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CHOICE CHILD
Dr. Sandra Labrey, senior psychiatrist of Banyon Memorial, confidently approached her three resident students already standing dutifully at the bedside of Jordan Peterson, a patient in the hospital’s Hanson Wing, designed for long-term care of the chronically insane.
Deftly picking up the attached medical chart, Dr. Labrey, with a slow sigh, began her instruction. “ Mr. Peterson suffers from FADS or Fielden’s Arrested Development Syndrome. Although forty-two years of age, he seems to have adopted the mind of a child . . . by choice. Although we know FADS to be a defense mechanism related to trauma, we know little else about its nature. We know he can hear and see us . . . that he speaks loudly, in broken rhymes . . . but, beyond that . . . after he talks . . . . we know precious little of what he might be thinking.”
“ Jordan . . . Jordan, my name is Dr. Labrey . . . can you hear me, dear? ”
“ DEAR . . . DEAR . . . TRAIN SET . . . GOES ROUND AND ROUND THE TOWN . . . DOLL HOUSE . . . WALKS YOU UP . . . THEN . . . WALKS YOU DOWN. ”
daddy come and see this big teddy bear cloud what a wonderful blue sky except for that teddy bear the sun is shining sweetly isn’t it let’s fly a kite but not any ole kite a big kite bigger than that daddy
“ Jordan . . . can you tell us where you are now? ”
“ NOW . . . NOW . . . BEDTIME EARLY . . . AND . . . BEDTIME LATE . . . BRING YOUR DREAMS . . . FOR GOODNESS SAKE . . . OLD MAN SNOOZE . . . IS ON THE LOOSE. ”
i don’t want to go to school i’m sick can’t you see i’m sick it’s true i tell you it’s true nothing to learn there that i can’t learn here why don’t we just play a game or something instead oh but i’m sick i’m not going i’m not going i’m not
“ Would you please tell me, Jordan . . . is it day time or night time? ”
“ TIME . . . TIME . . . TOOTH FAIRY COME . . . AND . . . TOOTH FAIRY GO . . . NOW . . . WOULDN’T YOU KNOW . . . LEFT HER PENNY . . . UNDER MY PILLOW. ”
was i good was i really good mommy you’d didn’t tell santa everything did you can’t i stay up and give him a cookie will he bring me lots of toys and bunny rabbit easter eggs i can hardly wait i can hardly wait
“ Are you hungry, Jordan? ”
“ JORDAN . . . JORDAN . . . PUPPETS PLAY AND PEOPLE STARE . . . MAGIC ACTS . . . WHO IS THERE . . . DISAPPEAR . . . IN THAT AIR . . . WATCH NOW WATCH . . . REAPPEAR. ”
don’t know how to tie my shoes it’s too hard but i know the alphabet a b c and one is first haircut two is second crayon spell fish why now where is this mommy can we stop daddy
Dr. Labrey returned the chart to its waiting holder. She looked away from Jordan, to the stolid faces of her students.
“ We may never reach Mr. Peterson, or any of our other patients . . . but, remember this: whom we fail, God has already saved. ”
END.
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