Episode 2 includes the story “Eight,” an allegory about seeking help for mental illness. It’s one of my favorite stories because for so long I’d tried to write about this topic directly and failed. Writing in the abstract with fantastic elements made the story work.
In this story, Samuel, the main character, begins throwing up live animals. It’s difficult for him to convince the medical community and his employer that his maladies are real and not imaginary. The problem persists until no one can ignore the seriousness of the illness. While this is validating to some degree, it also comes with severe consequences for Samuel and those around him.
This story originally appeared in This story first appeared in Blood and Thunder: Musings on the Art of Medicine.
