News – September 4, 2013

Has this ever happened to you?

Symphony Hall was crowded, all eyes fixated on him as he sat down to play his new composition. Joe started to hear buzzing in his ears, but that always happened when he was nervous. 

This occasion was different. As he played, the piano keys became teeth. He closed his eyes and tried to ignore it, using his muscle memory to hit the right keys. However, the tones rang dissonant. Then each key played screamed in pain. 

He stood up, and quickly tried to apologize to the confused audience, but he spoke nothing but gibberish. He saw all those hollow faces, all of them dressed up in their typical suits. As he turned away he felt their scornful eyes. Everyone grew quiet as he walked off stage. Some looked at him like he was an animal, ready to attack at any moment. 

A year goes by and his therapy is stalling. His drugs only make problems worse. He decides it’s time to go back to the one thing that always supported him: his wife Kim. He packs a single bag, leaves the Symphony behind, and gambles it all on the hope he can patch things up. 

On route to Kim’s house, his new doctor, Dr. Reynolds, calls him. Today was supposed to be his next session, and he had skipped it. Joe explains his plan, and Dr. Reynolds seems cautiously sympathetic. But something in his voice tells him that Reynolds thinks Joe is about to break into a random house, and possibly hurt someone. 

And Joe wondered if the Doctor was right.