“Will it hurt?”
“You won’t feel a thing. I promise.” Robert leaned over to Sam and, in one deft movement, placed the electrodes on his head and stepped on the pedal. Sam convulsed momentarily and his upper lip curled as a shot of current ran through him. When Robert released the pedal, along with his grasp on Sam, the man slumped over onto the floor, unconscious. Robert unplugged the machine and packed it neatly back up. He thought it might be better to leave Sam in a prone position, so he grabbed under his armpits and drew his torso long. Sam was so listless that Robert might have worried he was dead if he didn’t see the man’s chest rising and falling with breath. Well, that should keep him until tomorrow.
Robert stood to go and, as he reached for the doorknob, noticed the white cuff of his lab coat. He had come over in such a hurry that he hadn’t yet removed it. Placing the electroshock on the floor, he sat in the small vinyl chair next to the desk, the seed of an idea taking root. A brilliant idea, actually. He slid his hand into the lab coat pocket and fingered the orbitoclast—the metal “ice pick.” He didn’t have a mallet, but he could probably quickly run to get one from his car. He’d rather not take the chance, though. Perhaps there was something in the room he could use. He scanned the area, looking through the mess for something heavy and blunt enough to act as a surrogate hammer. An empty bottle was too risky; the glass might shatter. His eyes landed on the nightstand. Smiling at his cleverness, he walked toward it, opened the drawer, and removed the large book that sat inside.
He locked the door and knelt down next to Sam on the filthy carpet. He straightened Sam’s undershirt, and then carefully laid the orbitoclast and the book on his stomach, amused that Sam made such a fine instrument tray. Then he deftly flipped open Sam’s right eyelid and went to work. The book was a bit more unwieldy than a mallet, but it did the trick. And Robert did love the poetry of it. “I’ll show you ungodly,” he muttered as he gave the metal stake its final tap.
He watched Sam for five minutes after he had finished, to make sure his breath remained steady. And then he placed the Bible back in the drawer and went into the hallway bathroom to give the orbitoclast a thorough rinse. By the time he returned, Sam had started to stir. Robert settled himself in the chair and calmly waited. Slowly, Sam moved his body a bit more and then turned to his side, curling up in a fetal position with a soft smile on his face.
“Sam,” Robert said gently. “Sam, don’t fall back to sleep there. Can you sit up for me?”
The man complied, pushing himself to a seated position. His face contorted into a look of confusion and he brought his hand to his head.
“Yes, you have a bit of a headache, I imagine. That is the most unpleasant aftereffect of the procedure. But it will recede in a day or two. Can you stand up, maybe lie down on the bed?” Robert offered Sam his hand in case he needed assistance. Sam grabbed it gratefully, and as Robert helped him up off the floor, he fell into a bear hug, hanging on Robert. “Okay, now. Let’s get you into bed.”
As Sam settled himself, Robert searched the desk for a piece of paper and a pen. Unable to find one, he turned to Sam. “I am going to be right back; I just need to go to my car for a moment. I am going to leave the door open. You can call for me if you need me. Just say ‘Doctor,’ okay?” He propped the door open with the electroshock machine and hurried out the door. When Robert returned, moments later, Sam was more awake, staring at the door blankly. “Good, you’re becoming more alert. Can you tell me your name?”
“S-S-Sam.” He smiled.
“Very good. And my name?”
“DOCTOR!” he shouted proudly.
“Yes.” Robert gave an encouraging nod. “Sam, you had a small procedure today. It should make you feel much happier, but it might be hard to remember some things. And your head is likely to hurt for a bit. Does it still hurt now?”
Sam looked quizzically at Robert and then nodded.
“That’s all right, it will get better. I am going to take a photo now. You will see a flash, so don’t be startled.” Robert snapped a shot with the camera he had brought back from the car and then removed a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Sam. “I need to go now, but if you feel sick at all, just walk to the desk downstairs and hand them this paper. Okay?”