Spilling Guts

Part 93 - Doctor Sleep

Rachel smirked. "Will, this is Doctor Hayman. Doctor Hayman, William James Rowe."

"Pleasure to meet you." Doctor Neil Hayman shook Will's hand with a smile. He was a gangly man with a salt and pepper short beard, mop of dark hair, and bags under his eyes that carried either a lot of long nights or a lot of laughter. Under his white lab coat he wore charcoal and black.

"Let's step into my office," said Doctor Hayman as he led them to a small room further into the Sleep Clinic. It looked less like an office and more like a family room where parents went over their kid's homework, complete with a small fridge, coffeemaker, and a fruit basket.

Between the three of them they laid out Will's paperwork and medical history, but Rachel remained silent as Doctor Hayman went over the instructions for Will's night.

"You'll be outfitted with a poly-sonogram, electrodes on your head to measure brain activity, arms and legs to measure movement, a band across you chest and a nasal tube for breathing. It'll feel like being hugged by an octopus, but I encourage you to sleep in whatever position you feel comfortable with. We have a variety of pillows you can use, but bringing your own is fine as well."

"Just the pillowcase," said Will. He'd been in enough hotels to adjust to almost any pillow, or lack thereof in some cases. A pillowcase with a familiar scent helped.

Doctor Hayman nodded. "I was told there are extreme circumstances pertaining to your case-"

Will's snide side did a commentary in his head. A paralysis causing device called the Devil's Neckbrace is somehow giving me night terrors; sure, that could be an extreme circumstance. And I eat tiny people.

"-so you might be here for more than one night. That being said, we will treat this like any other sleep study. The goal is the record on our equipment what's going on in your head when the event happens."

"How would you measure an event if it happens when I'm awake?" asked Will.

Hayman frowned and glanced between Will and Rachel. "Waking nightmares? On top of sleep paralysis?"

"It feels like it," said Will. He shuddered at the thought of having to go through another one while hooked up to machines.

Rachel grimaced and nodded. "We're still figuring it out. I thought you might have some input into how to track it."

"I can go over options while I'm up tonight," said Doctor Hayman. "You mentioned on the phone some files I should read to better understand what we're looking for."

"Yep." Rachel held out a familiar folder. Louis' report on the Devil's Neckbrace. She turned back to Will. "And I have to catch up on my own reading in the lab. If you need me, call me, but I'll see you in the morning."

"Got it," said Will.

Doctor Hayman led Will to the room he would sleep in. It was small, but neat. Better than some hotel rooms he'd occupied. A chamber of soothing gray, like a watery smudge on a charcoal drawing. Aside from the wires and monitor on the bedside table.

One side of the room had a long mirror. A one way window.

"You'll be there all night?" asked Will, gesturing to the glass.

"Yes, watching over you as you sleep. Sounds creepy, I know."

"Hm." Will could think of a few horror movies that abused such a setup for shock value.

"There's a microphone at the back of the headrest to record anything you might say during the night. And a camera."

Will glanced around again, swallowing hard. This had a similar setup as the punch test in the BT-10, but instead of punching a plate he had to sleep.

Doctor Hayman gestured to the bathroom door. "Full facilities if you need a shower. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen if you normally have a snack before bed. If you need a comfort object and didn't bring one with you, you can find a few in storage bench at the foot of the bed."

Will paused in setting his bag on said storage bench. "Comfort object?"

"Indeed." Doctor Hayman lifted the lid and pulled out a soft toy shaped like a bunny. The entire storage bench was full of stuffed toys, from teddy bears to...

"Is that a stuffed taco with a chibi face?"

"It's a stuffed falafel with a chibi face," said Doctor Hayman with a proud smile.

"I'm guessing there is an inside joke about you and falafels."

Hayman winked. "All part of the mystique."