He really was a most curious patient. More than any other in
my experience his presence completely permeated the room. Collapsed the moment
he entered. Only, not quite like any other collapse I’d ever witnessed, he seemed
to grow into something completely different.
“Ah sir, do put yourself back in the seat, you’re shaking”
“Frequently”
“And what seems to be the problem Sir?”
“The problem”
“Yes sir the problem. You’re shaking sir”
“Is that the problem”
“No sir, I mean, if that is the problem. Is that the problem?”
“Vibsing?”
“Vibsing? sir”
“Yes, to me its vibsing. Aren’t you vibsing sir?”
“Well, um, can’t say I am. I’m er, a professional sir, very little
time to er”
“Don’t you vibes with everyone? Everyone that comes in, just
get down an”
“Sir you’ve collapsed again, your collapsing”
“It’s just how I am.”
“You do that most elegantly I have to say sir”
“Kind of you to say so”
“Is that the problem”
“Kindness?”
“No sir”
“Elegance?”
“no sir, the collapsing”
“It’s how I made my name as a sailor sir”
“oh you were a sailor”
“I was on a ship, it didn’t have a sail as such, It was my father’s ship. Named
after my father too. I was quite important at one time.”
“Captain?”
“Where?”
“No, where you the captain? Vice-captain”
“Bosun”
“Ah bosun”
“Is that why you’re, sorry, I mean, we’re, is that why we’re
here?”
“Pardon”
“The problem sir? Is it related to your time as a Bosun”
“I was never meant to be a bosun I was meant to be in a field.”
He had, in the chair become a very energetic knot.
“Well, can’t a bosun be a bosun and still be in a field? You don’t have to be on
a ship. Oh sir, your, oh, your collapsing again.”
And with that he was altogether quite a different.
“Mr. Higgs, can you send the Gibbon up on your way down”.
