June 27, 2018 • 36 mins
Karen (Hannah Fierman) spends days confined to a “sleep room,” where a mind-numbing combination of treatments are administered. Pleased with Hayes’s progress, Somerhill (Daniel May) encourages the doctor (John Schmedes) to become more aggressive in his therapies, just as the Ward Head Nurse, Verdrey (Lisa Paulsen), begins to question Hayes’s methods. Charlotte (Jennifer Bates) is released.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
M The Control group contains scenes of realistic violence and
graphic sexuality. It is intended for mature listeners. In the
field of psychiatric medicine, it was an exciting time, a
(00:22):
time of innovation and discovery, a time when mental health
institutions struggled to redefine themselves, to become something more than
repositories of the sick. Unorthodox methods and aggressive therapies were
not only permitted, but encouraged. Secret This is a record
(00:43):
of that time. This is the Control group. Hello, Hello, Hey,
in summer home, just touching base, making sure got the
equipment you requisitioned. Yes, thank you. We're functionated on right now. Well,
(01:05):
let's stay in touch. I'll be near New Cane in
the first of the year, hoping you might have something
to show me. No, I will, I've been too delicate.
I see that. Now. I'm taking a more aggressive approach
to some of the cases, one in particular, a lapmouse.
You sound hungry, appetite. It has never been stronger. Are
(01:26):
we talking about the forensic the prostitute? You mean Karen,
the keeper of secrets. She's a bit more resistant to
my therapies. But I'm breaking through. I'm tired of waiting.
I've increased the e c T schedule, aggressive sleep and
psychic driving schedules NonStop for almost twelve weeks. Safe. It's
(01:47):
no good cracking open the head if in the process
you damage the content. No, no, no, no, that's fine.
I got an interview schedule for this afternoon. What's the hurry.
I've got an objective now, she revealed to me, or
I swaite at her to reveal that there was an
accomplice with her at the Dixie Motel. That's a fact.
(02:07):
What's the person's name? I don't know. She won't budge
on the details. Get us a name. Start with that.
It'll be a good measure of your progress. But if
you hold that a little longer, do the detective work.
Connect the dots. I'll try, but I can help wondering
(02:30):
whether or not we should be I'll stop thinking about
should should He's a dirty word in research. Take yourself
off the leash, doctors. Allow yourself to run. You have
a hunch, follow it, got an inch, scratch it and urge.
Indulge it, and don't stop to ask whether it's something
(02:54):
you should be doing. If it gives you a better
understanding that's all that matters. You're thinking about something. Am
I right? You're not wrong, and I don't want to
know what that is. I just know that, based on
what we've seen of your work so far, you need
(03:15):
to follow whatever it is wherever it leads. For reasons
you can't explain. You feel like it might unlock something.
Don't try to explain, don't justify it. Do it, learn
from it. I'm hearing you, Summer Hill. It's just taking
(03:35):
me a moment to digest all this. Use medicine to
solve a crime, a murder. Think of it. It's the
greatest advancement in crime detections and sodium pentathol or fingerprints.
(03:56):
You get an unwilling subject to cooperate without force, without torture,
to tell the truth. My god, Hayes. Think of that,
the power of truth and end de lies and deception. Yeah,
(04:16):
you could go all the way absolute knowledge. You're almost there, Hayes.
Don't lose your nerve. Feel documented, every word, every detail.
Don't worry good Man, Hayes, good Man. If I am
(04:40):
ever to get better again, I must cooperate with Dr Hayes.
I can trust Dr Hayes only when I'm absolutely healthy again,
will I be released? And only by fully cooperating with
Dr Hayes, Can I ever hope to become well again?
(05:03):
I have no secrets. There is nothing I can't tell
Dr Hayes. If I am ever to get better again,
I must cooperate with Dr Hayes. I can trust Dr Hayes.
(05:24):
Only when I'm absolutely healthy again, will I be released.
And only by fully cooperating with Doctor Hayes, can I
ever hope I have secrets? This is Karen Meyers. She's
(05:44):
doctor Hayes special patient. The first thing you want to
do is to check the chart and see when she's
do to be dosed and fit. I can trust Docthor Hayes.
H only always check her heart rate and blood pressure
(06:05):
doctores every time, every time, and make sure you log it. Yeah. Great,
there's doctor Karen. Okay, Monday, Tuesday, the third heron Friday
(06:28):
the six trust Doctores? Is this right? Has she really
been asleep this long? How are we doing? Karen? Dotores?
Do you think you could eat something? Thanks? That's a
good girl. Just take it slower. We have some nice
(06:53):
warm cereal for you. M hm h it's early chest.
Have a bite at this. What do you get one
hundred of our sevent days low? That's where should she
(07:14):
noted on the chart? Yea? If there's no change, that
just put his check marks. Why is it dark ever?
