Sirius Black

INFLUENCE

I started driving for Lyft — after about 9 months from being discharged.

There were several impetuses: I like driving quite a bit and am a decent navigator in the Bay Area; my vehicle is very comfortable for both the driver and to infirm passengers — I know the later because my sister, wife, and daughters would drive me around in it when I was first discharged; and finally, there were too few ‘paratransit’ drivers for the people that did dialysis with me. I was never an official paratransit driver and vehicle (no wheel chair lift, for example), but I understood the needs of infirm and post-dialysis patients. I also had nothing much to do early in the day, so I drove both early and afternoon (post-dialysis) shifts.

During one of the afternoon shifts, I encountered another ability. While I drove Sandra home, I suggested she try a Mexican restaurant (“La Fonda de Los Carnalitos”) in Redwood City. It was an innocuous suggestion, but two days later I found out she tried the restaurant. That same night. In spite of her saying she was having fried chicken for dinner during that drive.

Nothing incredible, but it seemed very unlikely to be just a coincidence. I tested this out with more (good) restaurant suggestions, and every time ‘my patient’ and rider would eat there that night.

Very strange. Didn’t work in the morning though, so the impact was limited.

“I can influence people” — Dr A. is dressed fashionably [[in …]] as always. “Yes, Mark, you can have a major impact to the

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world, especially given how long you will be with us. Is that what you are referencing?”

“No. I can my cause my patients to do things… immediately… and even sometimes silly or out of character actions. I suggested ice skating at Winter Lodge for exercise, and met the patient on the ice at the very next public session. I recommended visiting the Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, and found out the patient had made the several hour trip the next day. Suggested Yosemite, they visited over the weekend (this was after Friday’s session).

I am now being very careful what I suggest, and adding lots of caveats (like ‘in the summer’) to prevent messing with their lives.”

“Interesting…”

“Stanford would like you — to go to a different dialysis clinic” Dr A. says at the next session.

“OK. Why?”

“We can discuss that later. Can you go to the San Carlos clinic for a while?”

“Sure. Since I stopped using the catheter, I am not as nervous with new technicians. Before it was pretty scary when a different RN would hook up and clean the catheter. That direct connection to my heart is a little too powerful. Better than the neck catheter though”

“You realize you are dead right? What could they have done to your vestigial heart?”

“I didn’t say it was rational”

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