[He sort of... has. Not that the first time with Hope had been pre-meditated. Why is he even entertaining this? That's not what he'd meant. Then again, John has thought about it with the Joker... tried to do it.]
No. Of course not! There are enough things trying to kill us here without doing it to each other.
[The force of the response causes Hannibal's smile to widen.]
And that is the reason you would not. It is your reason, your choice. Not mine. The choices we make for ourselves are far more powerful and tenacious than any others attempt to impose upon us.
[All right, that's getting a little snide. John tries to dial it back a touch. He's not actually intending to get into some bizarre not-therapy session with this man. But... well, it's just a conversation. People have conversations. Medical colleagues have conversations about... things. Not usually this sort of thing, but other things. Philosophical questions. Dialing it back, though. Yes.]
That was rude. I'm sorry, Dr. Lecter. I don't know what your practice is like or the sorts of patients you used to take on.
[Interesting, what the good doctor considers rude. Very British of him, really.]
No offense taken, Dr. Watson. I did have some patients who were seeing me not quite at their full choice. If such a patient were to say that they intended to kill someone, I would address it by first exploring their values, and then by exploring the consequences. There are few who, with a thorough examination of conscience, would continue on a homicidal trajectory.
[Of course, Hannibal has nurtured those few into magnificent lethal creatures. He would still hold that he merely refined what was already there.]
Of course, if there is a clear and credible threat, I would be legally and ethically obligated to warn the authorities.
Not court-mandated doesn't necessarily mean voluntary. You were brought in by that Jack bloke to help out with Mr. Graham, right? I'm guessing... therapy with you was a condition of Mr. Graham getting to help out? Probably not a bad idea, all things considered.
[John might not be Sherlock, but he's not completely oblivious, either. And time with Sherlock has helped his own reasoning skills, much as he's loathe to admit it whenever Sherlock's being particularly annoying. Even if it wasn't a formal condition, he can see it being a tacit one.]
No need to answer, of course, doctor. Confidentiality.
It sounds like you had a very interesting practice before you turned to art.
If you ever wanted to start up shop again, you couldn't pick a better place for problems. You've met the Joker now, right? What do you make of him? I know a few people who have a bit of an axe to grind where he's concerned. [To say the very least.] If you've got any tips on dealing with psychotic clowns.
[This isn't about his anger issues. No. He's asking generally. That makes it safe. Lots of people have problems with the Joker. He winds up loads of them. Hell, Alfie's talked about killing the man, too. More than one person has.]
I have spoken with him, yes. And witnessed some of his actions.
[Like how John went into the pit. Mind the gap indeed.]
I have had interactions with a number of men not entirely unlike the Joker. My best advice would be to remember that they are unpredictable, yet even the unpredictable have patterns. We may not know when the river will flood, but we know the highest ground.
Yeah. And that's why we're keeping him away from Harley.
He's tried to kill her before. He'll try to kill anyone close to him if he can. She told me it's
[John hits send accidentally while starting to delete that and growls a few curses at the uncooperative tablet.]
Sorry. That's a confidence. But I know what she's going through with him, and I want to help her. Walking away from someone who's like the sun in your life. Even in the shadows, you know he's there. It's the bloody sun casting them.
[This is getting a little metaphorical and maybe edging closer to some of his own issues. John pulls back, redirects.]
I just want to be able to protect people from that man. If there were a way to stop him permanently, that'd be one thing, but there's no guarantees here.
[And every time John's managed to catch hold of him, the Joker's played the good boy in custody until he can escape, making it impossible for John to justify killing the bastard. It's frustrating.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2018-02-24 02:41 am (UTC)From:Would you choose to run off and murder someone, Dr. Watson?
no subject
Date: 2018-02-24 02:45 am (UTC)From:No. Of course not! There are enough things trying to kill us here without doing it to each other.
no subject
Date: 2018-02-24 02:57 am (UTC)From:And that is the reason you would not. It is your reason, your choice. Not mine. The choices we make for ourselves are far more powerful and tenacious than any others attempt to impose upon us.
no subject
Date: 2018-02-24 03:01 am (UTC)From:It's not the only reason.