To have another bite? There you go, it's dark to
(07:36):
help you sleep, so you can rest messager cast and
check her heels for bed sores? Yeah? No, knees? Hey,
I can't move my arms? Secret? Where are they desired?
(07:57):
Where are they ties? You just full of questions today,
aren't you? Karen? Open? That's it. You just don't want
you to roll out of bed when you sleep, so
we're using the restraints. Would you like a sip of
waters her? How some of this? Yeah, that's a girl.
(08:29):
Can you eat another bite? No, that's fine if you
don't want to do this in koll story? Do what
by down on this? But I can trust? No? No? Please?
Does any a minute? Just let me just let me wait.
(08:54):
You know you'll go right back to school. Figure out
set o. Why isn't she convulsing the phena barbital? Her
(09:19):
body is so medicated that it it just doesn't react
the effects of the electro shop all remain inside her head.
Did you mark the time? Yes? Ma'am, settle her headphones
and we'll be done. How long can she sleep like that?
(09:47):
As long as Dr Hayes wants her tooth? Doctor? I
could trust dryly when I'm absolutely only again m hmm.
And only by fully co operating with Doctor Hayes can
I ever hope to become well again. I have no secrets.
(10:14):
There's nothing I cannot tell Dr Hayes. If I am
ever to get better again, I must cooperate with Dr Hayes.
I can trust Dr Hayes. Only when I'm absolutely healthy
again will I be released. And only by fully cooperating
(10:37):
with Dr Hayes can I ever hope to become well again.
I have no secrets, Yes, just checking in before I
clock out that Gloria said she's getting the hang of it,
(11:01):
she'll work out fine, and I'm Karen, what is it?
Vir Tree? Doctor? I know it's not my role to
second guess your methods of treatment, especially with something that
is so ambitious, but I have to wonder if keeping
(11:24):
a patient asleep for so long it's not four days?
Are you aware of that? I have to wonder if
keeping a patient unconscious for thirty four days only waking
her up long enough to feed her, shock her and
send her back to sleep again. Is well, it's not
entirely humane. HM. You're absolutely right, Virtue. It's not your
(11:56):
role to question my methods of treatment. It is your
role to see that the treatments I prescribe or carried
out exactly as instructed. This is a time of great
opportunity for us. I can't allow anything to happen to
derail it. Opportunity for whom doctor or state hospital. But
(12:19):
more than that, for modern mess. Advancements are being made
every day, and we have an opportunity to be a
part of it. It's like an age of exploration discovery
Christopher Columbus the Mayflower. It's happening now, explorers or colonists
(12:46):
as I supposed to be. Nobody's trying to call on
on you've seen intent on staking a claim. But whose
flag are you carrying? I see your point, No, I'm asking.
I know you may not approve of some of my methods,
very I always have until now, I trust that your
(13:11):
opinions on interfere with your performance on the ward. Dr
Hayes miracle treatments have come and gone. This hospital has
seen more ages of discovery than I care to count.
Patients having their entire sets of teeth pulled, confined to
their necks in water tanks, having their brain tissue scrambled
(13:33):
insulin shock clor promising straight jackets. It wasn't so long
ago that we used the cages. Don't call them, it's
what they are. What should I call them? It's what
everyone on staff called them, except on paper. On paper,
it's I and C isolation and confinement. Sometimes I go
(13:54):
down to the basement and look at them. They're still there.
You know, I'm well aware of that. In all my
time here, I've understood that it was my job to
just do my job, Okay, not to second guess the
methods of the men in charge good because it's essential
that we have Even when I was certain that we
(14:16):
were doing nothing more than inflicting physical harm on the patients,
we'd never knowingly harmed any of our trying to erase
their symptoms with drugs and shock and surgery rather than
trying to isolate the cause. That's your job, My job,
My job to oversee the efficient and orderly operation of
(14:40):
this ward. That's what I've always done and that's what
I'll continue to do. Is that what you think I'm
doing inflicting harm. To be honest, I don't understand what
you're doing, and that's what frightens me the most. Oh,
(15:01):
if there's nothing more, I'll say good night, er Tree.
Who's the night nurse, Debbie? Do you mine asking her
to take Karen off the pheno barb around four am?
Let her come out of it. Then when you get
(15:21):
in we'll have a look at her. Bring her into
my office for an interview to make sure she's wonderful.
I'll see to it right away and virtue Yes, Dr,
thank you, brust. Dr Hayes. This is patient Karen Myers,
(16:00):
October interview six, after thirty four days in the sleep room. Doctor,
patient is not a sodium amatoor drip. This should place
the patient in a semi lucid state susceptible to hypnotic suggestion. Also,
president is ward head nurse Ergery Bilburn. I must collaborate
(16:20):
with Dr. That's it. Just sit her up in the chair.
