The Client

Mr. Smith

January 12, 2012.

   I have a new client coming to my home office today. Looking at his intake survey I see I have a lot of work cut out for me. The client calls himself John Smith, when I look at the age it says a ridiculous 1207! Either, he is quite the jokester or has some serious delusions. Even when I look at gender it says male most of the time. Next to race it says Time Lord. I don't say this often but I really think this client may be nutters and I have a Sectioning form already filled out when it is time for the first session.

   Right at one o'clock my doorbell starts ringing uncontrollably followed by wild banging on the door. What in God's name is going on I think to myself as I get to the door to see what the commotion is about. I fling the door open 'Can I help you,' I snap. Before me is a tall lanky man wearing a purple jacket, black jeans with silver rivets rolled unusually high, old style leather boots, a grey vest and a bowtie. Which, he subconsciously straightened.

'Hello, I'm John Smith,' he introduced himself with a massive goofy grin. Yup, I will be Sectioning him by the end of the hour I thought. But, then I felt that this man was nothing like the persona he was reflecting to me. This is going to be interesting I thought. It was like he heard me and he replied 'and yes, it is going to be interesting,' as he walked past me into the living room. He looked at everything in my house as if he was examining me.

'Ahem, Mr. Smith my office is this way,' I pointed to my home office. As we entered my office I motioned for him to take a seat on either the recliner or the sofa. 'Mr. Smith have a seat wherever you feel comfortable.' Immediately, he sits behind my desk and kicks his old boots on my antique mahogany desk. I do everything I can to contain my irritation. 'Excuse me, Mr. Smith that is my chair,' I reply trying my best to be cordial.

'I'm the Doctor,' he announced to me. He stands back up and sits in the chair across from me no one ever wants to sit eye to eye I think.

   I sit down at my desk and look at him and ask 'Doctor? I think you will find that I am the doctor here,' trying to unnerve him in an attempt to regain control of the situation.

'It's my name,' he replied nonchalantly but looking at me as if he were trying to get a read on me.

'I thought your name was John Smith? Or is it Doctor John Smith,' thinking to myself no way can he be a doctor of any sort.

'No, just the Doctor,' he answered back and I didn't sense any deceit in his voice.'"I only used John Smith on your form so you wouldn't freak out and refuse to see me or think I was insane,' said the client in an honest demeanor. That's exactly what you are, I surmise to myself.

'Well, then Doctor, let's begin' playing along with him because I didn't want to start an argument in the first session. 'So, tell me a little about yourself. It says here in your file that you are...' I take a second look at his form and see that his age is 1207. '1207, did you miswrite that? Are you 27 and something just distracted you,' I questioned this man with the face of a child. I looked long and hard at him and I just couldn't get a read. His face was so young there was no way he could be more than thirty years old and that is giving a few years leeway. But, as I look harder there is something about him that is ancient.

'Nope, that's right or I think it's right I've lied so much that I don't even know if that is right. I could be older,' he says in a matter-of-fact voice. I look at him as if he has lost his mind and before I can utter the words. 'Of course you don't believe me and why should you. But, by the time this is all over it will make some sort of sense I promise.'

   I shake my head trying to refocus he has taken me completely off guard very few people are able to do that. I look at the next entry in his file and it is his gender. 99% of the time I can skip that because well, that's something that doesn't need asking unless they have a gender identity disorder (GID). I look at him closer and he appears to be a man rather comfortable with his sexuality, so it clearly isn't GID. I am almost too scared to ask because so far every question no matter how straight forward has been anything but. I take in a deep breath, Alright Mr. Smi.. I mean Doctor it says here that you are 'male, most of the time,' with an incredulous tone in my voice.

'Yes, regeneration it's a bit of a lottery really,' he leans back putting his hands behind his head 'it hasn't happened to me yet, probably won't now since I'm on my last one, but a Time Lord has this trick they use to kind of avoid death.'

   I interrupt him 'Time Lord? What kind of poppycock is that,' I am totally fed up with this man's fantasies. 'Mr. Smith, I am about thirty seconds away from Sectioning you if you don't start making sense!'

   The Doctor wringed his hands in an apparent struggle over his next sentence 'Doctor Sharp, now listen to me I am telling you the truth. For once in my long strange life I am telling the truth. Because, I think you are the only one who can help me. I went up and down through history looking up the likes of Freud, boy, did he have mommy issues. Pavlov, he would of had a blast with the dogs of Barcelona, they have no noses you know, but I don't need experiments. Skinner, his objectivity would have sent him over the edge. But, then I came to you Dr. Miriam Sharp you hold three Phds! Not much compared to me but, for a human that's impressive. You have worked hard all of your life trying to change the outcome for your clients. Not, because of morals or intelligence. Because, you feel their pain and know exactly what it's like to have loved and to have lost,' it was if he was staring into my very soul, 'and that's why I know you will help me no matter how outlandish my stories seem,' the little timer on my desk chimed. 'Well, looks like my hour is up' he said with a grin.

   I just sat there in shocked silence every objective bone in my body screamed don't let that mad man go he should be Sectioned immediately! But, there was something in me that believed him. Even though he had the face of a child his eyes were old and there was a sadness that penetrated into my own heart. As I debated in my head I looked up to tell him to stay seated for another moment while I process all of this; he was already gone. I heard an odd vwoorp vwoorp sound but after that nothing. I looked out my door but it was no use.

   I went back inside and made myself a cup of tea. A nice warm cup of earl grey always seemed to soothe me when my mind was troubled. I sat back down at my desk and tried to make sense of the past hour. Of course that was a lesson in futility. I would have to wait until the strange Doctor came back. This, I thought, would either make or break my career if I can help this strange client.