Chapter 2

A Doctor?

Moriah

As soon as I entered my office, I began checking my pending work, since I had so many cases of sudden attacks. What is happening is unknown to the authorities. Some say that a new drug has been released on the market that damages users' behaviour to the point of losing their minds. However, no new substances have been found. It has also been suggested that there is a small, rare cult at large.

Among the most incredible experiences I had was when one of my patients said the devil was near. Therefore, the devil is at work. Over the last 18 months, there have been more crimes of this nature reported to the police. I have to review many cases of this nature with them, suspect number 571 is one of them. The theories are growing, but no one knows why.

My morning was spent working with two long-time patients in private sessions. My evaluations of them are frequent. Finding out about their schizophrenic tendencies. I need to know, for sure, if the pathology has returned or been maintained by treatment and medication. Next, I had lunch with a colleague to discuss one of his cases and then returned to my office.

As soon as I arrived, I prepared all my materials for the interview. Then, I took a taxi to the hospital and told Carla we would meet tomorrow. 

It is a place I've visited countless times. However, the security they imposed to let visitors in is simply extreme. On top of that, I'm sure it's easier to leave than to enter this place. Every week, the security guards rotate. The body scan and identification register are in place.

Fortunately, I am not a guest, nor a visitor. For them, it is far worse. I was let in by the new security guard after he checked every inch of my body. I received a warm welcome from the director personally, who says he enjoys greeting me in person. This situation is more about earning favours or recommendations than anything else.

We headed to the high-risk area. The suspect was contained, and the safety protocol was followed. Erwin Bach, patient 571, is 32 years old and has no family. Multi-homicide suspect. In this case, the issue is not to prove his guilt, but to determine why he did it, and of course to discover his motive. Individuals of this type are very messy in their actions. The behaviour patterns of these individuals are hard to pinpoint.

“Doctor Carson, any observations or comments in the last few hours?” I asked. Dr Carson reviewed patient records and found nothing noteworthy.

Interview rooms are places where patients are restricted from head to toe. All kinds of objects are absent from this room. Only two chairs are present, and they are welded to the floor. Five meters away from the interviewer, the patient sits in a chair. Handcuffs are attached to his ankles and anchored to a metal ring on the floor.

It is almost impossible to break free. I am accustomed to this vision, I have no feelings at all. When I entered the room, there was only one chair available. Already present, the patient stared at the wall with his head in profile.  Observing him, I was able to determine what he was about. His posture, his physical appearance, the colour of his skin, hair, and eyes. From the outside, it appeared that this individual was asymptomatic.

I remained silent for a few minutes, as this is a strategy for bringing patients out of catatonic states. In this way, I am exerting mental pressure on them. The patient is already in a state of instability. Whenever the reaction comes, I will see it. However, this patient remained motionless, not even blinking.

The whole time I watched, but nothing happened. It's similar to a snail leaving its shell in its behaviour. He was a shell, an empty shell. Whether it's true or whether he's faking it, it's time to find out.

With me, I always have my smart digital watch, which is specially designed for Psychiatrists. The sounds on the scale have different frequencies. According to where in the brain it affects, the patient is affected differently. This can only be known by trying out various sounds and watching for reactions.

The first sound I released from my scale caused no reaction, so I waited a moment before trying the second. Nothing, so I continued with the seven notes of my scale. At the time of releasing the eighth, the position of the patient remained unchanged. But to my experience level, it was obvious.

He briefly stopped breathing before resuming it. Sweat began to drip from his skin. I haven't seen any movement yet. There were more than enough signs to distinguish the pathology. In addition to schizophrenia, the patient also suffered from neurotic episodes.

I increased the volume of the Alpha sound. It was then that I noticed the first movement. It seemed he was trying to turn his head towards me as he moved his neck.

This gave me everything I needed. This person's diagnosis and possible motives for these crimes. However, my vocation prevented me from retiring as I should have. A vital question for me was whether the patient was able to control his body. Even though, psychotic forces were against him.

I could see the subject's head pointing in my direction. At first, his eyes appeared lost, but a flash of unusual brilliance brought them back to life, his pupils completely occupying the iris area. The air caught in my throat, this vision scared me for the first time in my life. It made me feel very fearful. Although I have seen butchered bodies, these eyes have stolen my breath. They are evil.

I turned to the security guy. I needed to see him ready to protect me. My body was frozen, I couldn't even move an arm. But to 

my horror, I noted that he was also unable to move. His face was contorted in panic. Then, I turned my attention to my patience. His all focus was on me. His wide eyes confused me as if he knew me from somewhere.  We saw each other eye-to-eye. It seemed as if he was surprised to see me.

If I didn't know that I was inside a psychiatric facility, I would think I was in the middle of a thunderstorm. As soon as he opened his mouth, the first words I heard felt like lightning.

“You're part of them, aren't you? In the last few years, they have changed their style a lot. Now they send women, which is very unusual.” He said as he looked at me up and down. “You must be very powerful, but who are you?” 

But what does that mean? This is pure gold. A case of multiple personalities is extremely rare. I wanted to know if it's some dominant consciousness or personality manifesting. I swallowed hard. I need to summon all my willpower to talk to this individual. “Mm! Erwin, this is Dr Regina. I have a few questions for you. Would you like to talk with me? After forming a mocking smile, the patient asked, “Doctor?” His voice completely changed pitch with each letter. It was unnerving.

I cleared my throat to answer him. “That's right, Erwin. My name is Dr Regina, and I'm here to help you. Is there anything I can do for you? If so, tell me if you are alone.” His mocking smile vanished. He started to contort his body up to be on the same level as his head. The sound of bones crunching raked my brain, alerting me to his sudden movement. I started to panic. I needed to flee.