Therapy Session of Ron Plunderman #4

Ron was trying his best to behave, the last session had gone well and he wanted to recapture that mood and state of mind. He had decided to play the Lord Council’s stupid little game, just smile and answer all the doctor intrusive questions.

However he was fighting an internal struggle to keep his composure, he knew he was annoyed but couldn’t really explain why. No doubt it was his insanity that this infernal doctor kept poking at with his questions.

“So what was it like to explore the island?” asked the doctor.

Ron managed a crooked smile, “Well the normal day went something like this: push through some undergrowth, then more undergrowth, squash a mosquito, more trees, untangle a vine, more infernal plants, listen to Dorian’s endless whining, flick a sapling into Szraiel’s face, push through some undergrowth, crawl over a tree truck, kill a mosquito, more undergrowth, cut some vines out of our way, listen to Dorian scream about something, kick some old deadfall out of the way, listen to the crone cackle, cut myself on some plant, swear and pull it out of the ground, keeping pushing through some undergrowth, stumble on some roots, promise to kill anyone that laughs, keep battling undergrowth, take our bearings, argue with Szraiel about direction, give in and let him choose, keep cutting our way…”

The doctor coughed and interjected. “Okay Ron I get the point, maybe we don’t quite have to go to that detail. What were you trying to find?”

Ron scowled. “Everything. That was Szraiel’s plan. Search every square inch. I mainly wanted to loot shipwrecks and get rich, but later I just wanted to find the cannibals and kill them all. Chew them up, give them some of their own medicine.”

“So you wanted to kill and find treasure?”

“Yep. That pretty much sums it up. Made a career out of it.” Answered Ron

“Right, but what good does treasure do you while trapped on an island.”

Ron looked at the doctor as if he was stupid. “Doc you got a lot to learn, treasure is always good. A little detail like being …trapped…” Ron lifted both his fingers to simulate quotation marks, “on an island means nothing. We knew we would get off that island eventually but not before clearing the cannibal threat. We knew there was a lighthouse, so figured when we wanted to leave we’d just fire it up.”

“And the other survivors were okay with that?” asked the doctor.

“Of course they were otherwise they wouldn’t have been exploring the island with me.”

The doctor clarified his question, “No I meant the other survivors back at camp, Sasha and …”

Ron snorted. “Oh them, never seen a more useless bunch of people. They had no choice, except for walking off into the jungle to get eaten. Some people are just born useless; in fact sometimes whole races are born useless.”

The doctor pricked his ears up and quickly followed with a question. “Now that’s an interesting thing to say. Can you expand upon that?”

Ron rolled his eyes, he really was getting agitated. He’d finally decided to start talking and the doctor kept interrupting him with stupid questions. “I mean like the mold men we found, the useless races whose sole purpose in life is to get killed.”

“I’m afraid I don’t quite understand, “ said the doctor, “ who are the mold men and why do they get killed.”

Ron sighed to himself, he was starting to think his plan wasn’t going to work. He didn’t have the patience for such dim witted questioning. “Look I don’t expect you to understand, just believe me when I say that some races exist only to be killed by people like me.”

The doctor lowered his glasses and took a good look at Ron. “Ron, no reason to get worked up, I’m sorry I don’t understand what you are saying. Take a deep breath and relax. I’m interested that’s all. Please explain to me why the mold men’s destiny is to die.”

Ron put his head in his hands then scratched his head. He could feel he was losing it so he tried to think of a happy place. He thought of Clara, his second wife Toothie, lots of treasure but none of it seemed to help. In the end he thought about killing cannibals and snake people… that seemed to help.

“Look the mold  men are like zombies, people that get infected by special spores. Except they’re not mindless like zombies, they’re smart enough to use weapons and learn stuff. They’re also resilient little buggers, best chopped with an axe or sword … “

Ron sniggered to himself, “Or my feral mutagen.”

“Anyway they’re tough, smart enough to learn and birthed by infecting other people with mold. So why don’t we live in a mold city full of mold men? You’d think they’d take over the world right?”

“Well wrong, they wait until someone like me comes a long and kills them. That’s what I mean. They’re useless. And believe me when I say that there’s heaps of other races like that. Just useless.”

The doctor nodded in an understanding way and jotted down some more notes. “So you feel have the right to judge whether a creature lives or dies?”

Ron shifted uncomfortably on the recliner. These sorts of questions really pissed him off,  he never knew how to answer them. He figured there probably was a ‘right’ answer but bugger if he knew what it was.

After a few moments of struggling to think up something the doctor might like to hear he gave up. “What  kind of question is that? I got no idea … got not idea how to answer that. Look just tell me what to say, whatever is the best answer that says ‘Ron is completely stable and doesn’t need to sit through these bullshit sessions anymore.”

The doctor calmly responded, “Ron there isn’ really a right answer…”

Ron could feel he was losing it, “What do you mean? What’s the point of asking a question that doesn’t have a right answer. Look…Look…” Ron stammered for a bit before he was struck with some momentary inspiration.

“Look I use my paladin code to decide who dies.”

Doctor raised an eyebrow, “Your paladin code? Like Titus?”

“Yes.” Said Ron, “I’m a paladin, just like Titus. I have a paladin code and smite the evil and wicked. I am the sword of Iomedae and I … I bring justice and peace to all.”

Doctor seemed unimpressed. “Ron you’re not a paladin.”

Ron clenched his teeth, he hated that condescending tone. It reminded him a bit of the way Dorian sometimes spoke to him. “I am, “ said Ron, “What would you know? I’m a hero, I saved this city, I’ve done more good then most paladin’s in this world. Including Tight Arse.”

Doctor continued unphased, “Ron you’re a terrible liar, you’re not a paladin. You and I both know it.”

The doctor paused for a while. “Why are you lying to me, there’s no need. Everyone knows you’ve killed many times, everyone knows what you did for us. I’m not trying to judge your past actions.”

Ron sat still with his mouth clamped shut and didn’t say anything.

“Ron you are a dangerous man and you’ve threatened some very influential people…”

“Then arrest me.” Ron retorted.

The doctor shook his head, “Who will arrest you? The town guard? And what would you do to them? Look we’ve been over this. You know what they are trying to do to you.”

There was a long pause as Ron glowered at the doctor, finally the doctor broke the silence and continued.

“I need to understand what makes you decide to kill someone.”

There was more silence as Ron thought things over, finally he spoke. “I said I use my paladin code. The same as Titus. Praise be Iomedae.”

The doctor shook his head. “You may have a code, put its not a paladin code. Would you like to describe to me your code.”

“Not really , “ grumbled Ron.

The doctor sat quietly looking at Ron, silence settled upon the small room.

“Well would you answer me one thing then?”

Ron sat petutantly arms crossed. “Probably not.”

The doctor continued as if not hearing Ron’s answer. “The useless survivors, Sasha, Gelik, Ishirou and Jask. Why did you not simply let them die, why did you bother helping them at all?”

Ron quietly sat there, mouth clamped shut.

“You’re being very childish Ron, just answer the question.”

Finally Ron shrugged. “Don’t know.”

The doctor shook his head. “Not good enough Ron.”

Ron clenched his fists, he was just about ready to smash the doctor.

“Perhaps you actually cared more than your saying? You were a doctor in Cheliax army for a good many years. An interesting vocation for one such as you. I wonder why that is?”

Ron remained silent. He had decided, no more talking he just wanted to go.

The doctor watched for Ron for a bit longer before finishing the session.

“Okay Ron, I can see you’re a little upset with me. I think it best that we call it the day.”