Doctor Fay sat behind her desk in her office in the Royal Orphanage. The office was smaller than the one at the Royal Hospital, but that wasn’t apparent since it was clean, organized, and minimal, all just like she liked it. Some would say it was sterile - she would say it was calm. Some would say it was uncomfortably quiet - she would say it was peaceful. The closed window was hidden behind a curtain of white, scattering the light and offering no visual distractions. The light on the ceiling was on, a soft color exactly like what came from the outside, and together with the natural light it basked the room in an even, pleasant glow. The walls were a light shade of gray, not dark enough to seem oppressive yet not so bright as to feel too bright. The floor was vinyl, simple and without any fancy texturing, easy to clean and easy on the eyes.

Doctor Fay usually wasn’t the one who handled cases of childhood trauma or anything relating to children at all. Her position, in general, was more administrative in nature, although she found time to personally treat people. After all, she went into psychology and psychiatry to help people, not to shuffle papers all day even if it was too, in a sense, helpful. She was privy to various details about many other doctors, including their certification, and any complaints or praises related to them. She was one of the people making sure that their related sphere of healthcare ran as smoothly as possible, and she prided herself on taking this job seriously. Psychology had very far-reaching effects, and she had to be always aware of it in order to be successful at what she did.

In the Royal Orphanage, her role would be handling the small handful of cases of the older children, age twelve and up, close to adulthood and its responsibilities. In her opinion, it was hard to tell whether the age of fourteen was the best age for declaring adulthood - she didn’t feel like an adult until the age of sixteen, and she wasn’t certain of it until into her twenties. While children in the Royal Orphanage were generally better adjusted to adult life by the age of fourteen as far as statistics showed, they still had a long way to grow, and it was Fay’s job to help those who were uncertain.

Her next patient was Wild, and she learned, through both official channels and gossip, that he was the one Luna took an interest in. It didn’t take long to put two and two together and realize that it was him Luna referred to when she, as she had put it, ‘fucked up’. As far as Fay could tell, Wild would indeed be a special case. He was touch-avoidant, which could have been caused by plenty of reasons, although it was difficult to make a pony behave this way as ponies were naturally very social, and physical touch was a huge part of that. Wild was also noted to not be very social, which was a worrying sign assuming there were no behavioral disorders.

Doctor Fay knew that victims of abuse could behave the way that he is described, and the absence of any concrete information regarding his past puzzled her. No family members mentioned, and he was given a name after he entered the Royal Orphanage. His chronological age was not a specific number but a range of between twelve and fifteen, although his physical age indicated he was almost an adult if not one already. There was an old note that was then noted as removed - it said that he was a feral, meaning a pony who grew up in the wild. The reason for its removal was not stated.

There were a couple of knocks coming from the door. Doctor Fay opened one of the drawers in her desk, revealing a small clock - it showed her that the time had come for Wild’s visit, one he requested himself. She closed the drawer - the clock was analog of non-ticking variety, and it was out of sight when unneeded. Fay never liked clocks, they were always ticking and moving, and that was not what she wanted.

“Enter,” she called, and the door to her office opened.

To Fay’s eyes, Wild was indeed physically an adult. Taller than average, with plenty of lean muscle on his frame, his fur clean and exhibiting a bit of natural shine, he was a picture of outward physical health, and the recent health check-up confirmed it on paper. Fay noted it in her mind as good - having a healthy body always improved the mind. His gray eyes were bright and alert, although there was a hint of wariness to him with the barely visible tension around them as well as in how he moved.

“Please, take a seat,” Doctor Fay gestured at the beanbag chair in front of her desk. She found that it was generally the most well-liked type of seating, adjusting for the user as they sat. It didn’t quite fit the neat and straight lines Fay preferred, but she was willing to make that sacrifice for the sake of comfort of her patients, “I’m pleased to meet you, Wild.”

He took a seat, taking a somewhat rigid position in it, and nodded. In his file, it was noted that he had begun learning the language upon his arrival at the Royal Orphanage. It would’ve made sense if he was a feral, but with the note about it removed, Fay was at a loss. If he was not a feral, then he must have known a language. However, nothing was noted about it.

“What would you like to talk about?” Doctor Fay asked.

