�No, I just think I must have slept wrong, or something,� Diane sighed, and then she sat on the couch with her legs curled underneath her. She leaned her elbow on the overstuffed arm of the couch, and rested her chin on her hand. She fumbled around with her other arm, first stretching it across the back of the couch, then wrapping it around her knees, and finally, not wanting to appear �closed off,� she rested it across her lap. She made an effort to open her fist and stretched her fingers across her leg. She looked up at Dr. Hubley, afraid the doctor was studying her. She exhaled with a whoosh when she saw Dr. Hubley had settled in the recliner and was flipping through Diane�s file, unaware of Diane�s obvious discomfort.

Dr. Hubley flipped the file shut, and smiled up at Diane.

�Is this...um, how do we start?� Diane said, and she absent-mindedly rubbed an itchy spot on her forehead.

�Well, why don�t we start by taking three deep breaths,� Dr. Hubley smiled. �I always think more clearly when I have lots of fresh oxygen in my brain.�

Diane laughed for a few seconds, then gamely breathed deeply along with the doctor.

�I had all these images of coming in here and being intimidated, having my head split open and all my neurons mapped out on a chart or something,� Diane laughed.

�I get that a lot,� Dr. Hubley laughed with Diane. Their laughter trailed off, and Diane and Dr. Hubley sat together in silence.

�So, I, well, I�m here for the shooting,� Diane said after an eternity.

�I know,� Dr. Hubley said quietly, her face unreadable. �Tell me about it.�

�Well, Detective Sipowicz and I were at a stakeout, and Harry Denby showed up to steal the drugs and shot a couple of the dealers, and then he held a DEA agent hostage when he learned the place was up. He was loaded. He started acting crazy, and he asked for me, probably because he knew I was working the case. I suited up and went in, reassured the hostage, and listened to him rant for a few minutes. Then he threatened the hostage and made it clear that someone was going to die, and made Manuel, that�s the DEA agent, tell me he didn�t want to die. Basically, I think he wanted me to kill him so he wouldn�t have to face the music.�

�What happened right before you shot him?�

�I had my gun pointed at him and told him to give me the gun, not to do this. He jerked Manuel, then he moved his arm to aim the gun at Manuel�s head and began to squeeze the trigger. I aimed at his chest, which was exposed at that moment, and fired three times in rapid succession. Denby fell back, and the other officers came in to secure the scene.� Diane resumed rubbing her neck and shoulder where the muscle spasm had resumed its stiff throbbing.