Doctor Lerner met Simon in the group therapy room for their late afternoon session.
“Good afternoon, I see you’re already settled in and ready to proceed,” she said, making herself comfortable next to him.
“Yeah, I’m ready, I guess,” I said.
“Simon, I’d like to try hypnosis, did I mention that to you earlier?”
“I don’t think so.”
“I’m certified in hypno-therapy, and I’d like to place you in a hypnotic state; would that be all right?” she asked.
“Sure, I guess so,” I said, figuring it couldn’t hurt any.
“First I need to inform you that your voluntary stay of thirty days has been changed to 180 days of confined supervision. I know this—“
“Wait, what do you mean voluntary? You’re saying I didn’t have to stay here and let James abuse me?” I asked, the anger starting to boil inside me.
“Simon, didn’t you read the papers you signed?” She asked, patting me on the knee.
“No, James said I could read them later. I thought I wasn’t allowed to leave; now you’re saying I have to remain here six months?” I felt like crying, like I’d been conned.
“I’m so very sorry you didn’t realize what your rights were, but Father Andy signed the committal papers, with your mother’s consent. At the end of which , if all goes well, you will be released,” she explained in an apologetic tone.
Her sympathy came across as genuine. I now wasn’t so mad, yet I wasn’t sure how to feel.
“Simon, may we still continue with the hypnosis?”
“Yeah, go ahead,” I said in a bit of a haze.
After a short period of relaxation techniques, and soft verbal queues, she achieved her goal. I was responding to her suggestions. The last thing I remember was counting backward from ten, when I got to three, I was out.
“Simon? Can you hear my voice?”
“Yes.”
“Is the one known to you as ‘Henry’ with you?”
“I don’t…”
“Simon, stay with me…I would please like the one called Henry to come forward,” Doctor Lerner asked in earnest.
“Yes, greetings, I am Henry. Salutations, warmth and friendship to you. Just know that as I come at this time, the complex uncertainties that are in effect upon your dimension cause confusion, or the paradox of confusion. Just be aware, I will not address any questions pertaining to the one you call Simon Teel at this time.”
“Why will you not answer questions concerning Simon?” she inquired.
“I will repeat for the last and final time, no questions will be answered concerning Simon. Now then, would you be interested in hearing about one of your past lives?” Henry asked.
“Simon, I’m afraid I don’t hold with the belief in reincarnation.”
“You are speaking to me, not Simon, and you may address me as Henry. Now, it matters not whether you believe in it or not. Do you wish the information?”
“If this will help open up the lines of communication, than please continue,” she said, turning on her tape recorder to capture the difference between when Simon speaks and his so-call angel, Henry.
“In the past life I will be speaking on, that life you have already completed, you were one who performed as a doctor. Not the type of doctor you are now, but more of a medical doctor. I am placing you right in the middle of the Revolutionary War in this country. You were not Martha Washington. You new of her and some others, but your name, a common name, was Joann Wilson. Now, there were three marriages. Two of the gentlemen were killed in the war and the other one outlived you. You lost two very close together. You were close to much of the fighting at that time, which spread all over a great area. Most of your life, though, was spent in the Virginia region. Now then, May thirtieth was the date of your birth. The year was 1741. In earth years, you were going into your ninety-third birthday when you passed away. You were born in what the Indians call a wigwam. You were not an Indian. In that life, you had a very limited training as a nurse, but were called upon to do the acts that a doctor would do in a type of emergency. You did many midwife acts and you doctored many people. There were no doctors available many of the times in the areas where you were at, and you assumed those duties. You had a lot of courage. You had a lot of instinctive skills. You liked to use, or were adept at using, a knife in the way of surgery. Your experience with a knife was a holdover from a prior life. A life prior even before the one I’m now telling you about. In that life you were a man. You were a brute, you did commit chaos and murder. You bludgeoned people to death with instruments of war. So in that life I am speaking of now, the last one, the sight of blood and gore didn’t bother or annoy you. Do you follow me?” Henry asked.
“Thank you for the information, but I really want to talk about Simon,” she replied in hopes of moving the conversation into a more suitable direction.
“Simon has already explained to you who I am, therefore, I must decline your request. But let me say this in parting. This is a warning to you, be very careful in the next few days concerning who you allow to enter your home. Be very alert, danger surrounds you,” Henry cautioned her.
“Why are you so reluctant to answer my questions? Henry…? Henry…? Simon, can you hear me?”
“Yes,” I replied, my mind seemed to be moving through a thick fog.
“Are you in contact with Henry?” she asked.
“No, I told you he stopped talking to me after I killed the old lady by mistake,” I heard myself say through the fog.
Doctor Lerner tried a test question on Simon. “What did you think of the information Henry just gave me?”
“What information?” I asked.
“Were you not aware of our conversation?”
“I told you I don’t hear him anymore.”
“All right, I’m going to count to five, and when I reach five, you will awaken and feel refreshed and happy. Do you understand, Simon?”
“Yes.”
“One…two…three…four…five. How do you feel?”
Opening my eyes, the fog was gone. I felt rested and relaxed. “I’m fine. Are we done already?” I asked, rubbing my eyes.
“Yes, we’re done for now Simon. I’ll see you tomorrow,” she stated as she packed up her briefcase.
I turned on the TV. I was feeling really great. She should hypnotize me every day, I thought.
Stopping at the nurses’ station, she called Father Andy to inform him she had spoken with Henry during her first hypno-therapy session.
“What do you mean he talked about reincarnation and past-lives? That’s bull-hockey,” he responded. “I’m not sure what you’re babbling about, but notify me when you have another session with him and I’ll sit in,” he said, hanging up, not sure who needed help more, Simon or Doctor Lerner.