Page 31 of Healed Heart
“Hello.Is this Dr.Jason Lansing?”The voice is male and accented.
“You found him.”
“Dr.Lansing, hello.My name is Dr.Carlos Engel.I believe we met last year at the Dean’s Ball.”
Carlos Engel.
Right, Professor of psychiatry.And the therapist Dr.Steel thought would be a good fit for me.
“What can I do for you, Dr.Engel?”
“I believe it’s what I can do for you, Dr.Lansing.”
“And what’s that?”I say, my words coming out clipped.
“Our mutual colleague, Dr.Melanie Steel, has been in touch with me.She felt I might be a good fit for you for a few sessions regarding an experimental surgery.”
“Do you even see patients anymore?”
“Only on a referral basis,” Dr.Engel says.“Much like Dr.Steel, I’m retired except for the few classes I teach.But I come out of retirement for special projects.”
“I see.Dr.Steel told you I was a special project?”
“She explained the situation to me.”
“So HIPAA be damned.”
He chuckles.“It doesn’t apply, as I’m sure you’re aware.Dr.Steel was consulting with me.”
He’s right, of course.I should’ve left out the HIPAA comment.But psychiatry still grates on me.
Except…
If Lindsay didn’t kill herself…
If she was murdered…
It’s not the first time I’ve had this thought.
Maybe psychiatrycouldhave helped her.Maybe itwashelping her.
Maybe we just didn’t wait long enough to find out.
And maybe this Dr.Engel can help me with that.
“Can you see me today?”I ask.
“I was going to suggest tomorrow,” Dr.Engel says.“But I could move a few things around.Maybe two this afternoon?At my office at the medical school?”
“Done.I don’t have any classes today, so I’m free.I’ll see you at two o’clock.”
“Excellent.See you then.”
He thinks he’s going to talk to me about the surgery.
And sure, we can talk a little bit about that.
But what I really want is to understand the practice of psychiatry.I want to know if it could’ve helped Lindsay.
