Sameer Ashraf Malik
1st Year MBBS
A gentle knock at the door.
"Who is it?"
"Dr. Henry! It’s me Sam", said Sam.
"Oh Sam, my boy, come
in. Come in", said Dr. Henry.
Sam opens the door, steps on the white
marble floor of Dr. Henry's office, keeps the door open as if someone else is
also entering the room and after sometime close it. But no one enters the room
except Sam.
Sam...A cute little boy,
thirteen years of age and a smart one too as he was as good in
his studies as in other activities. Topper
of the class and a gold medalist in cycling. An ideal kid for some parents to
have. But a few months down the road something really bad happened.
Schizophrenia took him over. He stared to imagine things that are not real to
be real. He started to imagine someone who is not real. Someone who has
never existed. Someone that acquired a place very close to his heart. He
started to imagine a best friend also named Sam.
Dr. Henry is a well-known
psychiatrist and it is his first meeting with Sam.
"Come Sam, come sit on
the chair right in front of my desk", said Dr. Henry very politely.
Sam sits on the chair. Remains
silent for some time and then speaks out.
"Dr. Henry, can I say
something", his voice was pale.
"Yes, Sam, of course.
You can say whatever you want. Make yourself comfortable. It’s okay", said
Dr. Henry in a very polite manner.
"Dr. Henry, if you
have invited me to tell me that my friend, Sam is not real and it is just my imagination
then I would like to tell you that you are entirely wrong and he is sitting
right next to be on this chair", saying this Sam points
on the empty chair placed next to his.
"No, Sam", said Dr. Henry, "this
is not what you are thinking it is, it is just a normal chat.
And well if you have bought a friend with you that is
entirely fine. Nothing to worry."
Saying this Dr. Henry took
his hand out, moved it toward the empty chair where Sam thinks the other Sam is
sitting.
"Hello Sam! How are
you?" said Dr Henry while acting as if he is having a shake hand with
the other Sam," You two must have been very close friends to come
together to my office. By the way welcome to my office."
“Yes, Dr Henry we are very
close friends and we are honored to be here", said the original Sam.
"Sam, would you mind
if your friend wait outside for sometime, because it is a talk between us two
and your friend doesn't need to be here, he can have a tour of the hospital, I
suppose here we have got some of the finest architectures of
the country." said Dr Henry in a very nice tone.
"Of course Dr. Henry
we are your guests and we will do whatever you want." said Sam, turning
his face toward the empty chair he spoke "Ok Sam."
"What did he just
said? Sorry i was not able to hear him." said Dr Henry very anxiously wondering
what Sam thinks the other Sam has said.
“He just said he will wait
for me outside", said Sam. Dr. Henry looked relieved.
Sam looked toward the door
for some time and then spoke “Ok. Dr Henry. Now what?"
"Sam, my boy, make
yourself comfortable. Here drink some water." Saying this Dr. Henry pulls
off the cover plate of a glass of water placed on his desk and presents it to
Sam.
Sam took one sip and placed
the glass back.
"Now Sam your parents
just told me that you do not want to go school. Why is that so? "Said Dr.
Henry.
"Yes, Dr. Henry",
said Sam,” I want to change my school"
"And why is that, it
is the best school in the city and you have been going there since your
childhood. And what about your friends Eric, John and David. Are you not going
to miss them?" said Dr. Henry.
"Eric, David and John
are not my friends. I have only one friend, my best friend Sam, who is here
with me", said Sam with a sharp temper and a loud voice.
"But I was told that
you four are best friends since childhood. Aren't you", said Dr. Henry, looking
thoroughly toward Sam. Who was constantly looking at the ground?
"Yes, we were",
said Sam, without raising his head.
"Were", said Dr.
Henry pointing out a single word, " why 'were'? What happened?"
Sam remained silent for some
time and then said:
"When my friend Sam
got the admission in my school, I brought him to meet Eric, John
and David. But instead of welcoming him they started to make fun of
me that I have gone mad and there is no one named Sam except me and I'm just
talking to myself. But Mr. Henry, you know I' m not mad and you just met Sam
and had a shake-hand with him. They all are liars, not my friends."
