by Bill Evans
“They told me to give you this,” Miss Dixon snapped curtly. “They’re gone. They left the building some 30 minutes ago.”
The words were uttered with such a finality, that Dr. Coy knew not to pursue the matter further.
Dr. Coy took the large sealed envelope with the hospital logo emblazoned prominently on both sides, and examined it in a cursory haste. He attempted to unseal the package, but his shaking hands would not allow it. Dr. Coy turned with weakened knees, and stumbled through the doors and back out into the lobby. He had to sit down. A sudden surge of trepidation and anxiety had begun to overtake him.
GREEN MAN MUST PAY
(part sixteen)
There would be no more interference and no more obstruction. The Board of Regents had given their full stamp of approval to proceed with the experiment involving Gregor. Dr. Coy’s antics would not be a concern any longer. This came as no surprise to Dr. Pricener.
Dr. Pricener knew he would not be denied this unprecedented opportunity to conduct the necessary social and then subsequent medical experiments upon the brilliant sociopath in his midst. Dr. Pricener had convinced the medical community that the grandiose project would open doors into the very psyche of one of the most complex and intelligent psychologically deluded minds in the annals of Cogan County medical history. Dr. Pricener had won. However, this was just the beginning. He was now eager to proceed.
_____
Dr. Coy slowly and carefully removed the single sheet of a notarized form from the large manila envelope in his possession. He had his eyes closed. The beads of sweat that formed on his forehead foretold of the ominous news that would surely be unveiled by the contents of the official letter. He did not want to look.
Nevertheless, he did look. Forcing his head downward, he glanced at the typed message on the company issued stock just below the letterhead. He tried to pull his head away, but could not. He began to read.
Attn: Dr. Horatio Coy,
Re: Board of Regents Directive
Dear Dr. Coy,
Please be advised that effective immediately, you will begin an unpaid suspension of all activities related directly or indirectly regarding your duties at the Cogan County Medical Hospital and its affiliates. It is the considered opinion of this Board that your continued insubordination in both words and actions is cause for alarm and concern. Any further action required to address these issues will result in your termination as per the collective bargaining agreement C-302-2 under your current contract.
Sincerely,
Dr. Frederick J. Hohman M.D.
Chairman
Medical Board of Regents
State of Vermont
The message seemed surreal. Dr. Coy’s head began to spin. He had to sit down. He had to try making sense of this. Where was the logic? Where was the sanity?
Before Dr. Coy could sit, he heard a sharp “thump” to his right. Two very large and gruff orderlies came crashing through the outer office doors and rushed toward him. Each of the orderlies roughly grabbed him by the arms.
“Unhand me at once you apes,” Dr. Coy exclaimed. “What are you doing? How dare you…”
“This aint nothing personal doctor. We got orders to escort you outta here. And that’s exactly what me and Bobo here plan to do.”
“Now listen here…” Dr. Coy paused to look at the nametag on the orderly whom had just addressed him. “Ahh…Mr. Jaypo. Release me at once. Do you know who I am? I run this facility. I sign your paychecks. Why I’m…”
“Your name is mud as far as I’m concerned. I got my orders from the higher ups. They want you out of the building. Now.”
A quivering Dr. Coy sighed in resignation.
“Fine, Mr. Jaypo. If you’ll just allow me to get a few things from my desk, then I’ll…”
“I got my orders. You aint allowed to take nothing. You aint allowed no computer access either. You just gotta go. Them’s my orders. Now let’s go.”
The two large ruffians then began to pull Dr. Coy violently forward. The spastic doctor lost control of legs and almost fell to the ground. The orderlies picked him up and carried the frail doctor down the fire escape steps and out the side door, depositing him unceremoniously on the sidewalk.
Dr. Coy sat there on the ground in stunned silence.
He began to sob.
GREEN MAN MUST PAY
(part seventeen)
“Orderly, come here at once please.”
Within seconds, a large brute of a man came rushing into the office at the “request” of Dr. Pricener. He stood at semi-attention, awaiting the busy doctor to look up and acknowledge his presence. The orderly was ill at ease. The always-irritable Dr. Pricener had a hair trigger temper. One false movement or word could lead to some type of discipline; whether it be a write-up, a suspension, or worse. The orderly needed this job. He dare not displease the new “dictator of the seventh floor”.
“Ahh…there you are,” the doctor said almost absent mindedly without looking up. “Go fetch Gregor and bring him here promptly. It’s time to inform our prized patient of his promotion.”
The orderly just stood there in silence, wondering if he was officially excused. After another moment, the now agitated doctor looked up.
“Well, what are you waiting for, you dolt? Move!”
The sloppily built and overweight orderly looked confused, but knew better to not utter so much as a word. With a faltering salute, he whirled awkwardly as he pivoted toward the office door. As if ignited like a firecracker, the orderly swiftly exited the room faster than an Olympic sprinter.
Dr. Pricener sat back to allow himself a bit of relaxation before the imminent arrival of Gregor. A warm smile of satisfaction graced his otherwise heavily lined face. He took a moment to congratulate himself. Everything was going even better than expected. His meticulous and sometimes even cunning planning was beginning to pay huge dividends. The orchestration of it all was brilliantly done. In fact, the plan was just ‘pure genius’.
