Benji Waterhouse

I went in and the daytime TV was burbling away in the living room and we went through to the kitchen. And as he was fixing the teas, Billy told me a bit about himself. He said he lived there with his mum and he said they supported each other and they watched TV together. And he said, although they weren't churchgoers, apparently they watched Countdown religiously. But she was just out, he said.

I took the opportunity to ask my generic psychiatric questions that my boss had taught me to ask, like, was Billy sleeping okay? Was his mood all right? Was he thinking of killing himself? No, no, no, everything was fine, he said, except for the voices. My ears pricked up. And that probably, I thought, explained the unopened packets of medication that I'd noticed on the side table.

I took the opportunity to ask my generic psychiatric questions that my boss had taught me to ask, like, was Billy sleeping okay? Was his mood all right? Was he thinking of killing himself? No, no, no, everything was fine, he said, except for the voices. My ears pricked up. And that probably, I thought, explained the unopened packets of medication that I'd noticed on the side table.

I took the opportunity to ask my generic psychiatric questions that my boss had taught me to ask, like, was Billy sleeping okay? Was his mood all right? Was he thinking of killing himself? No, no, no, everything was fine, he said, except for the voices. My ears pricked up. And that probably, I thought, explained the unopened packets of medication that I'd noticed on the side table.

I tentatively asked him what the voices said. They're telling me to get milk, which is so annoying because we've already got milk, he said. I relaxed a lot because even I knew back then that schizophrenic voices are often more sinister than that, and psychiatrists don't tend to get struck off or make front pages for having patients well-stuck in the lactose department.

I tentatively asked him what the voices said. They're telling me to get milk, which is so annoying because we've already got milk, he said. I relaxed a lot because even I knew back then that schizophrenic voices are often more sinister than that, and psychiatrists don't tend to get struck off or make front pages for having patients well-stuck in the lactose department.

I tentatively asked him what the voices said. They're telling me to get milk, which is so annoying because we've already got milk, he said. I relaxed a lot because even I knew back then that schizophrenic voices are often more sinister than that, and psychiatrists don't tend to get struck off or make front pages for having patients well-stuck in the lactose department.

But for completeness, I asked, do they say anything else? And Billy said, well, yeah, they're not going to like me telling you, but yeah, they do also say that I'm the Antichrist and that the only way to wash away my sin is to sacrifice my mum. I was like, oh yeah, that's more like it. But I just ignore them. He said, I just ignore them. They're stupid. I don't do what the voices say.

But for completeness, I asked, do they say anything else? And Billy said, well, yeah, they're not going to like me telling you, but yeah, they do also say that I'm the Antichrist and that the only way to wash away my sin is to sacrifice my mum. I was like, oh yeah, that's more like it. But I just ignore them. He said, I just ignore them. They're stupid. I don't do what the voices say.

But for completeness, I asked, do they say anything else? And Billy said, well, yeah, they're not going to like me telling you, but yeah, they do also say that I'm the Antichrist and that the only way to wash away my sin is to sacrifice my mum. I was like, oh yeah, that's more like it. But I just ignore them. He said, I just ignore them. They're stupid. I don't do what the voices say.

I let out another huge sigh of relief. It's when patients don't feel able to ignore these so-called command hallucinations that psychiatrists don't sleep so easily. And so this wasn't the case with Billy, you know, reassuringly.

I let out another huge sigh of relief. It's when patients don't feel able to ignore these so-called command hallucinations that psychiatrists don't sleep so easily. And so this wasn't the case with Billy, you know, reassuringly.

I let out another huge sigh of relief. It's when patients don't feel able to ignore these so-called command hallucinations that psychiatrists don't sleep so easily. And so this wasn't the case with Billy, you know, reassuringly.

And as he was like making me this nice cup of tea and, you know, I could hear the intro music of Cash in the Attic just starting up from the living room and the sunshine was pouring in through the windows. I was thinking, I think I'm going to quite enjoy psychiatry. And Billy asked if I took milk, and I said that I did.

And as he was like making me this nice cup of tea and, you know, I could hear the intro music of Cash in the Attic just starting up from the living room and the sunshine was pouring in through the windows. I was thinking, I think I'm going to quite enjoy psychiatry. And Billy asked if I took milk, and I said that I did.

And as he was like making me this nice cup of tea and, you know, I could hear the intro music of Cash in the Attic just starting up from the living room and the sunshine was pouring in through the windows. I was thinking, I think I'm going to quite enjoy psychiatry. And Billy asked if I took milk, and I said that I did.

And he was busy, like, removing the tea bags with a spoon, so I thought I'd help. I went over to the fridge and casually opened the door to discover... Milk. Cartons and bottles and cartons and bottles and cartons and bottles of milk filling every possible compartment of the fridge. I froze. I literally couldn't move my body. Shit. Billy was obeying the voices.

And he was busy, like, removing the tea bags with a spoon, so I thought I'd help. I went over to the fridge and casually opened the door to discover... Milk. Cartons and bottles and cartons and bottles and cartons and bottles of milk filling every possible compartment of the fridge. I froze. I literally couldn't move my body. Shit. Billy was obeying the voices.

And he was busy, like, removing the tea bags with a spoon, so I thought I'd help. I went over to the fridge and casually opened the door to discover... Milk. Cartons and bottles and cartons and bottles and cartons and bottles of milk filling every possible compartment of the fridge. I froze. I literally couldn't move my body. Shit. Billy was obeying the voices.

My eyes were like transfixed on this wall of white. And like trying to sound calm and normal, I just asked again where Billy's mum was. I just told you, she's out. I took one of the bottles out and shut the door. And when I turned, I saw Billy was now smiling and holding a kitchen knife. Then he cut us two slices from the lemon drizzle cake.