Chapter Thirty-Eight
Margaret felt oddly nervous as they sat on the bench looking at the sea, waiting for Dr. Apter to open the door. “You’ll see, Frank. He’s a very reasonable man. Remember from when you first spoke to him?” She grabbed her husband’s hand in her own, more to reassure herself.
“Yes, well, at that point, he wasn’t proposing sticking an ice pick in your brain. I’ll hold my judgment on his reasonableness until I hear what he has to say.”
Behind them they heard the door open. “Mr. Baxter, Mrs. Baxter, do come in.”
They turned and entered. “So, I finally get a glimpse of the secret sanctum I’ve been hearing about. And please call me Frank.” Frank smiled tightly at the doctor and Margaret gave him a look that begged him to be a little kinder.
“I’m not sure how secret it is,” Dr. Apter replied congenially. “Simply reserved as a sanctuary for the people who need the comfort of the space. I’d love to show you around, especially my procedure room, but let’s talk a bit first, shall we?” He gestured toward the sofa where Margaret always sat, and she led Frank there to settle in next to her.
“I have been seeing your wife for six months now, and I believe I have come to know her quite well. Her case is of a particular sort that I see quite frequently in my practice, so I’m very familiar with its various iterations and treatment options.”
“And what sort of case is that? I’m confused, Doctor. When I spoke to you initially, you said it sounded like Maggie had baby blues. And she seems better, so much better. But now she’s telling me that she needs this ice pick thing to fix her?”
Margaret started to feel nervous. Was Frank right? Was she getting better? She looked at the coffee table for something to distract her and started straightening the magazines.
“It’s a lobotomy, Mr. Baxter, and I assure you, it’s really a very simple procedure. If you’ll just let me explain.”
“Fine. But know that I’m a salesman and a business owner, and I can smell a bad pitch from a mile away.”
Robert cleared his throat. “As I previously explained to your wife, when we see a case of ‘baby blues’ that doesn’t resolve itself within a reasonable time frame, it often means that the pregnancy and its aftermath have revealed underlying tendencies that need to be addressed. Mrs. Baxter is aware that she suffers from something called agitated depression, a condition that, if left untreated psychosurgically, can cause aggressive, even violent behavior.”
“Violent?” Frank scoffed. “Maggie can’t even kill a spider. She’s not going to hurt anyone.”
“I agree that your wife is a lovely and gentle person, but I can assure you that she has admitted to urges that are quite worrisome.” Dr. Apter looked at Margaret and she felt her stomach begin to churn. She thought those details were private. Now Frank would know what a monster she was. “She has had fantasies of killing young William. Of setting fire to the house.”
“Mags?” Frank looked at his wife, anguish twisting his face. “Is this true?”
Margaret didn’t remember having these feelings, exactly, but she had felt something like them. He was the doctor, so if that was what he heard her saying, and believed her capable of, it must be the case. She gave a barely discernible nod, flushing with shame.
“You see, Mr. Baxter, a transorbital lobotomy is a quick and easy procedure, easier than a trip to the dentist. And it can make these dangerous feelings go away. Forever.”
“But I have read that it can cause brain damage, and should only be used if the patient is in terrible condition with no other options. That’s not my wife.”
“I assume you’re referring to that highly publicized piece in the Saturday Evening Post. For every great medical breakthrough, you will find some lesser scientist who wants to argue against the genius. If research is what you require, I can give you multiple pieces that explain in precise detail the nuances of my procedure, and the many benefits of using it as a course of treatment in cases exactly like your wife’s. Of course, there are minor risks, as there would be with, say, the extraction of an infected tooth. But the long-term benefits surely outweigh them.”