I can trust doctor. I just want to make sure
she doesn't lean over and pull the ivy out. Absolutely,
help go ahead and kill the driving take and only
by fully coor are you with me? Karen Karen, Karen, Karen, there,
(16:42):
we are wonderful. Thank you, Verdrey. I'll call you a
fine nature. Perhaps I should sit in and observe. I
could take notes. Mhm, very well, I'll be outside. Just relax, Karen.
(17:11):
I want you to take a little journey. I want
you to take me with you. Can you do that
for me? I want you to go back to the
Dixie Hotel the night you were arrested, Room five seventeen twelve.
Was that twelve? Five twelve? Always? Yes? Yet five twelve.
(17:39):
I want you to be there right now, just as
you were that night. I want you to remember where
you were, what you were doing, who you were with.
But I'm not there. I'm here her. I'll keep your
eyes closed. Remember you're in room five twelve, the room
(18:02):
with bed, and you're with the man. Which one the
one you were with that night? More than one? More
than one? Right? Well, I'm sure he was the last one.
I believe his name was Ronald Ronald Grant. Is that
(18:25):
the name he gave you? Ronnie? No last name? Right?
You brought Ronnie up to the room, didn't you? Yes?
Why did you bring him to the room? He wanted
to he wanted to what he wanted to come up
(18:48):
to my room. Was there anyone else in the room
with you? No? No, because I was under the impression
you had a partner, maybe something like a scoured or pimp.
What the man behind all this? The one who arranged
(19:11):
for you to bring Ronald up there, the one who
pushed Ronnie out the window. You know who I mean? Oh? Him? Yes? Him?
Tell me about him? What is his name, Karen? I
(19:35):
can't tell you, why not, I'm not allowed. But you
do know his name? Did he ask you not to
tell I'm not allowed to speak his name. He made
(19:55):
that very clear. Well, if you can't tell me his name,
perhaps you can tell me something else about him. For instance,
what does he do do? That's right, he doesn't do anything.
(20:15):
He just watches me, watches you, watches me when I
with men, watches me to make sure I do what
I'm supposed to do with men in room five twelve,
always room five. So the night you move with Ronald,
(20:40):
this other man, was he in the room with you? No?
He came in later. No, this this person watches over you.
You make it sound like he's uh is even real?
What is it? Some defense mechanism? You're projecting, so you
(21:01):
don't have to. I don't understand when he's there with you?
Do you see him or is he invisible? He prefers
not to be seen. I understand, but he's there. I'm
sure he's there to protect you. He protects me, he
(21:26):
controls you. Is he omniscient? I don't know what you mean.
Does he know everything? Does he have absolute knowledge? Seems to?
Is he omnipotent? Does he have absolute power? He seems to.
(21:54):
Does he have a name? Yes? Good? What is it
forbidden to speak? Have you seen his face? Yes? You've
spoken to it, yes, and he's spoken back, of course.
(22:18):
And what does he tell you? He tells me what
to do, which is what I can't tell you. For
christ say, why can't you tell me? He made it
very clear it isn't to be known. I'm not to
(22:41):
talk about it with anyone very well, then I won't
ask you to talk about it. But if you can't
tell me, could you show me? M Karen? Can you
(23:03):
show me what it is that? What he wants you
to do with the men in room five? Lots of things,
just one thing, the most important thing. Oh, for the record,
(23:29):
patient is has raised her forefinger and is uh indicating
her open mouth. You may lower your Handcaren. That's fine.
(24:02):
Good morning, ladies. Today is a very special day. One
of our patients is graduating and we'll be departing from
our little club. Please join myself, Dr Hayes and the
entire staff and wishing Charlotte the very best of luck
and the happiest future back home with her husband. It's Tuesday,
(24:25):
January eight, and it's going to be a glorious day.
It's so exciting to come on, ladies, let's give her
a little space. I know we're all excited. Will you
write you if it's not too much to let me
(24:46):
have a word with her? Is you please please write
me a postpord I love you, dear, Thank you. By
Now it's time, Charlotte. Are you excited? I'm ling You're
going to be fine, Charlotte. Your husband is here. Bert's here. Yes,
(25:07):
he's talking with Dr Hayes right now. I'll carry your
release and walk you down. It's good to see you again, Bert.
Any problems, any questions, don't hesitate to call. I will
(25:31):
thank you day or not here, Yes, sir, give her
some time to settle in. Try not to rush her
into being who she was. Spending two years and these
walls does change a person. But I assure you she
is still your Charlotte. It's just gonna take her a
(25:55):
little while to become that person again. But it'll all
come to the familiarity, the affection, I promise. I can't
thank you enough, doctor, for everything you've done. I think
nothing of it. Seeing a patient return homes the greatest
reward I can have. Good a start, patient all packed up,
(26:22):
I'm ready to go. Hello. It's not gonna be easy
for us seeing you leave, is it? That's true? Doctor,
I'm not going far, am I No, just across town,
and since this is New Canaan, you'll never be very
far away. I'm sure we'll see each other in town,
(26:46):
bump into one another at the supermarket. Won't that be funny. Yeah,
we're all very proud of your should You're going to
be fine. Bye, Charlotte, be well, God bless you, Charlotte.
