Faint cries

cries written by N Dennett.

I'm a psychiatrist.

During my training years I worked for six months at award treating patients with depressive and anxiety disorders.

It was an old building who had been housing psychiatric patients since the mid 1920s. On our floor we had 13 beds and nursing

station a living room and a few conference rooms. A few weeks into my stay there

I'm interviewing a patient.

When I asked about her sleeping patterns, she tells me she's been woken up at night by a baby's

cry.

I take note of this, since it seems like an unusual experience there are no babies in that hospital

the building is situated far away from housing areas and the visiting hours were restricted

after my session with a patient, one of the nurses pulls me aside and informs me that the baby crying thing, it's not a psychotic symptom.

She was very serious about it but wouldn't elaborate. I decide it does not change

the diagnostic or treatment either way, so I kind of shrug it off. Three months into my stay I'm sitting in the nurses station.

Behind me three nurses are talking. One of them says she is very active today.

Another says really? Oh had noticed. I turned around and asked them who they are talking about. They look at each other. One of them hesitantly says, well, there's a baby here. She cries sometimes. Knowing the facts of the building, no babies

are treated here, far from housing areas, restricted visiting hours, I give a disbelieving

look. The nurses just kind of shrug and smile. Not 30 seconds later, I hear it.

A cry. Clearly a baby's cry.

sounding like it's separated from us by maybe two or three walls. It sounded far away, but not too far. Now I'm perplexed. The nurses look at me like, told you so.

I immediately ask about it, but they can't say anything else about it.

Just that there is and has always been a faint baby cry in the building.

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