Dr. Albrecht

Dr. Albrecht is a physician at the Sawtelle Sanctuary and one of Dan Davis’s trusted points of contact across the upheavals of Long Sleep and time displacement. His importance is not confined to medical expertise: he recognizes Dan by voice, takes his anxiety seriously, and offers care as a personal obligation rather than merely a professional service.

Identity and Introduction

The narrative establishes Dr. Albrecht through Dan’s effort to identify a remarkably intelligent boy: Dan turns to the papers and learns that the boy is D. B. Davis. After a long interval, Dan phones Dr. Albrecht, who is located and brought to the call; because Dan’s office phone has no visual, Dan explains who he is. Albrecht, however, has already recognized Dan’s voice. The exchange quickly resumes the familiarity of an established relationship: he greets Dan as his son and asks how the new job is going. Dan answers that things are going well enough, though he has not yet been offered a partnership.

The brief call makes recognition itself a defining feature of their bond. Dan must identify himself, but Albrecht does not need visual confirmation; his voice is enough. The scene also places Albrecht within the practical network that connects Dan’s post-Sleep life to the sanctuary and its people, while the warm greeting makes clear that this connection is more intimate than an administrative contact.

Medical Counsel and Dan’s Concern

When Dan calls again, he first acknowledges that he likes the present better than 1970, then turns from their philosophical disagreement about the past to what he describes as a small problem. He asks whether Long Sleep could cause amnesia. Albrecht pauses before answering that it is conceivable, although he has not encountered a case that could be separated from other causes. His response is cautious: he neither dismisses Dan’s fear nor presents a speculative explanation as a diagnosis.

Albrecht asks whether Dan might have experienced any of the other possible causes under discussion. Dan slowly concedes that nearly all could apply, perhaps even a blow to the head if it occurred while he was drunk. Albrecht then adds temporary alcohol-related amnesia as a common possibility and proposes a practical next step: Dan should come see him so they can discuss the matter in detail. If Albrecht cannot identify the cause, he can refer Dan to a hypno-analyst who could investigate the missing memories, although that specialist would be expensive. The offer of an initial consultation makes Albrecht a measured first responder to Dan’s uncertainty, not a physician claiming certainty from a phone conversation.

Loyalty and Personal Connection

Dan protests that he has already bothered Albrecht too much and points out that Albrecht is reluctant to take money. Albrecht answers that he is always interested in his people because they are all the family he has. The remark gives emotional weight to the offer of medical help: his willingness to see Dan is framed as an expression of belonging, not a favor he expects to be paid back for.

That sense of family also clarifies the trust Dan places in him. Dan raises a deeply personal fear—the possibility that his memory has been altered—rather than treating the question as an impersonal medical inquiry. Albrecht responds with practical care and an invitation to continue the conversation face to face. The evidence does not show the consultation or establish a diagnosis, but it does show that he leaves the door open for further help.

Verification and the Search for Ricky

Later, while trying to learn where Frederica Virginia Gentry has gone, Dan presents himself as her cousin and says he took the Sleep before she did, so he did not know she would enter it. When an official doubts his claim and says he may have seen him before, Dan points out that people often mistake him for someone else because he has one of the Twelve Standard Faces. He suggests verifying his identity by telephoning Dr. Albrecht at the Sawtelle Sanctuary.

The proposed call shows the continuing evidentiary value of Albrecht’s connection to Dan: he can vouch for Dan when Dan’s appearance and story fail to persuade a stranger. The official does not simply accept this suggestion, instead directing Dan to return to the director, who can contact the sanctuary or the police. Dan leaves and chooses to hire a jumpcab straight to Brawley rather than follow the verification route. Albrecht therefore remains a possible witness to Dan’s identity, but this encounter does not show him actually being contacted or resolving the search.