The Session (3 page)

“Yes, and you would not believe how effective it is. I mean right now I'm seeing all sorts of things you would not believe. I mean when I look at you and hear what you tell me I actually see all sorts of strange things. Things I couldn't even describe. But thanks to the Redobax I'm able to completely distance myself from those things, and to know what's real and what isn't.”

“Is that ethical?” Lucifer thought that he'd better ask – if only so that he could isolate the sin and work out just how likely it was that the good doctor would be coming to him in due course.

“Completely.” The doctor smiled reassuringly at him. “Redobax actually helps me in my work. It lets me concentrate and focus on my patients. Since I started taking it my patients have experienced an eighteen percent decrease in the need for appointments. They're being treated more effectively.”

“Uh huh.” It seemed more likely to Lucifer that they were not coming back simply because they thought their therapist was crazy. And he just might be. However he was certain that the doctor wouldn't see things that way.

“It truly is a miracle drug. And you'll find it just as effective. Honestly Mr. Cypher, in a few days you'll see things so much more clearly that you'll wonder how you could ever have imagined what you did.”

Lucifer stared at the doctor for a bit, wondering just how mad he truly was. The man was designing his own drugs and taking them. Surely that had to be the very height of madness. And the fact that he then felt sufficiently well to treat patients only added to the craziness of it all. And despite what he said Lucifer was certain there had to be some sort of medical ethics breach occurring. Then there was the fact that the drugs had actually cost him any chance of seeing what was right in front of him. He had made himself so sane that he actually could not see a fallen angel sitting in his own office. Because that would be insane. Suddenly Lucifer felt the need to return to the more honest sanity of hell.

He stood up. It was time to go.

“Well thank you Doctor, you've been an eye-opener.” And he had, but not in the way the doctor would have expected. The man thought he was doing a good job.

“Good, good. Most of my patients seem to think so.” He meant it too. There was not a trace of a lie on his lips or in his heart. He seriously thought he meant it as a compliment and Lucifer wasn't completely sure whether that was the drugs talking or simply the doctor's own ego.

Yet strangely Lucifer realised that the doctor had actually helped him. Not as the doctor would have wanted to, and definitely not as he thought he had. But simply by his example. This man was one of the Earth's top rated therapists. He was considered incredibly bright, had done all his degrees and a lot more besides. He was actually developing drugs in his spare time to help in the treatment of his patients. And yet he had drugged himself to the point where he couldn't see reality.

It was an odd thing to realise but if this was one of the monkeys' most intelligent members and a man considered sane enough to treat others, then what were the rest? Why should he expect any intelligence at all from those in the pit. Or sanity? Why should he care what they thought? If they feared, or loathed or hated him? If their best and brightest didn't have a clue what was real and what wasn't, how could he expect it from them? And how could he consider their opinions to be worth anything at all?

Suddenly Lucifer felt quite good about himself. In fact he felt a renewed enthusiasm for his work. No more would he worry about the monkeys in his care and what they thought of him. He would not consider being gentle on them because they might get upset with him. If they didn't like him, so what! Their opinions were worthless.

In fact he thought, he might start increasing the torments. Really start burning the wickedness out of them. It was time to stop being easy going as the monkeys said. It was time to get serious about his work. To heat those flames until the exquisite agony they caused could be felt even here on Earth. To make the screams of the damned loud enough to be heard by the deaf.

“Well I hope I've provided some insight into your condition and a little light at the end of the tunnel. And I do want you to know Mr. Cypher that you will get through this.”

“Of course Doctor. I feel better already.” Which was the literal truth. In fact he felt renewed in a way he would never have expected. Actually he was in a hurry to return to the pit and continue his work.

“Good.” The doctor stood up as well, finally finished at least with writing in his notepad. “I'm glad.”

“You can pick up your prescriptions from the front desk in a few hours, and I expect to hear that the drugs have helped when next we meet. Now obviously I'm going to want to do a follow up session with you in a week. But after that I'm sure you'll be feeling so good that you won't need to come back save for repeat prescriptions and check ups.”

“Of course Doctor.” Obviously Lucifer had no intention of picking up the prescriptions. Why should he? Even if any drugs at all would have worked on him he would never have trusted anything this man would proscribe. He would never trust anything a human soul said or thought again. “And thank you.”

“You're welcome and I wish you all the best.” The doctor held out his hand once more, and this time Lucifer really did wonder if he should shake it. It might be the kindest thing for the doctor after all. The best thing for his patients too. But he decided against it. He didn't need the trouble from upstairs. Besides if this drug taking fool really was trying to help others by pushing his drugs on them there was a very good chance that he was actually inadvertently sending more souls his way. Maybe those upstairs had been hoping he'd kill him. That he'd do the thing which they couldn't.

“Perhaps next time Doctor.”

And with that Lucifer walked out of his office feeling really quite good about things. He couldn't wait to get back to Hell and really throw himself into his work.

He suspected he might actually be the only patient who'd ever left the doctor's office feeling that way. His only wish was that one day the doctor might see how he had helped him. How much better Hell would run because of his session.

Of course the doctor probably wouldn't be able to see any of that.