Crisis of Authority Part 2

[where_wordsfail]

-x-

Kato flops into a seat at the cafeteria directly across from Koyama who is chatting with the cafeteria cook Masuda. Koyama and Masuda turn to him with interest and concern, stopping their conversation about ramen with gyoza to talk to Kato.

“Ne, what’s wrong, Shige? Tired? Sick? If you’re sick, you should go home. Don’t spread germs in a hospital.” Koyama rambles, watching Kato roll his head around and pillow it with his arms folded on the table.

“I’m not sick. Just tired. Kamenashi, Tegoshi and I have had to rotate on duty to watch the progression of one of our patients. Seems like there is never a correct balance of happy and sad for the girl. She’s either in an uproar or completely lifeless.”

“Aw, Shige-kun, I’ll get you something to eat. We just got delivered fresh produce. I’ll make you something nice and filling.” Masuda offers, getting up from his seat.

“Thanks Massu, but not too filling, okay? I have to be awake for the next few hours of work and a food coma won’t be of much help.”

In the end, the bowl of noodles with extra slices of chashu sits next to Kato’s head where he ends up taking a power nap on the table. Masuda promises to watch over Kato for Koyama in the cafeteria so that Koyama can get back to work.

While Masuda is busy in the kitchen with someone else’s order, someone takes Kato’s bowl of hot-turned-cold noodles and eats it, leaving behind a hot thermos mug of Columbian Roast in the noodle’s place.

-x-

An exhausting week later, Nishikido FINALLY bothers to grace his patient with an actual appearance.

“It seems she’s progressing well with the anti-depressants. Her mood is restoring slowly, but still seems like she’s having minor withdrawal symptoms.” Tegoshi informs. Nishikido dawdles around the doorway and ponders.

“And the LSD? Is it working on unraveling her knotted-up thoughts?”

“I believe so. You should really go take a look for yourself. You always just hover around your patients and make us take care of everything.” Kamenashi interjects.

“Fine I will. As long as she doesn’t go psycho on me and try to bite me or something.” Nishikido remarks sarcastically, swishing the tail of his jacket as he makes his way in to see his patient.

And he’s greeted by the sight his patient reaching for the needle and shot of LSD lying on the nurse’s cart beside the bed.

“Oh fuck.” Nishikido curses, running over and prying the syringe out of her frail hand. He curses again when her grip doesn’t seem to grow weak from his forceful yank.

“Damn it, Kamenashi, Tegoshi get over here and help. The girl’s trying to get high again and who the fuck put the medication in her reach? DAMN IT.” Yui is pulling with both hands now, her face unfathomable.

“You’re my doctor,” she hisses “so you’re supposed to make me feel better. Let me have the shot!” she cries desperately. Tegoshi steps up the bedside just in time to forcefully pull her arms away. Except all goes awry when Nishikido curses yet again and not because the girl’s putting up resistance, but because she jabbed him with the needle.

“Oh my god, Ryo-tan!” Tegoshi cries, holding her down against her bed. Kamenashi comes back in with assistance from nurses and together, they inject a shot into blood stream that pacifies her almost instantly. Tegoshi finds the chance to escape from the pile of people around the bed to check up on Nishikido.

“Ryo-tan, are you okay?”

“WELL. That depends. If you’re asking now, then I sure as hell am not. If you ask me in maybe fifteen minutes, I’d be too far gone to even tell you if tickling makes me laugh or aroused.” Nishikido spits out, storming out of the room and back to his office. He needs coffee.

-x-

Kato rushes in belatedly, having been too busy with another patient who is recovering from a minor depression. He sees Nishikido slumped in his chair, coffee sitting cold on his desk and Kamenashi and Tegoshi no where in sight.

“Nishikido-Sensei?” he calls, but the man just rolls his head a bit and doesn’t answer.

Kato moves to prod Nishikido in the shoulder, but ends up getting pulled out of the room by the collar by Kamenashi. He hears the story from Kamenashi and Tegoshi in detail, the entire sequence of events sounding too much like a clichéd medical drama about how a heroic physician gets hurt while saving his patient’s life. He kind of wants to laugh, but feels fairly bad for Nishikido who’s now a lump in his chair, occasionally spurting out a giggle, shifts in his seat, wiggles his brows and then slumps in his seat once more.

