Post by Dean45 on Aug 14, 2021 7:50:02 GMT
There was a man with dementia in his bed,devoid of thought and unable to communicate. He had been there for years,years that he should have died. But the doctors at this hospital were able to save him,and they did so by using a new technology called the "Brain-Computer Interface" or BCI. It allowed them to interface with his brain and allow him to regain some of his mental faculties.
The man is named "John Doe". You don't know his name yet,but you do know he has been diagnosed as having Alzheimer's disease. You also know that he was once a police officer in Dallas,but for some reason he never told you his story. Even when you have questioned his family members about him,they know even less than you.
One day he cannot remember his own name any more. One day he does not even know why he is in the hospital. But fortunately you know. And so do the doctors,they just don't want to talk about it. After all,Alzheimer's doesn't kill you right away,it slowly destroys your brain over time. The wanted to keep him alive as long as possible,and implanting a BCI was the only way they knew to do it.
But still,the man with the missing memories is in a lot of pain. It is difficult for the doctors to keep him sedated,and you can only imagine how much worse it must be for him.
This is no way to treat a human being.
This,is not treating someone's a illness or a injury. This is torturing and no matter how you look at it,it's just wrong.
You feel the anger rising inside of you and it is directed at this one man,with one name,John Doe. You have heard the doctors speaking with him,answering him. You have never heard him respond,except with ramblings that seem to make little sense.
You feel like you know this man,like you have lived a life with him or something. It's crazy,but it is how you feel.
You walk towards his bed and slowly lift up the sheet,beneath which appears to be nothing but skin and bones. You see the tubes coming out of his arms and the IV in his arm. You also see the band-aid on his arm,where apparently he tried to remove the IV himself. It seems impossible that he is the same man who once took your money without giving you any goods in exchange. But you know it's true.
> You say "John Doe,are you there??"
You say his name,but there is no answer,just the ramblings of a madman.
"John Doe? I think I used to know you,but...what's happening to you?"
There is silence again,and you walk back to the door,leaving it open so the doctors can hear you. Then you turn to face the man with the brain-computer interface.
"You can stop this.You can make him better.He's a human being,and he deserves better than this."
The words seem to shock the man,and he looks over at you.But he says nothing,just steps forward and presses a few buttons on the device on the man's arm.
The man opens his eyes,and looks at you with horror in his eyes.
"Leave me alone.Get out...get out...!"
The man screams and tries to get up,but he is strapped down to the bed. He screams again when they remove the IV.
You turn to leave.
"What's your name?"
This is what you were waiting for.He is going to answer your questions,and it will be up to you what he receives.
The man stops screaming,looks at you and tries to talk. But he only makes incomprehensible noises. The machine next to him buzzes as if it has received something.
"His name is John...John Doe."
You watch as the man stops struggling,but you can still see the tension in his shoulders.
"Who am I?"
Even if he was able to answer,the computer would not tell you.But he cannot answer,he cannot even talk anymore.He is empty now,just like the shell you found on the street all those years ago,the same way you are empty now.
> You say "Do you remember me??"
"No..."
Silence falls over the room again.You can still see the man struggling against his bindings.
> You say "John....how many years have passed?"
"I...don't know..."
"It was 2 years ago..."
The man stops struggling and the frown on your face seems to reassure him. He tries to smile,but only makes a grimace.
> You say "Last time you were on a early stage of dementia"
"I've forgotten things.Not all of it,just...not important things."
"Like the doctors and nurses that visit here?"
The man doesn't seem to understand what you are saying.
> You say "Do you remember your family?"
"I..."
"Do you remember me,for example?"
He stops looking at you,and begins to turn his head away from you.
You try again.You know it's important to keep his mind occupied.
"Do you remember the day we met?I was holding an umbrella and you gave me some money."
He turns his face back to you.The memory is still vivid in his eyes.
"You gave me 20 bucks...it was a sunny day,I was in a good mood..."
> You say "And my name?"
"I can't...I'm sorry..."
You feel the tension in the room rising.
> You say "So......you forgot my name?"
He stops struggling,and begins to calm down.A tear forms in his eye.
"Sorry...I can't remember..."
You sigh,and turn away.It's not the end of the world.
> You say "oh.."
You shrug your shoulders.It's not the end of the world.
"I'm just glad that you can remember SOME things.It's enough to make you happy."
He smiles at you.
> You say "Do you remember any important memory"
He thinks for a moment.
"Yes!I remember now!"
His face beams at you,and he becomes excited.
"I remember the day we met again!"
You stare at him for a moment.
"The day we met again?"
He nods.
> You say "Oh..that day"
He smiles at you,and you feel a small amount of joy in his smile.
"I remember we talked about the hospital."
You nod at him,and try to add enthusiasm to your voice.
> You say "10 years ago?"
He thinks for a moment.
"Yes,yes it was!"
You nod at him,and try to hide the fact that your interest has vanished.He continues with his moment of glory.
Horever..his bliss state starts vanishing.
"There was a ambulance here...and you told me to look out...."
You try to give him a hopeful look.He looks away.
> You say "You dont remember the rest?"
He tries to think.
"No....I remember the first day we met,the first day you came here,and the last day I remember."
Silence falls over the room once more.
