Writers Comment: I don't own anything. Don't hurt me.
*1/2/03* Revised after some helpful comments. Sorry for the confusion, I know it's ECT but I didn't want to confuse anyone so I used
EST for electroshock therapy. But I guess that didn't work. So, I tried (again) to search for shock therapy(ECT) in the 1930s but, I
found nothing. I'm trying hard to do this right. I'm sure this and many other chapters will be revised often.
Alice sat in a wheelchair being pushed through a long corridor. This was a whole other side of Rutledge's, she had never seen this area before. The wheelchair stopped outside a room. The door was labeled :
Laboratory 33a Dr. Q. Rose
For a long while they stood there, neither of them speaking. The Doctor, not sure how to tell Alice about the procedure and Alice, not caring very much for conversation. Dr. Wilson led Alice into the room to someone that Alice presumed was Dr. Rose. "Why, Hello Alice." said Dr. Rose said in a sickening sweet voice. Alice blinked in response. Dr. Rose and Dr. Wilson untied Alice's restraints and led Alice to the metal examination table.
Alice looked at Dr. Wilson, who was staring at his shoes. Dr. Rose explained to Alice why she was here. "Alice" she said, "We're trying an experiment, it should make you feel all better. You won't need Wonderland." Alice started to protest but Dr. Rose continued. "I will say there's some amount of....pain.....involved but I'll try to make you as comfortable as I can." Alice nodded, her eyes closed. A few nurses laid her down on the metal table and restrained her. Alice eyed the gauges, dials and switches. She drowned out all the voices and heard only the steady ticking of the clock.
A crown of thick metal was placed onto her head, electrodes were then attached to the metal. Tears welled up in the corners of Alice's eyes as the feeling that something bad was going to happen rose inside her.
"All ready Dr. Rose." The metallic voice echoed in her ear.
"Okay Alice we're going to start now." the doctor called out. "Try to relax"
Alice clenched her teeth as the doctor slowly counted to three and turned the dial all the way up, releasing 110 volts of electricity. On three Alice let out an ear piercing shriek. Immediately her body tensed and there were short bursts of twitching.
"What's going on?" Dr. Wilson asked, frightened.
"This is what's supposed to happen, she's reacting very well." replied the other doctor. "She probably won't even remember this when she wakes."
As Alice's movement began to diminish, the nurses took her restraints off. They would have to wait until she regained consciousness to see if she had improved. There was a chance it wouldn't work, or that she had lost some of her memory in the process.
About thirty minutes later, Alice awoke in a hospital bed to a faint ticking of a clock. Had she heard it before? She couldn't remember. Her head felt very sore and so did her shoulders. She sat up and a nurse came up to her.
"Alice, you're awake." she noted kindly.
"Wh - what happened?" Alice asked.
"Well you went through your first ECT treatment."
"Oh..." Alice sighed and laid back down.
"Well, how do you feel?" asked the nurse.
Alice replied in a low tone. "I feel..." she started "like a falling house of cards." And drifted off back to sleep.