Sakurai-Sempai shows up at this moment, trying to get things in order. As one of leaders in the department, he has to show his presence when his employees get hurt due to work. He instructs Tegoshi to keep an eye on the girl and makes sure whichever idiot nurse put the medicine next to her bed is sent to his office. He tells Kamenashi to take over Nishikido’s duties for the day and then for Kato to drag the inadvertently drugged up Nishikido home.

The trio split up to take care of their newly assigned tasks. Kato remains quite amused at how the bossy Nishikido had fallen unsuspectingly in the hands of a delusional girl who, in attempts to end the suffering from her rehabilitation, stuck the shot in his wrist.

He’s plotting out the storyline of a part fiction part non-fiction short story in his head when Nishikido shifts beside him in the car and gurgles happily while burying his face in Kato’s free arm. Kato nearly swerves off the road when Nishikido sniffs him, but manages to get a hold of his car before it went flying into the other lane.

“You don’t smell very good.” Nishikido remarks, burying his face in Kato’s arm again. Kato tries to move his arm to shift gears in the car, but Nishikido’s head is heavy and he won’t budge.

“Well, I’m human and not a coffee machine.” Kato states flatly. He considers checking his body odor only to stop himself because that would be stupid. And he has just come from a hospital and not a coffee shop. Of course he’d give off that upsetting hospital scent.

“I think you’d be sexy if you smelled like coffee.” Nishikido murmurs. Kato tries to pull his arm out once more. He knows this Nishikido isn’t himself, but he isn’t some sort of water hydrant for a dog to sniff and Nishikido, with his crinkling nose and sad droopy eyes makes him feel extremely like one.

Nishikido laughs a little and rolls his head off Kato’s arm. He finally manages to shift the gear to park and pull his foot away from the brake, thanking the heavens for letting him finally have a chance to get the lunatic out of his car. He heads to the passenger’s side of the car and tries to shift Nishikido out, but only ends up getting laughed at again for a reason he’d rather not know. Thinking over what he’s learned, the medication is either making Ryo self evaluate or have a minor hallucinating session. Kato’s assuming the latter. He’s suddenly a bit scared of what’s going through Nishikido’s head when he lets out yet another chortle.

By the time he gets to the front door of Nishikido’s apartment, the man has somehow fully draped himself over Kato’s back and shoulder and is poking his nose against Kato’s neck and behind his ear-a sensitive spot that Kato can’t help but twitch to when touched.

The place is a bit messy, but mostly like the bachelor’s pad Kato assumed a being like Nishikido would inhabit. He hauls him into the bedroom and drops Nishikido there. Nishikido rolls around his bed back and forth like a child and is wrapped around his blankets in an instant, looking very much like a rice noodle roll.

Kato gets him a glass of water. Nishikido takes a sip and immediately curls into the blankets, face mushed into the pillow and complaining that water is bland. Kato’s earlier apprehension towards Nishikido drops. The man is obviously still himself. He gives Kato commands and expects them to be done. He’s probably just seeing Kato trip and fall on his face in his hazy mind, which is why he laughs every so often. Kato shoves the blanketed Nishikido until he’s lying properly on the bed before getting up to leave. His job is done, right?

Only Nishikido starts speaking incoherently.

“You’re like a muffin. A bran muffin.”

“…I’m a muffin…?” Kato queries, quickly imagining himself as a hard-to-digest, ugly-shaped muffin. He scowls.

“Yes. You’re like a bran muffin. With chocolate chip filling.” And now Kato wonders if this is a jab at his complexion because even though he’s passed the phase of breaking out, Kato still has one or two blemishes on his face. His frown deepens.

“Why am I a muffin, Nishikido-Sensei?”

“Because, you’re tough to deal with. You get stuck and I can’t get rid of you because you are partners with coffee. But coffee’s no good on you because you soak up the liquid and you’re still tough to handle. You’re a muffin.”

Kato chalks it up to Nishikido being himself except in cartoon form and decides to leave. He’ll fall asleep, wake up in a few hours and realize how stupid he sounded and then Kato can laugh at him the next morning.

Except he doesn’t get very far before Nishikido’s blanket cocoon engulfs him. Nishikido leers at him like he wants a bite and Kato’s thinking he’s not in a very safe position right now if Nishikido wants a snack.

“I like muffins. They go well with coffee. They’re partners.” Is the last thing Nishikido says before he smiles and leans down for a kiss.

