The Diagnosis

Alan Lightman

On his way to work one morning, Bill Chalmers boards the MRTA. He forgets his stop. Forgets who he is. Begins discarding clothes, and eventually is picked up and taken to a hospital for observation and testing as a John Doe.

Before truly figuring out who he is, he escapes and figures out how to get back to his car, where his memory slowly returns. However, a few days later, he gets tingling in his feet. Over a period of months, while consulting with doctors and shrinks continuously, his problem continues to worsen, and still there is no diagnosis.

During this time, his computer literate high school aged son requests, and gets permission, to take an on-line philosophy class of Plato's Dialogs. The choices are Protagoras/ Crito/ Meno/ Antyus/ Sophist/ Apology, etc. He selects Antyus. Antyus was in charge of the trial of Socrates.

Eventually, Chalmers winds up in a wheelchair, completely devasted by something unknown attacking his system.

To go futher would spoil the conclusion (those that know Antyus may have a clue - I know I didn't).

A great read - THANKS, BONNIE!!! I know it is early in the year but I find it hard to believe this one won't make my top ten this year.