(27:08):
Good bye. M M. Well let's let's go the older up. Okay,
(27:30):
mhm's car's arms great one, bring one down. I don't
remember it. You never see it, isn't it. It's a
couple of years old, who do you. I guess I
(27:53):
missed so much. We've got a lot of catch enough
to do, but we have all the time in the world.
Show what is it scared. We're almost there. When we
get home, you can relax and do whatever you want
to do. I turned the baby's room into a sewing room.
(28:16):
Fix it up, real nice. You're gonna like it. Come on,
that's it. You can do it or almost to the gates.
But I can't, Charlotte, sweetie, just a little further. All right,
you can deal with it. There's there's not a thing
in the world to be afraid of. I'll take good
(28:38):
care of your baby. No, no, no, no, no, I
can't go up. I can't go Okay, okay, Charlotte. Hey,
you've got to get caught. You have to come on now.
(29:01):
No more games. No, I can't. You can't. No, Charlotte, honey,
everyone's looking at you. They're all at the windows. You
don't want them to see you like this. Something's wrong.
(29:25):
She's not ready. Wait, she's walking again. I'm afraid. I
can only be happy here, Bert, I can only be
healthy here. What move it now? You're hurting me? No, No,
(29:50):
getting your ass in the goddamn car I can't do
it now, or don't call. You don't understand I can't. Yeah,
Jesus called Graftown Heaven. Go out and get Charlotte. Bring
(30:14):
it to the e c. T as quickly as possible
for Thanksgiving worse right away, thanks awesome. Get I'll find out.
I don't know perfectly. I need a moment. That's it.
(30:43):
Take her straight in there, glorious, set up everything, go
one m your attention, please, ladies. It seems that Charlotte
(31:05):
was not quite ready to leave our little group, so
she'll be staying with us a little longer. I want
to ask all of you for a little bit of
extra kindness today. I want to give Charlotte as much
privacy as she requires, as much companionship as she desires
(31:29):
today tomorrow, as long as it takes. I don't I
don't want to see any tears. I don't want to
hear the I don't want to hear the words I'm sorry.
(31:52):
I want to see smiles and hugs and words of welcome,
because that that's all that Charlotte needs from us right now.
So that's what we'll give her. Thank you, ber those
very nice I did it for her, not for you, burgery.
(32:22):
Let's talk in my office. Yes, of course, can't parrot
seeing Charlotte fail that way, watching months of work just
(32:43):
go down the drain. Two years she comes in with
about a postpartum depression. Now she can't more than about doctor,
Remember what it was like when she arrived. She had
lost a child, she had cut her wrists and wasn't eating.
We should have taken her case more serious. And I
think I've treated her too much as a staff member
and stopped looking at her as a patient. It's my fault, really,
(33:08):
You're exhausted, not just me, all of us, yourself included,
the e c T schedule, the sleep room, the driving tapes.
It's too much. It's too much. Don't confuse my fatigue
with my concern for the well being of these women,
would vitre. It's no one's fault, really, But the damage
(33:35):
has been done, the public humiliation we suffered by that
spectacle she made out there in our humiliation. The only
person suffering over this is Charlotte. All the same word
gets out. The damage could be severe, It gets out
to whom. You know, the opportunities we've been given lately,
(33:55):
there's no limit to what we can accomplish. But we
have to earn Our program is under a lot of
scrutiny right now. Can't afford another embarrassment like that. We'll
start over. Will they race everything deep pattern her mind,
wipe her clean and rebuild from the ground up. How
(34:17):
do you expect to do that without the tools. We
increase the duration of the sleep cycle. We will increase
the E C T frequency, play with the intensity. We'll
make the changes slowly, right considering this stage. For this
to work, we need to shock her system. We'll start immediately.
(34:38):
I'll record a psychic driving tape for her myself. No
more gentle persuasion. Tear her down so we can build
her up. It was a mistake to try and normalize
her with thin the hospital. There's no such thing as
normalcy here. Yeah, she needs to be home, bed room,
the kitchen, the living room, the places that define in her.
(35:01):
That's where she needs to regain her sellness of self.
Not here. We couldn't rid her of her neurosis. Put
her back in the home. Tabula rassa. Yes, her healthy
instincts could return naturally. That's it. You might be able
to salvage this situation. After all, what do you say
(35:24):
about that? Are you doing this because it's the best
thing for Charlotte or two keep her from being an
embarrassment to this. Count on you, Virdree. You can I
can't do this without your help. You have it. Good good.
