John T. Parce, PsyD
Licensed Psychologist
BRANCHETT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL AT GRÜNWALD
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
BRIEF SUMMARY OF PATIENT PROGRESS:
It is with great regret that I must report a severe downturn in the behavior of Unidentified Patient #307.
Date of Admission: May 25th, 2085
Date of Visit: June 30th, 2085
Treatment Time: 0855-1010
Principal Diagnosis: Unspecified Psychosis with Behavioral Disturbance
PATIENT NAME: Undetermined. The patient self-identifies as “Healer” or “Snapper,” but as no legal name has been confirmed, the patient remains in our database as Unidentified #307.
OBSERVATION:
Patient #307’s condition has not dramatically changed since initial admission. His medical team tells me that his appetite is good and he remains well-muscled for a man appearing to be in his sixties. Grooming and hygiene have improved, and he maintains a neatly trimmed beard. This serves to highlight the round and pitted scars near the hairline on both sides of his forehead. He is supine in bed with four-point physical restraints at the wrists and ankles, but the head of the bed is elevated allowing him to sit upright.
PERTINENT HISTORY:
Patient #307 has been under my care for thirty days. Psychological treatment was initiated five days after his initial admission to Branchett Memorial Hospital, during which the medical team experienced great difficulty with his behavior.
This gentleman, who identifies himself as “Healer,” is being evaluated to determine if he is mentally competent to stand trial for charges of public disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
Briefly, “Healer” was arrested while ranting on the street a few blocks from here, stating that a “man wrapped in lighting” was on his way and that the sun would soon be snuffed out forever if we did not act. He became aggressive when approached by police.
“Healer” was making excellent progress as documented in his patient file. Over the course of several weeks, he wove a narrative of his own struggles with mental health as well as a great deal of personal growth and loss.
This tale was told through the lens of an alternate world, which I believe is an attempt to process his memories while preserving his ego and shielding himself from pain. “Healer” claims to have been a sheep in this other world before traveling here to Earth and becoming human. He has not yet told me how this transition happened.
Upon his arrival and during most of his story, Healer called himself by the alias of “Snapper.” He revealed the name of Healer to me in an apparent gesture of trust, which I consider to be something of a breakthrough.
In light of the progress we were making, I recommended that Healer’s hospital stay be extended to further examine his state of mind. I believe he can be fully rehabilitated, and I would like to see the charges against him mitigated or dropped altogether. But this outcome heavily depends on his behavior and cooperation.
I have received a report that Healer accused a staff member of being a “pig” before attempting an assault. Because of this outburst, he has been placed back in physical restraints. On his initial arrival, Healer demonstrated that these four-point restraints are not enough on their own to keep him and others safe. Only a combination of restraints and chemical sedation brought him under control before I was involved with his case. I requested that I be given a chance to speak with the patient before sedation is administered this time.
Of note, the attending medical team has begun investigating other causes for Healer’s behavior besides psychological diagnoses. I have been informed that CT scans were unremarkable, but the patient has been placed on a waiting list for a cranial MRI.
SUBJECTIVE:
“Healer” is fully alert and oriented to his surroundings. Despite his restraints and the reports of recent outbursts, he is calm at this moment. Upon my entry, Healer regards me with a steady gaze and a smile suggesting he is pleased with himself. Healer greets me warmly by name.
OBJECTIVE:
This session consisted of 75 minutes of verbal interview. As usual, I begin the session by obtaining the patient’s permission to record our conversation. I have transcribed the audio recording and attached the resulting document to this file.
307: Good morning, Dr. Parce. You’re here early.
PARCE: Good morning, Healer. I am here because I understand you’ve been a little more agitated than usual. Would you like to talk about why that is?
307: Not really. But we’ve been doing this for long enough now. I know how it goes. It’s your way or the highway. Just like another dusty old egghead I used to know.
PARCE: Indeed. Why did you threaten that man? He is one of the administrators here.
307: Exactly. He’s a pig. What good does he do for this place?
PARCE: Consider this. Should you end up standing trial, hospital staff may be called to testify. Why make things harder for yourself?
307: To make things harder for you.
PARCE: I don’t understand.
307: It’s been a little one-sided so far, you know? I’ve been telling you everything about myself, but I don’t know anything about you. That has to change.
PARCE: That is not how this works.
[Hello. It’s the Stranded Investigator again. I hate to cut in on your reading, but this is important. I have looked at this document and also listened to the tapes. The following exchange is in the audio recording, but Dr. Parce didn’t include it in the transcript that he put in 307’s file.]
307: Fine, then. I have nothing more to say to you. Give me back to the police or whatever you want to do.
PARCE: I would rather things didn’t turn out that way, Healer.
307: What difference does it make to you?
PARCE: You haven’t told me your full story.
307: Well, you haven’t filled your end of the bargain either. You were going to look into the history of this place when it was still its own town. Before San Antonio swallowed up Grünwald like a little snack. We were going to talk about the myth of the mother bear. If you won’t give me what I want, just get rid of me. Until then, I’m going to make life hell for everyone in this hospital.
PARCE: It was our agreement that you would tell me how you left your world and ended up here first. You haven’t done that yet. You left off partway through your tale.
307: Oh, you’re interested now? Got you hooked, huh? Tell you what, Doc. Tell me one thing about yourself, and I’ll play ball.
PARCE: Alright. What do you want to know?
307: I’ll settle for your date of birth.
PARCE: Why is this relevant?
307: Hey, if you don’t want to answer—
PARCE: Fine. I was born on the twenty-fifth of March, two thousand and fourteen.
307: You’re seventy-one and you’re still doing this, huh?
PARCE: You have what you wanted. It’s time to cooperate.
307: Three twenty-five fourteen. Three, two, five, one, four. Very interesting, Doc.
PARCE: Let’s move on.
[The transcript in the patient file picks back up at this point. – The Stranded Investigator]
307: Fine, fine. What do you want to talk about today?
PARCE: How you transitioned out of that sheep world of yours and became human.
307: Why is that so important, anyway?
PARCE: It will help me to know when you emerged out of that phase of your delusions and accepted yourself as a human being.
307: If you say so. We’re not even close to that point yet. Where did I leave off?
PARCE: Let me check my notes here. Ah, yes. Your friends Ponder and Mauler had been taken into the pig city to be tortured and then put into the service of the Chugg Corporation. You had sent Tenber to pose as a dog and get close to their leader. The dogs held a funeral for Boxer. Then you left your professor and your girlfriend to strike off on your own.
307: That’s right. This is the best part, Doc. This was when I stopped being such a cowardly shithead and decided to make the pigs pay for what they did to me and mine. Sound good?
PARCE: As long as you promise to keep your vengeance to the story and not take it out on any more “pigs” you encounter in this world.
307: That’s fair.