I was sitting at a small round table with two other people. A woman (about 20 years old) was to my left, while a bearded man about the same age was to my right. He vaguely looked like McGee (a fellow I met in Portsmouth in 1977). As I talked with them, I realized other people were sitting at other tables around the room, and that all of us were in a mental hospital.

I recalled that I had been sent to the mental hospital by a judge as part of a sentence I was serving. I only had to spend part of the day in the hospital, and I was able to leave every day. However, the sentence was going to last for several months, and I found the idea quite displeasing.

I finally asked the fellow if there was a television anywhere in the hospital. He told me that a big-screen television was in another room, and he gave me directions how to get there. When I rose and walked away, the woman left with me. Only then did I realize that she was attracted to me and wanted to be with me. But I wasn't attracted to her. She was tall and thin, and had a pretty face; but I didn't feel comfortable with her. Plus, I knew the fellow at the table liked her, and I didn't want to take her from him.

But she stuck to my side, until we finally reached the television room. Actually there were several rooms with televisions, each television tuned to a different channel. Many people were seated in each room. I also noticed many people reading a current issue of Newsweek, all copies of which had the same black and white cover.

It was time for the news to come on the television, and I saw one television with the news coming on, but the volume was so low I could hardly hear it, so I walked over and turned it up.

When I sat down at a table, the woman sat at my left, and even laid her head on my breast. I was embarrassed by her being with me. I hoped no one noticed. I was especially concerned that someone I knew might see me. Maybe one of my clients or former clients was there. That would be embarrassing. I thought I saw a man I recognized as either a lawyer or a politician I knew, but he didn't seem to notice me. I also noticed several attractive women in the room. I thought it both strange and interesting that such attractive women would be there. Maybe I could meet some. I asked the woman with me if she had met anyone besides the bearded man while in the hospital. She said she had briefly met one other man, but hadn't gotten to know him well.

I also noticed another woman (probably in her 50s) who was going to be my therapist while I was there. This might be an opportunity to let someone read my dreams for therapeutic purposes. Although I didn't write my dreams for such a purpose, since I was there anyway, I might get some good out of having her read them.

It occurred to me that my friend Kim (a woman a few years younger than I whom I first met in Portsmouth in 1977) had once been in a place like this. I thought she had been able to benefit from it. So although I really didn't like it there, I thought I should make the most of it.

***

I was in a large, new, black pickup truck, outside the hospital. I planned to drive the truck inside the hospital and hide it there. Since I was also a medical doctor, I had a black medical bag which I also wanted to hide in the hospital so I would have it when I needed it.

I stopped the truck outside the hospital near a window. I walked up to the window and through the blinds could see a man staring straight back at me. It was Ed Chigliak (a character played by Darren E. Burrows in the television series "Northern Exposure"). He had long, black hair pulled back in a pony tail. I reflected that Ed was somewhat like me, since we both wanted to be writers. I also recalled having seen a large dictionary in the hospital which we could both use. At least in the hospital we could learn some new words which we could use to improve our writing skills.

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