Mr. Peker Rue's Soul Shake "We'll see the results in a minute, Mr. Peker Rue.

Don't be worried, I'm sure it's nothing to be concerned about." The doctor ripped the sensor off the elderly man's arm. "Your word in God's ear," Fred mumbled, as he sat up straight from the gurney. He was disappointed to find out, that the proximity to the hospital wasn't enough to scare the horrible pain in his chest away. It was still palpable between his front ribs. Dr. Cole went back to his desk while Fred buttoned up his shirt. It was the same one his daughter had given him for Christmas, and the only decent one he had left. "Sit down here for a moment, Mr. Peker Rue," the doctor said, pointing towards the chair across from the desk. "Please Doctor, call me Fred." He didn't find himself to be in a very formal mood after his near-death experience earlier today. He took the few exhausting steps towards the desk and slumped into the chair. The doctor's eyes were moving steadily across the computer screen. "So, Doctor, what do we do about my heart?" It was obvious to Fred, that the pain he had felt all morning and some time during last night must have been caused by his weak collapsing heart. It was the same fatal flaw, that had killed his father and grandfather, both before the age of 70. "Good news!" the doctor said unexpectedly. He stopped reading and adjusted the position of his black-framed glasses. As Fred watched his slender and unwrinkled hands touching the frame, he envied him for a minute. "It's not your heart, Mr. Peker Rue." "Please, call me Fred, I insist." The doctor ignored the request once again. "I am pleased to tell you that the pain you were experiencing isn't related to your heart." "What is it then?" Fred frowned. He couldn't believe his ears. "It's called a Soul Shake." "A what?" Fred looked at Doctor Cole in disbelief. The doctor put his hands together in a meaningful way. "A Soul Shake usually presents itself with symptoms similar to those of a heart attack, but it's a harmless condition, that will resolve itself in two to three months if you apply some changes to your lifestyle."

Fred looked at the doctor in disbelief, and to the wall to his right. It was crammed with all kinds of awards, and diplomas of several universities. He must be a real doctor, Fred thought to himself, but at this moment he had his doubts whether to trust his ears or the smug doctor, with the white ironed coat and the expensive looking glasses. "I am unfamiliar with the term Soul Shake. Can you please explain the pathophysiology of this disease to me?" Fred was quite pleased, coming up with the term by himself. He must have heard it on one of those stupid medical shows on TV. Soul Shake on the other hand was something, he had never heard on any of those shows. "Fine. It's a non-infectious and sporadic psychosomatic disease, that is caused by the exposure to an extremely uneventful lifestyle. It is some kind of," the doctor was fumbling for words, "message if you will, sent from your inner center to your conscious self, a call to make some changes, to live a little and break through the monotony." "My life is not monotonous," Fred barked at the doctor, taking great offense at the insinuation. "How dare you.." The doctor didn't react and Fred stopped to think about what he had said. He realized there was some truth to the statement. Ever since his wife had passed, his own life had become a repetitive routine. Anything of substance had gone with her. His daughter and granddaughter came by almost every Sunday to visit him, and without doubt, it was the highlight of his week when he heard his daughter turn the key in the front door lock. The rest of his days were filled with maintenance and mindless chores. He ate and slept, and sometimes he went for a walk in between naps. He had to admit, there wasn't much excitement. No wonder his soul was fed up and decided to shake things up. He himself was fed-up, too. He decided right then and there, that it was time for a change. "What can I do, Doctor?" The doctor's face lit up. He apparently didn't expect him to be cooperative that quickly. "It's simple, really. Change your routine, go out and do things you normally wouldn't do. Buy an expensive car or go on a vacation with your daughter. Go dancing. Get laid!" The doctor laughed at him, showing his shiny front teeth, and again, Fred was unsure how to interpret what he was hearing. Nevertheless, he nodded at him. "You will be fine." "Anything else I should be concerned about?" Fred asked but the doctor only shook his head. "Well, that was easier than I thought."

Fred got up out of his chair, determined to give his soul no further reason to complain and start fresh now. He slowly put on his jacket. "No meds?" He still couldn't believe that this whole condition was of a psychological nature. The pain had been so real. The doctor shook his head. "No meds," he repeated smiling a Fred. At the same time the door to the office of Dr. Cole opened and another young, and equally smug looking doctor entered the office. "Oh, sorry, am I disturbing?" "No, we were just finished here," Dr. Cole said quickly. "All the best to you, Mr. Peker Rue." "Thank you" Fred said, and tried to muster up a vivacious grin directed at both of them. He decided to go for ice cream. He hadn't eaten any ice cream for nearly ten years. It would be a good start for his new life. Fred closed the door behind him and left. Meanwhile the other doctor had taken the seat across from Cole's chair. "Coffee?" Cole asked as he refilled his cup. "No thanks." "So, another hopeless cause, I presume?" He jovially nodded in the direction of the door. Dr. Cole sighed. "Well, what do you tell those poor suckers with so little time left?" "How about the truth?" the other doctor stated in a rhetorical manner. Dr. Cole shook his head rigorously. "He will die soon enough. No need to spoil his last days." "One of those days, you will get in serious trouble for lying to them." the other doctor said. Cole wasn't exactly sure if he had already put the usual amount of sugar cubes in his coffee, but when he took the first sip of the brew, he noticed that the taste was as sweet and spicy as he liked it, ever since the time he had experienced his first cup. He thought back to that sunny day, and to his mother, preparing the coffee for him in the family kitchen, and the way it had tasted; sweet, spicy, but most importantly, not at all thinned down by milk.