Dr. Henry was listening to
Sam silently. A pity he got Schizophrenia in such a small age. He
wondered how this child was going to spend the rest of his life in this cruel
world with such a state of mind or if there will be a
life for him outside this hospital. This case is surely a hard grind for the
doctor.
As Sam stopped, Dr. Henry
said, “Sam, tell me about your best friend Sam. What is his complete
name?"
"His name is same as
mine, Samuel Clark, isn't it amazing." said Sam quite happily, "two
best friends with a same name."
"Yeah! It surely is
amazing", said Dr. Henry thoughtfully.
At this point Dr. Henry
picked a pen from his desk and started writing on a paper placed on his table.
He wrote something on the paper and looking toward Sam he spoke.
"Sam, my boy, now tell
me when did you first met your friend Sam?” asked Dr. Henry.
"I met him four months
ago at the city park, when I was sitting on a bench and he suddenly ran
towards me and said 'I want a partner for a see-saw. Would you
like to play with me? You look alone'. And then we played together
for one hour until my Dad called me." said Sam, Dr. Henry was still
writing.
"Did you went alone to the park that
day"; said Dr. Henry.
"No I went with my Dad, but he left
saying he has to meet a friend at the coffee shop in front of the park and will
be back in half an hour, he always does this, leaves by saying he will be back
in half an hour and often comes after two or three hours", said Sam as if
he does not want to talk about his Dad.
"How often do you go
to park with your father?" asked Dr. Henry.
"Almost every day",
said Sam.
"And what do you do
there in the park every day?" asked Dr. Henry.
“I play with my friend
Sam", said Sam.
"Does your friend Sam
also come every day at the park?" asked Dr. Henry.
“Yes, he is always
there", said Sam.
"With whom does your
friend come at the park every day?" asked Dr. Henry.
"He comes to the park
alone, for he lives very close to the park and can come and go
alone." Said Sam.
"Have you ever met
your friend Sam's parents, family or any other friend?" asked Dr. Henry.
"No", said Sam.
"And why is that so, it’s
been four months, he must have come to the park with somebody, may be a
family member or a friend?" asked Dr. Henry.
"No, I never met
anybody, he is always alone", said Sam.
"And have your father
met your friend, Sam", asked Dr. Henry.
"Yes, he met him
yesterday." said Sam.
"And how was it like?”
asked Dr. Henry anxiously.
"I brought him to meet
Sam. But he said he can't see anyone. Although he was standing right
in front of him. He always does this, never takes me
seriously", says Sam sadly. Dr. Henry still writing everything that
Sam says on a paper.
"And what did you
father do after that?” asked Dr. Henry.
"We reached home, he talked with my
mother, made a few calls and today he took me here", replied Sam.
"Very well. Is there any place where you
meet Sam other than the park?” Asked Dr. Henry.
"Yes, at school. He took admission there
last month," Said Sam.
"At school", said Dr. Henry,"
if you and your friend goes to the same school then why do
you want to leave that school”, Dr Henry looked curious.
"Actually we both want to leave the
school." said Sam.
"And will your friend's parents allow
your friend to leave the school to which he is admitted a month ago,"
asked Dr. Henry.
"He says he lives alone with his mother.
She loves him a lot and will do whatever he says." Replied Sam.
"And what about his father? Tell me about
his family”, said Dr. Henry.
"His father has divorced his mother and
he is the only child that is what he told me." said Sam.
"Tell me what type of student your friend
Sam is?' asked Dr. Henry.
"He remains very silent. Does not talk to
anybody except me. Always does his homework. But the teachers
always ignore him. Do not check his homework. Not even ask him questions.
Rather, they ask a lot of difficult questions to me.", replied Sam.
Dr. Henry remained silent for some time.
Moved a bit closer to Sam and said very slowly, "Don't you find it
strange that nobody else sees you friend except you."
