Benning: Good evening Fred, it’s nice to see you.
Abottson: Hi Doc. Thanks. Today’s really messing with me. It’s not actually just today…but today has been big.
Benning: Have a seat. Let’s talk about it.
Abottson: Yeah. For sure.
Frederick sat down and his face showed that he was struggling to figure out the best way to start.
Benning: Why don’t you start with a feeling?
Abottson: Ok. Deja vu? Confusion? Hmm…Do you remember when I talked about what happened in Cairo?
Benning: Yes. I know that was upsetting.
Abottson: Right. It’s happening again.
Benning: What do you mean?
Abottson: I mean, these things keep happening. It’s like…we’re slipping in and out of other realities. They’re similar enough that you could almost ignore it, but…I can’t. So, it’s little things, but also some really big things. I’ll use baseball stuff mostly because I live and breathe that stuff pretty much all the time, right?
Benning: I’m listening.
Abottson: Ok, so we had these two kids, prospects, in the development lab. Jorge Trujillo and Jacquot Natta. These are kids we’re excited about. So, we put them in the lab to work on their defense. Both of them came back with reports of poor sessions but the coaches said they were at least able to get them back to where they started so there was not harm. That sucks, but whatever, we’ll keep trying stuff, right? But then, all a sudden, the reports said that they had a steady session but ended of with no improvement. Same result, right? But still different. And I know they both happened. Like, I know it.
Benning: I know these things can sometimes feel like they really happen, but…
Abottson: No. It’s not like that. Ok…another example. So, right at the end of the season, we played Charm City. We had two players ready to be activated off the Injured List.Robert Menzies and Kyuichi Mori. It was my job to submit their reinstatement. I did it. I know for a fact I did. You know how I always have to compulsively check to make sure I have the proper checkmarks on the league website…we’ve talked about that. Well, I did it. And I must have checked like 50 times. Then all the sudden, we’re playing Charm City and those guys aren’t active. Then we have the injury to Dallas Dixon and we’re screwed. We’re shorthanded. And our manager didn’t have the right guys to go to to fill in, or even start. Mori was supposed to be starting 3 of the 4 games because of their lefty starters. Like, do we win another game or two if that didn’t happen? I don’t know. But it’s another one of those weird things, right?
Benning: I understand that’s frustrating Fred, but is it possible that your mind was trying to protect you from a mistake that you feel was particularly harmful and created those memories to shield you?
Abottson: No, no, no. It wasn’t that. Ok, look. There is some real…tangible evidence this time. It’s not just feelings and memories or whatever. Look, I’ll show you.
He took out his iPad and pulled up an article. “See this?” Then another. “Ok…look at the names.” He then showed Benning on the league website that those players were actually on new teams despite reports that their signings had been voided. “Look, here’s al Din...and here…look…it’s Isa. See? These guys are on their new teams but there are these stories, and even a report from a press conference, saying the deals were voided. It doesn’t make any sense.”
Benning: Is it possible those are just stories are real, from leaked sources or something like that?
Abottson: No. That’s not what this is. I’m telling you.
Benning: Ok. That is strange. I’m sure there has to be some kind of explanation.
Abottson: Right! Do you see it? Do you see what I mean?
Benning: I see there are some discrepancies in the reports, yes.
Abottson: Ok. And I also think this is what happened with all of that V-25 stuff they’re talking about. Like, virtually all of the scouting reports dropped like crazy after the season ended. There’s this story out there that it has to do with something called V-25. Some people are saying it’s water from Long Beach that caused the problem. But…hear me out…what if it’s actually that we sort of shifted dimensions, or timelines, or whatever. Like, what if we’re just kind of living in a slightly different version of reality than we were before? Like, things are mostly the same, but actually everything is a little different.
Benning: Frederick…
Abottson: I know. You think I’m imagining a lot of this stuff, but it’s real. I swear…It’s real.
Benning: Fred, I think that I’d like to refer you to see a friend of mine.
Abottson: You know what, Doc? I’ve actually got to go. I’ve got to get back to work. I don’t know if I’m going to make it to next week’s appointment.
Frederick got up and walked out of the office. Benning finished jotting down her notes with a concerned look on her face as she wondered if there was something she could do for the man who was likely not coming back to see her. She also has a slight twinge of concern, remembering how she felt some odd things happening recently that she had written off as stress induced dreams.