[Just the one that came first to mind. This is strange. He's not sure if he likes it... but he's not bored, either.]
It's hardly a reason at all. What would you say to someone who can't think of a reason not to do something like that?
no subject
Date: 2018-02-24 03:18 am (UTC)From:If someone has come to me, chances are there is a reason they do not wish to kill, even if they do not understand it yet.
no subject
Date: 2018-02-24 03:23 am (UTC)From:[All right, that's getting a little snide. John tries to dial it back a touch. He's not actually intending to get into some bizarre not-therapy session with this man. But... well, it's just a conversation. People have conversations. Medical colleagues have conversations about... things. Not usually this sort of thing, but other things. Philosophical questions. Dialing it back, though. Yes.]
That was rude. I'm sorry, Dr. Lecter. I don't know what your practice is like or the sorts of patients you used to take on.
[It's a glaring invitation to tell him, though.]
no subject
Date: 2018-02-24 03:35 am (UTC)From:No offense taken, Dr. Watson. I did have some patients who were seeing me not quite at their full choice. If such a patient were to say that they intended to kill someone, I would address it by first exploring their values, and then by exploring the consequences. There are few who, with a thorough examination of conscience, would continue on a homicidal trajectory.
[Of course, Hannibal has nurtured those few into magnificent lethal creatures. He would still hold that he merely refined what was already there.]
Of course, if there is a clear and credible threat, I would be legally and ethically obligated to warn the authorities.
no subject
Date: 2018-02-24 03:38 am (UTC)From:[He doesn't expect to get an answer, but he can't not ask when given that kind of opening.]
no subject
Date: 2018-02-24 03:47 am (UTC)From:Will's therapy was not court ordered. Beyond that, I'm afraid I may not divulge the nature of our sessions.
[As well you know, naughty Dr. Watson.]
no subject
Date: 2018-02-24 03:56 am (UTC)From:[John might not be Sherlock, but he's not completely oblivious, either. And time with Sherlock has helped his own reasoning skills, much as he's loathe to admit it whenever Sherlock's being particularly annoying. Even if it wasn't a formal condition, he can see it being a tacit one.]
No need to answer, of course, doctor. Confidentiality.
It sounds like you had a very interesting practice before you turned to art.
no subject
Date: 2018-02-24 04:06 am (UTC)From:[That would be a yes.]
Oftimes I miss my practice. And regret that circumstances were so that necessitated my leaving it.
no subject
Date: 2018-02-24 04:13 am (UTC)From:[This isn't about his anger issues. No. He's asking generally. That makes it safe. Lots of people have problems with the Joker. He winds up loads of them. Hell, Alfie's talked about killing the man, too. More than one person has.]
no subject
Date: 2018-02-26 03:09 am (UTC)From:[Like how John went into the pit. Mind the gap indeed.]
I have had interactions with a number of men not entirely unlike the Joker. My best advice would be to remember that they are unpredictable, yet even the unpredictable have patterns. We may not know when the river will flood, but we know the highest ground.
no subject
Date: 2018-02-26 03:18 am (UTC)From:He's tried to kill her before. He'll try to kill anyone close to him if he can. She told me it's
[John hits send accidentally while starting to delete that and growls a few curses at the uncooperative tablet.]
Sorry. That's a confidence. But I know what she's going through with him, and I want to help her. Walking away from someone who's like the sun in your life. Even in the shadows, you know he's there. It's the bloody sun casting them.
[This is getting a little metaphorical and maybe edging closer to some of his own issues. John pulls back, redirects.]
I just want to be able to protect people from that man. If there were a way to stop him permanently, that'd be one thing, but there's no guarantees here.
[And every time John's managed to catch hold of him, the Joker's played the good boy in custody until he can escape, making it impossible for John to justify killing the bastard. It's frustrating.]