I talked with Blythe again this morning. He is not compliant. I am going to have to adjust my management style to fit his arrogance. The longer hours and the reduction in salary and benefits have seemed to only encourage his behavior. It is disturbing to me that his techniques are so close to my own, and my suspicion of his meddling is gaining value.

I was hesitant to take on Blythe because of his history, but he became worthy of his position here almost immediately because of his shrewd counseling practices and precise surgical skills. Blythe’s comfortable mood in the operating and procedures rooms makes for efficient treatments even if he is a taskmaster with the staff. However, I cannot allow myself to be the target of his harsh attitude and course language. This is not the first time I have planned a treatment process for a staff member, but it is the first time I have planned such an aggressive treatment process for a staff member and one who is a doctor. Nevertheless, the future of my position here as chief administrator and chief surgeon is at stake because of Blythe’s candid nature and egotistical personality. I can tolerate what he did to Nurse Mariam and the orderly, but I cannot tolerate any further insubordination!

Blythe and I were becoming friends, but as the saying goes, “Familiarity breeds contempt.” It is true. The treatment process for Blythe will need to match his insubordination and his personality disorder. It will be extreme by necessity. Were Blythe in a stable, a normal, state of mental health he would agree with my treatment process for him. Keeping in mind that Blythe is still of great value as a surgeon and mental health doctor I have reconsidered and will not proceed with the lobotomy. For now that treatment is off the table.

I am going to employ several of the treatment processes that Blythe has used over these past months since Blythe is so proud of them. The treatment will include four processes to alter Blythe’s disagreeable personality. First, common electroshock therapy to be administered to soft muscle groups. This will be accompanied by the use of acupuncture needles: one of Blythe’s recent “improvements” to the staid electroshock therapy. Second, sound immersion. Blythe used this treatment to gain zero success with a former patient named (name scratched out with red ink). Third, starvation. I can call it nothing else because that is in essence what Blythe has done to many patients, however, it does draw forth the intended response of cooperation and humility that we so desire with him. Fourth, I am placing Blythe in the same room with Maxwell. Physician heal thyself.