(35:58):
The Control Group is a production of How Stuff Works,
written and directed by Brett Wood, recorded and mixed by
Rob Gal m m m m hm hm
M The Control group contains scenes of realistic violence and
graphic sexuality. It is intended for mature listeners. In the
field of psychiatric medicine, it was an exciting time, a
(00:22):
time of innovation and discovery, a time when mental health
institutions struggled to redefine themselves, to become something more than
repositories of the sick. Unorthodox methods and aggressive therapies were
not only permitted, but encouraged. Secret This is a record
(00:43):
of that time. This is the Control group. Hello, Hello, Hey,
in summer home, just touching base, making sure got the
equipment you requisitioned. Yes, thank you. We're functionated on right now. Well,
(01:05):
let's stay in touch. I'll be near New Cane in
the first of the year, hoping you might have something
to show me. No, I will, I've been too delicate.
I see that. Now. I'm taking a more aggressive approach
to some of the cases, one in particular, a lapmouse.
You sound hungry, appetite. It has never been stronger. Are
(01:26):
we talking about the forensic the prostitute? You mean Karen,
the keeper of secrets. She's a bit more resistant to
my therapies. But I'm breaking through. I'm tired of waiting.
I've increased the e c T schedule, aggressive sleep and
psychic driving schedules NonStop for almost twelve weeks. Safe. It's
(01:47):
no good cracking open the head if in the process
you damage the content. No, no, no, no, that's fine.
I got an interview schedule for this afternoon. What's the hurry.
I've got an objective now, she revealed to me, or
I swaite at her to reveal that there was an
accomplice with her at the Dixie Motel. That's a fact.
(02:07):
What's the person's name? I don't know. She won't budge
on the details. Get us a name. Start with that.
It'll be a good measure of your progress. But if
you hold that a little longer, do the detective work.
Connect the dots. I'll try, but I can help wondering
(02:30):
whether or not we should be I'll stop thinking about
should should He's a dirty word in research. Take yourself
off the leash, doctors. Allow yourself to run. You have
a hunch, follow it, got an inch, scratch it and urge.
Indulge it, and don't stop to ask whether it's something
(02:54):
you should be doing. If it gives you a better
understanding that's all that matters. You're thinking about something. Am
I right? You're not wrong, and I don't want to
know what that is. I just know that, based on
what we've seen of your work so far, you need
(03:15):
to follow whatever it is wherever it leads. For reasons
you can't explain. You feel like it might unlock something.
Don't try to explain, don't justify it. Do it, learn
from it. I'm hearing you, Summer Hill. It's just taking
(03:35):
me a moment to digest all this. Use medicine to
solve a crime, a murder. Think of it. It's the
greatest advancement in crime detections and sodium pentathol or fingerprints.
(03:56):
You get an unwilling subject to cooperate without force, without torture,
to tell the truth. My god, Hayes. Think of that,
the power of truth and end de lies and deception. Yeah,
(04:16):
you could go all the way absolute knowledge. You're almost there, Hayes.
Don't lose your nerve. Feel documented, every word, every detail.
Don't worry good Man, Hayes, good Man. If I am
(04:40):
ever to get better again, I must cooperate with Dr Hayes.
I can trust Dr Hayes only when I'm absolutely healthy again,
will I be released? And only by fully cooperating with
Dr Hayes, Can I ever hope to become well again?
(05:03):
I have no secrets. There is nothing I can't tell
Dr Hayes. If I am ever to get better again,
I must cooperate with Dr Hayes. I can trust Dr Hayes.
(05:24):
Only when I'm absolutely healthy again, will I be released.
And only by fully cooperating with Doctor Hayes, can I
ever hope I have secrets? This is Karen Meyers. She's
(05:44):
doctor Hayes special patient. The first thing you want to
do is to check the chart and see when she's
do to be dosed and fit. I can trust Docthor Hayes.
H only always check her heart rate and blood pressure
(06:05):
doctores every time, every time, and make sure you log it. Yeah. Great,
there's doctor Karen. Okay, Monday, Tuesday, the third heron Friday
(06:28):
the six trust Doctores? Is this right? Has she really
been asleep this long? How are we doing? Karen? Dotores?
Do you think you could eat something? Thanks? That's a
good girl. Just take it slower. We have some nice
(06:53):
warm cereal for you. M hm h it's early chest.
Have a bite at this. What do you get one
hundred of our sevent days low? That's where should she
(07:14):
noted on the chart? Yea? If there's no change, that
just put his check marks. Why is it dark ever?
To have another bite? There you go, it's dark to
(07:36):
help you sleep, so you can rest messager cast and
check her heels for bed sores? Yeah? No, knees? Hey,
I can't move my arms? Secret? Where are they desired?
