Is There One Particular Subconscious Memory You Wish To Have Made Conscious?

by R J Dent

Martin Ambler looked at the large black letters on the sign over the double doors of the SMMC building and felt a twinge of nervous energy surge through his body. He quickly suppressed an instinct to turn away from the imposing white-facaded building and go back home. Resolved, he pushed the left hand door open and entered.

To his right was a long wood-veneered reception desk. He walked over to it.

          A young, blond, bespectacled receptionist looked up at him.

          “Can I help you, Sir?” she asked brightly.

          “Ambler, Martin. I have an appointment with Doctor Xavier.”

          The receptionist ran her index finger down a sheet of computer printout. She stopped near the top, looked up at Ambler, nodded, then extended her arm, pointing to her right, Ambler’s left.

          “Room sixty nine. Doctor Xavier is expecting you.”

          Ambler turned and set off in the direction she had pointed. As he walked over the green-carpeted floor, he noticed the large white room numbers fixed to the doors – doors covered in the same veneer as the reception desk. He walked past forty eight, forty nine, fifty, until finally… sixty nine. He paused to collect himself, and then knocked on the door.

          “Come in.”

          Ambler went in.

          Doctor Xavier had a deep baritone voice. He looked like the actor Michael Caine. Because of this, Ambler found the discrepancy between the doctor’s voice and appearance disconcerting. The doctor was sitting on a swivel chair at his desk. He had spun to face the door as Ambler entered.

          “Good morning, Mister Ambler. Welcome to SMMC.”

          “Thank you,” Ambler said.

          “Please take a seat,” Doctor Xavier said, indicating a chair.