> You say "I get it.."
He thinks for a moment.
"You gave me a book once...a small blue book"
You make a weird face,as if you don't remember such a thing.
He stops smiling for a moment.
The man is named "John Doe". You don't know his name yet,but you do know he has been diagnosed as having Alzheimer's disease. You also know that he was once a police officer in Dallas,but for some reason he never told you his story. Even when you have questioned his family members about him,they know even less than you.
One day he cannot remember his own name any more. One day he does not even know why he is in the hospital. But fortunately you know. And so do the doctors,they just don't want to talk about it. After all,Alzheimer's doesn't kill you right away,it slowly destroys your brain over time. The wanted to keep him alive as long as possible,and implanting a BCI was the only way they knew to do it.
But still,the man with the missing memories is in a lot of pain. It is difficult for the doctors to keep him sedated,and you can only imagine how much worse it must be for him.
This is no way to treat a human being.
This,is not treating someone's a illness or a injury. This is torturing and no matter how you look at it,it's just wrong.
You feel the anger rising inside of you and it is directed at this one man,with one name,John Doe. You have heard the doctors speaking with him,answering him. You have never heard him respond,except with ramblings that seem to make little sense.
You feel like you know this man,like you have lived a life with him or something. It's crazy,but it is how you feel.
You walk towards his bed and slowly lift up the sheet,beneath which appears to be nothing but skin and bones. You see the tubes coming out of his arms and the IV in his arm. You also see the band-aid on his arm,where apparently he tried to remove the IV himself. It seems impossible that he is the same man who once took your money without giving you any goods in exchange. But you know it's true.
> You say "John Doe,are you there??"
You say his name,but there is no answer,just the ramblings of a madman.
"John Doe? I think I used to know you,but...what's happening to you?"
There is silence again,and you walk back to the door,leaving it open so the doctors can hear you. Then you turn to face the man with the brain-computer interface.
"You can stop this.You can make him better.He's a human being,and he deserves better than this."
The words seem to shock the man,and he looks over at you.But he says nothing,just steps forward and presses a few buttons on the device on the man's arm.
The man opens his eyes,and looks at you with horror in his eyes.
"Leave me alone.Get out...get out...!"
The man screams and tries to get up,but he is strapped down to the bed. He screams again when they remove the IV.
You turn to leave.
"What's your name?"
This is what you were waiting for.He is going to answer your questions,and it will be up to you what he receives.
The man stops screaming,looks at you and tries to talk. But he only makes incomprehensible noises. The machine next to him buzzes as if it has received something.
"His name is John...John Doe."
You watch as the man stops struggling,but you can still see the tension in his shoulders.
"Who am I?"
Even if he was able to answer,the computer would not tell you.But he cannot answer,he cannot even talk anymore.He is empty now,just like the shell you found on the street all those years ago,the same way you are empty now.
> You say "Do you remember me??"
"No..."
Silence falls over the room again.You can still see the man struggling against his bindings.
> You say "John....how many years have passed?"
"I...don't know..."
"It was 2 years ago..."
The man stops struggling and the frown on your face seems to reassure him. He tries to smile,but only makes a grimace.
> You say "Last time you were on a early stage of dementia"
"I've forgotten things.Not all of it,just...not important things."
"Like the doctors and nurses that visit here?"
The man doesn't seem to understand what you are saying.
> You say "Do you remember your family?"
"I..."
"Do you remember me,for example?"
He stops looking at you,and begins to turn his head away from you.
You try again.You know it's important to keep his mind occupied.
"Do you remember the day we met?I was holding an umbrella and you gave me some money."
He turns his face back to you.The memory is still vivid in his eyes.
"You gave me 20 bucks...it was a sunny day,I was in a good mood..."
> You say "And my name?"
"I can't...I'm sorry..."
You feel the tension in the room rising.
> You say "So......you forgot my name?"
He stops struggling,and begins to calm down.A tear forms in his eye.
"Sorry...I can't remember..."
You sigh,and turn away.It's not the end of the world.
> You say "oh.."
You shrug your shoulders.It's not the end of the world.
"I'm just glad that you can remember SOME things.It's enough to make you happy."
He smiles at you.
> You say "Do you remember any important memory"
He thinks for a moment.
"Yes!I remember now!"
His face beams at you,and he becomes excited.
"I remember the day we met again!"
You stare at him for a moment.
"The day we met again?"
He nods.
> You say "Oh..that day"
He smiles at you,and you feel a small amount of joy in his smile.
"I remember we talked about the hospital."
You nod at him,and try to add enthusiasm to your voice.
> You say "10 years ago?"
He thinks for a moment.
"Yes,yes it was!"
You nod at him,and try to hide the fact that your interest has vanished.He continues with his moment of glory.
Horever..his bliss state starts vanishing.
"There was a ambulance here...and you told me to look out...."
You try to give him a hopeful look.He looks away.
> You say "You dont remember the rest?"
He tries to think.
"No....I remember the first day we met,the first day you came here,and the last day I remember."
Silence falls over the room once more.
> You say "I get it.."
He thinks for a moment.
"You gave me a book once...a small blue book"
You make a weird face,as if you don't remember such a thing.
He stops smiling for a moment.