(07:57):
Where are they ties? You just full of questions today,
aren't you? Karen? Open? That's it. You just don't want
you to roll out of bed when you sleep, so
we're using the restraints. Would you like a sip of
waters her? How some of this? Yeah, that's a girl.
(08:29):
Can you eat another bite? No, that's fine if you
don't want to do this in koll story? Do what
by down on this? But I can trust? No? No? Please?
Does any a minute? Just let me just let me wait.
(08:54):
You know you'll go right back to school. Figure out
set o. Why isn't she convulsing the phena barbital? Her
(09:19):
body is so medicated that it it just doesn't react
the effects of the electro shop all remain inside her head.
Did you mark the time? Yes? Ma'am, settle her headphones
and we'll be done. How long can she sleep like that?
(09:47):
As long as Dr Hayes wants her tooth? Doctor? I
could trust dryly when I'm absolutely only again m hmm.
And only by fully co operating with Doctor Hayes can
I ever hope to become well again. I have no secrets.
(10:14):
There's nothing I cannot tell Dr Hayes. If I am
ever to get better again, I must cooperate with Dr Hayes.
I can trust Dr Hayes. Only when I'm absolutely healthy
again will I be released. And only by fully cooperating
(10:37):
with Dr Hayes can I ever hope to become well again.
I have no secrets, Yes, just checking in before I
clock out that Gloria said she's getting the hang of it,
(11:01):
she'll work out fine, and I'm Karen, what is it?
Vir Tree? Doctor? I know it's not my role to
second guess your methods of treatment, especially with something that
is so ambitious, but I have to wonder if keeping
(11:24):
a patient asleep for so long it's not four days?
Are you aware of that? I have to wonder if
keeping a patient unconscious for thirty four days only waking
her up long enough to feed her, shock her and
send her back to sleep again. Is well, it's not
entirely humane. HM. You're absolutely right, Virtue. It's not your
(11:56):
role to question my methods of treatment. It is your
role to see that the treatments I prescribe or carried
out exactly as instructed. This is a time of great
opportunity for us. I can't allow anything to happen to
derail it. Opportunity for whom doctor or state hospital. But
(12:19):
more than that, for modern mess. Advancements are being made
every day, and we have an opportunity to be a
part of it. It's like an age of exploration discovery
Christopher Columbus the Mayflower. It's happening now, explorers or colonists
(12:46):
as I supposed to be. Nobody's trying to call on
on you've seen intent on staking a claim. But whose
flag are you carrying? I see your point, No, I'm asking.
I know you may not approve of some of my methods,
very I always have until now, I trust that your
(13:11):
opinions on interfere with your performance on the ward. Dr
Hayes miracle treatments have come and gone. This hospital has
seen more ages of discovery than I care to count.
Patients having their entire sets of teeth pulled, confined to
their necks in water tanks, having their brain tissue scrambled
(13:33):
insulin shock clor promising straight jackets. It wasn't so long
ago that we used the cages. Don't call them, it's
what they are. What should I call them? It's what
everyone on staff called them, except on paper. On paper,
it's I and C isolation and confinement. Sometimes I go
(13:54):
down to the basement and look at them. They're still there.
You know, I'm well aware of that. In all my
time here, I've understood that it was my job to
just do my job, Okay, not to second guess the
methods of the men in charge good because it's essential
that we have Even when I was certain that we
(14:16):
were doing nothing more than inflicting physical harm on the patients,
we'd never knowingly harmed any of our trying to erase
their symptoms with drugs and shock and surgery rather than
trying to isolate the cause. That's your job, My job,
My job to oversee the efficient and orderly operation of
(14:40):
this ward. That's what I've always done and that's what
I'll continue to do. Is that what you think I'm
doing inflicting harm. To be honest, I don't understand what
you're doing, and that's what frightens me the most. Oh,
(15:01):
if there's nothing more, I'll say good night, er Tree.
Who's the night nurse, Debbie? Do you mine asking her
to take Karen off the pheno barb around four am?
Let her come out of it. Then when you get
(15:21):
in we'll have a look at her. Bring her into
my office for an interview to make sure she's wonderful.
I'll see to it right away and virtue Yes, Dr,
thank you, brust. Dr Hayes. This is patient Karen Myers,
(16:00):
October interview six, after thirty four days in the sleep room. Doctor,
patient is not a sodium amatoor drip. This should place
the patient in a semi lucid state susceptible to hypnotic suggestion. Also,
president is ward head nurse Ergery Bilburn. I must collaborate
(16:20):
with Dr. That's it. Just sit her up in the chair.
I can trust doctor. I just want to make sure
she doesn't lean over and pull the ivy out. Absolutely,
help go ahead and kill the driving take and only
by fully coor are you with me? Karen Karen, Karen, Karen, there,
(16:42):
we are wonderful. Thank you, Verdrey. I'll call you a
fine nature. Perhaps I should sit in and observe. I
could take notes. Mhm, very well, I'll be outside. Just relax, Karen.