Kato isn’t really sure whether to take the muffin comment as a compliment or an insult. He’s also busy wondering if he likes coffee as much as Nishikido because for some reason, he doesn’t do anything about the man hovering over him who is possibly acting on creepy ideas floating in the “id” of his subconscious mind.

It takes a warm hand trailing up his side for Kato to snap back to reality and to untangle himself from the blankets and Nishikido’s limbs. They suddenly seem a lot longer than before. Has Nishikido gotten taller?

The man does nothing after he gets pushed away. He flops on to his bed, scratches his belly and the stuffs his face in a pillow to sleep. Kato takes two seconds to contemplate whether to kick the man while he’s down and unconscious but possibly face a confrontation later on about an unknown bruise or just flee before the man recalls anything and tries more weird things.

Kato flees.

-x-

Nishikido is told to stay at home a few days while his body is recovering. Even though it isn’t anything serious, as a physician, he needs to be in his best shape to serve the patients. So he agrees and stays home.

Kato, for the most part, is glad about that. He doesn’t have to worry about muffins or coffee for a while. The other part of him is slightly worried because when Nishikido is bored, his mind starts working and his brain concocts weird ideas.

It’s only been a few weeks, maybe enough to be a month and half, since he joined this hospital’s staff list and Kato’s reputation is already astounding. He’s Shige, the klutzy, awkward, cute, stretchy-faced newbie. He doesn’t want to tack ‘something of interest to a psychotic doctor’ to his name. It’d be too long, too strange and would tear at the last shred of his dignity.

He’s thankful for his new friends though, who keep his head in check or he’d be in the ward for the anxious and disoriented. Koyama flutters about and keeps him entertained, having become his new best friend forever. He keeps his mouth shut when needed and follows the rule book on best friendship. Sometimes though, Kato thinks he doesn’t need another mother who asks him if he’s okay whenever he shows up with a weird expression across his face.

Like now for instance. Koyama stares at him in complete concern, their food forgotten.

“Shige, are you okay? You always space out now. I know you tend to slip into thinking mode, but you don’t look so good.”

“I’m FINE, Koyama. Eat your nikuman or Massu will get mad.”

Kato stares at his bowl or rice and let’s his mind drift again. He starts to think about Nishikido again, but forces himself to go back to the idea that no, he’s actually thankful that Nishikido isn’t around to torture his life. He has other people to spend time with while not being tortured. He should be enjoying his freedom.

So Kato finds himself hanging out with Tegoshi a bit too and is introduced to Tegoshi’s much more-superior-but-downsized-by-Tegoshi’s ego friends. They’re all higher ups, but somehow Tegoshi manages to weasel his way into the various circles and is loved by many.

Kamenashi remains a coworker, but by now a better acquaintance. He stays away because he doesn’t think he’d get along with Kamenashi’s odd group of friends. The nurse that’s branded as “kind of” dumb, the pediatrician who smiles too much, two rehabilitation aides-one makes up raps to cheer on the patients and the other speaks of fairy tales, and the desk clerk who seems to be the only other normal one.

If Kato doesn’t spend his freedom during work hours with those three, he usually hangs around Masuda, who feeds him nourishing meals and puts an extra shrimp on his plate when Kato looks glum. Sometimes, he’ll run into Yamashita-Sensei and they’ll share a snack scavenger hunt break.

All in all, he thinks that aside from still being awkward around his superiors, the place is pretty great. The people are fairly nice and since so many of them love to talk, he’s kept busy. In fact, if he’s distracted, his mind won’t wander. He likes that about his current shift. No distractions.

-x-

Nishikido is back as expected in a few days. He’s grumpy because he’s been bored with no one to torture or ridicule. He’s grumpy because he has run out of coffee at home and no one is willing to deliver it to his house. He has wanted to go back to his office to get his Columbian roast for a while. Kato wonders why he won’t just go back to the store to buy some.

Nishikido huffs and tells Kato that his IQ isn’t high enough to understand him.

Nishikido mentions nothing about pinning Kato against his bed and kissing him so Kato takes it that Nishikido doesn’t recall anything and does nothing to provoke such memory. He even stops ordering coffee or baked pastries of any sort when Nishikido is around. He does stare at the muffin and bagel display each time he passes by it, but not even Koyama’s prodding gets him to buy anything to eat.

Orange juice becomes his new drink to order and wheat toast is his breakfast.

