Sturgiss’s team-mate had been Maclaren right from the first days. They were not friends but they worked together well enough, both indifferent to the other’s approval or disapproval.
11
Symons sat in the army dentist’s waiting-room with the men and NCOs who were there for treatment. The privates had all gravitated to the bench against the far wall leaving the bentwood chairs for the five NCOs. There was very little talking, certainly not enough to help him decide, but there was one who looked a possible. A corporal. Fair-haired and fresh-faced, his nose and forehead sprinkled with freckles so that he looked even younger than he was.
In the small office next to the surgery Symons looked through the cards. The corporal was in his last year of service. Twenty-four, physically fit, in charge of the stores on an infantry base in Yorkshire. He had an abscess on the root of one of his front teeth. There was an X-ray clipped to his record card and he’d been given a full term of antibiotic. Allergic to penicillin, he had been prescribed erythromycin and he was now coming back for the clearing-up operations. He turned to Maclaren. “This one might be suitable, but I’ll need to speak to the dentist.”
Maclaren reached for the record card and read it, his lips moving silently as they formed the words he was reading. He handed it back without comment, and opened the door to the surgery and nodded to the young captain who came over to the door.
“My colleague wants to talk to you, captain.”
The captain looked at Symons, his eyebrows raised in question.
“What is it you want?”
Symons handed over the card. “What do you have to do to him today?”
The dentist read the card and then looked up at Symons. “I’ll have to take another X-ray to check that the infection is cleared up. It almost certainly will be. Then I have to cut a flap in the gum, clean out the cavity and sterilize it. Then I stitch up the flap.”
“What kind of anaesthetic will you use?”
“Local. It’ll have to be four or five big shots because it will take quite a time.”
“Will he be conscious all the time?”
“Yes. But he’ll feel no pain until after the effect of the anaesthetic wears off. He’ll be drowsy and I’ll give him pain-killers. I have to pull up his lip so there will be quite extensive local pain including the lip and the nose.”
“Could I try an experiment for the post-operative pain?”
“What kind of experiment?”
“Hypnosis instead of pain-killer.”
“I’d have to ask the DDMS at Corps before I could do that. But it sounds interesting.”
Maclaren said, “Leave him to last and I’ll get the permission from Corps before you start.”
“What’s all this in aid of ? Are you two doctors?”
Symons said, “I am. I’m a psychiatrist in the Canadian army.”
The captain smiled. “Pleased to meet you. We’ve had lots of discussions about whether hypnosis is effective for dental operations that take a long time to perform or where the post-operative pain is abnormally high. I’d be interested in the results.”
Maclaren cut in. “I’ll get Corps to phone you in the surgery, and when you’ve finished with the corporal I’d like you to send him across to Hut Seven. We’ll wait for him there. We’ll send a report on him through Corps HQ.”
“I’ll be very interested. I really will.” He looked at Symons. “It really does work, does it?”
Symons nodded. “It has so far.”
Symons was on his own in the small room in Hut Seven. It was normally used as a living room for senior officers recuperating from serious operations. The furniture was modern and comfortable and there were rows of books, a colour TV and hi-fi equipment. He looked at the soldier.
“It’s Corporal Walker isn’t it?”
“Yes, sir.”
“The treatment all done?”
“Got to come back next week to have the stitches out.”
Symons smiled. “It’s not easy to talk is it?”
“It’s my lip. Feels all swollen and numb.”
“Sit down, corporal.” Symons pointed to the low chair and Walker sat down carefully.
“Tell me what the dentist did?”
“It was an abscess on my jaw.” He pointed to the front of his mouth.
“Just relax. Put your head back and tell me what it feels like. Close your eyes and that will help.”
“He just drilled a lot.”
“Do you feel drowsy?”
“I do a bit.”
“Close your eyes. That’s right. Now relax. I’m going to relax you even more. I’m going to count to ten and then you’ll be deeply relaxed. One, two … nice and easy … three, four, five … deeper and deeper … six, seven, eight … nice deep breaths … nine, ten … that’s it. Now you’re asleep. Can you hear me, George?”
Walker nodded.
“Your name’s George Walker, yes?”
“Yes.”
“Have you got a steady girl-friend?”
“No.”
“Tell me about your parents.”
“My dad works on the railway. Mom’s just a housewife.”
“You live with them when you’re not in the army?”
“Yes.”
“Where do you live?”
“Chester Road, Stockport.”
“When you leave here you won’t feel any pain where your abscess was. No pain at all in your mouth. No pain at all.” Symons paused. “Do you read books at all?”
“Yes. Quite a lot.”
“Who’s your favourite author?”
“Dickens.”
“Would you like to be able to write like Dickens?”
“Yes.”
“I tell you what. When we talk together like this your name will be Dickens. You’ll really be Mr. Dickens. How about that?”
“OK.”
“And whenever I call you Dickens you’ll do whatever I say. OK?”
“Yes.”
“I’m going to bring you back now. When I count from ten to one you’ll be wide awake. You won’t remember anything we’ve talked about but you’ll take a book from the bookshelf when I say the word ‘careful’ and you’ll give the book to me. Understood?”
“Yes.”
“Right. Ten, nine … you’re coming awake … eight, seven, six … that’s fine … you’re feeling great … five, four,
