Doctor Mitchell lit a cigar and
opened a window. He had 15 minutes left to the appointment. He was thinking about his patient Lorena Novak who had come a day before. She said she had seen her husband Peter who had died of a heart disease two years ago. That had been the influence of “Transmittix,” namely of its active substance. Dr. Mitchell had been able to make the medicine cause visual, auditory, and even tactile hallucinations. A person who had lost someone dear to their heart could experience the presence of a deceased. Their brain replicated all details of appearance and behaviour. All the patients who had purchased “Transmittix” reported immersing in deep sleep after the vision and having no side effects. Dr. Mitchell looked into the window and saw an empty street. He thought that he quite liked the place where his office was situated because the quiet street reminded him of the small provincial town he had come from. Five-story blocks of apartments were painted soft colors such as beige, light yellow, and blue. His new patient was about to come and complain about his mental issue. How can actually people recognize that they are going insane? It seems as if you were standing on a piece of land surrounded by water with no end in sight. You know that you are meant to stay on the ground, but waves are swallowing you to bring you down to dark abyss. During the call, the patient had introduced himself as Mr. Nolan. This surname appeared familiar to Dr. Mitchell, but he could not understand why. His contemplation was harshly interrupted by the sound of a doorbell.
“Come in!” Dr. Mitchell said.
A young man appeared at the door.
“Good afternoon! I’m Nolan.”
“Mr. Nolan. Great. Please, sit down.”
“Thank you.”
Dr. Mitchell came to the tentative conclusion that Mr. Nolan looked quite “sane,” not like his patients exhausted by obsessive thoughts and insomnia.
“So, what brings you here, Mr. Nolan?” Dr. Mitchell started.
“The matter is that I have become extremely irritable and jealous.”
“Jealous of what?”
“Of whom. It is my wife.”
“How long have you been married?”
“Five years.”
“Has she given you other reasons to be jealous?”
“No, this is the first time.”
“What do you think is the reason?”
“I tend to think this is because of her frequent visits to a psychiatrist.”
“Does your wife have a mental illness?”
“I do not think so, but her psychiatrist does.”
“Why is he of such an opinion?”
“You see, Lorena believes I am dead, but actually I am more than alive. Just try to pinch me, and you will see.” Mr. Nolan smiled widely and pinched himself. Dr. Mitchell kept silent for half a minute and then said:
“Lorena Novak? Is she your wife?”
“Yeah, she is.”
“Mr. Nolan… Or should I call you Mr. Novak?”
“As you wish. Nolan is my pseudonym. You see, I am fond of the films directed by Christopher Nolan.”
“Nice. Well, Mr. Novak, I regret to inform you that your wife has a serious mental problem. If schizophrenia means something to you…”
“And you have decided to cure it with ‘Transmittix.’ Don’t you think her hallucinations have been the outcome of your so called ‘therapy’?”
“Mr. Novak, I’m afraid you are not qualified enough to argue about this diagnosis.”
“I am giving you a warning. Stop bothering Lorena, or else…”
“What?”
“I will report to the police about your illegal sailing a dangerous drug which you call a ‘sedative.’ Your medicine ‘Transmittix’ has not been tested and registered. It means that your patients are guinea pigs.”
“How can you know about the fact that the drug is illegal? Are you a detective?”
“Sort of. I’m a public prosecutor. I have checked the register of sedatives. There hasn’t been any clinical research of the drug.”
“Shall I be scared of you?”
“You’d better heed my advice. Stop bothering my wife! Or, I swear, I will destroy you! You won’t escape searches at your home, workplace, and laboratory. The guys may also find some papers that can compromise you… You know, fake prescriptions for drugs such as ‘Transmittix’…”
“You are trying my patience, Peter!”
“I know. I know everything about you.”
“What do you know, bastard?”
“You were in love with your girlfriend Miranda, but she died in a car accident on her way to Wilmington.”
“How…”
“That is why you decided to take ‘Transmittix.’ But Miranda hasn’t emerged because you have started thinking about Lorena. And you did not know the drug could have strong side effects.
Indeed, it can revive your fears and expose the truth hidden in the depth of your brain cells. All this stuff is going to engulf you.”
Dr. Mitchell got on his feet and punched Mr. Novak in his face. After this, the image of the latter got blurred. Dr. Mitchell tried to grab Lorena’s husband by the throat, but he ended up grasping air.
“Who are you?” Dr. Mitchell answered.
“I’m your side effect of ‘Transmittix.’”
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