Silver

I was looking at the thermometer that lay on his desk. People used to roll mercury in the palm of their hands. Perhaps it wasn't dangerous then. Perhaps it wasn't the invisible droplets that hovered in the air. Perhaps the entire world was safer then.

"Dr. Saher--"
"Oh it's you, do come in"
"Is his case really just mercury poisoning? How can it affect the personality?"
"Inorganic poisoning, yes, particularly creates more psychiatric than physical. We're treating him with chelation therapy. Did you notice the tremors?"
"Tremors?"
"The hands shaking."
"Yes, a little."
"Speech slurring, difficulty in pronunciation?"
"Yes. But you know, he doesn't want to see me at all. He told me to go away."
"He's just frightened."
" You don't know him. You don't know what he was like before."
"What was he like?"
"I don't know. Like quicksilver. You couldn't catch him."

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