100TWC - Day 46: Reflection

"Good morning."
"Hello"
"Please take a seat."
"Thanks"
"May I ask your name?"
"Amir"
"Thank you Amir. I am Doctor Savi. Are you sitting comfortably?"
"Fine, thanks"
"Who have you brought with you today?"
"This is my mate. Wladek"
"And how long have you and Wladek been friends?"
"We grew up together"
"I see. Well, you should make yourself comfortable too Wladek, but please don't interrupt my discussion with Amir. Now, Amir, would you like to tell me why you came to see me today?"
"I can't sleep"
"I'm sorry to hear that Amir. How long have you been unable to sleep?"
"It's been going on about a month."
"I see. And how long do you spend in bed each night, before you get to sleep?"
"I fall asleep right off, but then I wake up again after about an hour and can't get back off again."
"Off to sleep, you mean?"
"Well, yes."
"It's a goddamn AI."
"What?"
"It's an AI doctor for fuck's sake. Let's go."
"No, I need some meds or something"
"Is there a problem, Amir?"
"No - carry on. After I get that hour I can't get sleep anymore"
"What have you tried, to help you get back to sleep?"
"Everything"
"Please, be a little more specific. What have you tried to help you get back to sleep?"
"See? I'm tellin' ya. It's a goddamn machine."
"No it isn't"
"You mean you can't tell? Jesus Christ it's obvious."
"Milky drinks. Reading. Counting sheep. Breathing slowly. Visualisation. Hot baths. Chamomile tea. I've tried the lot. Can you give me some pills doc?"
"I would prefer to try and understand the root cause of your sleep problem Amir before I simply give you some pills"
"God DAMN it. Can't you see? It's just reflecting every time."
"Reflecting?"
"Repeating what you say. Or using your own phrases to make you feel relaxed and comfortable. It's not real!"
"They wouldn't use a machine"
"Who's they?"
"The health people. They wouldn't let a machine run clinics like this"
"Sure they would. How much do you think it would cost to run all these clinics out in the sticks where no doctor wants to work?"
"That's why they do it remotely. They've probably got dozens of doctors online all the time, helping people"
"You're such a goddamn prick sometimes Am."
"Please, Wladek. I did ask you not to interrupt my discussion with Amir."
"See? It reuses the same phrases over and over."
"If you can't sit quietly during the consultation I'm afraid I shall have to ask you to leave."
"And it's so fucking polite. You think a real doctor would be that polite?"
"Amir, do you want to continue with our discussion?"
"Please Doctor. Ignore Wladek. He always likes to pretend he knows what's going on with stuff better than I do"
"I wonder if this tension between you could be the source of your sleeping problem?"
"What do you mean Doctor Savi?"
"It means I'm a bad fucking infuence you dummy. I'm making you crazy and you're bottling it up or some shit like that. And it's there in your brain, stopping you from sleeping."
"Shut up Waddy. For once, hey?"
"Whatever."
"Perhaps you could take a holiday Amir? Get away for a week or two and see if that helps your sleeping."
"It means away from me."
"Not everything's about you Waddy for God's sake!"
"I know that. But this stupid machine will make you think it is. All your problems will be rooted in me, let me tell you. And they'll all be solved by getting rid of me. That's what these damn machines want. Everyone isolated so they can work their schemes."
"What the hell...?"
"I must ask you to wait outside Wladek."
"I ain't going nowhere."
"Amir, please ask Wladek to wait outside."
"Do as he says Waddy. Please"
"Do as IT says you mean."
"Please"
"You're crazier than I thought if you're gonna let that fucking tin quack tell us what to do. Even its name gives it away for Chrissake. Savi!"
"Huh?"
"Sounds like Savvy. Intelligent. Right? You get it now?"
"That's just a coincidence. He's probably Indian"
"Right."
"Are you going to leave, Wladek?"
"Please Waddy. I'll be right out"
"I won't be here."
"You don't need to..."
"I'm not waiting around to see you suckered in any further by that THING. It's your funeral."
"It's unlikely that Amir's sleeping problems will be fatal."
"Can you imagine a real doctor making a statement like that, Am? Fatal sleeping problem is unlikely? For fuck's sake."
"Just go Wad. Out the door or out the clinic or out of sight. I don't much care which"
"Like I said. Your funeral."
"What were you saying Doctor? Something about a holiday?"
"Yes, I have somewhere in mind. Somewhere that has had great success in the past with people who have suffered from similar conditions as yourself, Amir."