Chapter 212: The Delusion of Doubles

“I’m sure this comes as something of a shock to you. Please, let me explain a little more about the condition, and then I can answer any questions you might have.”

I stare blankly at her. She continues:

“Traditionally, we define the Fregoli delusion as a disorder where the patient is convinced that the different people they meet are in fact a single person. Sometimes that person will have slight changes in appearance, or wears a disguise. However, in your case, that single person you see is yourself, albeit in multiple forms and roles.”

Through a gritted smile, I whisper: “Bullshit.”

Chapter 211: Dr. Fregoli, I Presume?

“Last Doc rattled off all my problems. I know all about it.”

“Miss Jones, there’s one condition I don’t think you’re aware of.” She pauses.

Then she drops the bomb. “You see, your last doctor was nothing more than a figment of your imagination.”

“What?”

“Your daughter explained your head injury. There may be a lesion on your brain causing changes in your mood and behavior, and may be a contributing factor to hallucinations or delusions you’ve been suffering from. We think you may be suffering from the Fregoli delusion. We’d like to run some additional tests to confirm this.”

Chapter 210: Putting the “Gnosis” in “Diagnosis”

“You may have noticed your organs and limbs aren’t in flux. And I’m sure you think there’s some sort of dampening field here to keep you captive, which I assure you isn’t the case. I’m sure you’ve heard this a lot lately, but we really do want to help.”

“Bullshit. You’ve got an agenda. Everybody does. Although I do appreciate the field you’ve got here…it’ll prevent that terrible slipping between world problem.”

“Miss Jones, I know your last physician told you this, but you’re not well.”

“Listen. Just tell me what you want.”

“To explain your medical condition. That’s all.”

Chapter 209: Acid Tongue and Heavy Joints

I could make a basketball joke, but I decide it’s probably better to not hit the hornet’s nest just yet. The dull ache in my joints probably has something to do with my silence, too.

“I have to say I expected you to be a bit more…vocal. That’s what I’ve heard from our men in the field, anyway.”

“Does the white coat mean you’re a doctor, or a lab tech?” I ask.

“That’s more like it. I was hoping I’d get a chance to see you at your most acerbic. I hear you’re a funny lady.”

“What do you want?”

Chapter 208: Click in the Lock

On the plus side, I’m not restrained.

On the other hand, that same damn dampening field is at work here, so I might as well be tied up.

The door clicks, a key slides into place, and turns.

A tall blonde woman in a white jacket comes in, washes her hands, and sits in the chair across from my examination table. She peers at some pink papers on a clipboard, and I notice (with great relief) that the exam table doesn’t have any stirrups.

“Ms. Jones?” she says, bringing me back from a nasty train of thought, “I’m Carmella Antony.”

Chapter 207: Black Fingers

I turn, and my vision swims. As I crumple, I see a field of black. Men in black assault gear, running hard at me.

One of them catches me before I hit the ground.

Through blurry eyes, I see the sweat on his brow, notice that he has soft green eyes.

“Thanks,” I mumble. And then I’m out.

-*-*-*-

An exam room. You can always tell them by the smell. Even before I can get my eyes to cooperate, I know where I am. Or if not where, exactly, then at least I have an inkling of what’s to come.

Chapter 206: A Moment of Composure

Day five of the body in flux, and for one glorious moment, I am whole. All my limbs appear to be attached and working, so I take advantage of this momentary self-possession and I slide between worlds.

I thought that whatever was causing this had to do with the world I was in, but the moment I touched down again under a fresh sky, both my legs buggered off somewhere.

I can walk, but looking down gives me vertigo. I should not be able to move without legs.

I wish there was someone I could turn to.

A twig snaps.

Chapter 205: Ulna and Radius Looking On

Today, it’s my left elbow. Just the elbow. The forearm’s there, my bicep still flexes…the bit connecting them? Completely gone. Watching my arm bend has got me completely freaked out.

The organs, thankfully, haven’t gone anywhere. At least, I don’t think they have. I’d notice, right?

It’s like the pieces of me are still here, but not visible. And I can’t touch them. But the missing elbow proves I’m still here. I’m all the way here.

For now, anyway.

I could try and find a doctor, a doctor who won’t keep me up.

But aren’t they all essentially the same?

Chapter 204: Dimensional Hypochrondria

The good news is I can sleep now, without fear of falling through a flipbook of cascading worlds.

The bad news is when I wake, my limbs aren’t always here.

My body parts are in flux now, phasing in and out of the world I occupy. Sometimes for minutes, sometimes for hours. One toe went MIA for two days.

When it finally returned to me, it was manicured. I’m still not entirely convinced it was the same toe.

I’ve got a tickle in the back of my throat that’s chills my blood. What if my trachea goes next? Or my heart?

Chapter 203: What Ails You

The next few days pass like a fever dream. I nod off for seconds at a time, waking from my microsleeps to the sensation of rushing air.

There is a constant impact as I slide through dozens of worlds in seconds, and my bones feel like jelly from lack of sleep.

I begin to see the world through a manic lens: colors bleed through from point to point, and the seams between worlds are jagged and taut.

I try to stave off sleep at first, but by day three there’s nothing I can do.

On the fourth day, it stops.