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The Maze - Eighteen The Maze - Eighteen job situation seems mildly stressful right now, but nothing you’ve told me so far would account for such strong symp- toms. What about your other activities? Are you involved in sports, or hobbies?” “I do spend a lot of time on my psychic work,” Ted admitted, briefly explaining his association with the spiritual- ist group. “It takes a lot of emotional energy, dealing with people’s problems and trying to give them the best advice from the spirits. But I’m keeping myself in pretty good shape physically. I exercise, and I’m careful about what I eat.” “Could you be overextending yourself there?” “T doubt it. My schedule has always been this busy, and I’ve never had problems like this before.” “Well, then, perhaps this strain is stemming from a long accumulation of small problems,” the doctor commented. “If worry over a lot of little things is added to your present mild stress about a possible job loss, that might explain your over- all fatigue. Let’s talk about things from the past that you might still be dealing with emotionally.” So they delved into past situations, everything from the conflict with Jill in Sun Valley and his years of schooling, up to the transitional turmoil at the bank. They also discussed Ted’s current increased alcohol consumption, but it soon became clear that the drinking was a symptom of the stress, not a cause. Another area of concern was Ted’s lack of any recent happy romantic relationship. When the doctor realized that Ted had not been seriously involved with a woman since Jill, he wondered why. “Is there something about an intimate relationship that bothers you?” he asked. “Are you feeling isolated, or as if your personal life doesn’t have any real direction?” “No, I don’t think so,” Ted said. “I date fairly frequently, and I like having a good time. But I’m not feeling especially lonely, or pushed to find someone and settle down. I now lean more towards the detached, less emotional, more unconditional style of relationships, rather than the traditional.” After the brief discussion of the past, all the doctor could suggest was vague, cumulative stress from many incidents Masquerade of Angels 170 and situations. Nothing extraordinary stood out as a serious problem, although if Ted had confided about the episodes of paranormal activities-the fog and shock, the missing time-the doctor might have thought differently. But Ted did not. He had insisted to himself that the fog event must have been a dream, and the missing time he attributed to an ill- ness, without trying to explain driving the ten miles in an unconscious state. Without this additional information, the doctor had no indication to tell why Ted’s stress was so severe at that particular time. The doctor prescribed a variety of medications, hoping to find one that would give Ted some relief from his sleepless- ness and frayed nerves. None of them, however, produced lasting positive results. Some of them simply had no effect, and when others did cause a change in his energy level or his moods, Ted felt uncomfortable. He had never enjoyed the effects of drugs, not since the night with the marijuana octo- pus, and even though he had recently been drinking he didn’t like the stuporous effects. He preferred his normal personality and state of mind. At last one of the medications proved effective without disturbing him, and the doctor also advised him to stay hos- pitalized another week, to meet with the group counseling sessions. ‘Take a little extra time now,” the doctor said, “just to be sure. Frankly, I’d like you keep away from your old schedule at the bank a while longer. You appear to be in much better shape, and maybe all you really needed was a few good nights of sleep, but let’s not push it. The same goes for your work with Marie, too, not until you’re sure you’ re feeling healthy again.” “But I’m going to have to go back to those things sooner or later,” Ted replied. “That’s my life. Will putting it off a week really help?” “T think so,” the doctor nodded. “I feel like you need a complete break, a total change, to get back your old vitality. And the group sessions are important. Something may come out that we’ ve overlooked.” Ted acceded. He was comfortable in the facility, sleeping Masquerade of Angels 171