The High Priestess of Snakes

In working at a State Hospital as a Resident , I found it too be many things, but mostly a Psychiatric Disneyland. There I found things that would amaze, humor and entertain me. There were equals amounts of things that would shock , scare and disturb me.

A feature of State Hospital Life was Rounding. Most of the Mornings, a team of Nurses, Attending Psychiatrist, Staff Psychologist and a motley crew of hangers on such as Residents and Medical and Nursing Students. After discussing the condition of the patients on that ward, we would have them come hear our pronouncements and have a chance to give a rebuttal or the rare agreement of our assessment of their current state.

The High Priestess was a woman in her late 50's , who could have passed for 70. Fingers brown with Nicotine, skin lined and creased, Hair limp, too long and slightly greasy, she could have passed for a haggard woman worn by a hard life on the streets, a end-stage, institutionalized Schizophrenic, or a Witch. ....She was likely all of these.

She came into the room and in a very limber fashion that did have a serpent like quality, she slid into the chair assuming a modified Lotus Position. She then did her Trademark Snake Hiss, which I believe that day was one of her best.

She took her tongue, protruded it from her mouth ,tight between her teeth, and then vibrated it just right, with saliva flying, to give what I thought was an exact rendition of the Ancient Snake-God manifested on this Earth, whose Cult she claimed to rule. The result among most of the staff was boredom, impatience, but I did notice the Horrified and Disgusted look from my delegated Medical student. If I am not mistaken, the new interning Nurse fresh from a rotation of Pediatrics, peed on herself and excused herself very quickly from the room.

Before we could speak, the High Priestess raised her hand in a Queenly Gesture of Silence which we all respected. "When you are through with slicing, dicing, pickling, brainwashing and having Sexual Intercourse with me.....I would like to go outside and smoke.

We looked at the Attending, he looked at her and at us...and said, "We won't hold you up...Have a Good Day"

With an uncoiling of her body, a parting hiss and a Gesture that looked like the "Evil Eye" that she stabbed with her right hand at the even more horrified and disgusted Medical Student , she walked out of the room and went off to smoke.