Gregor entered the office without acknowledging the doctor, and quickly sat down. Unbeknownst to anyone except Gregor, a large black horsefly also entered just as the door was being closed by the orderly. Gregor smiled softly to himself.
Dr. Pricener sneered in delight.
_____
“Gregor, you are probably wondering why I have called you to this meeting.”
Gregor was going to respond, but the doctor continued talking. Gregor was always polite. Perhaps too polite at times. People took advantage of him because he was just too nice. Gregor would always be kind and considerate to others. It was his nature, and you couldn’t control that. He permitted the doctor to continue.
“Gregor, I’ve got great news. A special position has been created specifically for you. It is a position of immense responsibility. I have been given the privilege to promote you to the role of Resident Advisor. Now, I am counting on you to do an outstanding job. I went to considerable effort to place you into this newly designated position. We will go over the responsibilities that you will assume in this new role. First, let me ask you. Are you pleased with this news?”
The doctor looked up and smiled at Gregor. It was a hollow smile. It was the fake kind of smile that Gregor had seen all too often in his life.
“Errr…thanks for going to bat for me doctor. I am gratefully indebted to you for your trust. I am anxious to hear the details.”
Gregor returned the same fake smile back at the doctor.
The black horsefly swirled furiously in circles overhead.
GREEN MAN MUST PAY
(part eighteen)
For the next 30 minutes, Dr. Pricener laid out a detailed proposal, illustrating the assigned duties and responsibilities of the new Resident Advisor position. Gregor gave ‘that look’, indicating that he was paying close attention, and was perhaps even interested. Nothing could have be
en further from the truth.
Throughout the dialogue, interestingly, there were two points that Gregor did latch onto. One was that he would be the “earpiece” for patient concerns. If anyone had a complaint or wished to file a grievance, they would have to go through Gregor. The second was that Gregor would be reporting to Dr. Pricener directly-and to no one else. This was all the information Gregor required to proceed with his plan. The rest of the bantering by Dr. Pricener, was superfluous.
_____
“Well Gregor, this concludes my synopsis of your duties and responsibilities at this time. Of course, everything that we have discussed is modifiable as needed. You will have systematic reviews, which initially will be frequent and thorough in nature. The standards will become more relaxed in time as you grow into your new position. I have every confidence that we…errr…you will be an unmitigated success.”
“Thank you for your display of confidence in me doctor. I have no doubt that “unmitigated success”, as you so aptly put it, will indeed gloriously manifest as a result of this turn of events. For this, I am humbled and indebted to you in ways perhaps you will never know.”
Dr. Pricener was sincerely flattered, and very pleased with himself.
_____
Gregor started to get up to leave. Dr. Pricener quickly put out his hand as an indication that Gregor should remain seated.
“Gregor, please indulge me for just a few minutes longer. I promise not to be another minute or two.”
“Very well, doctor. Proceed as you like.”
“Thank you Gregor,” Dr. Pricener said while placing both elbows on his desk and leaning forward in the direction of his newly appointed Resident Advisor.
“I just want to apologize for my earlier actions. I shouldn’t have forced the truth serum injections upon you. I just…”
“It was a calculated gamble on your part doctor,” Gregor interrupted. “I may have done the same thing, were I in your shoes. I bestow upon you my sincere admiration for such an audacious and even brilliant attempt to procure the goal that you envisioned.”
Dr. Pricener blushed, and then leaned over even closer.
“I just want you to know that I care about you.”
“Love is the devil,” Gregor replied with his usual unemotional candor.
Dr. Pricener began to speak, and then hesitated. After a brief silence, he continued.
“It’s just that I guess I’m asking for your forgiveness Gregor. Will you find it in your heart to allow us to be friends?”
“We are friends, Dr. Pricener,”
A relieved Dr. Pricener began to arise from his chair. This time, Gregor made the hand motion to remain seated.
“In regards to forgiveness, Dr. Pricener…people require forgiveness because they want to forget. I will not forget. It would be prudent for you to adopt the same mindset.”
Dr. Pricener’s eyes narrowed in a menacing glare. The unperturbed Gregor continued.
“Rest assured, we will have a most amiable and satisfactory relationship of the highest standard. I will make you proud by demonstrating my many strengths. You will not be disappointed.”
In an emotional and almost uncontrollable outburst, the doctor snapped back.
“I don’t want your strength. I want your weaknesses.”
Dr. Pricener immediately regretted the outburst.
Gregor, on the other hand, had a newfound respect for the doctor.
I wish I had said that, Gregor mused to himself as he let himself out through the office door.
GREEN MAN MUST PAY
(part nineteen)
The interview with Gregor went well, perhaps better than expected. For the next few weeks, Dr. Pricener would now nurture Gregor. He would gain his confidence. He would mold Gregor, and shape him. Gregor would become reliant and interdependent upon him. Gregor’s continued liberation and freedom from institutional constraints would ensnare him. If Gregor wished to maintain his newly acquired status quo, he would need to be more cooperative with the doctor.