They’re thrown a few new cases: a girl who is intent on killing herself before her twentieth birthday and an obsessive compulsive man who is too wrapped up in cleanliness that it’s starting to eat away at him.

The most recent case is a boy with psychogenic amnesia. The little boy, Yuri-kun, keeps complaining that his head aches whenever he tries to remember a particularly defining moment. Nishikido recruits Kato’s help, and only Kato (for some reason, Tegoshi and Kamenashi aren’t needed), and together they try to analyze the reasons behind this.

“I say we give him a PET and a functional MRI. See the activities in his brain. When he’s getting scanned, we can have his parents ask him to remember something and we’ll be able to see the fluctuation.”

“You just like scanning people.” Kato remarks, having heard Nishikido suggest scans for all sorts of cases. In the end, he agrees anyway. It made logical sense to have this boy scanned since this case is particularly hard to derive any diagnosis from merely talking to the kid.

“That, I would have to admit to. I like to check people out.” Nishikido smiles mischievously. “Plus, if they’re fine in the head, then it’s a bonus when I fall for someone fine in appearance.”

“You’re trying to seduce patients?”

“No, they don’t have to be patients. Coworkers are fine too. Doctors who are smart are a plus.” Nishikido smiles again, the mischievousness still present but now a little more genuine. His eyes bore into Kato’s head.

He looks away from Nishikido’s face and gets up to check on the kid and schedule the scans. Nishikido stops him with an invitation for a cup of his newly bought coffee, but Kato rejects, saying he’s trying to cut down on the caffeine.

-x-

“From what we can see, the kid is suffering from psychogenic amnesia and he can’t properly recall things. It is likely that he’s suffered a traumatic experience and events that are within a given timeframe of that event are also repressed.” Nishikido explains.

The parents stare back, unsure how to take the news.

“Is there anything that you can remember about Yuri that might prove traumatic?” Nishikido asks. The parents look troubled as if trying to recall too many memories. Nishikido shrugs moments after.

“Take your time to think I suppose. We’ll be giving Yuri some medication to keep him from having migraines. If you guys can figure out what the problem might be, that’d be great. Then we can work on unraveling his repressed memories and helping him move along with his life.”

The parents nod a little scared for their child, but mostly troubled.

“And sometimes, it’s not always stuff within the family. Try considering things that happen around and outside of the family as well.” Kato adds as an afterthought.

They nod again and get up to leave, bowing to Nishikido and Kato before stepping out of the room to visit little Yuri.

Nishikido leans back in his chair and prop his feet up.

“Well that went…well. I don’t know if I should say they’re lying about something, forgetting about something or are lost about something but with the way they’re behaving, we’ll have to work on that Yuri kid’s problem on our own. We might trigger something big too…damn it. They need to be more helpful if they want their kid back to the way he was before.”

Kato thinks it’s the first time he’s heard Nishikido speak so passionately about a patient out of concern and Sakurai’s words come back to mind. Maybe Nishikido does have a heart that’s not only meant for teasing others.

“It’s okay, I’m sure we can handle it.” Kato offers, giving Nishikido a pat on the shoulder. The action seems to take Nishikido by surprise and he smiles at Kato warmly.

“So, want to go get something to drink? We still have a long work shift and I’m highly bored. Maybe you can tell me all about your life so that I can find something fascinating about you and keep myself entertained for the news few hours.”

“You’re insufferable.” Kato replies. They start walking down the hallway where they run into Sakurai-Sempai. He calls for Kato from nearly 10 feet away and waves him over. Kato dips his head and excuses himself from Nishikido to talk to Sakurai.

Stepping up next to Sakurai, he receives a pleasant grin from his sempai and is quick to wonder what is going on.

“Kato! I’m so glad I caught you. You know our last talk about your horrible experience with working with Nishikido? Well, to save your butt, I submitted a request of transfer and it got accepted. Now it’s just up to you to go sign up and accept the transfer.” Sakurai cheers

Kato freezes up and recalls that a few weeks ago, he had indeed ranted about Nishikido’s behavior and nonexistent adherence to rules. He had wanted to switch to work with a different superior who would be more strict and easier to understand.

But now that he got the transfer approval, why isn’t he as excited anymore?

Sakurai stares at him and waits for his response. He looks at his sempai and forces a smile.

“Thank you, sempai. But you know…I might have to consider this a bit.”

“Ah yeah I understand.”

