The Seer by Clifford Beck - HTML preview

Chapter 7

The week crawled by as Gordon realized the hardest thing about being investigated was the wait. His patients would never know of the state's involvement in his practice, but he decided to take, what was, for him, an unexpected course of action. By the end of the next day, Gordon had made an appointment to see a therapist. He knew that others in the mental health field did this in order to deal with the stress of the job, but up to this point, he didn't see a need for it. Perhaps, he felt that he was immune from the effects of dealing with other people's shattered lives. Most mental health professionals never experience the suicide of a patient, and it seemed highly unusual for this to happen so early in Gordon's career.

Before the day of his appointment, Gordon received a certified letter from the state board of licensing. He was between patients, and quickly signed for the letter. Seeing the return address, he decided to open it at the end of the day, so as not to be distracted by what he suspected was bad news. But in spite of this delay, the letter, tucked away in his desk drawer, gnawed at him throughout the day, imposing on his ability to concentrate. His distraction did not go unnoticed, and occasionally, one of his patients would asked if he was okay. He would respond with a simple apology, and continue with the conversation. It was only after his last patient left that Gordon opened the top drawer of his desk, and taking out the still unopened letter, prepared himself for the worse.

It was a business-size envelope, with a transparent address window. Gordon studied the return address, knowing the contents of the letter inside could change his life, possibly bringing an end to everything he had worked for. Bringing a thumb into a corner of the envelope, the smooth white paper tore easily, and with a thumb and forefinger, Gordon opened it, slipped out the single folded sheet of paper, and laid it out flat on his desk. The upper right corner displayed the seal of the state, while farther down, on the left, was the sender's address. Gordon took a deep breath as he began to read the letter's contents. The language it was formal and professional, outlining the decision of the board. He could maintain his current patient load, but was not permitted to take on any new patients. Gordon assumed the only reason his practice had not been suspended was to avoid having his patients leave without the support they needed. In that case, liability would fall to the state. The decision, although working in Gordon's favor, screamed of government bureaucracy, and an avoidance of responsibility. Given the compromise that had been made, Gordon was not about to complain, and the state's investigation could take weeks.