Fueling the Search [open]

[Doctor Karl Lykos]

::Karl was quite familiar with that question: deliberately open-ended, designed to allow the questioned to feel in control of the dialogue by choosing what was said and what was concealed. At the same time, more often than not, more information was given by allowing a narrative than by asking specific questions. He had used it frequently during initial sessions. Setting down his mug, he asked in return,:: "What would you like to know?"

[Nadia Davich]

Nadia shrugged. She had finished eating and could leave whenever she wanted. To go and get back to the search for a place to put her organization's headquarters. But something about this man intrigued her enough to stay a few moments longer and get to know him a little more.

She smiled. "Family, friends, job, your favorite color, your deepest darkest secrets. Whatever you would like to say."

[Doctor Karl Lykos]

"You already know that I'm a doctor," ::That was a simple one to answer, and one upon which Karl had no desire to elaborate. He certainly wouldn't reveal his deepest, darkest secrets to a stranger; he barely liked admitting them to himself. He didn't discuss them with his assigned therapist, which was the reason he hadn't made progress in a couple of weeks; that and because the entire process was a waste of time.:: "I'm also a widower."

[Nadia Davich]

"Oh, I'm sorry." Her smile left her face; she truly did feel sorry for him. Nadia knew what it was like to lose family, though hers was actually still alive. But the pain was still there. "How long ago, if I may ask?"

[Doctor Karl Lykos]

::Karl's eyes grew momentarily glassy as he looked down at left hand; he still wore his wedding ring there. He didn't want to go into specifics, because the guilt and loss could overwhelm him.:: "Less than a year."

[Nadia Davich]

"I'm so sorry," Nadia said again, not knowing what else to say, or do, in this situation. She wasn't sure if he needed comfort or just to be left alone. Perhaps a change of topic would help, though she was curious as to what kind of woman would have married this man sitting in front of her. So that left out any more mention of family, she figured.

But she could think of no way to steer the conversation away, so she just remained silent, knowing that offering her condolences yet again would just be awkward.

[Doctor Karl Lykos]

::Karl didn't particularly want sympathy, as nobody could understand the tremendous guilt associated with the loss. He also didn't doubt that her sympathy was true, albeit ignorant of the people involved, as she didn't know him and she certainly didn't know Tanya. At the end of the way, it didn't matter, as no expression of sympathy would bring Tanya back.

As usually happened with the mention of a dead relative or spouse, the conversation shifted to uncomfortable silence. He didn't want to dwell, as he did more than enough of that on a daily basis, both alone and in those infernal mandatory therapy sessions; inflicting that on others wasn't his pastime. He moved on, breaking the spell of silence,:: "And you? Are you single?"

[Nadia Davich]

She looked up at him for a moment almost not realizing right away that he had broken the silence. Nadia nodded at him. "Yes, I am. With all my traveling, there isn't much time for anyone." She shrugged. "But it doesn't bother me. I'm left free to help children more," with a smile.

[Doctor Karl Lykos]

::Karl absorbed her professed indifference to being single with a nod, as though trying to discern the veracity of the comment. He had heard that before, although generally it was affirmative denial of the opposite, proclamations by those who desperately wanted relationships and yet couldn't have them. He himself detested being single, but that was because he was unused to it, having fallen in love at a young age; it wasn't merely that he was alone, but it was because he was without his wife. As he didn't want to dwell where his thoughts turned, he asked,:: "How many children are you helping right now?"

[Nadia Davich]

If she was surprised at the sudden change of topic, Nadia didn't show it. She smiled. "None, yet. I've only just arrived a couple of days ago. I have capable people running the show in the other cities where I started. But here... New York is now, how you say, my oyster?" Nadia chuckled. Despite being in America for a few years now, she still couldn't get used to some of their strange cliches. "I was actually going today to find a decent place to lease when I ran into you."

[Doctor Karl Lykos]

::Karl nodded in response to that, because that was the simplest way to show that he was paying attention, and he had little to add to that. He wasn't in the business of finding children, and they'd already discussed housing and office opportunities. He settled for saying,:: "It's the right time to lease."

[Nadia Davich]

"Yes," she nodded. "Bad for some but it's a good thing for me. I should have plenty of places to choose from." Nadia smiled. "At least, I hope so." She sipped from her coffee cup before turning back to Karl. "You wouldn't know of any? I mean, if you happened to pass something?"

[Doctor Karl Lykos]

"There are some places in Brooklyn for fairly cheap," ::Karl replied, thinking through what he might have seen. He had no particularly interest in property in the City at the moment, so his advice was limited.:: "You could check the real estate listing the Times."

[Nadia Davich]

"Yes, I'll probably end up doing that if nothing catches my eye right away." Nadia paused to finish up her coffee before turning back to him. "Thanks for your advice, though," she smiled. "And thanks for the conversation. It's not much fun to eat alone."

She gathered her purse and stood up. "I should be on my way. It was nice meeting you, Karl."

[Doctor Karl Lykos]

::Remembering his manners, Karl rose when she did, and he held his hand out to her for a parting handshake.:: "It was nice meeting you too, Nadia. Good luck with setting up shop."