“I’ve finally gotten used to my working environment you know?”

“Yeah I can see that. Nishikido is treating you well, I can tell.”

“Huh?”

“He’s still waiting for you at the end of the hall.” Sakurai tilts his head in the general direction of where Nishikido stood, looking half bored and half embarrassed to be caught waiting.

“…Oh…we were on our way to get something to eat. That’s all.”

“Well if you can bear to eat lunch with him, I’m sure that means you’ve gotten to like Nishikido-him and his quirks.”

“I suppose so…” and Kato stops to ponder. Does he really “like” him?

“Anyway, I’ll leave you back to your break. Let me know soon if you want to give the transfer a go or not, okay?”

“Yeah, thanks.” He bows to Sakurai and walks back to Nishikido who stares at him as if expecting an explanation. Kato ignores his expectant face and turns to head to the cafeteria.

“You wanted to eat, right?” Kato asks, but mostly for the sake of ignoring Nishikido oncoming query. Nishikido scrunches his eyebrows and nods, following Kato towards the cafeteria.

They sit at a table together and eat their respective meals quietly. Kato grows increasingly tense as he feels Nishikido staring at him.

“What?”

“You’re being awfully quiet. I invited you to eat because I wanted you to talk. If I wanted to eat in silence, I would have gone to eat alone.”

“What do you want to talk about?” Kato asks, mind busy with other thoughts.

“I don’t know…how about why you’re here working under me?”

Kato isn’t sure whether or not he is supposed to answer that in a joking kind of manner or be serious. He looks at Nishikido oddly and wonders vaguely if Nishikido hadasked him that because he knew Kato wanted to switch departments.

“I got out of school needing a position in a hospital and my sempai who worked here said that there’s a department where they needed extra help. So I applied, got in and got assigned to work under you. It was…a shocking development in my career plans.”

“You’re not one to break the rules, I know. Surprising how you’ve been following my orders around. So who’s your sempai? That smartass Sakurai? You must be pretty damn smart if you went to school with him. He’s a genius…well except for in the area of the arts, but one can’t be good at everything. Have you seen his drawings? They’re ATROCIOUS.” Nishikido laughs, forking up his pasta.

“Hahaha yeah, I’ve heard. But like you said, no one is good at everything.”

“Yup! Just like the way you’re a klutz. You may be smart, but you’d probably fail in sports if a ball were to fly right towards you. Have you ever broken your nose from that?”

“Gosh you can be so harsh.” Kato laughs.

“No, I’m extremely nice and I love all things cute and fluffy. What are you talking about, Kato?”

"You're the kind of person who would see a cute puppy on the ground and kick it to see what other expressions it can make."

"Nooo. I'm the kind of person who would see a cute puppy, pick it up, coo at it, discover it's not as cute anymore and drop it without a second thought."

"You're a dick."

"Thanks, glad you agree."

They lapse into silence after that, not exchanging very many words until their food is nearly done. Kato looks up satisfied from his empty bowl of noodles and watches as Nishikido inhales the last forkful of pasta.

“Aww man, that was good.” Nishikido sighs contently, leaning in his seat and rubbing his belly.

“You sound like you haven’t eaten in days.”

“No, I have, but I think one should always enjoy their food. I like expressing my enjoyment out loud. Got a problem with that?”

“No, not at all.” Kato smiles and Nishikido grins back.

“So…what was it that Sakurai wanted to talk to you about? Don’t tell me you’re getting promoted already? You’re lower on the food chain than I am!” Nishikido whines.

“Uh…not exactly.” The topic of the transfer surfaces in Kato’s mind once more.

“So then what? OH I KNOW. You got into trouble for one of my evil schemes. Figures. You’ve never been one to be sneaky.”

“No…actually…Sakurai says that I have an offer for a transfer to a different department.” Kato hopes that sounds less upsetting than the sound that comes from the suddenly expressionless face across from him.

“Oh?” Nishikido manages to grunt out.

“Yeah…”

“Are you going to transfer?”

“I don’t know. I wanted to think it over.”

Nishikido nods and says nothing. He twirls his fork a bit in the empty bowl. After a few moments of silence that unnerves Kato, Nishikido speaks again. “I don’t think you should leave.” He states, staring Kato straight in the eye.

“…and why not?”

Nishikido sits up in his seat coughs a few times. He doesn’t break eye contact though, his gaze pregnant with unspoken thoughts.

