[Humphrey walks down a corridor at the college, a few students flooding the corridors on the way to their lesson. The corridor has a dark green wallpaper with oak flooring and small lightning above. He’s quickly analysing the corridor when a student runs by and accidentally bashes him into the wall, making him groan very loudly in pain. He pushes himself forward against the wall and finds himself against a door, grabbing quickly to the handle and ducking inside of it. He pushes the door shut, leaning on it for a moment while rubbing his side.]


    Humphrey: [quietly] Ow…


    [Humphrey turns around and analyses the room. It’s a very small room, with a table in the middle and two cushioned chairs on either side of it. There’s a work cabinet on the side, with a collection of five Russian nesting dolls along it while all out of order in size. He chuckles a bit, going over to them and picking one up.]


    Humphrey: Well isn’t that cute…


    [He starts to open them up and put each doll back inside of the other again. As he’s doing this, the door opens up behind him.]


    Gary: Excuse me?


    [Humphrey turns his attention to Gary, stood in the doorway and looking nervous. He’s wearing a black shirt with a red collar and sleeves, along with the Red Lantern logo on the front. He also has on jeans and black sneakers.]


    Gary: Is this the room for the private counselling?


    Humphrey: Mr Gray, I presume? Come in, please, take a seat.


    [Gary nods, closing the door behind him. Humphrey picks up all the Russian dolls, holding them in both arms.]


    Humphrey: Awfully busy today, isn’t it!


    Gary: Yeah, well… people have been a bit hectic after the Storm recently.


    Humphrey: Yes, I’ve heard.


    [Humphrey takes a seat opposite to Gary, both sitting on the chairs. Humphrey proceeds to drop the nesting dolls on the table, only three left.]


    Humphrey: I’m new to the area so, if you don’t mind me asking, what happened with that?


    Gary: Oh, um… some people got struck by lightning. A lot of students are coming out of hospital from it apparently.


    Humphrey: Well… I can certainly expect more people at my doorstep from the sounds of things, heh.


    [Gary gives a nervous chuckle, looking down to the table. The room is silent for a few seconds before Humphrey slowly pushes over the Russian dolls, all together now, in front of him.]


    Humphrey: There. Not too hard.


    [Gary looks up, confused, at Humphrey.]


    Humphrey: I am Humphrey Duncan, call me Mr Duncan or Humph if you’d prefer, I don’t mind. And Mr Gray, you are here for… what exactly?


    [Humphrey leans back. Gary scoffs a bit.]


    Gary: Sorry, I… it’s my first time, I-


    Humphrey: Oh don’t worry! Complete ambiguity, nothing you say will leave this room.


    Gary: No, um… I was expecting more questions like “How are you?” or “How’s the family?” or “Here, sign this piece of paper for us” stuff like that.


    Humphrey: Well… I’d like to think I’m quite successful in my methods but if this is the route that you wish to take then okay!


    [He adjusts himself.]


    Humphrey: How is your family, Mister Gray? Do you have a good relationship?


    Gary: W-well, I, um-


    Humphrey: Or would you prefer to talk about what you came here to talk about?


    Gary: I… guess that.


    Humphrey: Excellent. Go on then.


    Gary: Okay… I’ll be honest, you’re a bit of an asshole.


    Humphrey: Yes, it’s in the job, do go on.


    [Gary sighs, fidgeting in his seat a bit as he tries to sit up straight. He taps his fingers against the back of his hand.]


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    Gary: Well, um… I’m under a lot of stress recently. I’m not, like, sad, I’m just… not handling things as well as I think I should.


    Humphrey: Right then… do you think you know what’s causing your stress?


    Gary: [chuckling] Oh, I have no idea, um… y’know, maybe I’m just naturally-


    Humphrey: The biggest cause of stress is work-stress, tell me about your course here. Do you feel as if you’re being overworked?


    Gary: [nervous] I-I feel like I’m being overlooked! You keep interrupting.


    Humphrey: You were about to tell me you thought it was natural. The only natural thing I believe it could possibly been is the Storm, do you think so? If we’re blaming nature.


    [Gary gives him a glare, more confused.]


    Gary: I… are you a real counsellor?


    Humphrey: I am, I… I apologise, I’m definitely being rude. If you’ll allow me, can we start from the beginning? I do want to help, I swear.


    [Gary sighs, leaning back in the chair.]


    Gary: I just don’t want to be here, honestly, I feel like this was a mistake. I’m just… I’m stressed! That’s it!


    Humphrey: There’s always more to it.


    Gary: There really isn’t.


    Humphrey: Okay… okay, one moment.


    [Humphrey reaches over and grabs the Russian doll, holding it in front of Gary.]


    Humphrey: Try and personify your stress in the russian dolls.


    Gary: [confused] Oh… okay then.


    Humphrey: Now consider that this is the surface level, okay? This is your stress as you see it, simple enough. Now if we were to look deeper into it…


    [Humphrey very quickly starts to open up the Russian dolls and lay them out in front of Gary, facing him. Each face on the doll shows different emotions with a smile, frown, snarl, cry and gasp. The dolls are presented in order of biggest to smallest.]


    Humphrey: You will see that there are multiple factors in creating, fueling and maintaining stress.


    Gary: [confused] But there’s still another doll, the one that doesn’t have anything in it.


    Humphrey: I’m working on it, but you see my point! Yes?


    Gary: I… I guess I do.


    Humphrey: Good. Now… this smallest one. This represents the… the heart of the problem.


    [He taps on the head of the small one with the gasping face.]


    Humphrey: This is where we want to get by the end of these sessions. We want to deal with the things currently encompassing it until…


    [He picks it up and chucks it to Gary, who fumbles a bit as he catches it. Humphrey then pushes the rest of the dolls off the table.]


    Humphrey: We can understand it and we can resolve it. Understand?


    Gary: Um… yes?


    Humphrey: Good. You can keep that.


    Gary: [concerned] Is this yours?


    Humphrey: No, but I don’t like the Russian dolls so you can entirely keep it if you want.


    Gary: I… will! Okay then!


    [He pockets the small doll, Humphrey smiling.]


    Humphrey: Now… I apologise for being rude earlier. I apologise if my methods are… well you can see them as improper or wrong, really. But understand that I do want to help you, okay? Your stress is, as ridiculous as you may think, a serious issue that we will work together to help. Okay Mister Gray?


    [Gary hesitantly nods.]


    Humphrey: And you’re sure? Completely and fully sure?


    Gary: Yeah… yeah, of course I am.


    Humphrey: Great.


    [Humphrey smiles and leans in closer to Gary.]


    Humphrey: Now then… what’s been bothering you?