"But you just meet him and had a shake
hand with him", said Sam, while looking directly into Dr. Henry’s eyes.
"What if I say that I did not actually
saw him and made an imaginary shake hand to make yourself comfortable”, said Dr. Henry.
"No. Dr. Henry!” said Sam unbelievingly, "You
are lying. My friend is for real. I can see him. He is the only friend I
have. You cannot say this about my friend."
"I did not see anybody except you. I
don't even know how he looks like. This is a reality Sam, there is no Sam
except you." said Dr. Henry.
After hearing this Sam stood up from his
chair and said," you will never see Sam. Can I go home now?"
"And why do you say that I can never see
Sam", asked Dr. Henry.
"Because you do not look at the reality
and when you do not look at the reality, it disappears.” said Sam.
Dr. Henry looked amazed by these words and
said, "Can you give me a one proof that your friend Sam truly
exists."
Sam goes to the door, opens it and says
"Come in Sam." Closes the door and says to Dr. Henry.
"Are you saying that you cannot see Sam
right here, standing in front of me; wearing a green polo shirt and a blue
jeans?"
Dr. Henry looked amazed because Sam was
wearing the same clothes.
"Yes Sam. I am saying exactly the same
thing. There is no Sam except you. It is not your friend who is wearing these
clothes its you who is wearing them. Just look at your clothes."
Sam looks at his clothes.
Shakes his head in disbelieve.
"Sam, there is no other Sam even at your
school. Your mother told me that from last two week you have been doing
your homework twice. Here look at that--", Dr. Henry stands up, picks two
note books from his desk and opens them and says, "look at them. One of
this belongs to you and other one is the one who you
thinks belongs to your friend which we found at the backyard of your home,
hidden beneath the tool box. Look at the hand writing, it’s the same in both
and it's yours. Look Sam, there is no other Sam, it is actually you. You are
imaging a happier 'YOU' in front of you, who you think is your best friend
Sam."
"No, Dr. Henry, you are lying, I don't
believe you", said Sam.
"Okay Sam, it’s time to end this"
said Dr Henry, picking up the glass of water placed on the desk and asked Sam
to hold it and give it to your friend to drink.
Sam holds the glass and move it forward as if
he is giving it to the other Sam, and suddenly drops it over his own leg.
Sam cried in pain and reached his leg which had started to bleed.
"Look Sam, there was no other Sam to hold
the glass because if there were any friend, he will never have let
you hurt"
Sam shouts "NO DR. HENRY! YOU ARE
LYING"
"NO. I’m not lying...”
Suddenly a siren started ringing, Dr. Henry
wandered what had happened .At that moment the door busted open, four watt boys
came in and grabbed Dr. Henry who was standing 'alone' in the center of the
room. One of them shouted "Beware his leg is bleeding". Dr. Henry protested,
“Why are you capturing me? I'm not hurt at all. It’s Sam whose leg is
bleeding."
“Dr Henry, there is no Sam
in here. You are here alone for the last five hours.” said one of them.
Dr. Forman who was just passing by heard the
shouting, stopped, went into the room and saw the watt boys
giving an anesthetic injection to Dr. Henry. He asked one of the watt boys:
"What happened to him now?"
“Dr Henry just threw a glass
over his leg. It’s bleeding and we do not have any idea how he
was able to have a water glass in here", replied
the watt boy.
Dr. Foreman stood there as the watt boys
took Dr. Henry out of the room. Just before leaving the room Dr. Foreman
turned back, looked into the room where Dr. Henry was found bleeding. A dark
room with chair in a center and a ceiling light above it nothing else. No desk,
no pen, no paper, no nothing...
Just before leaving he said to himself, “What
has schizophrenia done to you my friend, Henry. You were one of the greatest
doctors I have ever met. But now this Schizophrenia of yours.....ah....how am i
ever going to treat a dream within a dream?'
Saying this he shuts the door and locks it
from outside and reads the plate on its top which says: "PATIENT
47"......
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