What if they were wrong?
The next morning he awoke to see Madison Lafleur standing in his room with two white coated men. He remembered one as Doctor Cassidy but was sure he had never met the other portly man.
Madison gave a brief smile to the men and then directed her attention to Matthew. “Matthew Sean Andrews. It is the finding of the court that you are hereby diagnosed as medically criminal.”
Matthew closed his eyes and looked straight up. Tears began to form in his eyes. He thought immediately of his Wife and his children. He wondered if he were to ever see them again. He heard Madison’s voice; “However,” she went on, “you have an impressive history of dedication to the state.”
Matthew opened his eyes and looked at her. “It is the finding of this court that you are fitted with mental stability chip.”
Matthew looked relieved and confused, “Mental Stability Chip?”
The portly Doctor spoke up. “Simple procedure. We hardwire a series of microchips in your brain in the areas where social deviancy like criminality occurs.”
Madison chimed in, “That way undesirable thoughts are suppressed before they occur.” She smiled, ‘You can also download memories into your mind. Imagine learning a language in hours instead of years.”
As an afterthought, she added, “And if you need to recollect something, or if we need your assistance in certain matters like your testimony, we can merely upload it.”
She looked to the doctors. She said formally, “The case is closed.”
Before Matthew could mutter and objection, he was once again injected with a sedative. “What it….” Was all he could mutter before the black void overtook him.
A week later Matthew Andrews was sitting up on his hospital bed. He had just finished getting dressed. “Boy am I ever glad I am leaving the hospital!” He intoned. He felt like he had been there a lifetime, and was really looking forward to being outside again.
“Ready to go Matthew?” the sweet voice of Monica pulled him out of his thoughts. He smiled at her and stood up. He put her arms around her and kissed her forehead. “You bet.” He said.
“The cab is downstairs.” She said.
He looked at her, “Maybe we should walk.”
She looked into his eyes, “you sure?”
He smiled, feeling invigorated, “Of course.”
He added as they exited the room, “We must all do our part.”
As they turned to leave, no one in the room noticed the hardening look in Matthew’s eyes
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.