mouth.  You haven't made it onto the ark just yet.
  -Sorry.  Could you be so kind to turn off the air conditioner?  Pretty please?  His name is Fenton by the way. 
  -Much better.  Now we're getting somewhere.
  Kellis stood from his posh leather chair and took his time moving toward the thermostat next to his five tier bookshelf packed with Serenity Bibles, AA Big Books, 12 & 12's and other ancillary literature, as well as a plethora of psychology textbooks and journals of medicine.
  -Are you sexually active?
  He returned to his chair. 
  -Again.  No comment.
  -...
  -No.  We're not sexually active.  He's a born again Christian.  He won't have sex before marriage. 
  -OK, well Pippa... you're more than welcome to dismiss my personal theory here, but my guess is that the relationship you and Fenton have is solely based on obtaining and consuming drugs and alcohol.  You're fueling each other's own destructive behavior.
  -HA! 
  She laughed defensively.  She knew he was right on the money.
  -That... hmm... yeah... that and his cock... sorry... um... his penis is too big for sex.
  -OK.
  Kellis turned bright red. 
  -A little out of left field, but alright.
  Kellis typed out a few more notes into her profile.
  -I'm not a licensed sex therapist, but we do have an exceptional one on staff here.  Her name is Dr. Tina Khuntrague.
  -Yeah I remember Tina.
  -Great.  I'm going to schedule an appointment with her for tomorrow morning.  It might feel like too much too soon, but it's imperative you hit the ground running with this.  She won't solve your problems when it comes to the matter of intercourse, but she'll help you sort them out and hopefully help you manage your expectations. 
  -Mmm hmm.
  She smiled.
  -She's helped scores of young women like yourself.  Our dogma or methodology if you will, from impotence and infertility, to fetishes and taboos, are the underlying causes for dependency on alcohol and other substances.
  He continued typing.
  -I just got here.  I don't think I'm ready for thi...
  -Don't sweat it Pippa.  It's not mandatory, but just sleep on it and think of some things you'd like to get off your chest.  Just remember, whatever you discuss with her will remain completely confidential.  Nothing leaves her office.