Vogel Meets the Dark Passenger
The video flickers on, showing the lack luster resolution of the tape. You see Harry, in cop garb, sitting in front of a desk. The officer's cap is in his hands. The uniformed cop frets in his chair. He nervously turns his hat in his hands like a steering wheel.
On the right side of the screen you see a stream of white smoke flowing from a Lucky Strike. The small fire is held between two fingers with long red nails. The rest of the lady is off camera. Her slender stems stroke the cigarette seductively. A desktop calender gives us the date, 1985.
The lady's hand taps the tip of the cigarette onto an ashtray. Then the luminous voice of Vogel begins speaking, "Harry, I know you're distressed. A lot's happened. It's just gonna take time. But I assure you... "
Harry shakes his head and interjects, "No, it's something else, something new."
Vogel ventures, "With Debra?"
Harry counters, "No, it's not Debra. It's Dexter."
Quizzically she asks, "Your son seemed to be adjusting well considering... " Vogel trails off, seeming distraught now herself.
Harry shakes his head again and says, "Dexter isn't coping well at all. I knew my son was troubled but I didn't think he was crazy!"
Confused, Vogel asks, "I've explained to you before how psychopaths are. They aren't delusional. They're... "
Harry erupts, "Delusional! That's it! Dexter's lost touch with reality. He snapped. I knew he couldn't take it."
Harry abrutly stands up, slamming his hands down on Vogel's desk. He paces back and forth, bringing the cops midsection in and out of view from the camera. You get a good view of Harry's holster. As Harry turns against the wall of the room, the gun inside the belt glints in the lamp light.
The hand of the doctor comes into the camera's foreground. Vogel insists, "Please tell me what's going on with Dexter." The well manicured nails gently gesture for Harry to calm himself and sit down.
Harry takes a breathe and does as instructed.
The long nails sink out of shot and Harry retakes his position in the chair, in front of the camera.
Vogel pleads, "So then tell me. Why do you think Dexter's delusional? Is he paranoid? Because paranoia is a common occurence after... "
Harry firmly states, "He's not paranoid. He's imagining people."
Confused again Vogel asks, "Like an imaginary friend? Because at the age of twelve that is usual behavior."
Harry protests, "It's not an imaginary friend either. Dexter thinks a 'Dark Passenger' is responsible for his darker urges."
Smoke still billows up from Vogel's cigarette, which is now at the bottom of the screen. She puts out the small fire in the ashtray and sits back her chair.
Vogel asks, "A 'Dark Passenger' you say?"
Harry continues, "Dexter thinks a 'Dark Passenger' is making him kill. He says he can't control his urges because of this person, this thing, overtakes him."
The doctor muses over what she's been told, then states, "Dexter must be trying to disassoiciate himself with his darker urges. For him to claim responsibility for himself, at his age, it's too hard for a child to bare."
Harry asks, "Is my son crazy? Does he too need... special treatment?"
Vogel shakes her head and councils, "I don't think your son is schizophenic but he does have a delusion. This delusion is a coping mechanism he should out grow. Dexter's darker urges won't dimish overtime. But his belief in a Dark Passenger will fade with maturity."
Harry reaches forward and garbs Vogel's desk. He asks, "So this Dark Passenger is an adolescent fantasy, not an ongoing delusion for him."
Vogel assures, "Yes exactly Harry." She puts her hand on his and looks at him sympathetically. She continues, "This coping mechanism is a security blanket. But think about. Kids don't go off to college sucking their thumb, talking about the Tooth Fairy do they?"
Harry sighs and closes his eyes. He puts his other hand on Vogel's, giving her hand a squeeze. Relieved he smiles and says, "Of course your right. What was I thinking? That Dexter will wined up a grown man still talking about his Dark Passenger controlling him."
Vogel smiles back and says, "Yeah right. Like Dexter will end up some middle aged man, blaming all his misdeeds on his imaginary friend."
Harry and Vogel both erupt in laughter.
The End.