Page 141 of Strangers in Time

“So another side effect?” said Oliver tersely.

“Yes, that and the lethargy that you probably witnessed,” said Foyle. “But that is preferable to the violent outbursts and uncontrollable seizures that she was exhibiting before.”

Oliver looked at him with an expression that clearly said,Is it?

“And the scars on her temple?” Molly interjected.

Foyle spoke up again. “Your mother suffers from a complex social neurosis that has taken quite a toll on her. Procedures were done to alleviate the behavior that such an affliction causes.”

“What sort of behavior?” asked Molly.

“Anger, primarily, as I alluded to just now. She was virtually uncontrollable when she first arrived here. Heavy sedation was required at first.”

“What sorts of procedures?” asked Oliver.

Foyle looked at him. “Are you related to Miss Wakefield? Dr. Stephens did not mention.”

“No, but I’m her friend.”

Foyle made a show of turning to Molly. “The procedure is called aleucotomy. I refer to it as alobotomy.”

“I’ve never heard of it,” said Molly.

“Well, it was invented less than a decade ago and is a relatively progressive treatment in England. It is used with patients for whom other treatments have not worked. Sort of a last resort, as it were.”

“And the scars I saw?” Molly asked again.

“They come from the procedure. I won’t get into too much detail, but an incision is made and an instrument is then inserted to manipulate certain connections between the frontal lobes and the rest of the brain.”

“Manipulate thebrain?” said Oliver, looking astonished.

Foyle glanced sharply at him. “Yes. We believe much of the cause of our patients’ debilitating issues lies in that arena. Once that connection is broken, the issue is resolved. At least that is the hope.”

“And the wounds in the eye sockets?” said Molly.

“Very recently, an American chap pioneered something called thetransorbitallobotomy. When I read of it, I was instantly intrigued, because it is far simpler and takes less time than a traditional lobotomy, as we work through the thin bones around the eye sockets.”

“Isn’t that painful?” said Molly.

“We use electroconvulsive therapy to induce a seizure that renders the patient unconscious before they undergo the operation.”

“It is much preferred to the old method of administering cardiazol to induce seizures,” interjected Stephens.

Foyle added, “And the procedure takes no more than twenty minutes. Quite straightforward.”

Oliver looked at Stephens. “And you also perform theseoperations?”

Stephens looked taken aback. “Oh, no. Dr. Foyle brought these new methods to us.”

“So all of this was done on my mother, and yet…?” said Molly.

“Well, the success rate is not one hundred percent, Miss Wakefield,” said Foyle. “Far from it, in fact. And I’m afraid that your mother was not as responsive to the treatment as certain others have been.”

“But she seemed lucid and calm when I saw her earlier.”

“Yes, she has those periods,” said Stephens. “Indeed, that is one of the benefits of the lobotomy. It makes people… calmer.”

“So, is shenotcalm all the time?” asked Molly.

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