(17:11):
I want you to take a little journey. I want
you to take me with you. Can you do that
for me? I want you to go back to the
Dixie Hotel the night you were arrested, Room five seventeen twelve.
Was that twelve? Five twelve? Always? Yes? Yet five twelve.
(17:39):
I want you to be there right now, just as
you were that night. I want you to remember where
you were, what you were doing, who you were with.
But I'm not there. I'm here her. I'll keep your
eyes closed. Remember you're in room five twelve, the room
(18:02):
with bed, and you're with the man. Which one the
one you were with that night? More than one? More
than one? Right? Well, I'm sure he was the last one.
I believe his name was Ronald Ronald Grant. Is that
(18:25):
the name he gave you? Ronnie? No last name? Right?
You brought Ronnie up to the room, didn't you? Yes?
Why did you bring him to the room? He wanted
to he wanted to what he wanted to come up
(18:48):
to my room. Was there anyone else in the room
with you? No? No, because I was under the impression
you had a partner, maybe something like a scoured or pimp.
What the man behind all this? The one who arranged
(19:11):
for you to bring Ronald up there, the one who
pushed Ronnie out the window. You know who I mean? Oh? Him? Yes? Him?
Tell me about him? What is his name, Karen? I
(19:35):
can't tell you, why not, I'm not allowed. But you
do know his name? Did he ask you not to
tell I'm not allowed to speak his name. He made
(19:55):
that very clear. Well, if you can't tell me his name,
perhaps you can tell me something else about him. For instance,
what does he do do? That's right, he doesn't do anything.
(20:15):
He just watches me, watches you, watches me when I
with men, watches me to make sure I do what
I'm supposed to do with men in room five twelve,
always room five. So the night you move with Ronald,
(20:40):
this other man, was he in the room with you? No?
He came in later. No, this this person watches over you.
You make it sound like he's uh is even real?
What is it? Some defense mechanism? You're projecting, so you
(21:01):
don't have to. I don't understand when he's there with you?
Do you see him or is he invisible? He prefers
not to be seen. I understand, but he's there. I'm
sure he's there to protect you. He protects me, he
(21:26):
controls you. Is he omniscient? I don't know what you mean.
Does he know everything? Does he have absolute knowledge? Seems to?
Is he omnipotent? Does he have absolute power? He seems to.
(21:54):
Does he have a name? Yes? Good? What is it
forbidden to speak? Have you seen his face? Yes? You've
spoken to it, yes, and he's spoken back, of course.
(22:18):
And what does he tell you? He tells me what
to do, which is what I can't tell you. For
christ say, why can't you tell me? He made it
very clear it isn't to be known. I'm not to
(22:41):
talk about it with anyone very well, then I won't
ask you to talk about it. But if you can't
tell me, could you show me? M Karen? Can you
(23:03):
show me what it is that? What he wants you
to do with the men in room five? Lots of things,
just one thing, the most important thing. Oh, for the record,
(23:29):
patient is has raised her forefinger and is uh indicating
her open mouth. You may lower your Handcaren. That's fine.
(24:02):
Good morning, ladies. Today is a very special day. One
of our patients is graduating and we'll be departing from
our little club. Please join myself, Dr Hayes and the
entire staff and wishing Charlotte the very best of luck
and the happiest future back home with her husband. It's Tuesday,
(24:25):
January eight, and it's going to be a glorious day.
It's so exciting to come on, ladies, let's give her
a little space. I know we're all excited. Will you
write you if it's not too much to let me
(24:46):
have a word with her? Is you please please write
me a postpord I love you, dear, Thank you. By
Now it's time, Charlotte. Are you excited? I'm ling You're
going to be fine, Charlotte. Your husband is here. Bert's here. Yes,
(25:07):
he's talking with Dr Hayes right now. I'll carry your
release and walk you down. It's good to see you again, Bert.
Any problems, any questions, don't hesitate to call. I will
(25:31):
thank you day or not here, Yes, sir, give her
some time to settle in. Try not to rush her
into being who she was. Spending two years and these
walls does change a person. But I assure you she
is still your Charlotte. It's just gonna take her a
(25:55):
little while to become that person again. But it'll all
come to the familiarity, the affection, I promise. I can't
thank you enough, doctor, for everything you've done. I think
nothing of it. Seeing a patient return homes the greatest
reward I can have. Good a start, patient all packed up,
(26:22):
I'm ready to go. Hello. It's not gonna be easy
for us seeing you leave, is it? That's true? Doctor,
I'm not going far, am I No, just across town,
and since this is New Canaan, you'll never be very
far away. I'm sure we'll see each other in town,
(26:46):
bump into one another at the supermarket. Won't that be funny. Yeah,
we're all very proud of your should You're going to
be fine. Bye, Charlotte, be well, God bless you, Charlotte.