“Because, there are only so many people who can put up with me and there’s an even less amount of people who I’d willingly put up with.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel wanted and loved?” Kato jokes lamely.

“Well,” Nishikido gets up, brushing his lab coat and straightening his tie. “it’s supposed to be both. I’ve always thought muffins went along best with coffee, Shige.” He takes his empty tray and heads to the trash cans, leaving a dumbfounded Kato behind.

-x-

Kato spends the next day at lunch alone. He drinks warm tea from a thermos mug and considers his options and his wishes. Masuda steps up to clean the table next to Kato’s and smiles at Kato when he turns to greet Masuda.

“Hey, Massu~”

“Good afternoon, Shige! How’s your day been?”

“Uh…same old, same old. Just kind of thinking about work.”

“Always the thinker, Shige. Don’t hurt your head.” Masuda chides.

“Haha, it’s a hard habit to break. By the way, thanks for the cup of coffee. It really woke me up. I hope you don’t mind I kept your cup for my personal use. Each time I wanted to return it to you, I was in dire need of a drink.” Kato gestures to the cup.

“Oh, that? No, that wasn’t me. I think Nishikido-Sensei left it for you. Well…at least I saw him take the bowl of ramen I made for you and in it’s place I saw that cup. Thank god the food didn’t get wasted. I was going to make you eat it when you woke up!” Masuda laughs, picking up the empty tray at Kato’s table and bringing it back with him to the kitchen.

“Oh.” Kato stares at Masuda’s retreating figure and suddenly he understands why the coffee smelled and tasted familiar.

-x-

Kato informs Sakurai a day later that he doesn’t think a transfer is necessary. He’s gotten very used to his working environment and he doesn’t think he’d want to change it, no matter how annoying some people get at times.

Even if Koyama is too caring.

Even if Tegoshi is too self-centered.

Even if Akanishi is too stupid.

Even if Kamenashi has too many weird friends.

Even if Yamashita is always too self-controlled.

Even if Nishikido has too many undefined parts to his personality.

Kato thinks he wants to stay. Sakurai agrees and tells him he can understand perfectly because he has a close circle with his department, even if one talks too little, one talks too much, one brings pets to his office and the other is completely sadistic, he tells him that he wouldn’t trade them in for anyone else. He pats Kato’s shoulder and reassures him that all will be well.

Kato makes it a point to go to Nishikido office after that. He walks in without knocking and sits in front of Nishikido, staring pointedly at Nishikido who stares back, mouth stuffed with something and can’t really talk.

“I decided not to transfer.” He says, and Nishikido swallows the mouthful of food he was eating and grabs his coffee mug, one that Kato notices as a different one than the first cup he’s seen Nishikido use. Nishikido makes a humming kind of noise.

“I don’t know why I stayed though.” Kato continues. Nishikido puts down his mug and stares at Kato. “Could be Koyama, could be Tegoshi, could be that cute little girl who keeps calling me nii-chan, could be the people…but it could be the food.”

“You stayed here because of HOSPITAL FOOD?” Nishikido asks incredulously.

“Yes, because hospital food is so deliciously nutritious.” Kato answers sarcastically. He gets up out of his seat and goes around the desk and turns Nishikido’s chair towards him. He finds Nishikido secretly snacking on his breakfast and grabs the plate before Nishikido can shove it beneath his desk.

“I stayed, because someone tells me they like muffins, and I can’t help but think that person has class.” Kato laughs, pulling the plate from a Nishikido who is turning pink.

“Well, it’s only because my coffee is high class and wouldn’t taste good with anything else!” Nishikido snarks back, glaring at Kato but failing. Kato leans down to stare and laugh.

Kato thinks it’s funny when Nishikido is the one to stutter because when he does, Kato can feel the trembling of Nishikido’s lips on his own.

-x-

Author’s Explanations:

* paraphilias - psychosexual desires marked by sexual attraction to object, person or activity not usually seen as sexual (in the context of this story, it is used to mean masochism and sadism).

**comorbidity - The presence of one or more disorders (or diseases) in addition to a primary disease or disorder

***learned helplessness - when one’s prior experiences have caused that person to view him/herself as unable to control aspects of the future, resulting in clinical depression

****co-registration - administering both the MRI and PET scans to show brain function and chemical activity

*****delusions of persecution - the belief that people are out to get you