Gregor would evolve. Nevertheless, this evolution would be fraught with vulnerabilities based on co-dependency. When Gregor was most vulnerable, the doctor would strike.
Dr. Pricener would show the world that the methodologies espoused in Techniques of Psycho-Therapy Involving the Criminally Insane were viable and relevant. The scientific community would marvel at the attainments that would be revealed by this grandiose experiment. Yes, he would show the world. Moreover, Gregor would lead the way!
Dr. Pricener sat back comfortably in his lush high-backed office chair. The supremely confident, perhaps even cocky doctor was feeling smug.
Feeling smug often lends itself to carelessness.
Being careless around Gregor was never a good idea.
_____
Gregor anxiously strode back to his quarters, as his black and bloated friend hovered overhead and slightly behind. The fly was buzzing harmoniously with the background noise, while blending in with the environment. No one seemed to ever notice the fly. Gregor felt relieved about that.
Upon arriving at his room, Gregor opened the door and stood by patiently. The fly circled repeatedly above Gregor’s head. The fly reminded him of a highly trained fighter pilot, poised and ready to strike at a moment’s notice. Right on cue, the creature dove down-bomber style, past Gregor and through the door opening. The black speck disappeared into the rear confines of Gregor’s new premises. Gregor casually looked around. Convinced that no one had seen anything, he nonchalantly closed the door behind him after entering.
It was time to begin implementation of his plan.
_____
“If we are going to lure Green Man to our location, we must be systematic and disciplined.”
The fly did not seem interested in the discussion. Gregor immediately knew why. Reaching into a small white lunch bag, Gregor spread a few morsels of food onto the mantle ledge along the far wall. The fly immediately swooped over and lit lightly upon the moist breadcrumb closest to the far end of the mantle. The bloated insect feasted greedily on the delectable treat. This gave Gregor an immense feeling of satisfaction. Only when the insect seemed to be finished dining, did Gregor begin to resume his dialogue.
“As I was saying, we must play out the details with deliberation and careful timing. We must be careful to blend in. We must establish a normative routine, so as not to arouse suspicion. Green Man will eventually show himself. I know him only too well. And when he does-blam, we will spring our trap. And may I remind you that no harm should come to him during his apprehension. I am a pacifist, and deplore violence of any kind. We will turn Green Man over to the proper authorities after his capture. At that point justice will be served, and I’ll be able to finally have peace.”
The fly flew over closer to Gregor, and touched down on the headboard of the queen-sized bed. The fly looked at Gregor and made a quizzical buzzing sound.
“Yes,” Gregor said, nodding to the fly as if understanding him. “In the meantime, we will have some fun.”
Gregor paused for a moment and smiled.
“The two of us will rule this psych unit.”
GREEN MAN MUST PAY
(part twenty)
It had been three months since Gregor’s admission to the seventh floor psychiatric unit. During that time, he had prospered nicely in his newly designated Resident Advisor position. Gregor took his job very seriously. He argued tirelessly for patient rights. He was a compassionate and helpful advocate for those within his “constituency”. His petitions and efforts landed the unit many perks, such as a brand new 48-inch television in the lobby area, and comfortable reclined seating in the activities room.
Gregor had arranged for the provision of a fitness trainer to come in twice weekly. “Strong body, strong mind,” was Gregor’s motto. Well, it wasn’t really his motto. However, it would suffice for now
. Gregor was very good at adapting. That included mottos.
Promptly at 9:45 each Tuesday and Thursday, the P.E. Instructor would conduct Thera band training for the patients on the seventh floor. Gregor suggested that this type of training would be most appropriate, in that most of the participants were handicapped in one way or another. This type of resistance training would provide the necessary cardio and strength training exercises that would provide maximum benefit without involving the danger of weights or high impact aerobics. Everybody could participate and benefit. Gregor’s innovative ideas made him very popular on the psychiatric wing on the seventh floor.
All loved Gregor.
_____
Well, maybe not all.
Everybody had to go through an adjustment phase. This included the staff. The orderlies in particular were resistant to change-at first. It took two firings and several more letters of reprimand before the core of orderlies “got with the program”.
The new mandate that gave Gregor such far-reaching autonomy, was a concept that took some “getting used to” by more than just the orderlies. The most noteworthy opponent to the success of “Phase1” of Dr. Pricener’s grandiose plan was the 3rd shift supervisor Miss Crotchett. The rosy-cheeked short and stout R.N. was a grizzled and domineering, take-charge supervisor. She ran a ‘tight ship’, and would not tolerate anything that violated established protocol. The politically appointed Miss Crotchett was “unfireable”. However, she could be transferred to another facility. After a few veiled threats and strict admonishments from Dr. Pricener regarding his intolerance for anyone who would “stand in the way of Science”, the seasoned 3rd turn supervisor reluctantly acquiesced.
It was still probably a good thing that Miss Crotchett was in charge of the night shift. The likelihood of crossing paths with Gregor was unlikely. Gregor was usually fast asleep during the nighttime.