(27:08):
Good bye. M M. Well let's let's go the older up. Okay,
(27:30):
mhm's car's arms great one, bring one down. I don't
remember it. You never see it, isn't it. It's a
couple of years old, who do you. I guess I
(27:53):
missed so much. We've got a lot of catch enough
to do, but we have all the time in the world.
Show what is it scared. We're almost there. When we
get home, you can relax and do whatever you want
to do. I turned the baby's room into a sewing room.
(28:16):
Fix it up, real nice. You're gonna like it. Come on,
that's it. You can do it or almost to the gates.
But I can't, Charlotte, sweetie, just a little further. All right,
you can deal with it. There's there's not a thing
in the world to be afraid of. I'll take good
(28:38):
care of your baby. No, no, no, no, no, I
can't go up. I can't go Okay, okay, Charlotte. Hey,
you've got to get caught. You have to come on now.
(29:01):
No more games. No, I can't. You can't. No, Charlotte, honey,
everyone's looking at you. They're all at the windows. You
don't want them to see you like this. Something's wrong.
(29:25):
She's not ready. Wait, she's walking again. I'm afraid. I
can only be happy here, Bert, I can only be
healthy here. What move it now? You're hurting me? No, No,
(29:50):
getting your ass in the goddamn car I can't do
it now, or don't call. You don't understand I can't. Yeah,
Jesus called Graftown Heaven. Go out and get Charlotte. Bring
(30:14):
it to the e c. T as quickly as possible
for Thanksgiving worse right away, thanks awesome. Get I'll find out.
I don't know perfectly. I need a moment. That's it.
(30:43):
Take her straight in there, glorious, set up everything, go
one m your attention, please, ladies. It seems that Charlotte
(31:05):
was not quite ready to leave our little group, so
she'll be staying with us a little longer. I want
to ask all of you for a little bit of
extra kindness today. I want to give Charlotte as much
privacy as she requires, as much companionship as she desires
(31:29):
today tomorrow, as long as it takes. I don't I
don't want to see any tears. I don't want to
hear the I don't want to hear the words I'm sorry.
(31:52):
I want to see smiles and hugs and words of welcome,
because that that's all that Charlotte needs from us right now.
So that's what we'll give her. Thank you, ber those
very nice I did it for her, not for you, burgery.
(32:22):
Let's talk in my office. Yes, of course, can't parrot
seeing Charlotte fail that way, watching months of work just
(32:43):
go down the drain. Two years she comes in with
about a postpartum depression. Now she can't more than about doctor,
Remember what it was like when she arrived. She had
lost a child, she had cut her wrists and wasn't eating.
We should have taken her case more serious. And I
think I've treated her too much as a staff member
and stopped looking at her as a patient. It's my fault, really,
(33:08):
You're exhausted, not just me, all of us, yourself included,
the e c T schedule, the sleep room, the driving tapes.
It's too much. It's too much. Don't confuse my fatigue
with my concern for the well being of these women,
would vitre. It's no one's fault, really, But the damage
(33:35):
has been done, the public humiliation we suffered by that
spectacle she made out there in our humiliation. The only
person suffering over this is Charlotte. All the same word
gets out. The damage could be severe, It gets out
to whom. You know, the opportunities we've been given lately,
(33:55):
there's no limit to what we can accomplish. But we
have to earn Our program is under a lot of
scrutiny right now. Can't afford another embarrassment like that. We'll
start over. Will they race everything deep pattern her mind,
wipe her clean and rebuild from the ground up. How
(34:17):
do you expect to do that without the tools. We
increase the duration of the sleep cycle. We will increase
the E C T frequency, play with the intensity. We'll
make the changes slowly, right considering this stage. For this
to work, we need to shock her system. We'll start immediately.
(34:38):
I'll record a psychic driving tape for her myself. No
more gentle persuasion. Tear her down so we can build
her up. It was a mistake to try and normalize
her with thin the hospital. There's no such thing as
normalcy here. Yeah, she needs to be home, bed room,
the kitchen, the living room, the places that define in her.
(35:01):
That's where she needs to regain her sellness of self.
Not here. We couldn't rid her of her neurosis. Put
her back in the home. Tabula rassa. Yes, her healthy
instincts could return naturally. That's it. You might be able
to salvage this situation. After all, what do you say
(35:24):
about that? Are you doing this because it's the best
thing for Charlotte or two keep her from being an
embarrassment to this. Count on you, Virdree. You can I
can't do this without your help. You have it. Good good.
(35:58):
The Control Group is a production of How Stuff Works,
written and directed by Brett Wood, recorded and mixed by
Rob Gal m m m m hm hm
The Control Group News
Host
Bret Wood
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