Undercurrents

Undercurrents 

Staff at the nursing station overheard a terse phone conversation. Their latest client sounded decisive but very tired. Putting the phone down heavily, he turned to the nurse with a forced smile and said that it hadn’t been a good conversation. This middle 50’s business man, was trying to run his business from the detox he was in, only minutes after he was up and around that morning. His phone call had been with his employee suddenly managing a busy Monday morning. Showered and wearing casual street clothes, he was at the nurse’s station to have his morning alcohol withdrawal assessment done when his phone call had come. The nurse on duty had let him take the call first. There were no alcohol withdrawal symptoms needing immediate attention. Once off the phone, it was the nurse’s turn to occupy a few minutes of his time. The clinical assessment revealed that he did in fact show some withdrawal symptoms from stopping alcohol. To many folks, stopping alcohol after a heavy drinking bout would only mean a nasty hangover that would pass fairly smoothly. However this hangover had already lasted three days, and was not quite done. Still tremulous, still higher than normal anxiety, still nauseated, he was very discouraged and disgusted with himself. His abuse of alcohol, his addiction to alcohol, was destroying the fine business he had painstakingly developed. His situation was definitely not to his liking. He closed himself off from anyone present, including himself. An undercurrent of anger threatened to overwhelm. Walking back to the phone, he made another business call.

“In spite of everything I shall rise again: I will take up my pencil, which 

I have forsaken in my great discouragement, and I will go on drawing.”

~ Vincent Van Gogh

Author's note (Dec.07/23): 

This story is based on one true situation. 

These same issues occurred for many others.

Edited for punctuation December 07, 2023