“That’s a great question, Edith.” Preston encouraged.
“This will open up avenues for studying its effectiveness, with consent of course. However, we do not catalog any of the data that a client chooses to resolve. For instance, if somebody has anxiety, we are not privy to those personal anxieties. Only their counselor has that access. Any other…”
Clive was immediately cut off by what looked to be a board member of the university. “That’s a shame because we could learn much more about why people struggle with certain mental illnesses if we were able to track thought patterns.”
“Yes, but people have the right to their privacy.” Clive said, his tone a little more firm than before. He still wore a smile but he didn’t like the direction that this was going.
“But what if the person is dangerous?” Asked the youngest-looking person in the room.
“What do you mean, Dallas?” Preston asked.
“If somebody has a mental illness that makes them prone to violence, shouldn’t we be able to monitor what is going on in their brain? It could be effective for identifying others that have this tendency and preventing violence before it happens.” Dallas insisted.
Dallas seemed more than prepared for this presentation and Clive found himself thrown off balance. Up to this point, he had enjoyed his presentations and everybody seemed to just be in awe of the technology. However, these academics were delving into realms of the technology that he didn’t intend for it to be taken.
Clive had personally never dealt with mental illness. He had always been pretty happy and confident. Mental illness did not run in his family and overall he was privileged. However, due to his confidence in the technology, he had considered receiving a chip implant just to prove how confident he was in the treatment. But when he thought about people he didn’t know having access to his fears and sad thoughts, he shriveled up on the inside. Anybody knowing his weaknesses was too much.
“Privacy is paramount for us.” Clive cut in. “When a client chooses to ‘resolve’ a particular mental health issue, that electrical impulse in the brain is deleted. It is not channeled into a database somewhere.”
He hoped that would be the end of it, but Edith spoke up again. “Could it be channeled into a database?”
“In theory, yes, but it has never been tried.” Dr. Evers was feeling the control of this meeting slipping through his fingers like sand.
“That might be worth looking into.” Preston said kindly. His smile was reassuring, but Clive did not return the expression. “Thank you all for your good questions. Let’s hear what else Dr. Evers has to say.”
Clive appreciated the lifeline. While he had the confidence, Preston seemed to be able to handle people better. He knew just what to say.
“Thank you, Dr. Winston.” The rest of the presentation proceeded without a hitch, but the unsettling conversation sat with Clive like a rock in his stomach.
He had always believed the best of humanity, but there were moments when he wondered if everything was destined to be tainted. He believed that the privacy of his patients was critically important to maintain. At this time, there was a medical board that had his back along with Tonya.
Tonya.
He was going to have to speak with her about their secret rendezvous. If Clive ended it, he may no longer have the support he needed. She was a lawyer, but even lawyers could become unprofessional. The more he thought about it, the more he felt like he was entrapped in a spider’s web that he could not escape.
***
The drive back to the hospital was uneventful besides stopping to pick up a bite to eat. He ate while navigating through traffic and finished the last bite as he parked in his spot. He went through his usual routine and pulled on his mask as he approached the hospital entrance. Dill took his temperature and he rode the elevator to the 3rd floor. When he arrived, Tonya was already waiting for him.
“Hey, you.” She purred. “You’re late.”
“I don’t have any other meetings today.” Was all he could muster under the circumstances. She was beautiful and it captivated him.
“Well, now you do. The hospital board has gathered to discuss some details about chip implementation.” Tonya grabbed his wrist and pulled him from the elevator. He silently twisted his wrist out of her grasp and pretended not to notice the surprise in her eyes. Even so, she continued speaking without missing a beat. “It’s really important. Can you do pass-on afterward?”
“Wait, Tonya.” Clive flapped his right hand to signal to her to stop in case she couldn’t understand what he was saying through his mask. “Stop bossing me around. I’m a grown man and can make my own decisions.”
“Don’t you trust me? My judgment?”
Clive pulled his face mask away from his face slightly to scratch the prickly growth of facial hair on his chin and said carefully, “I trust that what you’re telling me is true.” Just then, a pair of nurses shuffled by and Clive lowered his voice. “But you have to stop treating me like a boyfriend.”
“Did you talk with Mayre?” Tonya sighed, exasperated understanding lighting up her sharp eyes.
“We fought, yes.” He grasped her elbow and began steering her down the hallway. They were beginning to get stares. “Where is this meeting?”
“The next hallway over.” He could hear the smirk in her voice even without seeing it. “This is cliche, but…she doesn’t know you like I do, honey.” She pulled her elbow free and marched ahead of him to push aside the double door leading to a hall that connected to an administrative hallway.
He wasn’t ready to give Tonya up, but what happened between him and Mayre last night was something he never wanted to go through again. Seeing his wife reminded him of all they had been through and it pained him to know he had hurt her. When at work, it was easier to forget his commitments.
“Here we are.” Tonya said, snapping Clive out of his musings.
They walked in together and several of the powerful people running the hospital were chatting amongst themselves. As soon as they saw Clive, they quieted down. He made his way to a seat and sat down expectantly.
“We received a call about your meeting at the university.” Spoke the chairman of the board. She was very short but had a very commanding presence about her and severe lines to even her nose and hairline. “It sounded very fruitful.”
“That’s fantastic to hear.” Dr. Evers was pleasantly surprised but waited for the other shoe to drop.
“Dr. Winston specifically reached out to us to share some of the ideas that students and faculty had brought up. We think they are worth exploring.”
“Which ones?”
“We could be protecting the general public with this technology. Is it possible to give the hospital access to the data from the chips of those who are suffering under more violent mental health conditions?”
Feeling comfortable in his workplace he found himself saying, “You thought that was a good idea?” Disbelief radiated out of every syllable and everyone present looked affronted.
“Is that so surprising?”
“Yes! People deserve to have their privacy.”
