The World of Henry Orient Page #4

Dr Greentree's my psychiatrist.

- Your what?!

- Boothy, please!

- He's my psychiatrist.

- Now I've heard everything.

It's not a thing to joke about.

Boothy's not really joking.

It's just that Val's so young.

I was well into my 30s

before I hit the couch.

- Why did you go, Mrs Booth?

- It's become part of the ritual of divorce.

- I'm sorry.

- The only fun I got out of that little scuffle.

- This is the first time I ever heard about it.

- May as well know I took a shot at it too.

- Mom!

- We had to.

In those days it would

have been like not owning a TV set.

When people need help, they go

wherever they think they can find it.

That's what Val did,

cos she needed help. Isn't that right?

- That's what everybody says anyway.

- Your mother went twice.

The third afternoon there was

a sale on at Bergdorf Goodman.

- That's not true. It was Lord & Taylor.

- You know the only reason I quit?

One day I was telling this wizard

a most delightful dream.

Straight out of Henry Miller.

I heard him snoring.

Now really, Boothy.

- My trouble was I couldn't dream.

- That's my trouble.

- Dr Greentree gets mad if I don't dream.

- I dream all the time.

You stay out of this. You're normal.

Have you ever tried eating

a bowl of chilli con carne before retiring?

- That gives you nightmares, doesn't it?

- Psychiatrists love nightmares.

- I'll give her some of my dreams.

- That's a wonderful idea.

Tell him my dreams and tell us

what he said. I'll get treated for nothing.

- And then you'll be one of us.

- Three kooks and a hitchhiker.

I've got to run.

- I'll get my coat and walk you to the bus.

- It's been fun, Val.

- Will you ask me again?

- What about next Friday?

Dinner, maybe tickets for something.

And any other time you can come, dear.

Boothy.

From one kook to another.

You know what I thought it was,

why you had to leave school every day?

- I thought you had an incurable disease.

- You mean I was gonna die?

Maybe they'd given you a year to live,

even with daily injections.

- May I take your arm?

- And so young too.

They tried to keep it from me.

They told me it was a bad cold.

- Did you try Mayo brothers?

- Yes, they were completely baffled.

- John Hopkins?

- He knew less than they did.

I knew a girl who was dying once.

She lingered and lingered

till everybody nearly went crazy.

- I have too many red corpuscles.

- You mean white.

- Sure?

- That's what I read once.

I have too many white corpuscles.

May we stop for a moment?

Have you some Kleenex?

No, but...

- It was only a momentary faintness.

- Here, try this pill.

- You are so good to me.

- You are my friend.

I'm determined that your last year will be

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