Wild blinked at her, confusion evident on his face. He signed slowly, asking if she would be the one to start the talk, to ask him questions.

In her experience, it was best to let the patients come to her instead of trying to question them right out of the gate. Sometimes, of course, digging deeper was needed, but it wasn’t the kind of approach two strangers could use. Doctor Fay didn’t know Wild, didn’t know his personal likes and dislikes, and so a misstep would be very easy to make. In her experience, a single error can make the entire patient-doctor relationship crumble without the possibility of return.

“Since you came to me first, I’d like to know if you’d like to speak first about whatever you want,” she said, “It doesn’t need to be related to your mental health if that is what makes you comfortable.”

Wild fidgeted in place, uncertain, then signed again, gesturing that he didn’t know where to start. Doctor Fay could have replied that the beginning was always the perfect place to start, but she knew that wasn’t always the case.

“Does anything recent come to mind?” she asked instead. Starting from the surface and then doing down was often far more natural and also easier for the patients, “And, of course, you’re free to ask me anything first, although I retain the right to not answer, and so do you.”

Wild was, once again, openly confused - he gestured, claiming he didn’t understand, stating that he thought being completely honest was necessary in order for therapy to work. That confirmed something Doctor Fay wondered, and she was glad Wild was seeking her specifically for therapy, and now she was aware of his own awareness of himself and what he wanted out of this and possibly subsequent visits.

“Yes, honesty is very important. However, refusal to answer is not dishonesty,” Doctor Fay explained, “Everyone is entitled to information about themselves, and no one is owed your secrets. What you tell others about yourself is your choice, no one else can ever make it for you.”

Wild asked about what if someone figured something out without him having told them.

“Thoughts of others is something no one can control,” Doctor Fay said, “If someone figured out something about yourself that you didn’t want them to know, then it is up to them to act on this information. It would, of course, be very rude to spread what they learned, and you would be well in your right to be angry at them, and you would also be in your right to pursue legal action against them if spreading whatever they figured out puts you in harm’s way.”

Wild’s eyes widened at that.

“Have you attended any lectures or taken any courses on the topic of law?”

He shook his head.

“I would recommend that you do if you want to learn more about it. Specifically, about defamation, libel, blackmail, and things related to them. Even if a secret is out of your grasp, it doesn’t mean it can run unchecked if it harms you.”

Wild was thoughtful for a long moment, then nodded. Then, after some hesitation, he asked what Doctor Fay knew about him.

“Are you aware that everyone in the Royal Orphanage has a file that some authorities as well as medical professionals have access to?”

Wild signed that he thought about it but was never explicitly told. Doctor Fay shook her head in her own mind - Princess Luna seemed to have forgotten some basic things she needed to tell him. He was clearly aware of himself and others, as well as able to understand the language, so he could and should have received this information. Fay would certainly bring it up with Luna later, as well as advise that Wild gets at least one more adult figure in the place of authority to trust.

“Here is a copy,” Doctor Fay gave him the one she had already read through. Wild took it and immediately started reading.

It took a few minutes for him to go through the entire file, his body tense, his eyes focused entirely on the paper, and the fur on his forehead was slightly darker - a sign of sweating, which, in told, showed Fay that he was nervous about what the file could contain. She didn’t comment, letting him read it in peace. After a while, he stopped, and then slowly, as if afraid, returned it to Fay.

“Is there anything on the file that you would like to clarify or correct?” Doctor Fay asked him.

Wild thought deeply for some time, and then slowly gestured a question, hesitating almost long enough to change the meaning of his gestures. He asked what happened to those who reached adult age while in the orphanage. Fay refused the urge to sigh - it appeared it was another topic that Princess Luna neglected to bring up with him. She would certainly have a talk with her as soon as possible. Without a doubt, Luna’s intentions were good, considering that Wild hadn’t yet been in the orphanage for a full season, it was likely she was simply letting him acclimatize to it, and there was the issue of him not knowing the language at first, but the time had certainly come for the basics that everyone was told to be revealed to him.

“If you are wondering if a person reaching the age of adulthood means they must depart the orphanage, then the answer is that no one will make you go until you are ready,” Doctor Fay assured him, and immediately there was visible relief coming from Wild, “While the orphanage does take in people that are under the age of majority, reaching the said age doesn’t automatically mean that they are no longer welcome here.”

