AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“And in such circumstances your behavior can be explained by many factors.”
“Behavior?” Keith frowned. “Exactly what behavior are we talking about?”
Dr. Williams leaned forward. “Tell me about Yuri.”
He blinked. Blinked again.
Then a light came on inside his head.
“This is a psych evaluation, isn’t it?”
Dr. Williams smiled. “I just want to know more about the nurse you’ve been talking to these last few nights. How many nights, by the way? Five, isn’t it?”
“That sounds about right.” Keith had a feeling he knew who lay behind this visit.
Heidi.
“Do you know his full name?”
“Yes. Yuri Komarov.”
Dr. Williams tapped the screen. “And if I were to tell you there is no one by that name working in this hospital? How would that make you feel?”
“I suppose a little confused. I know what my sister thinks, Doctor. She thinks I’ve been talking to someone who isn’t really there. So how do you explain the fact that I know Komarov means gnat or mosquito in Russian, something I did not know until Yuri told me last night?” He cocked his head. “Not a thing I could’ve looked up on the Internet, seeing as I haven’t even looked at my phone in days.”
“I can’t explain it, other than to suggest to you maybe you did know. It might have been something you learned a long time ago. The knowledge was stored in your brain.” He smiled. “Knowledge that stays there, waiting for us to access it.”
Keith stared at him. “You want to know if there’s any history of mental illness in the family, don’t you? Well, there isn’t.” At least, none he knew about.
“But you have been through a number of traumatic experiences, linked to your health.” Dr. Williams studied him. “I’m sensing a degree of hostility. That could be because you don’t want to accept that Yuri isn’t real. You want to hold onto the illusion because it comforts you.”
“You asked me to tell you about Yuri. Fine.” Keith rattled off a description, followed by all the information Yuri had shared. “So if I’m hallucinating, it’s a real humdinger.”
“Were you talking to Yuri last night?”
Keith nodded. Then he remembered. “He wrote on my chart. I watched him do it.”
Dr. Williams arched his eyebrows. “Well, that’s something we can verify right now.” He tapped on the tablet screen again and studied it for a moment.
Keith’s heart pounded. His chest ached.
“Well?”
Dr. Williams raised his head. “I see entries by Nurse Standford and Nurse Remayne. There’s no entry by a Nurse Komarov.”
“Maybe he didn’t sign it.” Keith clung to the hope.
Dr. Williams shook his head. “Nurse Standford checked for bedsores at three o’clock this morning. The next notations here are by Nurse Remayne at six o’clock and eight o’clock. Nothing else.” He put down the tablet. “Severe pain can cause your brain to play tricks on you. I know you don’t want to accept that, but there’s no other viable explanation.”
Keith didn’t want to hear anymore.
“Thanks, Doc. I’ll be sure to tell him he doesn’t exist the next time I see him.”
The doctor stood, but Keith wasn’t done.
“Dr. Williams, wanting to confirm a weirdo isn’t hanging out in my room is one thing, but this discussion? It’s starting to feel as though I’m being attacked for something that’s beyond my control.”
“Mr. Braxton, no one is—”
