Veronica Cregg lives and works in Galway, on occasions over the past 10 years she has attended creative writing classes both on-line and in Galway city. She has had a short story read on Galway Bay FM Keith Finnegan Morning Show and publishes some of her writing on her blog https://storylinecregg.wordpress.com/

As well as writing she also likes to draw using pen and colour pencils and design using Adobe Illustrator.

Doctor Thomas Johnson Opens George Galloway’s File

By Veronica Cregg

Doctor Thomas Johnson opens George Galloway’s file and glances at his reports. George has been doing well in the last year having no untoward signs in the two three monthly reports.
Doctor Thomas wonders how George shall be today considering…
Thomas is distracted by the beam of sunlight hitting his desk and thinks sunshine for the last two weeks and no one is going out.
There I go again. Loosing concentration, I need to watch that and cut it in the bud.
So let’s get back to what’s on hand, George’s first Skype appointment. Thomas hits his fingers on his computer’s mouse and scrolls down to a list of contact names until he comes to ‘George the Third’.
Ping! Ping! George jumps.
“Hello George.” Thomas attention is taken to scowering the titles on rows of George’s books showing up on his computer screen. I’m doing it again! Thomas finds that a lot these days – loosing attention, drifting in and out of thoughts.
“George, are you there?”
“Hello, are you there Doc.”
“Yes I am here George.”
Frustrated George raises his voice, “Stupid thing! I can’t see you Doc. It’s just a blank screen.”
“You probably clicked the audio button try clicking the video icon. You should see it there…”
“Where the hell, yes got it…. I see you! Visions and voices ah Doc.”
Thomas smiles he finds he always smiles when talking to George. “You have not lost your sense of humour George. Now just turn your computer camera so it is showing your face.
“I am looking at a bookcase at the moment.”
George sits cross legged on his worn green cushioned sofa wearing blue jeans and a red flannel shirt. He is surrounded by several erratic notes he has been scribbling all night from his various books of references lying open on the sofa.
“I have some interesting books Doc.” says George while moving his laptop around his bookcase and then onto his own self. “Is that OK?” George grins at Doc.
“That is better. Thanks George.
“It is all new George but it is best way for now considering your asthma condition. How have you been in the last three months? It is a worrying time. Are you sleeping, having any anxiety, or worries since our last appointment?”
George chuckles a habit he has when he is feeling threatened “Is Diana laughing? How long she will laugh I suppose will depend on Prince Charles outcome. How long will my stomach kick will depend on the earth’s outcome! Don’t you think?”
“Yes I am anxious Doc. I am so sick, the earth’s sick. I have had enough. I can’t sleep, I can’t eat. I worry all the time. The TV tells me it’s normal, that everyone is anxious and worried.”
“Just one minute George.”
The strong sunlight bouncing off Thomas’s screen makes it difficult for him to get a good look at George. He gets up and draws his blinds down on the clinic’s window. Thomas takes a better look at George. Thomas frowns he stares at a badly creased shirt, rough uncombed hair and thinks why George you are normally so tidy. Your face too looks rough, drawn and tire.
“Do you think the TV is speaking to you specificity?”
“Yes, it’s speaking to me specificity. And the world it’s joining me in my world.
“Get down Fluffy.” George raises his voice as his pet black cat marches across his notes.
“I known about anxiety, worry I know. The world is joining in. You know the TV says I’m the expert now. They’re turning to us who have been anxious for years to advice on the methods to deal with anxiety.
“In hale count to three, exhale count to four, you’ve been telling me that for years. I’ve blown up plenty of balloons!”
“To be clear are TV presenters speaking to you alone.”
“Am I doolally Doc? That’s what you are asking. Yes I am. I have a bathroom and bedroom crammed with toilet rolls. I lost the plot Doc.”
“Well, besides you still having your humour, are you good George, no voices, no visions?”
“Yap Doc, I have voices saying ‘what where you expecting’ in my head every time I take a dump.”
“OK George. Let us talk about your anxiety.”
“It’s not my anxiety Doc, it’s the worlds. Don’t look on the dark side of things they are all saying.”
“Who is saying?”
“The radio, the TV, they are all saying it.
“Its’ a dark box set Doc. I told you so. Like…
“The world is going totally doolally, Doc.
“You know Doc, Ah what’s its title. There was that film it was released in the month of March in 1990, it’s so obvious, if only you had seen it Doc. Ya you would know what I mean and what about The Ides in March, it’s known as the most unlucky date in the year. Don’t you see Doc Corona virus was confirmed as pandemic by World Health Organization in March!
“I told you so, back last year Doc. Mother Earth is spitting the baby out. I warned you last year. I told you she would spit us out.
“It’s all science Doc. What’s his name? I have his book somewhere.” George looks behind him at his bookcase.
“Doc Mother Earth realises she’s has to get rid of the enemy. And we’re the enemy. Humans with all our plastic, petrol, C02 emissions, we’ve poisoned our water, our air, our land, except it’s not ours. It’s Mother Earths and she taking it back and she is going to clean it all up. She is fumigating the enemy. Mother Earth has declared war. Didn’t I tell you Doc and here we are. The earth can make it without us but we cannot make it without the earth. It’s already begun. The big fishes are taking over Venice canals already. I tell you in six months time there will be a paradise again with no Adam and Eve. The earth will quickly heal itself once we are gone.”
“George, are you still taking your medicine?”
“Aa noo”
“Now George, how long have you been off it?”
“Since the corona virus hit Europe maybe a little before that.”
“George, what have I told you in the past about coming off medicine? You know it is not good.”
“I need to think straight. Those tablets just slow me down. They make me feel groggy, slow thinking. I have got to make a plan to save humanity.
“If I start to clean the earth up she will leave us alone. Don’t you think Doc.?
“After all it’s all science, the Theory and all that. I have made notes.”
George scrambles through papers and books on the sofa, until he finds what he is looking for and begins to reads to Thomas.
“Mother Earth has made a balanced self-regulating structure. It has produced a hospitable place for its existing range of life forms. You see self-regulating, Mother Earth is regulating us humans, she cleaning up the system. Don’t you see Doc.?
“I stopped driving my car and I started picking plastic out of the canal.
“I plan now when I go for my once a day exercise to bag all plastic left along my way. I think Mother Earth will appreciate and have a change of heart. Doc what do you think?”
“I understand you are very anxious.” Thomas looks sympathetically at George
“I think George you should not drive until we get you back on your medicine. I will leave a prescription to be collected by your pharmacy. Promise me George…”
Thomas’s screen freezes, “We don’t need this happening now.
“Are you there George? George, are you still there?”
And with that George’s image is moving, smiling; he is scratching his head and answering,
“Yes Doc. I’m still here.”
“You need to take your medicine George.” Thomas says firmly.
George smiles nervously. “I got to think Doc. Will medicine make it go away?
“What about the Pasta?”
“George –“
“I’m not sure Doc, I gota think… Mother Earth…. She doesn’t love us anymore.” with that George moves his hand and clicks the close icon.
Ping! Ping! Doctor Thomas rings George but George is not picking up.