Wild then asked when do ponies leave the orphanage for good.

“Once they are ready to leave,” Doctor Fay answered, “Generally, it is when they hold a steady job and have their own place to stay at. The latter is about ownership and not rent.”

Wild then frowned, asking how ponies could afford it so easily. Doctor Fay wondered where the question came from.

“Statistically speaking, ponies become homeowners within a few years after reaching adulthood,” she answered, “The difficulty varies, of course, and the most expensive place is Canterlot - any new construction must pass strict standards, and the initial cost of construction is high because of where the city is. The least expensive places are in the countryside - securing a plot of land and building a house for personal use is very easy, and villages like Ponyville are very popular when it comes to inexpensive living.”

Wild seemed struck by this statement and, once again, Doctor Fay wondered why. It was well-known that Equestria was a good place to settle, one of the easiest in the world when it came to the ease of it for both subjects of Equestria and those who wish to move to it from elsewhere. Of course, his surprise could stem from learning about it for the first time, but something nagged at her, suggesting that there was more at play.

Wild, after he gathered his thoughts, asked another question, this time about getting a job or getting education in order to get a job.

“Unfortunately, I can’t tell you much aside from my own experience,” Doctor Fay said, “My circumstances were also different. I went to school from age five to age fourteen, then entered the Royal Academy of Health, where I studied for eight years in psychology and psychiatry, then I was trained for one more year before I received my license. However, what I wanted to do with my life is not necessarily what you want to do with yours.”

Wild frowned, then signed that he had yet to go to school. He then added, shamefully, that he only knew the language.

“Do you know how to count?”

Wild looked startled for a moment, then nodded sheepishly. Afterwards, he added that he could do some mental calculations without much trouble. However, he gestured that he didn’t think it would be enough for a job.

“There are always jobs to take,” Doctor Fay assured him, “Being able to communicate to others and knowing basic mathematics is enough for many of them. A lot of occupations have training on-site. However, as I said, I’m not the best person to talk about it,” and neither was Luna, considering that she was a princess. Thankfully, Fay knew whom to recommend, “Steady Hooves is a pony who can help you. She is a pegasus with pale yellow fur and red mane, her talent mark is a steel wrench in a red circle. You can write to her with the questions you have, and she comes to the orphanage every month.”

Wild nodded and, after a few moments of thought, gestured that he would like to think about all of it and whether it was fine for him to leave.

“Of course,” Doctor Fay nodded, “And good luck in your endeavors, Wild. But before you go, would you like to schedule another meeting?”

He hesitated, thinking, and then asked if he could come in a week. After checking her own schedule, Doctor Fay named a time, and the two had an agreement. Finally, Wild left and closed the door behind him.

Doctor Fay was neither blind nor deaf, so the worries of Wild were clear to her - he thought about his future and was afraid of being kicked out because he had yet to find a way forward for himself. Over many years, it was a legitimate fear - for some time, the orphanage did indeed made ponies leave once they reached the age of fourteen regardless of whether they were ready or not. Doctor Fay was glad that this practice had ended long before she was even born.

While she didn’t end up talking to Wild about any other issues he might wish to raise, she understood that this first meeting was a success. He entered the room with fear in his mind, ready to flee, and ended the meeting in a far more relaxed manner, going as far as signing up for a second meeting not far from the first. In Doctor Fay’s experience, many of her patients tended to stretch it as much as possible in the often misguided attempt to give themselves time to prepare for it, and it was good to see that Wild thought himself ready for more so soon.

Doctor Fay wrote down the summary of her meeting with him in her own journal, then put it all away and went to get some tea and snacks. Her next patient wouldn’t be due for another hour, and she would have time to eat as well as decide what to tell Luna once the princess was free from the politics of Canterlot.

As well-intentioned as Luna was, the saying about paving the way to hell continued to ring true, and Doctor Fay wasn’t about to let it dissuade her from making sure Wild reached a far more pleasant destination instead.

Author's Note

Wild is accepting more help, so yay for him! Even though it's difficult and will continue being difficult for quite a while yet.